Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Bentley
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve wanted to write a book since I was young. I wrote a short Halloween story when I was in middle school—this store sold blank books, so I typed up the words at the library, drew with colored pencils, and (technically) wrote my first book! I wish I knew where it was.
I’ve always been an avid reader, and romance has always been my favorite genre. After having my son, who is now five years old, I downloaded a journaling app because I was on my phone a lot for nap time and feedings. One of the questions it asked was a goal I’ve always had. I wrote I wanted to write a book. Every week or so, it would follow up with a question of what I had done to achieve that goal.
It was a while before I could answer yes, but I believe that’s what lit the fire in me to do it. I took a week off of work and wrote 32k words of my first published book, Drift.
I’ve since written two other full-length novels and two novellas. I have other works in progress and about a million other ideas to get down on paper. They’re all romances.
I homeschool my son so I write when I can, but my dream is to publish at least fifty books.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think writing is such a personal endeavor that it’s impossible not to have struggles, and it seems like they’re always with myself. Self-criticizing, self-doubt, anxiety…while they are exacerbated with writing, I also find it freeing. It’s like facing the hardest parts of myself so I can achieve this dream.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I write spicy romance. Something I hear often is that I write ‘those’ types of scenes well. I also made my tag line ‘wild emotions, undeniable chemistry’ because that’s what really stands out in my writing. You can feel the attraction between my characters seeping through the pages and I really focus on all the feels. I’m most proud of my Now & Always Duet—there’s an aspect of mystery and it forced me to get into a readers brain to make sure they only knew what I wanted them to know at a given time. It challenged me but I think it came out wonderfully.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Facebook groups are really what propelled me forward in the beginning because I soaked up knowledge from others who started before me. Reading romance books, naturally, is what inspires and motivates me.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://Amazon.com/author/amandabentleybooks
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandabentleyauthor/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandabentleyauthor
