{Author Fest} Amy Leigh Strickland @nimbuschick

Amy Leigh Strickland is a writer and teacher from Townsend, Massachusetts. She has a BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Amy currently lives outside Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, Kyle and their terrier, Apollo.

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When Royer Goldhawk witnesses a fly-by kidnapping, he becomes inextricable entangled in a madman's plot to break the barrier to another world and harness an unimaginable power. With the help of his friends, Royer embarks on a mission of rescue and revenge that will lead him across the country and plunge him into a world of magic, machines, and danger.

Interview with Amy Leigh Strickland
How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?
I've always loved the aesthetic of steampunk, but I never had a steampunk story to tell until this one. It just fit so perfectly, using the time in our history where magic and faith faded to the background and science became king. This was the time of Darwin and Edison. It's always fascinated me how some people can't make room for both science and magic in their hearts.

What's a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

I pay my bills with teaching, though writing has been slowly making up more and more of my income. When I wrote this novel, last fall, I sat down straight after work and knocked out 1,700 words before giving myself a reward. This summer I got into a good routine with it my days off. I woke up, took care of my dogs, sat down, wrote, took a break to do some promotion and website maintenance, and then wrote again until roughly 1p when I allowed myself to quit and do housework. I tried to do all my writing in the morning because I knew that once I napped or started watching Youtube videos, it would be all over.

What’s the best thing about being an author?

I love telling stories. Everything I'm really passionate about has to do with storytelling in some way. What I love most about being an author is the ability for others to read my stories and enjoy them. When I get a message from a fan, it makes my day. It feels better than any paycheck I might get, because I remember all those years of fan art and roleplaying Harry Potter in my life and I remember the excitement of loving a good story. If I can bring that to even a handful of people, I'm happy.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Write. Even when you aren't "feeling it," write.

Who would play the cast?

My friend Peter Moffatt is the cover model for Royer, and he is an actor living in LA, so I'd give him the job. For America Loveguard I'd want someone like a younger Bethany Galeotti. For Benjy, someone like Anton Yelchin because the hair is more important to me than the facial structure. For Major Bedloe, I'd cast Kevin Spacey.

 

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