Interview with Amanda Cabot

Today we welcome Amanda Cabot to my blog. Thanks for stopping by, Amanda. Where did you grow up and attend school? Are there any other authors in your family? 

I spent my early childhood in a small town in Texas, enjoying the beauty of bluebonnets and Spanish moss dripping from the live oaks.  Can you imagine the shock when my family moved to a suburb of Buffalo, New York, in the middle of the winter?  What was that white stuff on the ground?  Despite the reality of long, cold winters, there were many good things about living in New York State, including the fact that I met my husband there, but I never forgot those years in Texas.  That’s why so many of my books are set in the Lone Star State.

Although my father was a great storyteller and had dreams of writing a book, he never actually did, so I’m the only author in the family.

My son lives near Buffalo now. Just  north of it, actually. He's in the Coast Guard. How did you get started writing? How old were you? What made you want to start? What did you enjoy reading as a child? 

My parents were avid readers, so it wasn’t surprising that I wanted to emulate them and tried to teach myself to read.  I was very fortunate in that my father was a former teacher, so he took over the job, and before long, I was reading everything I could find.  For me, the next logical step was to write books of my own.  From the time I was about seven, I was writing stories, plays, and a neighborhood newspaper.  You can imagine the quality of all of those.  I did improve, though, and sold the first book that I sent to an editor.

How and when did you and your husband meet? Was it love at first sight? What does he think about your being an author?

I wish I could tell you when I first met my husband, but although I can tell you about our first date and many other details of our life, that’s one thing I don’t know.  Does that sound odd?  The reason is simple.  We attended the same church and school, so we knew each other by sight years before we started dating. 

I’ve been very blessed, not only with a husband who accepts that sometimes meals are late because I have just one more scene to write, but who also supports my writing in every way he can.  He knows how important on-site research is for me, so he’s the one who says, “Where are we going now?” and gets the car ready for our next trip.  He also does all of the driving, leaving me to absorb the scenery.

How do you research the communities and people you write about? Do you find yourself having do a lot of research? 

I think every book, whether historical or contemporary, requires a lot of research.  Even when I’m developing fictional towns, I want to ensure that the details are right – that I know what trees grow there, what the air feels like, what fragrances I might encounter – so I always do on-site research.  Historicals, of course, require a specific kind of research.  I spend a lot of time immersing myself in history books and am always thrilled when I find a diary written by someone who lived during the era I’ve chosen.  Those diaries provide fascinating details that help make the time period come to life for me, and – I hope – for my readers.

Which is your favorite book? Do you have a character in your books you identify with the most?

My books are like children, in that I really can’t say I have a favorite one.  Each one is special in its own way.  While I tell myself that I don’t base my characters on either myself or people I know, Elizabeth from With Autumn’s Return is the character closest to me in personality.  Her sharp tongue and determined independence remind me of myself when I was a teenager. 

A Stolen Heart – Amanda Cabot

Blurb

The future she dreamed of is gone. But perhaps a better one awaits . . .

From afar, Cimarron Creek seems like an idyllic town tucked in the Texas Hill Country. But when former schoolteacher Lydia Crawford steps onto its dusty streets in 1880, she finds a town with a deep-seated resentment of Northerners—like her. Lydia won’t let that get her down, though. All will be well when she’s reunited with her fiancé.

But when she discovers he has disappeared—and that he left behind a pregnant wife—Lydia is at a loss about what to do next. The handsome sheriff urges her to trust him, but can she trust anyone in this town where secrets are as prevalent as bluebonnets in spring?

Bestselling author Amanda Cabot invites you into Texas’s storied past to experience adventure, mystery—and love.

Author Bio

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of more than thirty novels including the Texas Dreams trilogy, the Westward Winds series, the Texas Crossroad trilogy, and Christmas Roses. A former director of Information Technology, she has written everything from technical books and articles for IT professionals to mysteries for teenagers and romances for all ages.  Amanda is delighted to now be a fulltime writer of Christian romances, living happily ever after with her husband in Wyoming. 

Social Media Links

www.amandacabot.com

https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot

https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/

http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

Buying Links

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Christian Book Distributors