Author interview with Amy Croall, author of A Cure for the Condition

Please share your background (where you were born, where did you grow up, siblings, career background, etc)
I was born in a really small town outside of Santa Barbara. It’s where I grew up until about nine years old when my father got a promotion. From there, we moved to Temecula in Southern California. I have an older brother and an older sister with whom I’ve shared most of my life. My career background is strictly administrative work, but I try to incorporate anything writing-related into it!*

When did you begin your writing journey?
As soon as I could read at three-years-old. My father and I used to write and draw books together. It was amazing and so much fun!*

What inspires your writing?
*Anything and everything. Typically, I have very vivid dreams. As a matter of fact, last night I had a dream about someone I know who fosters kittens. In the dream, the kittens were very mistreated and I orchestrated an escape plan for them! Of course, I ended up keeping all the little darlings. But, this dream has inspired me to include a great escape in one of my novels. *

Please share about your latest book, A Cure for the Condition

*My latest book is about a teenager who dies in a car accident before her sixteenth birthday. She’s given a second chance at life. For thirty days, she must do everything she’s ever wanted to she’s able to pass on to the next phase of existence (which is the next dimension where we live without bodies–only souls and consciousness). I am currently drafting a query for
this to submit to agents.

How did you publish this book and why?
A Cure for the Condition was published under Whiskey Creek Press. I spent about a year querying agents and publishing houses. I received a few acceptances, but most were vanity publishers. When Whiskey Creek Press approached me with a contract, I couldn’t refuse. They are a wonderful company which I recommend for anyone wishing to publish Indie.

Most writers are readers. What are some of the books you have on your nightstand and “must read” list?
*Actually, I just finished reading The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. It is very inspiring. In fact, I’ll be using a version of his style in my third installment of the Young Adult series I’m writing. It’s very disjointed, making the reader feel tense and uncomfortable. I believe it will lend itself well to the book’s purpose.*

What are three pieces of advice about writing you would give to beginning writers?
*Persevere**, persevere, persevere. The only sure-fire way to never get published is to give up. Embrace your ambitious nature!*

What else do you have on your calendar regarding your writing for the rest of 2012?
*Mostly edits. I’m working on my Young Adult series at the moment, but the sequel to A Cure for the Condition will be releasing in October 2012. I’m looking very forward to it.*

Where can people contact you and learn more about or purchase your books?
People can contact me via Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/amycroall) or my website (http://www.amycroall.com). They can also e-mail me at
info@amycroall.com.
You can purchase your copy on Amazon

Author Bio

I was born in Santa Maria, a small town close to Santa Barbara,
California. The town was small, dusty, and my parents did not have a lot of money. I spent my adolescence reading and furthering my education in any way I could. I often spent my vacations buried in books or doing writing of my own. Ultimately, it was my father who got me excited about the power of writing. He and I would write short children’s stories about ducks and frogs playing in the swamp. One day, we collaborated an idea about writing a picture book in which animals lived in harmony with humans. When I was eighteen, I moved out of my parents’ house and took creative writing and literature classes. When I met my husband, he encouraged me to write for myself, but I had higher aspirations. With A Cure for the Condition, I had my first professional success with Whiskey Creek Press and was able to spend more time learning the ins and outs of writing. For my
second book A Cure for the Past, I researched with a concept designer at NASA. At the moment, I am working on submitting The Death of Me to agents and am planning the subsequent novels in its wake.