Amanda Tru, Author of Yesterday and The Locket Opens up About Her Various Literary Inspirations

I would very much like to welcome Amanda Tru, author of nine published books. Ms. Tru was nice enough to answer some questions for me about her various literary inspirations, her books, and her writing plans for the future. Thank you so much for stopping by Emeraldfire's Bookmark, Ms. Tru, and I wish you all the best now and in the future!

Meet Amanda Tru: 

Although I loved my job as an elementary school teacher, I am now very blessed to be mommy to three adorable little boys and living my dream of being an author.

I have a vivid imagination and have always been easily entertained by the stories in my head. Fortunately, I also love to paint those pictures with words. I like writing a wide variety of genres, and my current book list includes everything from a Christian time travel/romance series, to an action-packed suspense, to a romance involving a woman who likes to anonymously play matchmaker.

Although I enjoy historical, Christian, paranormal, suspense, and everything in between, my books all have one thing in common – I love to surprise my readers with the unexpected. I currently have 7 books available for Kindle, Nook, and paperback.

My family and I live in a small Idaho town where the number of cows outnumbers the number of people.

Synopsis of Yesterday: 

Her yesterday was five years ago. What will her tomorrow bring?

When Hannah Kraeger saves a family injured in a car accident, she has no idea she has changed events in the past. Waking the next morning, Hannah discovers her yesterday was really five years ago.

Each trip Hannah takes through time changes the timeline and her own life. With help from Dr. Seth McAllister, Hannah must unravel the mystery of why she time travels and who she actually is before the strange ability costs her future, the man she loves, and even her life.

Yesterday is a thrilling Christian Romantic Suspense filled with unexpected twists, mystery, and romance.

Coming to Amazon on February 8, 2012!

Synopsis of The Locket:

Hannah suddenly finds that she has time traveled once again, but this time is different. After helping save a woman's life, Hannah discovers that she has completely altered the timeline and thrown her very existence into jeopardy.

Facing life-threatening effects upon returning to her own time, Hannah is then given a death sentence: if she time travels again, she will die. Now, Hannah must solve the clues to her own identity and find a way to save her own life before she is once again sent spiraling through time.

Will her mother's locket hold the key to both her past and her future? Has she just found the love of her life only to lose him? Could God have a plan for Hannah amidst the chaos?

Coming to Amazon February 8, 2012!

Emeraldfire's Bookmark: What was the defining incident (or incidents) in your life or career that caused you to say to yourself, "Gee, this would work well in a book"?

Amanda Tru: I wanted to do something special for my sister’s birthday. She is an avid reader, but is very picky. Partly joking one day, she asked me to write her a good book. My original idea was to write a short story that she could read in one sitting. I had lots of ideas for novels, but not really anything for something shorter. And that drove me a little crazy. 

As I was driving home on a long stretch of road, an idea suddenly hit me. What if someone got in her car in one time, but when she arrived at her destination, she was in a different time? Nothing changed, there was no lights or grand journey through time, everything looked the same. She arrived at the right place, but the wrong time. From there the entire story unveiled itself in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more fantastic and irresistible the story became. What started as the idea for a short story, morphed into a wildly intricate, unusual plot unlike anything I’d ever read. And it begged to be written.

Emeraldfire's Bookmark: So, even after having seven books published, which reaction best describes your own personal feelings about your journey in writing (if you view it in that way) : 'Wow! This is the fulfillment of one particular lifelong dream for me. Every hardship in my life has led to this moment.' or 'Oh my gosh! I'm a published author, what do I do now?'

Amanda Tru: I’ve been a busy girl, I just released my 9th book! Honestly, I don’t know how I feel. It all seems a bit surreal. I’ve always wanted to be an author. But it’s almost as if, after a long journey, I suddenly look around and think, “Am I really here? When did that happen?” I don’t know at what point it will feel real, if ever. It might take the New York Times bestseller list and a movie contract for me to finally feel like I’ve actually arrived! ;)

Emeraldfire's Bookmark: I know that both Yesterday and The Locket are classified as Christian time travel/romance, but what do you believe might draw first time readers to your books - is it the faith-based plots or something else entirely? 

Amanda Tru: I hope readers would look at the first few lines of my books and be hooked! I don’t really write typical “Christian Romance,” or at least, I try to do it in a fresh, unique way. My faith is very important to me, and I try to weave the Christian themes very naturally and believably into the plot. The actual story and the writing are vitally important to me as well. I don’t necessarily feel that readers would want to read my books for their spiritual significance. I hope they would want to read them because they tell wonderful stories that are well-written page-turners! I write what I like to read. I love excitement, drama, strong female characters, and plenty of twists and surprises. After reading one of my books, I kind of hope a reader feels a bit of a withdrawal as they have to come back to the real world. J

Emeraldfire's Bookmark: What are your future plans as regards writing in general or do you have any 'percolating ideas' for your next book?

Amanda Tru: I have a long list of books in my “To Be Written” pile. I have so many ideas in just about every genre, I don’t know that my lifetime will ever be long enough to turn them all into books, but I’ll do my best! I just published a novella entitled, The Assumption of Guilt. Now I’m currently working on a much-anticipated Book 4 in the Yesterday series. It’s called, The Choice. However, the book I’m probably looking forward to most looking forward to in my pile is a historical romance set in the Great Depression. There is so much to write and so little time!

May you read well and often