Traveling Reads Books Tag by JD Estrada

Writer Wednesday: Amie Irene Winters

Some life events occur by happenstance. Others occur due to luck of a stranger variety. I came upon the book Strange Luck by following someone I had followed because of another person I had followed because of a person I had followed in the first place (something like that). I saw the cover of Strange Luck and was immediately intrigued. When I read it recently I couldn’t help but devour the book. It was such a fun read, with so many great ideas that I read the book in a little over 2 days. In addition, I have been able to connect with Amie Irene and have found a very lovely writer whose works I’m happy to add to my collection. She was also kind enough to accept some questions to ponder and answer. So without more dilly-dallying, let’s get some Qs going!

1. Firstly, many thanks for visiting here. It’s always lovely to dig a bit deeper into the mind of a great writer. So first questions first, who is Amie Irene Winters and what can people expect to see if they write your name in the Amazon search bar?

I’m a YA Fantasy author, collector of oddities, and big time geek. Writing books never entered my mind until I completed my bachelors in anthropology and religious studies and a masters in environmental leadership. After having tried a variety of unique jobs - from park ranger, grant writer, natural history curator, to archaeologist - did I start experimenting with writing fiction. A few moves around the country, and some long international trips later, I published my debut novel, Strange Luck in 2015. My next book, The Nightmare Birds, will be released August 2, 2016.

2. Your work deals with memories in a fascinating way. How did the idea for Strange Luck come about and when did you say “I’m going to make this into a book?”

I was inspired to write Strange Luck while passing a cemetery. I started thinking about memories, regrets, life, and experiences. Having as many experiences/memories as possible has always been a personal goal of mine (don’t even get me started on my mile-long bucket list). Anyway, my mind wandered to the idea of collecting our most cherished memories and if it was possible to determine the best/most perfect memory one can have. I left the fate of making it into a book up to a fortune cookie. It said “Trust your intuition,” and that I did.

3. As per usual, random questions do happen in these interviews, so tell us what is the most expensive item in Strange Luck and the cheapest?

I love this question! You seriously stumped me and I’ve been thinking about how to answer this for a few days now. I would say that the most expensive item in the shop would be the Tell Shell. The concept for this item is actually based on one of the most expensive and rare shells in the world. In fact, a collector purchased one at auction in 1792 only to destroy it to maintain the value of one already in his collection. Since all the items in the shop are haunted in some way, the Tell Shell is said to reveal your fortune once if you hold your ear up to the opening on your birthday. I would love to own something like that. As for the most inexpensive item, that’s tough because the type of antiques the shop sells are very rare and unique, but if I had to choose, I’d probably say Old Pete—the taxidermied raven with one purple feather. The legend is that if you answer his riddle correctly the raven will tell you the combination to a safe full of money. I can’t imagine a taxidermied raven going for very much, plus his riddles are so difficult you’d never see that money.


4. How long did it take you to write Strange Luck and how many books do you see in the series?

It took about a year to complete. I actually wrote the first chapter of Strange Luck a long time ago, but for some reason I stopped working on it, then completely forgot about it. Years later, I was looking for something on my computer and found the file and decided to finish it.

There will be four books in the series with a prequel in there somewhere. 


5. If they made a movie adaptation of your movie, would you prefer real life or animated, and why?

Either one. I think I would just burst from joy if my book was made into a movie in the first place.


6. How does having a philosopher husband and your darling trickster Loki influence your work?

My husband definitely helped me think through some of the mind-bending concepts in Strange Luck. We have regular conversations about what makes us human, what’s important in life, how to live a good life, etc. Heavy stuff, I know ;). That’s where the whole concept of the importance of memory comes into the story. In my next book, I’ll be focusing on other philosophical issues like mortality and meaning.

My pug puppy Loki has certainly been a good distraction from writing. He forces me to take much-needed breaks and have fun when I’ve been stuck writing at a computer all day (see pic).


7. Seeing as you’ve been playing the piano since age 5, have you ever composed any original pieces? 

What are some of your favorite things to play on the piano? Yes, I also used to teach piano lessons back in the day. I’ve composed many songs in the classical, dark goth vein. I love playing heavy minor pieces like Tocotta in D Minor.


8. I read you like crazy socks. As a fellow sock lover, I HAVE to ask what are some of the craziest socks you own? 

:D Yay! I’m always happy to meet a fellow crazy sock lover. I started acquiring crazy socks when I was little. My favorite pair were bright red with puffy white snowflakes and snowmen on the bottom to keep you from slipping.

Over the years, I’ve accumulated dozens of pairs of socks with cute dogs (mostly pugs) and other animals on them (courtesy of my mom and mother-in-law). I have Nightmare Before Christmas socks, skull and cross bone Xmas socks (see pic), cheetah print, vampire ones, socks with French words, neon-stripped ones, you name it. My newest pair are from Canada with moose on them (see pic).


9. Where can people find out more about you and your work and what’s in store for you? (Include links to anything you like in your answer)

· Website: http://www.amieirenewinters.com

· Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Amie-Irene-Winters/e/B00XZ88V5A/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1466702263&sr=8-1

· Blog: http://golden-cricket.blogspot.com/

· Facebook: http://facebook.com/aiwinters

· Twitter: http://twitter.com/AmieIWinters

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I’d like to thank Amie for her time and some wonderful answers. I encourage you to read my review on Strange Luck and read a sample to see if you’re interested in trying on some Strange Luck out for size. Also keep an eye out for her second book, The Nightmare Birds. For your viewing pleasure, here's a pic of the new cover. So keep an eye out.

As usual in Writer Wednesdays, below is the prompt I sent to Amie to see if we work on a collab or if she runs with the idea.

Peace, love, and maki rolls.

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PROMPT: Two sock puppets have just escaped the Dryer Maze and will enjoy a small vacation to Threadbare Beach before returning to the Closet Castle. One is called Tickle and the other is called Padfoot. What will they get up to before returning to their rightful and leftful places?