1. What is your
name and where do you call home?
Amber Butler. I
live in Dallas, Texas.
2. Do you have a
pen name?
Not a "pen
name" but I write as A K Butler.
3. What is the
name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words,
what would you say?
The Burning of
Cherry Hill. Two kids were raised in hiding from the supposed utopia they
now have to navigate to find their kidnapped parents.
4. Do you have
plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
Three! I'm
writing a prequel to The Burning of Cherry Hill as well as a fantasy adventure
and a pre-apocalyptic dystopian.
5. What or who
inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
I've been
writing since I was about six, so who knows what that means. When I was ten I
read The Giver by Lois Lowry, and then, directly after, A Wrinkle in Time by
Madeleine L'Engle. Those two books had quite a profound impact on my life, and
have been a source of continual inspiration.
6. Do you gift
books to readers for book reviews?
Yes, both .mobi
and .ePub format.
7. How did you
come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
Tulips are a
recurring theme in this book, as is fire and painting. I designed the cover
from several stock images I purchased.
8. Which is your
favourite cover of all the books you have written?
This one, it's
the only book I've written. ;)
9. Is there
anything you would change about your book covers?
I'm sure if an
actual artist or graphic designer messed around with it they could make
something that blows my mind, but I'm not one so I don't even know what to
point to that could be improved. I just don't know enough about art.
10. Do you have
a playlist in mind for any of your books?
I usually hear
Mumford and Sons and sometimes Florence and the Machine while I'm writing or
plotting or reading or editing.
11. Did you
listen to any particular songs whilst writing your books?
I can't listen
to anyone singing while I write, unless it's in a language I don't know. I
usually end up listening to the soundtrack from The Hobbit or Lord of the
Rings.
12. Would you
have different book covers for different countries?
No, only because
I do this pretty much entirely on my own and don't really have those kinds of
resources.
13. How did you
come up with the title for your book?
The title
actually came to me before the story. I think I dreamt it.
14. Is there
anything you would change about your book? And why?
I'm sure there
will always be things I would change. It's never done, it's never perfect. I
eventually HAD to stop editing it and just let it go.
15. Do you have
a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
I don't, but I'm
making one. I love the idea of book trailers, though many of them don't really
do anything for me. It's expensive and hard to get "right".
16. Do you have
a “Dreamcast” in mind for any of your books?
I watch far too much BBC! In my mind, David Tennant is Tavish, Martin
Freeman is Praisler, and Andrew Scott is Kru. No one else has any one face tied
to them, though sometimes Eli Fraeman looks like Steve Carell. ;)
17. What is your
opinion of ARCs?
I think they're
fantastic. I feel like if I ever got to the point where I was actually able to
send ARCs to people, I will have "arrived". ;)
18. Do you
prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
All of them! I
love e-books because I can grab this tiny little Kindle and choose from a
thousand books. I love hardbacks for gifts or book signings. I love paperbacks
because they're small and never run out of batteries. And I love audiobooks for
driving or cleaning the house.
19. Are you a
self-published / Indie author?
Yes, self
published.
20. Have you
ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
Yes! Harry
Potter, Sherlock Holmes, The Giver, 1984, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
A Wrinkle in Time...I honestly couldn't list all the books I have, and still
would, re-read. I have to limit myself on Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes
rereads - once every two years, otherwise I'd probably never read anything
else!
21. Have you
ever bought a specific edition of a book because of it’s cover? (For example a
UK, US or Canadian version)
I've TRIED to,
but it's been unavailable for purchase in my country.
22. What is your
opinion of novellas?
They are fun, a
well written novella has a lot of power because most of the story has to take
place outside the book. They have the power to leave you with lingering
questions that stay with you, I quite enjoy that.
23. Have you
ever read a book just based on it’s cover?
I've picked up a
book to read the synopsis based solely on its cover, but I don't think I've
ever actually read one for that reason only.
24. Has the
quality of the cover of a book ever put you off of reading it?
Yes, absolutely.
25. What is your
favourite film based on a book?
The Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Galaxy (the new one, with Martin Freeman and Zooey Deschanel)
which is a movie I'm unashamed to admit I have, without exaggeration, watched
at least two hundred times. Probably more.
26. What is your
favourite book genre at the moment?
Dystopian, and
has been since I was ten.
27. What books
have made it onto your wishlist recently? And why?
The Gone series,
because it was recommended to me by someone who read my book and thought I
might like it. I'm also INCREDIBLY SUPER JUMP-UP-AND-DOWN excited for The
Whatnot, the sequel to The Peculiar, which is one of the most refreshingly
fantastic books I've ever read. I've got about 50 books on my TBR shelf right
now. ;)
28. What book
are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
I usually read
multiple books at a time. Right now I'm reading Smoke and Mirrors by Neil
Gaiman, Looking for Alaska by John Green, The Polish Boxer by Eduardo Halfon,
and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
29. If you could
invite any four celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you
invite and why?
David Tennant,
Neil Gaiman, John Green, and Nathan Fillion, because that dinner party would be
the most epic gathering of genius geeks in the history of awesome.
30. Do you have
any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been
given when it comes to writing?
DELETE. Don't
ever be afraid to kill your words, because only when the weak ones die do the
strong ones thrive. DELETE. MURDER. RUTHLESSLY. DELETE.
In a similar
vein, don't be afraid to hurt your characters. Only when you've utterly
destroyed them do you find out what they're made of.
Also, if you're
self published, get an editor. Not just a copyeditor. A developmental editor. A
good one is worth his weight in winning lottery tickets. I used Stephen
Parolini of noveldoctor.com, and it was the most fantastic
writing decision I ever made.
31. Do you have
any hobbies that aren’t related to reading & writing?
I love rock
climbing and playing guitar. I am not good at either of these things.
32. Where can
your readers follow you?
Facebook
page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-K-Butler/101744366655915
Goodreads author
page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6565901.A_K_Butler
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amberkbutler
Tumblr: http://zayvish.tumblr.com/
Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview
and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!
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