Amanda Siegrist - Author of Adult Contemporary Romance

Hello again!

If this is your first time to my site, welcome! Thanks for dropping by.
If this is not your first time here, I'm glad you decided to come back and check out my latest author interview! This one is focused on the lovely Amanda Siegrist, author of multiple adult romance novels.
When I first approached Amanda for an interview, I had no idea she had so many projects completed and, also, in the works! She's quite a busy-bee. Which, as a reader, is AWESOME! I can't wait to pick up more of her work.

The novel Amanda decided to discuss today is Protecting You.

Protecting You ~ A McCord Family Novel

Ava Rainer is on the top of her game. Good life, good job, great friends-especially Detective Jimmy McCord. Not everyone appreciates their friendship, particularly Jimmy's brother Zane. He thinks she's there to tear his family apart. She met him once with no desire to meet again. She would do anything for Jimmy, though. She sadly found out he would do anything for her.

Tragedy strikes, leaving Ava under the depths of despair, struggling to climb her way out. Wishing that Jimmy were there to help pull her out of her turmoil, she finds herself face-to-face again with Zane. Can he ever forgive her for breaking his family apart? Can he help her move on with life and find the peace she desperately needs? Or will the pain and heartache tear them apart even more?

*This is a contemporary romance.

My review of Protecting You can be found on the Indie Reads & Reviews Page!

***Stay tuned at the end of the interview to read an except from Protecting You!
Click "read more" to continue to the interview.
Enjoy!

Author Interview: Amanda Siegrist

1)  Please introduce yourself.

• Hi, my name is Amanda Siegrist and I'm an author. Eek! It's always a little surreal when I say that. But first and foremost, I'm a mother and a wife. When I get time away from the family, I run to my computer and write, write, market, cruise the internet, go to social media sites, write, write, and just have some fun! That's really what I love most about this adventure. Having fun writing, meeting new people, and getting my stories out to share with people. I have written several novels, three of which I have already published. One is a contemporary romance, Protecting You, which I'm sharing with you today. My other two, which are romantic suspense, are Sunrise Awakening and Sunset Darkening. Protecting You is the first novel I ever published, but the third one I wrote. Within this adventure, I met Samantha. So thank you for inviting me!

2) When did you decide to become a writer?

• Officially, to share my work with the world, a little over a year ago. But I used to write when I was younger. I graduated with a BA in Criminal Justice and worked in that field for several years. I enjoyed my job, but when my husband received an opportunity to take a new job out-of-state, I found myself as a stay-at-home mom. Love, love, love that! And about 9 months into that new full-time job (*wink*), I asked myself, what are you going to do when the girls go to school? (I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old.) Going back into my field held less appeal, but the dream to write and get these crazy ideas out of mind, held much more appeal. So I mentioned it to my husband who immediately supported the idea. Then I mentioned it to my mom who immediately said, "There was one of your teachers that said you could become a good writer." Now here I am, doing what I truly love to do. I enjoyed working with the criminal justice system, but not as much as I enjoy writing.

3) What do you think is the best and most distinguishing aspect of your novel?

• Wow! What a hard question? Truly, it is! The first thing to pop into my mind is heartache. I hurt sometimes thinking of Jimmy, who unfortunately died saving Ava. They had a beautiful friendship, just friendship, that broke Ava in so many ways when he died. And it's Zane, Jimmy's brother, who helps her to move on. Which is funny, because he has to deal with his own guilt and emotions concerning his brother. But while he helps her, he's also helping himself. Although, it's heartbreaking and difficult, it helps them forge another beautiful bond. This time, not just friendship:) But as I wrote this book, I found myself missing Jimmy. He was such a nice, loveable, sweet guy. But sometimes in life, we have to deal with heartache.
• Within heartache, we can find new life. There is the other beautiful aspect in my novel. Zane and Ava finding that new life, together. It's not easy at first, but when is it ever easy. Surprisingly, Zane starts helping Ava without thought after hearing her heartbreaking nightmares. Even though his pain is fresh and real, he never realized her pain was the same until he heard her cry out. That moment is what ultimately brings them together.
  

4) Who is the character you most relate to in your novel? How so?

• I would have to say Ava, which is kind of funny to me. She's very outspoken, speaks her mind, a little harsh at times, but the most loyal friend you could ever have. Why is that funny, you ask? I guess I wouldn't consider myself outspoken or harsh, but more so, a little shy. Put me in a room full of people and I'm an observer, trying to stay out of the limelight. But if you want an honest, true, and loyal friend, I'm your gal! There's nothing more important than a deep, genuine friendship. Having moved away, twice, from friends, I value a good friendship. If you want a secret kept, I zip my lips. If you want a good laugh, I'll laugh at you...oops, with you :) If you need a shoulder to cry on, I don't mind getting mine wet. If you need a break from everyday life, chances are, I do too. Let's grab a coffee, glass of wine, or whatever feels right at the time, and just hang out. And while Ava may be a bit rough around the edges at times, she's a good friend. If you need her, she's there!
  

5) Is there a well-known novel you would compare yours to?

• Honestly, no. I've read a lot of books, too. Mostly romance, but I can't think of one book to compare Protecting You to. I'm not even sure how the idea for this book came about either. I'll always be a fan of the criminal justice field. So naturally, that element will probably always be present in my novels. It was strange. I'm going along my business, and wham! This idea pops in my head. Crime scene supervisor injured, detective dies saving her life, in comes his brother. That's it. That's all I had. The rest came as I wrote. If you can think of a book that you would compare it to, let me know. I would love to read it. I'm always looking for a new book to read. I love reading just as much as I love writing!
  

6) Feedback from readers is what we all strive to obtain. Will you share one of your best pieces of feedback from a reader? It can be negative or positive.

• I can honestly say, I don't go and seek reviews. So, I don't have a lot of feedback. Would I love feedback and the thoughts of a reader and did you love my book? Yes. But, I'm shy. I hate asking. So, I kind of leave it up to my readers. But they don't always tell me! (*sigh*) What I can share is from two wonderful readers that said I made them cry. While my book has a happy ending, it has a sad beginning. Quite frankly, it makes me wanna cry sometimes. But, you know what that tells me, I did a good job describing that emotion. So for that, I am thankful for the feedback.

7) How do you market/promote your novel? Have you found one technique which seems to be the most successful?

• I suppose in a lot of ways. I try to interact on Goodreads, and while I'm not sure that makes me sales, I have made new friends. That's always a plus in my eyes. I try to be active on Twitter, although I am new to it. I wasn't on Twitter before I became an author. *gasp* I know, I know. I also have a facebook author page, although, I do believe Twitter is more effective. But I shall maintain my facebook page. I also have a website where you can see what books I have, what I'm working on, and a blog. Nothing too fancy about my blog. I don't always blog, and when I do, it's whatever strikes my fancy that day. I love crafts! I love food! I love baseball! I love writing! See a pattern there? I blog about anything really. I also have no problem talking to my friends and family, who are awesomely supportive of me. So, I suppose I have a few word-of-mouth advertising going on as well. I can't really pinpoint one technique that works the best. I'm no bestseller, but I have touched a few people's hearts. And at the end of the day, that's all I really strive for. I enjoy writing to write, not to sell. If I can reach one reader, I'm a happy camper.
  

8) Have you ever received a negative review or comment from a reader? If so, what was your reaction?

• I can happily say, out of 5 star reviews, the lowest I have received is a four. But not all reviewers left comments, so it's hard to know what the reader really thought. In one review, while they thoroughly enjoyed the story and gave it 5 stars, they made a notation that it needed a little more editing. At first, I was a bit deflated at that. You can work and work and work at a story, but there's always something that can be fixed. Even with the help of others. But instead of dwelling, I just went back and looked again, with the help of others. That's all you really can do. I'm still waiting for a negative review. I have no doubts that one will come. Not everyone has the same tastes. And that's okay. I welcome all reviews, comments, or suggestions. You can always improve your skills. And you can't improve if you don't know what you're doing wrong, or know what people don't like.
  

9) What's next for you? Do you have a project in the works?

• Whew! I feel busy right now. I have finished the second in the series A McCord Family Novel. If you read, or plan to read, Protecting You, Austin's story, Trust In Love is done! Yay! Although, it's still in its editing phase. I hope to have it out before fall ends. I also finished a novel, One Taste Of You, which is a romantic suspense. I decided to enter that novel in Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write contest. We shall see how that goes. And when I'm not working on those two books, I started a new novel (romantic suspense) and about, maybe, half way done. It's been put to the side a lot because of the other two I'm working on, but I still manage to get a few words a day in on it, so that is always a good thing. Besides writing, I'm out there trying to connect to new people. So much to do, so little time!
  

10) Think of an epic scene in your novel. Can you think of a song that would be amazing as background music?

• I've never really thought about it, but since you asked, here's the song that sprang to mind. The first time I heard this song, it was just so beautiful, yet sad. "Let her go" by Passenger. The scene that comes to mind is towards the end of the book with Zane. Ava's left the farm and Zane let her, even though he loves her so much it hurts. He's in the pig stall, doing his work, and suddenly just breaks down. He even starts talking to the pig, which is uncommon for him. He runs a farm, not a pet factory. But to Ava, she liked to the name animals and sort of make them pets. Just thinking of her, thinking of that, and the fact she is gone, just makes him break down. This song fits that scene perfectly.
  

Thank you so much for this opportunity and inviting me to share myself, my novel, and my wonderful characters that mean so much to me. It has been a pleasure. You can find me, connect with me, and become a wonderful new friend at any of these places:

www.amandasiegrist.weebly.com

www.goodreads.com/amandasiegrist

www.twitter.com/amanda_siegrist

www.facebook.com/authoramandasiegrist

www.amazon.com/author/amandasiegrist

Thank you,

Amanda Siegrist

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I don't know about you, but I sincerely enjoyed this interview! I can tell how genuine of a person Amanda is and how much she enjoys what she does. Is there anything better than finding a good person you just can't help but want to succeed??
If you like adult contemporary romance, please check out Protecting You! Let's help Amanda gain the recognition I think her book deserves! :)

Thanks for participating in this interview, Amanda! Suffice to say, I LOVED it! :)

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EXCERPT:

Zane stood outside Ava's door, wondering if he should knock or just enter. He had finally decided to confront her and inquire why she was feeding his brother lies. There could be no other reasonable explanation why Austin wanted this woman here, unless she talked him into it. He would not have her in this house. He just wouldn't.

Eleanor saw him come in, but he didn't stop to say anything to her. He hoped she didn't go fetch Austin because he wanted to do this without interruption. He wasn’t looking forward to a potential fistfight with his brother—a strong indication that could happen with him entering this room.

He finally decided it was his house and he shouldn't have to knock. He whipped open the door and saw her sitting on the right side of the bed, close to the edge, staring at a picture in her hands. He couldn't see her face as her hair covered it, but her hair didn't seem right. It seemed dull, not vibrant and colorful the last time he burst into a room where she was.

He was still holding the door handle when Ava said vacantly, "I'm not hungry, Austin. Please, don't make me eat. I just want to be left alone."

"I'm not Austin. Why the hell aren't you hungry?" Zane demanded.

Ava gradually stood up and turned towards the door, shock written on her face. If Zane hadn’t been holding the door handle he probably would have fallen over. He hadn't been prepared by the sight in front of his eyes. She wasn't the woman he remembered eight months ago. That woman had been beautiful with long golden-brown hair that shined brightly in the light. Her face had been lively with striking hazel eyes, and her smile—even as he yelled at her—she had smiled a gorgeous smile at him.

The woman that stood before him now looked lifeless with her eyes blank and sorrowful. No life shined back at him. Her face was tear-stained, streaks still marring her pale skin. Her body was gauntly, pure bones stared back at him. He was afraid to breathe on her in fear that she would fall over. She looked as if she hadn't eaten in weeks and she stood in front of him saying she wasn't hungry. How could she not be hungry?

He walked in here prepared for a fight with the vibrant woman he met before, now deflated, as he stared at the horror in front of him. He couldn't fight this. She didn't even look like she wanted to fight him. She looked ready to flee the room.

"You didn't answer my question. Why aren’t you hungry?" Zane repeated, as she hadn't said a word to him yet.

"I'm just not," Ava replied softly as she set the picture on the bed, ignoring the confused expression on his face.

He glanced at the picture frame she laid down on the bed and stepped further into the room to see it. Bristled with a clear blue sky and crystal-edged water, sat three young and carefree teenagers—him, Austin, and Jimmy. Jimmy was holding a fish and had the biggest smile on his face. Their arms interlocked together, pride on their faces at Jimmy's catch of the day.

"Biggest fish he ever caught—in that picture. He was never very good at fishing. He usually only tagged along to be with Austin and I. He was so proud of himself that day. It had weighed about twenty pounds. Never caught anything close to that ever again," Zane said, surprised those words slipped from his mouth. That he even shared that momentous day.

Ava looked surprised as well. "I never fish. I don't even know what kind of fish it is. I like the picture, though. You three look so happy."

"It's a northern. We were happy that day," Zane said, as he still stared at the picture and then looked over at her glaring. "Why are you here?"

Ava glanced away from him, not liking the way he looked at her. She could feel his anger.