Q&A with Amanda Egan
I
love that it has become the norm in my life to meet so many wonderful people
through social media. It’s made our
little world not so little, don’t you think?
I’m excited that my Twitter tweetie pie, Amanda Eagan, is here to chat
about her passions, her family, and what’s ahead for her this year in the world
of writing.
 |
| Love her! |
Born
and bred in London, Amanda trained professionally as an actress at Studio '68
of Theatre Arts and then, after years of procrastination, turned my hand to writing
Chick/Mummy-lit. Her debut novel, Diary
of a Mummy Misfit, was a tongue-in-cheek look at the easily recognised
types of self-centred mums you can find at prep school gates the world over -
“the Meemies” - and follows the journey of Libby, an ordinary mum who discovers
the chasm between the Haves and the Have-nots. The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit followed and June 2012, then she ventured
into romance with Completing the Puzzle
and now Stilettos & Stubble. In her
spare time, she reads anything from Maeve Binchy, Jill Mansell, and Penny
Vincenzi to Noel Coward, Dostoevsky and Zola. She love crafts and entertaining,
particularly hosting themed dinner parties. Amanda makes me laugh constantly, and I love
chatting with her whenever we have the chance.
Enjoy!
I know
that you were bit by the acting bug. Tell me about the time you realized
acting was a passion for you, and had the thought, “Hey! I could do
that!” when it came to being on stage.
I
think I was about seven and in primary school - our whole class had been
rehearsing a dance routine to The Wombles, 'Wombling Free'!!! We'd worked
so hard at it for weeks and when we finally got on stage to perform it for the
rest of the school, the bug hit! I LOVED it. People were enjoying
watching us and it was just such a great feeling - that's when I started to
think it was something I could follow as a career. Sadly, by the age of
22, I realised that unless you're extremely lucky, it doesn't pay the bills.
Gosh, that sounds like
me and the epiphany that struck me when thinking about a career before
graduating high school. I wanted to be a
marine biologist, and I’d need to attend a university, in the states, on one of
the coasts. Where there are beaches and cute
surfers. When you look at that equation,
it equals Jen cutting classes on a daily basis.
So I quickly changed my major.
You
have some fabulous writing projects coming in 2013. Spill the beans!
I'm
almost three-quarters through the first draft of my sixth novel. Lottie's Luck is due to be released sometime in June and I'm very excited
about it. It tells the story of a girl who's always been lucky, until her
luck runs out. Or has it? Are all the things that are happening to
her gently pushing her in the right direction? Watch this space ...
I
also hope to have a new Christmas novella for October and another full-length
novel for December.
I NEED that apron!
One
of the many things I adore about you, is you speak openly about spending time
with your son at school when you knew he needed your support and presence there
physically and emotionally. We’re mums;
it’s what we do, right? My oldest son has a motor plan disorder, Apraxia,
and I’m constantly tuned in to how we can best support Wil’s teachers and his
learning. Tell me a little bit about what that time was like for you in
your life. What did it teach you?
It
was a horrible and confusing time for us as a family. Just as you think
your child is growing up and becoming more independent, you find that they need
you more. Until we knew exactly what we were dealing with, it was a
living nightmare - no amount of talking could get us closer to a
solution. School phobia is a real and crippling condition which takes
time and patience to overcome.
I
guess that was one of the main lessons I learned. Patience.
Sitting in a car for eight hours straight, five days a week in all weathers is
a killer - but look where it got me! All those books I devoured to keep
me company, finally made me see that I could use my creative background to make
a go at writing myself.
I
also learned, in many ways, you can do anything if you put your mind to
it - no matter how tough.
Thank you for sharing, Amanda. I know your willingness to be open about the
experience will help someone else walking down that same path.
Love him...
Tell
me about your dream dinner party. What are you cooking up for your
guests, and who is sitting at the table? Can I come? Can I sit next
to Gordon Ramsay?
Of
course you can come, Jen!
*Jen
cartwheels*
On
the menu would be my old 'never fail' favourites. A yummy salmon pate to
start, followed by a rich boeuf bourguignon with dauphinoise potatoes and green
beans. We'd finish off with a chocolate mousse and a totally stinky
cheese board. Oh! Feel a bit peckish now!
As
it's you that's coming, I think it only fair that you get to meet some of my
friends. They are a pretty mad bunch but I know you'd have fun.
*Jen
cartwheels and backflips*
One
of my closest friends is the inspiration behind 'Fenella' in the Mummy Misfit
books - no doubt she would regale us with a few Broadway show tunes and we'd
almost certainly play some daft games and boogie the night away.
Are
you up for it?
I’m
totally up for it and coming to visit! YAY! What sites and stops
are on your “must do” list for us? Will I need bail money? Tattoo
money?
No
bail money required! We'd be good girls - well, sort of! And
definitely no tattoo money - I hate them. I'll draw on you with an indelible
pen if you insist, OK? A ladybird or a flower or a butterfly - that's all
I can draw.
We'd
hit London and see all the main sights - take in an art gallery or two, shop
til we drop, tea at the Ritz and dinner at the Ivy. To blow away the
cobwebs we'd take a drive and a walk through Richmond Park and see the deer.
Well,
I guess if I don’t need tattoo or bail money, that’s more Euros to spend on
Wills and Kate souvenirs, right? I’m
excited!
 |
| This is definitely on my TBR list! |
What
books are currently on your nightstand?
Right
now I'm reading, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I know I'm months behind
everyone else with this but I had a bit of a backlog of books and I'd also been
going through a funny patch where I was finding it difficult to fully immerse
myself in any book.
I
also have a notebook for those 'middle of the night thoughts' about my plot -
you know, the ones that drive you nuts at three am!
Oh, girl I have one of
those notebooks on my nightstand too!
You never know when an idea will strike, and you have to catch it before
it leaves your groggy mind.
What
parting words, or advice, would you like to leave with us today? My
husband, Mike, loves to dole out the old, “don’t eat yellow snow” for those in
need of some inspiration. I’m so proud.
Mike
sounds a bit like my husband! Aren't we lucky??!!
*We
absolutely are the luckiest gals ever*
I'm
not wise enough to give advice but to any aspiring writers, I'd say - 'Stop
talking about it. Do it. Each word leads to THE END and it's a fab
feeling.'
Thanks
so much for having me, Jen.
Amanda, I loved having
you stop by, thank you! My blog is your
blog anytime. Click on the links to find
Amanda on Twitter, Facebook, or at her blog.
Bless
and be blessed,
Jen
XOXO
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