Amy Andrews is researching Greek swear words on her deck overlooking the Capricorn Coast.
It’s a necessary task for writing contemporary romance novel number 75 where the main character is greek. Chances are this book will be a success. After all, the previous 74 books have netted more than two million print and digital sales and international recognition.
This year the Romance Writers Association of America (RWA) nominated two of the Yeppoon author’s books for its shortlist at the Annual RITA Awards for excellence in romance writing.
Even for this prolific author, the nominations came as a surprise.
“The RITA awards are like the Oscar’s of romance writing. They are awarded at a glittering red-carpet style ceremony. The first I knew of my nominations was when my twitter feed went nuts.
“This year the RITA’s were in Denver, Colorado USA and I was there. It was very exciting,” Andrews said.
While Amy didn’t walk away with a RWA RITA award this year, she does have a USA Today Bestselling Author title to her name and multiple Australian Romance Readers and Writers Awards.
“So far I’ve won 3 Ruby awards – similar to the USA RWA RITA but Australian based and two Australian Romance Readers Association awards for contemporary romance,” Amy Andrews said.
You might think that romance writer must have always been Andrews’ calling. Not so, she was actually a registered nurse for many years with writing as a sideline hobby.
“I served a twelve-year apprenticeship before I sold my first book. My first book was terrible. But that’s fine because the only way was up after that and I worked hard at improving my craft over the years.”
Improving could be an understatement. After a slow start and decades of writing under her belt, Amy Andrews’ author earnings were equal to her nursing pay and she quit to become a full-time writer.
Some people might describe Andrews’ writing as raunchy, but she says everybody’s interpretations of the books are different.
“There are really spicy sex scenes. Some people would call it erotic. There’s a lot of debate. My hot might be someone else’s erotica.”
For some, the fully realised sex scenes and frank language might not be their cup of tea and that’s okay, but Amy makes no apologies for the language or the spice.
“There are great sweet books out there and that’s fine. In contemporary romance, people have sex and I don’t shut the door. That’s what I want to read. I prefer my books to have hot scenes in them and that’s what I write.”
Her readers obviously agree with Amy given the millions of sales.
Whatever people’s definitions of her books, there is a common thread to each of Amy Andrews’ contemporary romances.
“I write about relationships, about falling in love, about men and women who find their ONE and live happily ever after. My books are funny, sexy and emotional. A reader can expect to laugh, cry and sigh by the time they reach THE END of one of my books,” she says.
After 12 years, does the writing passion remain for this author who went to primary school in Emerald, high school at North Rockhampton and has popular TV show Shark Tank Australia’s Steve Baxter for a brother.
“There are always stories in my head. I love having written. I love having a book come out on the shelf.
“I don’t find the writing part particularly enjoyable a lot of the time anymore, but I love having written. What I write, that’s just one bit of the writing process.
“When the books are out and you’re signing books and at parties and events, and you’re being Amy Andrews Author, that’s the great fun,” she says.
And when you’re an author with that many books on the catalogue there’s always an event that you’re going to, like next year’s Mooloolaba books by the Sea book signing or returning from Western Australia’s West Coast Fiction Festival book signing. Looks like there will be lot’s more writing and researching in her office on the deck overlooking the Capricorn Coast.
You can find some of Amy’s books at Livingstone and Rockhampton’s Council Libraries, Chapter Café and Books Yeppoon, Big W and from QBD Rockhampton through order. You can find her full catalogue of books online at most good digital booksellers like Kindle.
For more information on Amy Andrews career and books go to www.amyandrews.com.au
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