Got a really exciting one today for you 3Q’s readers!

Gemma Amor is an author who has done it all. Indie author to agented and trad published, Gemma continues to scale the heights of writing and inspiring so many of us. And let’s not forget about her cover art and audio production. Gemma is always on the go! So, let’s find out a bit more, shall we?

Welcome, Gemma!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try to write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Gemma: At the moment, non-existent because the school holidays have just started and I am on mum duty, which means a lot of juggling, and I can’t write too well in those conditions. When it isn’t holiday time I am usually shacked up like a giant cliche in my favourite cafe, where I write from 9am to 1pm, every day (almost, or at least when I can afford it). I don’t fix on word counts, because any words on the page are a win, and my brain is very all or nothing- sometimes it’s a struggle to get out 50 words, on other (rarer) days, I can put down anything from one to six thousand, so I try not to worry about it too much. I do log it on a spreadsheet though because I need a system to keep on track. Evenings don’t work as well for me, I’m burned out by then. Plus that’s martini time, and I cannot write a word on alcohol. Perhaps I’m only 99.9% giant cliche.

Steve: If you started a series and for some reason had to have another author finish it, who would you choose?

Gemma: OOoh it would definitely be a crime thriller series (cough cough, massive hint) OR a fantasy epic series, and I’d rather burn in the fiery pits of hell than let someone else finish it- I suspect I’d stubbornly delay dying in order to do so. Fine, fine, maybe not. I grew up with Robert Jordan’s the Wheel of Time series, and as an avid fan it meant so much to me that the story was handed to an author who definitely did the arc and characters justice after Jordan’s untimely death. I wonder if it brought him comfort knowing the series would end properly and the characters would have some resolution. I’m not sure who I would choose, though. Perhaps V Castro, although she’s usually writing ten books at any given moment in time so I’d have to get in well in advance.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Gemma: My newest release is FULL IMMERSION, coming out on September 13th from Angry Robot books, which makes it my traditional debut. Which is weird, as I’ve brought out tons of other books but this one really does feel like a landmark for me (I say that with each new book). It’s intensely personal, mostly autobiographical (which is extremely scary to admit) and is centered around a young woman called Magpie, who has amnesia. She discovers her own dead body one morning on the banks of a river and has to go on a multi-reality odyssey to uncover the mystery of her own death. There’s some dubious VR technology, various points of view (standard for me) and a lot of slime and goo. Beyond that, it deals with mental healthcare provision and post-natal trauma. Which is a lot. I’m incredibly nervous about it, and also very proud. I hope at the very least it might, in some quarters, start a dialogue about what care and support mothers can access when they are struggling.

Steve: Bonus Question! If they made a movie about your life, what actor or actress would you suggest they get to play you?

Home: Nicholas Cage. I reckon he could pull it off. Failing that, Jenny Agutter.

Ha! He is a chameleon! Thank you again, Gemma and best of luck with the Full Immersion launch!

To find out more about Gemma, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gemma-Amor/e/B07DNGYLNV/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/manylittlewords