Chit Chatting with Author Amy Sampson-Cutler

                                Chit Chatting with Author  Amy Sampson-Cutler

Interviewed by: Jill Sheets

J: Tell us about yourself, and what was the first book or story you ever wrote?

A: I have always been better at communicating my feelings through writing. I was the girl who wrote the boy a poem rather than just say whatever it was that I had to say. The first short story I wrote was during a time where I liked a boy that didn’t seen to have time for me. In the story, the main character was a young woman who found a book on the side of the road that asked the finder to write down their greatest fantasy, only to fulfill that wish upon completion. What do you think she asked for? 

I don’t remember how old I was, but I wrote this on the school bus, and had it finished by the time I got to school. It was so satisfying to give someone – even a fictional someone – what I had been yearning for myself! And thus began my love of writing short stories. Not that my short stories are secretly about myself – they are mostly horror – but I still love that satisfaction of a quick tale.

J: Tell us about your book "A Shadow of Love." How did you come up with the idea for this book?

A: “A Shadow of Love” is part ghost story, part love story, part healing story. It is about a woman, Annabelle, who leaves her abusive husband and moves into an old farmhouse, only to find that it’s haunted by Christian, a man who killed himself almost one hundred years prior. At first, the ghost tries to scare her away, but eventually they fall in love after realizing they can meet in her dreams. There is a clock ticking for Christian, as the spell that bound him to earth for one hundred years is almost up, and Annabelle goes to desperate lengths to be with him. 

The story is fiction, but the house in the story is based on my parents 1800’s farmhouse in upstate New York. I have always believed that the house is haunted, so naturally I wondered what it would be like to move into the house, all alone, only to find out that a ghost already lived there. 

J: What are you currently working on?  Can you tell us a little bit about it?

A: I am so excited about the story I am working on. It is a story about a soul’s journey, and how the choices we make, the mistakes that we carry, stay with us. I am a bit early in the process to say much about it, but it’s a story that is really resonating with the questions that I am grappling with currently – questions of my life’s purpose. One of the characters with a smaller role in “A Shadow of Love” is taking center stage in this new story, and it is so much fun to get to know more about this quirky, fun lady.

J: What advice would you give someone who would like to be a writer?  

A: I think that if someone has a dream and a driving force, they should go for it. You can be a writer and keep your career, it’s not all or nothing. Personally, I think the hardest part of being a writer is finding the focus to make good use of your writing time. If I had a word written for every minute that I spent sitting at my desk, staring into space, or distracting myself with something useless, I would fill a room with my books. 

J: Where can people get or read some of your writings?

A: On my website at www.AmysHippieHut.com, there is a section called recent works – you can find my published work there. Also, sign up for my mailing list! On Halloween, I will be sending out two spooky pieces that I recently wrote.

J: I read that you like to ski.  Is that true?  How long have you been skiing, and what else do you like to do when you are not reading?

A: Yes! I grew up at a ski area, Mount Peter in Warwick NY, that my family owns and operates. When I say I grew up there, I mean physically, we lived right above the lodge, and I learned to ski when I was two. I run the mountain now with my sister. One of my favorite things to do during the summer is ride my dirt bike to the top of the mountain – it’s a great spot to not only take in the beauty of the valley, but think about story ideas. I carry a notebook in my backpack because you never know when inspiration will come! I also love to be outside, in the woods. A day on the quad, with my dogs, is the best kind of day for me.

J: I also read that you were a journalist.  Tell us about this.  What did you write about?

A: Yes, I worked for a newspaper for five years. I was a community news reporter, which meant that I got to tell many stories about love, and courage, and families overcoming struggles. I loved being a journalist because if I wanted to learn about something, I would just write a story about it. If I needed a bit of inspiration to get me through a tough time, I had a never-ending source of stories to tell.

J: Are you on any social media?  Which ones, and what are their addresses?

A: Yes … 

Amy Sampson | Facebook

Amy Sampson-Cutler (@amyshippiehut) • Instagram photos and videos

Amy Sampson-Cutler (@AmysHippieHut) / Twitter

J: is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

Yes – thank you for reading! I don’t mean just my book, but all books. I have met a surprising number of people recently who do not read, especially novels. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like had I not been a reader, yet I do understand the challenges that we all go through to find the time to get through a book. 

J:  Thank you for the interview.  Have a great day.

Amy S. Cutler's

 

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR

 

OF

 

A Shadow of Love

 

Tour Begins October 3rd

 

 

Book Summary

When Annabelle flees her abusive husband and moves into an 1860's farmhouse, she soon learns that she is not alone; she shares her home with Christian, the ghost of a poet who killed himself in 1917. Christian, wanting nothing but solitude, tries to scare Annabelle away, but once they come together while she is dreaming, they fall in love. The clock is ticking for Christian, for moments after his hanging his fiance magically cursed his spirit to be stuck on earth for one hundred years, and his time is almost up.

With Annabelle's ex threatening her and the spirit she has fallen in love with on the verge of disappearing, Annabelle becomes obsessed with staying with Christian, and will do anything to be with him.

Being in love with a ghost is bad enough, but for Annabelle, discovering that her true love will be crossing over at any moment pushes her over the edge of reckless behavior.

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

ISBN-10: 1684339402

ISBN-13: 978-1684339402

ASIN: ‎B09NXMRHV2

Print length: 163 pages

Purchase a copy of Shadow of Love on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.  

About the Author

Amy S Cutler, author of A Shadow of Love earned her master’s degree in Creative Writing from Goddard College. Most recently she was published in Slut Vomit: An Anthology of Sex Work and featured in the Tales to Terrify Podcast, among others. Her writing focus is suspense, horror, science fiction, and ghost stories. She can be contacted through AmysHippieHut.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Blog Tour Calendar

October 3rd @ WOW! Women on Writing

Join us as we celebrate the launch of Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

October 5th @ Sadie's Spotlight

Sadie spotlights A Shadow of Love and features an excerpt from the book.

http://sadiesspotlight.com/

October 6th @ Create Write Now

Mari L. McCarthy shares a guest post by Amy S. Cutler about the importance of learning how to self-market. A must-read post for authors!

https://createwritenow.com

October 8th @ Life According to Jamie

Jamie reviews Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love. Don't miss this exciting book!

https://www.lifeaccordingtojamie.com

October 10th @ Amy's Booket List

Join Amy as she reviews Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love.

https://amysbooketlist.com/

October 12th @ Word Magic

Join Fiona as she shares a guest post by Amy S. Butler about the importance of finding a writing community.

http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

October 15th @ What is That Book About?

Find out more about A Shadow of Love by Amy S. Cutler in this book spotlight.

https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com

October 16th @ Celtic Lady's Book Reviews

Read a review of Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love.

https://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/

October 17th @ Jill Sheets' Blog

Join Jill as she interviews author Amy S. Cutler about her book A Shadow of Love.

http://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

October 18th @ A Storybook World

Deirdra features Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love.

http://www.astorybookworld.com/

October 19th @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog

Bev reviews Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

October 20th @ Knotty Needle

Join Judy Hudgins for her review of Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love.

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com

October 21st @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog

Join Bev as she shares a guest post by Amy S. Cutler about the story behind the haunted house in the novel.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

October 22nd @ Lisa Haselton's Reviews & Interviews

Join Lisa as she interviews author Amy S. Culter about her book A Shadow of Love.

https://lisahaselton.com/blog/

October 24th @ Girl Zombie Authors

Read a guest post by Amy S. Cutler about why ghost stories are so popular.

https://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com/

October 25th @ Four Moon Reviews

Join Samantha as she reviews Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love. You can also win a copy of the book too!

https://fourmoonreviews.blogspot.com/

October 27th @ Girl Zombie Authors

Come by Chris' blog again and read a review of Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love. You can also enter to win a copy of the book too!

https://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com/

October 29th @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion

Visit Linda's blog for an in-depth interview with author Amy S. Cutler about her book A Shadow of Love.

https://bootsshoesandfashion.com

October 31st @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog

Visit Anthony's blog for Amy S. Cutler's guest post about finding a publisher.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

November 1st @ Choices

Join Madeline as she features a guest post by Amy S. Cutler about the first draft process.

http://www.madelinesharples.com/

November 2nd @ Jessica Belmont's Blog

Jessica reviews Amy S. Cutler's book A Shadow of Love.

https://jessicabelmont.com

November 3rd @ Write Advice

Read Amy's guest post about how she found the idea for Shadow of Love and turned it into a story.

https://writeradvice.com/

November 4th @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog

Read Anthony's review of A Shadow of Love by Amy S. Cutler. A paranormal book you don't want to miss!

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com