Six Questions with Amber Argyle

The first time I heard of Amber Argyle was when chatting with book blogger Misty of The Book Rat. She told me that she generally didn't read Indie Books, but that Witch Song was an exception because of the positive feedback she'd seen. 

Once I saw the cover art and read the blurb, I knew I had to have it. Being able to interview Amber is a great treat for me! 

Happy Six Sentence Saturday!

1 Which books had the most influence on you as a writer?

I remember picking up my very first ever high fantasy book (Eragon) and finally feeling like I found my genre (how I came to be 24 and never read a high fantasy novel is a tragedy in itself). I remember thinking that if this kid could write a book and get it published, by dang so could I. 

2 How many drafts of Witch Song did you have to write before it was ready to be published? How many for Witch Born?

Witch Song had to have dozens of rewrites/edits over 3 years. Start to finish, Witch Born took me eight months. I never rewrote it, just edited. I'm getting faster and better. :)

3 What was the process like for the design of your book covers? (Which are so gorgeous by the way)

Eve Ventrue illustrated the cover for both books. She does such beautiful work, that I hope I can have her for all my covers. We started off with a scene from the book, one where Senna is covered in glowing pollen and the moths are flocking to her. We had to rework Senna's arms quite a few times, as we couldn't find out how to position them. I showed my friend the cover on my iPhone and told her the problem. Her friend wanted to see. She took one look and said, "Instead of wearing the necklace, why doesn't she hold it?"

The heavens opened and angels sang. Or that might have been one of my kids singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star . . . 

Anyway, I spent a lot of time on Pinterest searching for the images that fit my vision.  You can go here to check it out. Joshen's on there too, and he's hoooot. 

I also had to search for moths, buttress roots, and arched doors. 

4 Do you think it's important to have a critique group/ beta readers? 

Abso-freakin-lutely. I don't use a critique group as much as I used to. I've moved to mostly alpha and betas, but many of my readers came from my crit group. But I wouldn't be where I am without both. 

5  What was the most important thing you did to build a platform before you published Witch Song?

Write an amazing book. :)

6 How do you keep up with the demands of a large following-- do you get to interact with your fans?

It's not too bad except around release time. I just schedule less time to write and more time to hang out with my reader peeps. Love 'em all. 

Thanks Amber! Check Amber out on her blog.

   

I want to know what makes you check out a book based on someone else's suggestion-- a gorgeous cover, fabulous reviews? Let me know below!