New Adult Book Club discussion

We are excited to announce we have New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author Amy Harmon will be popping in here to answer your questions for the next 2 weeks!! Best selling author of A Different Blue and the emotional Making Faces also of The Law of Moses and her upcoming novel. a spin off of the Law of Moses released June the 15th The Song of David
To pre order your copy now go herehttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-David-Am...

Goodreads link https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

For the next 2 weeks Amy is also giving away some fantastic signed paper backs, for your chance to win go here : https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Don't miss your chance ask Amy your questions now

What inspired you to write your new book The Song of David?

Which character, out of all the books you've written, is your favorite?

How do you disconnect from your characters and unwind?

Out of all of your books, which was the hardest to write?

Hi Amy!...Making Faces is one of my all time favorite book!! <3 My question is that which one of the books written by you is closest to your heart and why?

Amy, so often you tie in quotes of Scripture into your books, beautifully woven in I might add, clearly these timeless words affect you personally. Are your books written around important passages to you or do you find in perilous moments for your characters, certain verses pop up and demand inclusion?

I love your books, Amy. Which one has been the hardest to write so far?

Hi Amy
This is a question about Making Faces (which I adored). Was there a reason for choosing the degenerative disease that Bailey had? I loved how he and his personality was portrayed.
Thank you
Micky

Which one of your books are your most favorite and why? :)

I cried buckets reading Making Faces. What is your approach for evoking such deep emotion in your novels?

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? What are some of your favorite books? Thank you for answering our questions.

What is your writing process like?

Jamie wrote: "What inspired you to write your new book The Song of David?"

In my last book, The Law of Moses, Moses's best friend, David 'Tag' Taggert, was such a compelling character that I knew he needed his own story.

Jen wrote: "What is your writing process like?"

I write the way I clean. Scattered! I do something here, then I go over there, then I remember that I left something undone. Scattered. But having the freedom to flit seems to work for me. I have children (four of them) and I work at home. That in itself is a battle, so I write when I can and hope for the best.

Shelly wrote: "When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? What are some of your favorite books? Thank you for answering our questions."

I've always been a writer -- song lyrics, essays, newspaper articles, you name it. But I didn't start writing novels until about eight years ago. I just wanted to see if I could do it.

Jennifer wrote: "I cried buckets reading Making Faces. What is your approach for evoking such deep emotion in your novels?"

I don't know if I have an approach, exactly. I try to write about compelling, yet very normal characters. People like you and me. These characters go through very average things, hard things, but things that we can relate with. I think being able to relate is a big key to making a book emotional and memorable.

ღSophieღ wrote: "Which one of your books are your most favorite and why? :)"

I honestly don't have a favorite. I like all my books for different reasons. I appreciate them all because I know the effort each one took, I know the doubts and struggles along the way. They are actually all special to me for that reason.

Micky wrote: "Hi Amy
This is a question about Making Faces (which I adored). Was there a reason for choosing the degenerative disease that Bailey had? I loved how he and his personality was portrayed.
Thank you..."

Hi Micky - Yes. I chose it because I have family with Duchenne MD, so I felt like I could accurately portray that disease. I had very reliable research partners. ;-)

Debra wrote: "I love your books, Amy. Which one has been the hardest to write so far?"

Each one has been harder than the last. I have to say that the hardest thus far is definitely The Song of David, which comes out in two weeks. It was extremely taxing and I really had to push through it. I don't think it was the book so much as that the pressure to deliver gets harder every time. People have a certain expectation of quality and originality, and that gets intimidating sometimes.

Robyn wrote: "Out of all of your books, which was the hardest to write?"

Each one has been harder than the last. I have to say that the hardest thus far is definitely The Song of David, which comes out in two weeks. It was extremely taxing and I really had to push through it. I don't think it was the book so much as that the pressure to deliver gets harder every time. People have a certain expectation of quality and originality, and that gets intimidating sometimes.

Jessica wrote: "Amy, so often you tie in quotes of Scripture into your books, beautifully woven in I might add, clearly these timeless words affect you personally. Are your books written around important passages ..."

I was raised in a devout Christian home, and I was taught to rely on prayer and scripture and God when things get hard. I don't have any desire to teach or preach or do anything but tell a story. But sometimes the answers to the characters dilemmas are of a more spiritual nature. We all struggle with questions - who am I, why am I here, what is my purpose, and maybe most importantly, does anyone care about me? I think those themes are the universal themes of humanity and they can't help coming out in my stories. Those are spiritual questions, so sometimes the answers have to be spiritual as well. I think my books are pretty universal though, and don't require any type of faith to enjoy.

Pooja wrote: "Hi Amy!...Making Faces is one of my all time favorite book!! <3 My question is that which one of the books written by you is closest to your heart and why?"

Hi Pooja - I kind of answered this lower down, so you can scroll to see my response, but I think I love them all for different reasons. I love Making Faces because of my personal family connections to war and to Bailey's disease, but I truly have a soft spot for every character in every book.

Jennifer wrote: "How do you disconnect from your characters and unwind?"

I don't. LOL. Seriously. It does help when I've finished the book and I can send the characters on their way, knowing I've told their story. But while I'm writing, I can't escape them. I think it just comes with the territory.

-.dreamer.- wrote: "Which character, out of all the books you've written, is your favorite?"

Bailey Sheen is hard not to love the most, simply because he was such an inspirational character. But I honestly love them all. I love Blue from A Different Blue for her strength. I love Wilson from the same book because he teaches history, and I was a history teacher once. I love Finn Clyde from Infinity + One because he was such a contradiction, and Bonnie, his love interest, because she was his total opposite, yet every bit as big a contradiction. I love Moses (The Law of Moses) for his brilliance, David (Song of David) for his great big heart, and the list goes on and on.

Hello Amy! Your writing is fabulous! I vlogged on booktube about you a couple of times now! :D If there was a fire and you could grab two books (one of your own and a random favorite) what are you saving and why?
-Erika

Hi Amy:

I snagged The Law of Moses while on sale, and have yet to read it but I wondered if you made a conscious decision to tie in biblical names/themes? (This is in light of reading the synopsis for your next novel with the title of David in it). Thanks.

Loved Making Faces and wondering if you had known one or more people who had been in the military. Thanks!

Who is your goto singer to pull you out of a dark mood?

Hi Amy! What kind of books do you enjoy reading when you are not writing? Something similar to what you write or totally different?

Hi Amy! Who is your go to author? Or if you could meet any author dead or alive who would it be? Thank you!!

I always admire writers. What's the reason you write, from the very start?

Hello Amy! I've found that you always have these amazing pithy sayings in your books, like in Making Faces when Ambrose says that beauty being in the eye of the beholder means that Fern sees Ambrose as beautiful because she is, not because he is. There's so many more that I've highlighted most of all of your books. How do you come up with these sayings?

Erika wrote: "Loved Making Faces and wondering if you had known one or more people who had been in the military. Thanks!"

Hi Erica, My youngest brother was a member of the National Guard, just like Ambrose. He and several of his friends signed up together and served together for their first tour. That is unique to the guard, as most branches you wouldn't serve together, but because the National Guard units are based on geography, that is something that is very common.

Francesca wrote: "I always admire writers. What's the reason you write, from the very start?"

I think one of the reasons I write is because I love to read. Writing gives me the option of creating the type of book I like, customized to my own tastes. That's fun. But writing is a ton of work, and I truly think if you aren't passionate about the craft of putting words together in a unique and beautiful way, then writing isn't for you. Writing has always been my go to, since I was a child.

Erica wrote: "Hello Amy! I've found that you always have these amazing pithy sayings in your books, like in Making Faces when Ambrose says that beauty being in the eye of the beholder means that Fern sees Ambros..."

I don't know. LOL. I truly believe something magic happens when my hands, my eyes, my mind, and my heart are engaged in the task. I don't ever think of pithy things while I'm doing my dishes. I have to be actively engaged in writing, my hands on the keys, my eyes on the manuscript. I call these little gifts 'thoughts wrapped in light' -- because that's how they feel. They feel like little bursts of inspiration that just pop into my head. It's a very cool thing.

Heather M wrote: "Hi Amy! Who is your go to author? Or if you could meet any author dead or alive who would it be? Thank you!!"

I like SO MANY authors. And it really depends on the mood I am in. I wish I could say I picked up the classics or something deep and uplifting on a regular basis, but sometimes I just want to read something light and fluffy. It's almost like taking a mental nap. I would like to meet Shakespeare though. I still can't fathom how he could write beautiful things in iambic pentameter. Blows my mind. People talk about the genius of Einstein or Michelangelo or any number of people. But Shakespeare was a genius. An artist and a genius.

Michelle wrote: "Hi Amy! What kind of books do you enjoy reading when you are not writing? Something similar to what you write or totally different?"

Hi Michelle - I kind of answered this below if you want to scroll down, but I am terribly picky about the writing and not picky at all about the subject matter. I love a good romantic romp as well as the next gal, but I REALLY hate poor writing. As long as the attention to craft is there, then I'm happy. Truly. There are some great writers in all different genres, and when I find someone I like, I will pick them up every time. My new favorite is Penny Reid.

Danielle wrote: "Who is your goto singer to pull you out of a dark mood?"

I am strange. I never listen to female artists. I didn't realize this until a little while ago. It was never purposeful -- it's just that I'm drawn to men, I guess. All of my go-to singers are men. Every time. I love Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Noah Gunderson, Paul Travis (he's my son and he's very good) Damien Rice, The Killers, U2. I tend to like the stuff with great lyrics and haunting melodies, but a good love song gets to me every time. I love to dance too - and my tastes run from Bruno Mars to Prince to Michael Jackson. My work-out play list is all dance songs.

Erika wrote: "Hello Amy! Your writing is fabulous! I vlogged on booktube about you a couple of times now! :D If there was a fire and you could grab two books (one of your own and a random favorite) what are you ..."

Hi Erika! Thank you for the vlogging! Don't you dare laugh. But I would probably grab Twilight. I would save Edward. I read that book probably six times. I liked it best before the world fell in love with it and there were no movies. But my girlish heart was stolen by that book, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Shakespeare and Twilight. Go figure.

allyn wrote: "Hi Amy:

I snagged The Law of Moses while on sale, and have yet to read it but I wondered if you made a conscious decision to tie in biblical names/themes? (This is in light of reading the synopsis..."

Yes. That is exactly what I did. As Moses's story started to take root, the parallels of the basket and his identity were very clear to me. Sure he's a mixed-race artist who sees things others can't, and the biblical Moses was a Hebrew baby raised by the pharoah who grew to be a prophet, but the parallels were there, and I love depth of theme. It's just fun as a writer to weave things together. So David (Tag), Moses's friend, was named David for a reason too. And those reasons become apparent in the novel The Song of David, which comes out in two weeks. They themes aren't biblical in the sense that God is the focus, but because of the characters themselves, their names and their circumstances. It was just a fun twist - nothing heavy.

Hello Amy, I absolutely love your books. An all time favourite is Making Faces! I guess I wonder what kind of books are you attracted to? Any favourites you read in 2014 for example?

Hi Amy! I love your work! You are so talented...thank you for sharing your talent with us! I have never read anything like The Law of Moses before and I don't think I ever will! Blew me away! Wondering if any of your characters or storylines are based off real life or people you know?

Hi Amy! I just wanted to tell you how much your books mean to me, they are very unique and they always move me to tears, the issues that you write about are very real and the way that you write about them is perfect. Thank you for giving life and voices to such unique wonderful beings.

Hi There Amy!
Making faces was a sweet love story, but also extremely emotionally charged. In most NA books, graphic sex plays a big part in the story, which is a common factor in making it an NA book. Why did you decide to break away from that typical ground?

AndiG wrote: "Hi There Amy!
Making faces was a sweet love story, but also extremely emotionally charged. In most NA books, graphic sex plays a big part in the story, which is a common factor in making it an NA b..."

I guess I just wanted to challenge myself to not rely on sex to create emotion or intimacy. True romance isn't actually about the climax (no pun intended) but about the journey toward it. I knew if I could write something that made people feel without falling back on sex, I had a compelling story.

BookWorm wrote: "Hi Amy! I just wanted to tell you how much your books mean to me, they are very unique and they always move me to tears, the issues that you write about are very real and the way that you write abo..."

Thank you so much. This is extremely gratifying to hear. I try so hard to put out quality stories with intriguing characters, and it makes it all worth it to hear that someone appreciates it.

Tina wrote: "Hi Amy! I love your work! You are so talented...thank you for sharing your talent with us! I have never read anything like The Law of Moses before and I don't think I ever will! Blew me away! W..."

I think every author draws on their own experiences, but I don't know anyone like Moses. I do know a few people who can see what others can't -- people who actually have had experiences with the dead, have seen them, and these people are as normal and healthy and mentally balanced as anyone I know. I guess I'm just a believer that there is a lot out there that we don't completely understand that we have to accept (or not accept) on faith.

MissIngrid wrote: "Hello Amy, I absolutely love your books. An all time favourite is Making Faces! I guess I wonder what kind of books are you attracted to? Any favourites you read in 2014 for example?"

I confess I really love romance. But I love all kinds - historical, fantasy, contemporary, you name it. For me, the story doesn't have to be compelling, but the writing has to be good. I have recently discovered Penny Reid, and I really like her quirky, intelligent writing and her loveable characters. Her Elements series was so good. (warning - hot!)

hello Amy!I love your books and I cannot wait for the song of david. did you listen to music while writing it and what song would you say is connected more to the book?