Interview with Author Amy Kaybach

Describe yourself in three words.

Introverted. Stubborn. Book-lover.

What are three facts about you?

1. I work in Information Technology.
2. I swill Diet Coke like it's going out of style.
3. I'm a motorsports girl and have been since I was like seven. So much so that I use to run a NASCAR blog.

What is your favorite book from childhood?

My first favorite book was a Little Golden Book called "The Wait-for-me Kitten" (not to be confused with the wildly popular one The Shy Kitten). I was an advanced reader and the summer between fifth and sixth grade I discovered The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton...and when I found out she was only 16 when she wrote that book is when I decided I needed to write books someday.

When you read, which authors are your go-to authors?

I have a whole slew of favorite authors. Here are a few: K. Bromberg, J. Bengtsson, Carian Cole, Shayna Astor.

What book has made the biggest impact on your life?

Besides The Outsiders, it would probably be K. Bromberg's Driven Series. I had gotten away from reading for a long time. And then a friend suggested her Driven Series right when book three had released- which was perfect timing for me because I could read through all the books (I'm a slowish reader). It re-ignited my love for reading.

Do you have any book related tattoos?

No. I have one non-bookish tattoo. I am not opposed to a bookish one- I even have a few ideas...I just need to get it done.

What is your favorite TV show or movie?

I've never been a big watcher of TV- but my friend got me into Yellowstone- so I've burned through most of the Yellowstones. And now I am really REALLY looking forward to season two of Landman- it seems to be taking forever to get here. I also loved Downton Abbey. I binged that series and am looking forward to the second movie coming out soon. But my favorite movie is Almost Famous. But also high on my movie list are: Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing, Con Air and National Treasure.

What subject could you talk about all day?

Books. Writing. Music.

What is your dream vacation destination?

Either Hawaii or some place new. If pressed I would probably choose some place new because I love going on adventures to new places with my BFF.

What do you do for fun when you aren’t writing?

Read. I use to crochet a lot and am trying to find time to get back into it.

Are there any causes you support or which are important to you?

I support animal welfare charities like The Beagle Freedom Project and my local animal shelter. I'm also a supporter of various children's charities- especially St. Judes.

How did you discover writing as a possible career?

For me writing has always been a creative outlet and a passion project. It would be great if I could eventually make a career out of it on top of that.

How did you choose your pen name?

It's close enough to my given name that my parents can recognize it, but far enough away that I hope it throws my day job off the scent.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Everywhere. I am a people watcher, an eavesdropper, and just plain nosy sometimes. But also it can come from a song, or a snippet of conversation I hear in passing. Sometimes I just have ideas that pop into my head for no reason.

What is the weirdest fact you've found when researching for a book?

Most of the things that I've had to research so far are legalities or medical things. I am lucky that I have two really great personal resources for each of them. But it doesn't mean my search history isn't a little questionable sometimes. Thank goodness for Duck Duck Go and being able to set your history to clear each time you close your browser.

What trope is your favorite to write?

Does rock star romance count as a trope? I also in general love a good angsty story both to read and hopefully to write. Honestly I am always trying on new ones right now.

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

I FREAKING LOVE the people I've met on this author journey I'm on.

What is your writing process?

What process? I'm a pantser (aka discovery writer) and each book is different for me...basically I have a loose idea of who my characters are in my head and I sit down and write. Unfortunately this means that editing rounds are usually bigger and take more time.

What time of day are you most creative?

Probably early to mid-morning, but sadly I work during that time on most days.

What is your ideal writing environment?

One I definitely don't have. Probably quiet, some snacks (salty please) and a Diet Coke within reach.

As an author, what challenges do you face?

Finding time to write. I'm not at a point where I can write full-time so I have a full-time career in Information Technology. Plus I find it really easy to distract myself with non-writing authory tasks.

What is your least favorite part of being an author?

Bookkeeping/taxes/the business part of it. Oh and the marketing part (but some of that I like).

If there was one thing you could change about the writing/publishing industry, what would it be?

That it isn't so divisive. It always seems to be an us vs them mentality to a lot of it- indies vs Trad pubs, romance vs contemporary. It can get really tiring and bothersome.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Just write. Sounds stupid right- but my biggest regret isn't starting my writing journey sooner. I let myself tell me I wasn't ready. I needed to learn more. I've taken so many classes and read so many craft books. Just write. It's going to suck. You can rewrite it. But you need to write it first. You'll never feel ready to do it- just do it. You could actually probably say this about a lot of things.

What is something you’d like to write, but haven’t yet?

I like to experiment with new-to-me tropes and usually when they aren't the ones everyone wants. I think next I am going to try to write a true cinnamon-roll MMC.

Which parts of yourself are reflected in your characters?

There are tiny pieces of me sprinkled into absolutely every character I've ever written. Some are little quirks, some are bigger parts of me. But there is something in each character that makes them uniquely mine because it's part of me.

Which of your characters have special meaning to you?

All my characters do because there is a small piece of each one in me. But I do have a favorite character right now. It's Killian Donogue from Finding Harmony- that's his book. He's in all of the Blind Rebels books - but his book is book 4 and I think over the entire series his character arc is the most complex of all the members.

How do you come up with character names?

I totally suck at coming up with names to ANYTHING...be it a person, a fictitious business, a band or whatever. With the Blind Rebels series each of the band members probably when through several names before I got to the ones that stuck. Mavrick Slater's name just came to me. The band name for them- the Blind Rebels came from me literally walking down an aisle in a library and looking to the right and picking the first word that I saw (Rebel) and then looking to the left and picking the next first word I saw (Blind) and then I swapped them because it sounded better to me. In the series that I am currently working on - the band member names just came to me so quickly it was spooky. The FMC of book one though - her name eluded me so much that I finally just started calling her Drummer Girl...which is how that book got it's name.

What is something you love to hear from your readers?

I just love hearing from readers. Seriously if you are a reader and you are reading this- nothing on earth will turn your favorite author's day right side up when they're having a crap day then someone saying Hey I really liked this or I just found you and I love this book because.... One of my personal favorites was an author I've recently gotten friendly with, she popped into my Dms and told me she really appreciated the way I approached mental health aspects in my Blind Rebels series. It's in all the books, but I never really market them that way very much- because to me it's just making my characters real. But I really appreciated her telling me that...it honestly made my week.

Where can readers find you online?

All my links are in my linktree: https://linktr.ee/amykaybach

Do you have any current ARCs or free downloads readers might be interested in?

Not right now...I am still working on my WIP but I will announce ARC team openings probably on my Instagram when I'm ready. However, I have a secret link that has some fun stuff readers might be interested in: https://rockroundup.amykaybach.com

What is your latest/upcoming release?

My last release was The Sea Song Cafe. I am not sure when Drummer Girl will release yet. I am still finishing it up.

Steam Level

For most of my books, probably three. I have one that's definitely more of a four. All of my books are open door.