Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amy Lillard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amy, appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

We all consider writing a solitary endeavor, but in truth it takes a village. Yet, it is mostly a village of the author’s making. One thing that I would do differently if I could do it over, would be to take more time to go to conferences as an unpublished author. Conferences are essential, in my opinion. They get writers–especially those of us who write full time–out among the living. There are those there who have achieved the dream and are willing to share their knowledge and lessons with the other attendees. There’s nothing like being in a room full of people who all share your goal, who understand the trials, the ups and downs, the disappointments, and the joys of the written word. Yes, you can get this from local writers’ groups, but at a conference, you get that along with publishers and agents. These types of connections can be invaluable when submitting works to an agent or editor. (Oh, I remember her/him from the XYZ conference.) Would it change my path or trajectory? Maybe, and honestly maybe not, but it is one thing that I wish I had done differently way back when.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I get asked all the time, “when did you know you wanted to become a writer?” Writers simply are. The urge to write, for me, has always been a part of my make-up. But I never dreamed that I would write for money…I mean, how is that possible? (Kidding!) But it never truly crossed my mind that writing could be my job until my sister-in-law and I decided to write a sexy pirate romance. Okay, keep in mind a few things. It’s 1992. We are living in the Caribbean and are perhaps a little bored with reading other peoples’ books. That’s how it started and then, of course, things changed. We moved back to the states and into different cities. I went to work full time; she was doing her thing. That’s when I decided I would write a contemporary romance. Flash forward many years (more than I even care to admit). I’ve had many close calls but never managed to publish. I signed with an agent, and she suggested that if I wanted to be traditionally published I should try my hand at writing Amish romance. Wait…what? Is there such a thing? Why, yes, there is. In fact, it’s quite a subgenre.

When I started out, I wasn’t sure what to do, how to formulate a book about Amish people falling in love. So I did my research into Amish life and traditions and then decided…I write romance, so I’m going to take all the parts of a romance, put them in a book, and make the characters Amish. This way, I can stay true to what I love and still see what could happen.

What could happen? I’m forty books in with Amish characters though now some are even mysteries. I do a great deal of research, and I think that, plus my love of traditional romances are what sets my books apart from others. My books are set in unique Amish communities, like Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Kish Valley, Pennsylvania. Most of my Amish romances have traditional romance novel tropes, but since I believe that all romances are character driven, the outcome for an Amish romance secret baby will be very different than one in a more urban, contemporary setting. Of course, the Amish books are clean, chaste, and most have a religious message that might not be found in a ‘regular’ romance.
Is this all I write? No, I’m one of those writers who has trouble staying in their lane. I love to write all sorts of romances and mysteries, though I am most known for my clean Amish romances.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I sort of already answered this question in explaining what I do and my brand. I had been saying for years as I struggled to find a publisher, that if someone would tell me what to write I would write it. Then here comes my agent. I thought she was a little unhinged when she said Amish romance. I mean, you say Amish romance. I say Witness (the movie). Conversation over. Well, not really.

The lesson to be learned here is that everyone needs to have the ability to be open to suggestions and willing to pivot. Now, not all are not going to be able to accept each challenge that comes their way. It’s just not possible. Nor is it healthy. I was also told at one point that I needed to try my hand at erotica. Uh…not my thing. So I let that pivot pass me by while I had friends who found success in it.

Keep in mind…sometimes a suggestion can seem impossible, strange, and completely out-of-this-world, but it might be just what you need. Mull it over. Try it on for size. It could give you a new direction. And if it doesn’t, go about your merry way knowing that your path will be revealed,

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

This is almost embarrassing to say, but I wrote part-time for nineteen years before I finally published. Yes, nineteen *years*. In those years, I moved umpteen times, held down a full-time job, changed genres more than once, came so close I could taste it–as far as signing with a new house that folded before it could even get started. I had a baby, what some would call a difficult child (chronic ear infections, behavior problems, ADHD, and a late diagnosis of autism, highly functioning) and helped my husband get not one, but two, college degrees. Like I said earlier: Writers simply are. Especially fiction writers.

I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t write, I can’t fathom *not writing*. It’s not in me. So to tell you that I wrote for nineteen years before I published sounds like such commitment, and to a non-writer it probably seems that way. But most writers I know are nodding. Would I still be writing fiction had I not become a published author? Yes. I wouldn’t be writing full-time, but I would be writing.

What does this all boil down to? I have a passion for romance novels (pun, sort of intended). I have loved them my entire life. I shared Harlequins and Silhouettes with my grandmother. I shared Johanna Lindsay books with my sister. I read romance novels every chance I got. In junior high, I would come home from school, get my homework finished as soon as I got in, then spend the rest of the evening reading Harlequins. I read one a night, not having a clue how much that author put into those books that I ripped through like a hot knife through butter. I LOVED them.

And I LOVE writing them. Resilience to me is nothing more than passion. If you have a passion for whatever it is that you do, resilience will follow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amywritesromance.com
• Instagram: amywritesromance
• Facebook: Amy Lillard Author
• Youtube: @AmyLillardAuthor
• Other: Tiktok @amy_writes_romance
  Pinterest AmyWritesRomance

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