Interview with Author Amy Vansant

 

Welcome to the Pen Dames March 2025 blog! This month we are interviewing the bubbly and super funny author Amy Vansant. She is the author of the Pineapple Port Mysteries, Shee McQueen Thrillers, Kilty Urban Fantasies & Romcom Collection: He’s Got to Go being the latest. You can find her on her website:
https://AmyVansant.com

You can buy her books at: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Vansant/author/B001K8WXV0

Read on for the interview with Amy and a contest for her upcoming release or a Kindle reader, plus get three free books!

 

What can you tell us about YOU that will allow us to get to know you better—where you live, your background, jobs, interests, etc.?

I was a freelance writer for years and East Coast Editor of Surfer Magazine back in the early nineties, which was funny because I was also freelancing for Modern Maturity Magazine at the same time. Slightly different audience between those two!

I’d started building websites when websites were new, and because it was easier to make money doing that, I put writing on the back-burner and started a web development company. One morning I woke up and realized I was supposed to be writing!

 

What books were your favorites as a child? How and when did your writing journey begin?

Pooh. When I was little, I actually wrote “Winnie the Pooh,” complete with crayon drawings. I was about six years old, so the prison sentence for plagiarism was relatively lax. With time out for good behavior, I was free before naptime.

 

What genre is your book? What do you like about writing in that genre?

I bop around to keep from getting bored. I write cozy mysteries (Pineapple Port Mysteries), action thrillers (Shee McQueen) Romances (He’s Got to Go & Slightly Stalky) and urban fantasies (Kilty). The common thread is humor. I’ve tried writing very dark serious books but it just never works. I keep adding jokes.

 

What inspires you to write?

Always felt like I had to. I used to write books for the girls at the barn where I took riding lessons and sold them their own stories for 25 cents each.

 

What is the setting of your book? Please describe it.

Most of my books take place near the beaches in Florida—Pineapple Port was based on my mother-in-law’s place on the west coast. Shee is in “Jupiter beach” where I live in Jupiter on the east coast. He’s Got to Go was in Miami. Kilty was in Los Angeles.

 

Why did you choose this setting?

I grew up in Sea Isle City, NJ, a small beach town, so I’m a sucker for beaches!

 

 Is your book part of a series or a standalone?

All series.

 

Which of your main characters is your favorite and why?

I’m in love with whatever characters I’m writing. I particularly love a lot of the characters in the Kilty series—Broch, the time-traveling highlander who’s obsessed with modern showers, Kilty’s Con and then Uncle Seamus in the Pineapple Port series are my Irish rogues. I loved writing Stephanie my serial killer’s daughter in Pineapple Port… Usually the most badly behaved characters are my favorite.

 

If you could spend an afternoon with any of your secondary characters, who would it be and why?

Mariska from Pineapple Port is literally my mother-in-law, so I actually do hang out with her. 😊

 

What writing projects do you have on the horizon?

I’m working on a new thriller series I love so much I don’t even want to share details yet. It’s about a girl named Cricket—and oh boy, does she have some secrets!!

 

What is your best advice for aspiring writers?

Keep Writing. That’s the only way you get better and make any money.

 

What is your favorite book marketing tip?

Build your own newsletter list. It’s the one thing over which you have control. Social media comes and goes—changes, blows up, makes it harder and harder to be found/heard. Your list is YOUR list.

 

And now for the contest!   Amy Vansant Contest and Free Books

 

We hope you enjoyed this interview with Amy Vansant and we’re sure you’ll love the three free books she has for you! Good luck with the contest. If you win, please let us know.

 

Author Interview: D. Thomas Jerlo

 

Please welcome to the Pen Dames blog author D. Thomas Jerlo, who also writes as Dawné Dominique!

We’re excited by this opportunity to interview her and treat you to an excerpt from her novel, Dark Prisoner: The Kruthos Key. She’s one of our favorite writers as well as a talented artist who has created many beautiful covers for Pen Dames books. We know you will enjoy getting to know her.

 Dawné is also giving away a free eBook to one lucky commenter!

 Here’s the interview:

 Please tell us a little about YOU—where you live, your background, jobs, interests, etc.

I’m an author living in one of the coldest regions of Canada. I write under the pennames of D. Thomas Jerlo and Dawné Dominique. I also have twenty-five plus years’ experience as a professional book cover artist and run DusktilDawn Designs.  I’m also a twin, with my sister being 45 minutes older (it’s why my mom likes her best).  I am in the process of retiring from my paralegal position and look forward to writing full-time (again).

 How and when did your writing journey begin?

I wrote stories all my life in a little black notebook and probably began a dozen novels throughout my lifetime, which I never finished; however, in the early 1980’s I discovered Anne Rice and was instantly hooked on paranormal. Although I was primarily a fantasy reader, Ms. Rice gave me the push to follow my dream of becoming a published author. I joined a writing site and learned all I could about fiction. I have met some unbelievably talented people along my journey, and I have them all to thank for helping me become who I am in this business. 

     Which authors/books are on your keeper shelves?

To name just a few: J.R. Tolkein, Anne Rice, Robert Jordan, George R. R. Martin, Terry Brooks, Stephen King, Piers Anthony ... I could list more but there’s only so much room. 

What genre is your book? What do you like about writing in that genre?

Dark Prisoner: The Kruthos Key is an epic fantasy novel similar to Lord of the Rings, but with a female heroine. It was my first love genre to write. Since then, I have branched out into paranormal and speculative fiction. Writing in these genres allows me to use my imagination to its fullest.

What is the setting of your book? Please describe it.

Etharia is a fantasy world made up of majestic mountains, fertile plains, rich forests and many lakes...it’s beautiful.

Why did you choose this setting? Is it a real place or did you create it for the story?

I wanted to create a setting that was relatable to readers, so I chose a setting very similar to Canada.

Is your book part of a series or a standalone? If it is part of a series, briefly describe the series.

Dark Prisoner: The Kruthos Key and Dark Prisoner: Ebbing of Tides is a two-book series.  Ebbing of Tides requires proofing and edits before I can send same to my publisher for consideration. Both novels share Suna and Feran’s journey to save Etharia. In the process of doing so, they find that more than duty binds them together. There is a little romance, but the gist of the story is epic battles, the fight for power, good overcoming evil, and a few memorable characters that will stay with you long after the book is finished.

Writing this book was more than a labor of love. I took facets of what was happening in my real life and turned it into fiction. When I write, my world(s) must be believable, even in fantasy. I want my characters to intimately touch my readers and make them laugh or cry. Dark Prisoner has epic battles, scheming underlords, heroes that you want to cheer for and villains you'll despise.

 Describe your main character—life, personality, motivation—whatever you think will make us want to get to know the person.

Dark Prisoner: The Kruthos Key centralizes on Suna Di'Viao, a Divenean with mage'ical abilities, so she ages much more slowly than an average human. She's hidden from the world for over thirty years, wallowing in guilt and remorse for failing to protect her king and queen. During her isolation her entire race vanishes, leaving Suna the last of her kind. I like to think of this novel as a little like J.R. Tolkien meets Wonder Woman with serious guilt issues. I structured Suna after myself because what I wanted to do more than anything at the time I was writing this book was to hide from the world. I wanted to be strong and confident again, but I had lost myself, very much like Suna. For me, my characters are very real people; they have flaws, and I wanted her to be as relatable as possible.

Suna intuitively feels the land’s pain and senses change is coming and it is not good. Being on her own for so many years has left her bitter, and solitude is something she not only craves but feels she needs; however, she is instructed to meet up with someone who is to help her find the Kruthos key - a companion she does not want or need, but has no choice but to accept.

What writing projects do you have on the horizon?

I have a mystery/thriller in the works, but I need to finish a few previous projects first. The basics of the book are mapped out, but because this is a new genre for me, I’m doing my research. In other news, I have finally finished writing the fifth and final novel to my vampire series, which is currently undergoing extensive rewrites and edits.

What do you like to do when not writing?

I have a five-year-old grandson who I absolutely adore, and we try to spend as much time with him as possible. Having battled cancer all last year, I find time and health the most precious commodities in life, and I want to spend as much time as I can with my loved ones.