Author Interview: Amy Watkins

About the author:
Amy Watkins is an African American author who was born and raised in Washington, DC. She acquired a Bachelor of Science degree from Frostburg State University in 2002 graduating cum laude. She then obtained a Medical Degree from University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2007. She served as a physician in the US Navy for eight years being honorably discharged in 2015 yet continuing as a civil servant.
She started writing as a hobby in 2005. In 2018, while going through several stressful events, she started writing as an outlet. That writing turned into the novel, “200 Letters” which was published in March of 2020. “200 Letters” is the recipient of a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Award receiving a five-star review. Her second novel, “Cute for a Black Girl,” took four months to write and was published in October 2020. Both books are fiction novels addressing several important social issues including spousal abuse, drug abuse, Christianity, racism, mass incarceration, teenage pregnancy, mental health, and LGBTQ rights.
Currently, Amy works as a family medicine physician for the Defense Health Agency in Norfolk, Virginia and has been thoroughly involved in the distribution of COVID vaccines to her community. She is an avid reader enjoying fiction romance novels and African American literature that address social issues. She especially loves supporting other indie authors. She resides in Virginia with her three children, lifetime partner, and an adopted dog. She is an active member at her church volunteering in the dance and flag ministries. She remains a strong advocate of equality for all, coexistence, and eliminating prejudices.

What inspires you to write romantic fiction?
I am a hopeless romantic at heart. I love to read romance novels and writing them is a huge stress relief from my chaotic life.

Tell us about how you write.
I usually write surrounded by loud laughing, arguing, and playing provided by my three children.

Do you listen to or talk to to your characters?
I try to develop very realistic characters that make mistakes, grow, mature, and learn. They are affected by the things that happened to them in their ''lives.'' Even my villains have feelings and logical reasons for being mischievous. I often find myself falling in love with some of my characters.

What advice would you give other romance writers?
Please put your heart into your writing and do not hold back. Be a hopeless romantic and let that part of you shine.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I searched on the internet various ways to self publish. Initially I went with Amazon and Amazon alone. Then I realized several different revenues for indie author. I read the fine details of each website and assessed my risk and profit deciding which platforms were worth my time and effort.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I rather like the self publishing thing. I hope that this expands and that traditional publishers will start to take notice of us indie authors who are trying to self publish and maybe start sponsoring us which would help significantly with marketing.

Which romance sub-genere(s) fit your stories best?
African American social issues and suspense

My books are available in the following formats:
eBook, Print