Meet Amy Matayo | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Matayo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
For me as a writer, I have two things that quickly come to mind. The first: “Stay in your own lane.” I think it’s a well-meaning piece of advice, one inherently intended to encourage a person to become masters of their chosen profession or life path. But on the flip side, it so often seems to be thrown around to keep people in line. Don’t look up, don’t question things, don’t rock the boat or threaten someone else’s success, just stay in your own lane and we’ll all get along. I say switch lanes if the need arises. I say drive all over the road if you find yourself stuck inside the mundane or just feel a strong pull to go a new direction. So many people spend years and years living a routine and then get stuck inside a mind that whispers “I’m too old” or “it’s too late,” but for me, feeling that tug is generally a sign that it’s TIME to switch lanes and try something different.

The second: “Write what you know.” I’ve written a lot of books on topics I knew nothing about until after I began the story. So for me it’s more, “Write what you want to know more about.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an author of 18 books, most that fall in the Contemporary Romance category, with a few Young Adult, Time Travel, and Literary Fiction books thrown in (not the smartest way to build a brand, but I can’t seem to stick with a genre). My favorite thing to do is write stories, something I’ve done my whole life. When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher read one of my short stories and then told me that I should become a novelist when I grew up. She was the first person to encourage my love for writing, but it took me years to gather the courage to try. Fifteen years ago, I wrote my first book, and I’ve been doing it since then.

The journey to publication wasn’t easy–something I’m glad I didn’t know before I wrote my first book. It took five years of querying agents before I finally landed one, and then it took another year before I signed my first 3-book contract. Since then I’ve published in both the traditional and indie markets, and I’ve enjoyed s lot about both sides. A long process, but definitely worth it on the other side.

The biggest lesson I learned is a basic one–if you start a story, then write it all the way through until you reach the end. So many people (including me–I have a dozen half-written manuscripts inside my laptop) stop writing when the story gets hard or boring, but once you write a book all the way through, that’s when you know you have the ability to do it. Knowing you can do it is the biggest mental hurdle you’ll face.

I’m currently proudest of my latest book–They Call Her Dirty Sally. It was independently published and released in August of last year, and it’s spent most of the time since on bestseller lists. It is my bestselling book to date.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would look for tiny doors and artwork while walking the Beltline to Ponce City Market, then we would spend a day in Stone Mountain (because walking and hiking are my favorite things to do outside). We would eat “prison tacos” at El Progreso #14, visit a few farmer’s markets, head to Mad Life Studio for a show (Cougar Town being my #1 pick), drink coffee everywhere, and spend a day at the High Museum of Art and the Coca-Cola Museum. Not sure if that would fill up a week, but we could just do everything twice.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my best author friends and the members of my plotting group: Nicole Deese, Connilyn Cossette, Christy Barritt, Tammy L. Gray. And to my friend Jenny B. Jones, who writes some of the funniest books you’ll ever read. If you haven’t read their books, you should totally grab one.

Website: http://www.amymatayo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amymatayo.author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amymatayo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amymatayo

Image Credits
Janine Theobald Photography