AMIRANDA: AUTHOR Q&A with John P. Adamo #interview

 

Today's guest is author John P. Adamo! His book is AMIRANDA: PRINCESS AMIRANDA AND THE TALE OF THE DECIDUOUS FOREST and he is here today to talk about his new book and what surprised him about the whole process of getting published. 

 

Welcome to The Writer's Life!  Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning?  When did you come up with the idea to write your book?

The concept for “Amiranda” actually came up from the fairy-tale dream of every girl wanting to be a princess, as society and media teaches us that is the ultimate form of contentment.  Amiranda is a princess, and should be more than pleased by all that she has (power, wealth, etc.) but wants more to this life than just plain material things.  It points out that Amiranda lacks friendship and love, even though she herself has so much of it to give, but unfortunately no one to share that with or give that to, except for her animal friends. 

Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

The publisher I chose was “Legwork Team Publishing,” who I think did a great job on getting me in touch with the right illustrator and editor.  This was my first (and so far only) book, so I needed some direction in how to get from point A to point Z.  I had an idea in mind, and a screenplay thought through, but I had to get the idea from my head and onto paper. Although Legwork Team Publishing was a private publisher, this book is almost self-published in a way that I designed and maintained control on the final product.  I think should an animation ever be made; I would want to maintain some creative control on that as well.

Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

What surprised me was as to how many revisions needed to be made before producing the final product.  In the last days before the deadline, I found myself adding chapters I felt needed adding and taking out some parts that I would like to see come to life in an animation movie, should ever one be produced.  I was always proofreading material over and over, to the point I needed other sets of eyes reading over the work due to the many revisions. 

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

I believe it does, as I always imagined a book cover somewhat similar to what I have, but only have Amiranda at the top of her castle looking down at the Deciduous Forest.  That would have made the character Amiranda look rather small in the picture (zoomed out), whereas the cover we chose was to have her large, bold, and colorful against the forest (zoomed in).  The other thing is I chose the background color to be a light green, not only to blend in with the forest, but a neutral color for both boys and girls similarly to like (not pink or blue, appealing to only boys or only girls for example... not to be stereotypical or cliché). 

How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

That is hard to say… some writing comes easy and you cannot type fast enough to keep up with your brain and what you want to say.  Other times you leave a project alone for weeks or months trying to think on how to get from point A to B.  Sometimes you don’t know where point B is or where you want to take the character.  Once a character comes to “life” by writing more details about the character, you can put the character in so many situations. 

     I think the most important thing about a character is defining its personality as to what decisions he or she would make if given a difficult option, as in the case with Amiranda.  Once the character is developed, you can introduce them in a wide range of scenarios and even envision them “time-traveling” into other dimensions, as you already know how the character will behave if faced with different everyday ordinary and extraordinary situations.  

What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

I am not currently working on any other books, although I would like to write a prequel to Amiranda to explain how exactly the Deciduous Forest came to be, how the evil villain came to be and how (possibly) the king inadvertently played a role in their existence. 

That being said, I do have numerous other ideas not related to Amiranda, but again taking them from my consciousness and putting them down on paper is something that is not only time-consuming, but requires self-discipline and determination, which admittingly, I do not always have. 

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

That’s why they would have to read it… as I don’t want to give away any spoilers.  The book starts out actually kind of boring, and that is kind of by choice, as Amiranda’s life as a princess, is, well, very boring to her.  While there is some excitement in the characters around the princess, her life is kind of mundane and repetitive.  That is until she sets out to her journey.  It is a hero’s tale… one where a normal everyday person is faced with unsurmountable challenges and has to adapt to overcome.  

     In one of my key descriptions of the book I chose the word “unwittingly,” as Amiranda “unwittingly” sets out into the forest.  Although it is by her own choice, however there are other forces in action, unbeknownst to her.    

Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

There are so many messages I try to convey within this book… but the ultimate and recurring one is constant battle or struggle between the good versus evil and as which one would ultimately prevail. 

  

Thank you again for this interview!  Do you have any final words?

Remember when reading this book, that it is a fairy tale, and has several underlying messages.  Just as in the Wizard of Oz each character is faced with challenges based on their individual character traits, flaws and shortcomings; the same holds true for Amiranda and the other characters within this book. 

     Individually each and every one of them will have to make the difficult decision as to do what is best for them, or what is best for others.  Often times, the answer is not that simple, as what is best for themselves often comes at a price that affects others.  Amiranda is the type of person that always puts others before herself, but in doing so, she might ultimately destroy the fate of her entire kingdom, including everything, and everyone she holds so dear.

      In short, I hope you enjoy the journey of Princess Amiranda and the Tale of the Deciduous Forest.  Enjoy!!!  

 

John Adamo is a Long Island-based author and songwriter who has copyrighted more than four hundred poems and has both written and composed numerous songs and short stories. Music has always been an integral part of John’s life, as he has performed at different venues all across Long Island—both as a professional pianist since the age of seventeen (one year after his father passed away) and also as a disc jockey / emcee for various private parties and public events.

This is John’s first formal work, which was originally written as a screenplay and copyrighted in 1998. John has always had the visualization that an animated movie would one day be made from his work. The author wanted to put together a story unlike any other, and one that could be enjoyed by people of all ages … both young and old alike. A story that reinforced good values, covered common ethics, and taught morals as John feels those important criteria are so often left out in today’s modern fairy tales.

After having the screenplay sit on his shelf for nearly fifteen years, John felt that it was finally time to let the world know the life and world of Amiranda—a Cinderella-type princess who has everything in the world that a princess could possibly ask for, but is still missing something more in her life. With your help, John hopes that he can help fulfill Amiranda’s aspirations, hopes, and dreams. Last but not least, John hopes you like Amiranda’s story just as much as he enjoyed writing it … Enjoy!

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS

Website  →   www.princessamiranda.com

Facebook  → https://www.facebook.com/amirandabook

 

 

 

 

An instant classic tale portraying the life of “Amiranda,”an innocent and brave princess, who unwittingly sets out on a quest that will ultimately determine the fate of her entire kingdom.

From her castle window, Amiranda would gaze at the beautiful countryside below-always watching carefully, always observing everything. Gradually the princess realizes that she knows very little of the small kingdom over which she would one day reign. Nevertheless, Amiranda would never disobey her father’s wishes, especially the one to never enter the mysterious dark forest, which borders their kingdom. That is, until one day when she would have no other choice.

Amiranda will take a journey that will lead her on a wild adventure, where the decisions she makes will determine the fate of many lives-the lives of her animal friends, her family members, those who dwell in her kingdom, and her very own life as well. Travel along on this trip where Princess Amiranda hopes to find the missing piece in her existence and ends up trying to achieve the impossible….

 

 

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2FxWgRu

B&N → https://bit.ly/2QBqk5d