Featured Interview With Amy Watkins
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Washington, DC. I received an undergraduate degree from Frostburg State University and a Medical Degree from University of Maryland, Baltimore. I served in the US Navy for eight years and currently work as a family medicine physician for the Navy. I reside in Virginia with my three crazy kids, my lifetime partner, and an adopted dog. I am a Christian and active in church. I am also a strong supporter of equality for all, coexistence, and eliminating prejudices.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Growing up, English was my least favorite subject. I disliked reading and writing. Then when I got to high school, I came across “The Coldest Winter Ever” by Sister Souljah and fell in love. For the first time, I encountered a novel that not only held my attention but was relatable. It featured African American characters from my generation. Since then, I have been an avid reader enjoying fiction romance novels and African American literature that addresses social issues. I started writing for fun sixteen years ago. I started a book that currently sits in the back of my file cabinet unfinished. Three years ago, while going through a high stress period in my life, I started writing again. I mainly wrote as a stress reliever, but that writing turned into a novel which I published last year. Four months later, I published my second novel. They both are fiction novels which address several important social issues such as spousal abuse, drug abuse, Christianity, racism, mass incarceration, teenage pregnancy, mental health, and LGBTQ rights.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love supporting indie authors thus as of yet I have spent most of my free time discovering self-published authors. I traditionally like Eric Jerome Dickey, Zane, Tiffany Jackson, and Octavia Butler. My favorite book is “Better Than I Know Myself” by Donna Grant and Virginia DeBerry. My favorite genres to read include fiction romance novels and African American. My writing style is inspired by all of these authors. I describe my writing as Zane meets T.D. Jakes as my novels tend to be very spicy but has Christian elements. The characters in my book tend to be modeled from people I have met along my life journey.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest novel, “Cute for a Black Girl” is an insightful coming of age story that follows Chloe Wilcox, a beautiful, smart and talented African American girl with a promising future. Though her beginnings were rough, she was adopted by a rich, successful, and loving father then whisked away to a great neighborhood with a top-notch school system. Unfortunately, being the only Black girl in her entire school, her complexion sets her up for being an outcast. Insecurity develops as a result of the common belittling she experiences from her community. Abandoned, Chloe is left unconscious in the ER. Chloe’s family and friends come together to support her and to try to find out how she ended up in such a predicament. This diverse group of unlikely associates includes an older successful judge who has lost his faith, a Black male college student with a tragic past, a young lesbian who is just coming to understand her identify, and a nerdy math genius with manipulative parents. They must put aside their differences and unify to discover the truth.
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