Fiction writer A. M. Semple lives in a rural area in northern Texas. Should an apocalypse ever happen, she is hopeful that she is far enough from the heavy population to make an escape. Her writings are inspired by her husband’s love for the zombie genre. His appetite for movies and books about the dead is only surpassed by a zombie’s desire for human flesh.

When this author isn’t writing, she’s often studying the heavens. Her love of astronomy takes her to special star parties where she likes to meet others who share her interest. She is also an accomplished landscape painter.

A.M. Semple is the author of the novel, SITUATION Z.

For more information, please visit the author’s website and her Amazon author page. You can also visit her on Twitter.

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What motivates you to write and how did you get started?

What motivates me to write is the realization that I can create an entire undiscovered world filled with characters and ideas that even I didn’t know existed.

What’s most rewarding about writing?

The most rewarding part of writing is being able to share what I’ve written especially with my Mom. Since we are both writers, its great being able to talk about new characters and find out how they will develop. We do a lot of laughing over a character’s unexpected and often humorous moments.

What’s your favorite genre and why?

My favorite genre is romance. I love seeing a relationship develop between two unlikely characters. It’s so interesting getting to know them. I enjoy seeing the world through their eyes especially if it’s in another time or even another universe. It can be such a great page turner.

Where do your characters come from?

I think my characters come from a blend of other characters read in books, seen in shows or movies, and even myself.

Who is an author who inspires you and why?

Any author that draws me into another world where I forget about everything is a favorite. Reading one of their books is like taking a tiny vacation and coming back refreshed.

What do you look for in other people’s books?

What I look for in other people’s books are characters and situations that pull me into their world and allow me to see things from a different perspective. If, in addition, it’s heartwarming and cozy it’s even better.

What are you writing now?

I’m writing a story about a man who gets left in a desert and finds himself on an unexpected quest.

What kind of book would you like to be known for?

The kind of book I would like to be known for would be any book that had romance humor and adventure. The genre would be less important than well developed and intriguing characters.

What has writing taught you about yourself?

I’ve learned a lot about myself through writing. Interestingly my confidence and understanding of who I am is probably the biggest factor. Writing is a way to bring out what’s inside my head whether it be stories I love, people I’ve met or something I’ve seen and give it my own twist on paper.

How has your life experience influenced your writing?

My life experience has had a big effect on how I develop my characters. Both the values and traits of the characters reflect something in life that has made an impression on me. I enjoy weaving them into a story where I can decide just what their outcome might be.

What encouraging advice can you offer new writers?

Encouraging advice I would give to new writers is that writing is often about the baby steps whether it is reading a book or writing down an idea or learning something new about writing itself. Over time those steps add up to a journey on paper and in life.