Samie Sands is the author of the  AM13 Outbreak series, published by Limitless Publishing. She’s also had short stories included in Amazon bestselling anthologies  and work featured on Wattpad.

Thank you Samie for joining me today. Like myself your novels focus around the apocalypse, do you find the genre creeping into your everyday life?

Well, I’m always planning what my zombie apocalypse plan would be…just in case! I don’t have an underground bunker just yet, but I do know where all the safest places would be around me.

If the end of civilisation came, what would be one of the key items you’d want at your side that people reading would least expect to be useful?

Oh that’s easy, my giant magikarp plushie which I would argue could double up as a pillow…but I’m sure others would consider unnecessary baggage!

How long have you been writing for?

I’ve been writing for nearly seven years now. Lockdown is the first novel I wrote, which I did more for myself. I wrote the book I wanted to read, then when I showed it to a couple of people and they loved it. I decided to just see if I could get a publisher interested, more as an experiment. I was offered a three book contract for what became the AM13 Outbreak series, and the rest just came from there.

Where do you write?

I write wherever I can! As with any writer, time and inspiration doesn’t always hit at the right time when I can sit down and get it all out, so if an idea comes to me then I need to be able to get it down wherever I am…even if it’s just in note form. I prefer to write at home if I can, but if not I always have a notebook with me.

Is technology a big help in your writing process?

Technology is a massive help to me. I type much faster than I write, and I find manuscripts much easier to correct and edit on a computer. Although it can also provide a bit of a distraction as well, especially if I have a touch of writer’s block!

Which is your favourite part of the process of getting a novel to the readers?

The writing bit in the first place is my favourite part, when I don’t need to worry too much if it makes sense or has plot holes, I can just get the basic ideas out. But it can also be fun to check over it and work out what I need for a rewrite. It just depends how long the editing takes.

Who is your first reader?

My husband is usually my first reader because I know I can trust him to be brutally honest! If he doesn’t like something he will tell me, and although I might not like it at first, his opinion is usually right.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Just go for it! It isn’t always easy to put yourself out there, especially when you have bared your soul on paper, but if it’s your passion then you should at least try. Like with me, you never know what is going to happen.

Are you an pantser or a planner?

I plan, but more often than not the plan doesn’t work out as I thought it would. So, once I have my initial plan I let the story goes where feels natural when I write. The characters often take on a life of their own and guide the story for me!

Do you write any other genres other than horror?

I have actually written in other genres. Some of my short stories are more sci-fi than horror, I have some dystopian work on Wattpad, and I’ve also written a romance novel, Lottie Loves, and a contemporary fiction book, Living on Borrowed Time, so a bit of a variety really!

If you had your time again, would you change anything?

I would love to write more, I would always love more time for that, so I could have all my ideas on paper rather than rattling around in my head, but aside from that I wouldn’t. It has been a crazy journey but I have loved every minute of it.

Thank you Samie for joining me today. At time of going to press her novel Lockdown, the first in the AM13 Outbreak series is free from Amazon. I’ve got my copy! Here’s what you’re in for….

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Lockdown 

Leah Watton’s practical joke has spiralled way out of control—all to impress a crush…

With a prank online video, Leah hopes to catch the attention of Jake Colton, a cute, blond-haired, blue-eyed co-worker she’s had a crush on for months. But instead of sending it to Jake, she manages to forward the clip to her boss—who buys every gory second.

When mass panic ensues, Leah learns the video is more than a staged act…

The government is calling the virus AM13. As the outbreak spreads, citizens are forced to stay indoors while they assess the gravity of the illness. Most people are quarantined in their homes, but Leah, Jake, and Leah’s best friend Michelle are some of the unlucky few who are stuck at work when the Lockdown occurs.

That’s where she first encounters one of the infected…

Aside from a contaminated woman devouring one of her co-workers, Leah has another problem. Does she do as she’s ordered and stay at work? Or should she disobey government orders and break free to reunite with her family?

She can’t go it alone—after all, Leah has none of the skills needed to survive—but with Michelle and Jake by her side, not even a contagious virus and a sea of the dead can keep her from…

Breaking out of the Lockdown…

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You can follow Samie’s work either through her website, Facebook or Twitter and I wish her luck with her writing career.

If you enjoyed this interview then why not follow my blog where I’ll be posting more interviews and conversations soon. I regularly provide an insight into my own experiences as I publish and promote my debut novel, In The End, an apocalyptic thriller that will leave you breathless which is available to buy now.

A final note – If you’re ready this in December 2018 and have a moment to spare, please can you take a second to vote for my novel’s cover by clicking here and pressing the vote button! Thank you.