Loreley Amiti

Please welcome to the Guest Writer spot today, Loreley Amiti, another Facebook/writer friend. I must admit to being a bit overwhelmed by all her linguistic abilities – think she’s far too modest.

Loreley – time to speak for yourself…   I was born in Germany and lived many years in Italy, Austria and Slovenia before I settled down in England’s South West in 2011. Officially, I speak 5 languages fluently but after most nightshifts, I’d say it’s only 2: “English and bad English” (Bruce Willis). I love sewing and vintage.

What first inspired you to write?   I had been kicked out of the dormitory for telling horror stories during my first class trip in year 3. Many of my classmates were crying and my very tired teacher suggested I’d rather write my stories down instead of scaring everyone. I did.

What was your first piece of creative writing? How old were you?   I was probably around 9 or 10 when I wrote letters to my brave, invisible friend who lived hidden in a tree where I deposited the letters. He was like a Marvel Comic Super Hero.

Which writers do you particularly admire?   See attached file … So many for various reasons. I admire J. K. Rowling not only for her beautiful books but equally for her strength to cope with the emotional roller coaster and constant criticism before and even after her success.

What do you love about writing?   My brain never seems to wind down, day or night, and it’s exhausting to have so many tabs open. When I’m writing, it’s like sorting my thoughts into their appropriate files and I can breathe again. I also love getting inspired by places or people. This could literally happen anywhere: on the bus, hearing a voice that stands out, smelling something that triggers a memory, historical places that “speak” to me or simply a memory that feels important enough to be altered into a fiction story.

What do you hate about writing?   Re-reading my books (either when writing a sequel or at public readings). I’m always worried I’ll find horrible mistakes or a badly written paragraph.

Describe your ‘portfolio’ of writing   I’m a former journalist and started my professional writing career after I was longlisted by Tracy Chevalier (“Girl With A Pearl Earring”) and an agent got in touch with me. Since then, I have published 3 children’s books which have been translated into various languages and reached #1 in Italy. I have also completed a time travel trilogy about the former East of Germany which made it into the top 3 in the German bestseller Charts on Amazon.

BOOKS (ADULT FICTION)

TIME TRAVEL TRILOGY “DIE UNVERGESSENEN” (German language, currently being translated into English)

  • Die Spuren der Fremden
  • Matroschkas
  • Explosive Begegnung

CHILDRENS’ BOOKS (with Italian illustrator Simone Stanghini, also available in German, Italian and Spanish)

  • The Moon Lantern
  • The Solstice Fairy
  • Halloween Holler

What is your proudest achievement?   As a writer: seeing my books on bookshelves. They are probably every writer’s biggest reward for not giving up. I’m also very proud of my team at Littwitz Press. I founded the publishing label in 2016 and we started with only a few people. Now, we are over 20 freelance team members and the mutual support as well as my fellow authors’ achievements are a joy to watch.

What is your current project?   Translating my German time travel trilogy into English and a fiction book about a young time traveller in Edinburgh.

Anything you’d like to add?  As so often in life, when one door closes it often opens another. In my case, it was the beginning of something I had always wanted to do, writing. Finances aside, it’s so rewarding and I’m very grateful to live in such a beautiful part of the world where people are incredibly supportive and positive.

Thanks for having me, Lynne. x

Loreley’s Links