Lily is a conscientious college student with a gift for songwriting and a passion for music. Life on Ember Island is pretty conventional until the morning Lily wakes up to a transformed world. As she begins to discover her roommates and entire campus have been impacted by some sort of fiendish disease, Lily finds herself all alone and heads for the city in an attempt to understand what is going on. In the scramble for survival, Lily meets the charming yet unpredictable Halen, and comes to understand they are now living in a dystopian society.
Although the quick-tempered Halen has a distrust for almost everyone she encounters, she seems to make an exception for Lily. They have an instant attraction to each other, which Halen is more forward about and finds enjoyment in making Lily nervous by this sudden attention.
With only each other to depend on, they face dangerous obstacles to escape the island. As they fight for their lives, Lily finds herself fighting her feelings for Halen just as much while Halen develops a strong urge to protect Lily. Will the two be able to trust their connection and find refuge on the mainland and within each other?
Read an Exceprt
I go to another place for a while on my drive to the city. I think I’ve hit my max of what I can process, and it all still feels surreal. As I turn off the highway, I begin to look for any signs of life. Nothing. Not even bodies. I turn down the narrow street where my grandma lives, park my car, grab my backpack, and head to the gate. Three men stumble toward me in the parking lot, their pale skin glinting in the dim light. I quickly close the gate behind me as more stagger my way. I take off running through the alley, hoping to get inside the building, when I slam into someone.
She’s standing there, emerald specks in her eyes. “Are you a being?” she asks. I barely have time to respond before she yells, “Then we need to go. There’s a swarm on this side.” She boosts me onto a dumpster, guiding me toward the fire escape. My arms strain as I grab the ladder, her strength helping me up. Heights aren’t my thing, and panic sets in when one of them grabs my shoe. Suddenly, a loud sound erupts, dampness splashes over me, and their grip loosens. I look down—blood, but safety above.
On the rooftop, she trains a gun on me. “Did he scratch you?” she asks coldly. “No!” I stammer. Satisfied, she puts the gun away. Then we hear them shaking the ladder below. She tucks her curls behind her ears. “They need to feed,” she states. My heart pounds as I watch her flip a body over the ledge to distract them. Chaos, blood, survival—this is my new reality, and I can’t catch my breath.
What is your latest book about?
Mortal Escape is a sci-fi sapphic romance set in a
world that collapses almost overnight, as people begin turning into zombie-like
creatures and society falls apart under fear and chaos. Lily wakes up in the
middle of it with no answers and no one to call for help, and when she leaves
her university to search for safety, she discovers the danger is everywhere.
That’s where she meets Halen, who has already learned the hard way not to trust
anyone. At first their guard is up, but as the world around them keeps crumbling,
Lily and Halen realize they have to rely on each other to survive. What begins
as survival slowly grows into connection, and together they find love and trust
in the one place they never expected it: the end of the world as they once knew
it.
Taking the story from a concept to a published book is a
long and involved process. How does that usually work for you?
For me, a story usually lives in my head for months before I
ever start writing. During that time, it plays out almost like watching a movie
unfold, scene by scene, until the entire world feels real in my mind. The
characters, the setting, and the emotions all settle into place and stay there.
I have a photographic memory, so my brain naturally holds onto these details
and organizes them into clear chapters before I even open a document. Then,
when the moment hits, I write fast because the story is already fully formed in
my head. After that first draft is out, I focus on shaping, editing, and
polishing it into something ready to share with readers. For example, I wrote Mortal
Escape in 3 days, but the idea was living rent free in my head for a few
months prior.
Which of your books would you recommend for readers to
choose first if they’re new to you and your books?
If you’re new to my books, I would recommend starting with To
the Bones or Emery Ever After. They’re both novellas, so they’re
quick, easy reads but still packed with emotion, adventure, and sapphic
romance. They’re a great way to get a feel for my writing style without
committing to a full-length novel. If you’re more interested in sci-fi romance,
then I’d suggest starting with Mortal Escape and then continuing with
its sequel, Mortal Reckoning. Together, they dive deeper into the
apocalyptic world, and the sequel also brings another sapphic romance into the
story.
Do you have a favorite personal development or writing
book you would recommend?
I actually don’t have a specific personal development or
writing book that I recommend. Instead,
I really enjoy reading other sapphic romances. Spending time in those stories
helps me tap into my romantic side and stay connected to the kind of love and
emotion I want to bring into my own writing. It keeps me inspired in a way that
feels natural and authentic to the stories I tell.
Tell us something fun or interesting about you.
I have a really big imagination and have been creating
elaborate worlds in my head since I was a kid. I’ve always loved thinking about
different places, characters, and adventures, and that habit naturally turned
into writing. For me, imagining new worlds is just as exciting as exploring
them on the page.
What have you learned throughout your writing process?
Having patience with the process. Sometimes the story needs
to live in your head for a while before it’s ready to come out on the page.
Also, vulnerability connects readers. Including your own emotional experiences,
even subtly, makes the story resonate more with readers. There’s not one story
I have written which doesn’t contain multiple easter eggs throughout of my own
life and experiences.
What has inspired you to become a writer?
I was inspired to become a writer because there simply
wasn’t enough WLW content in the world. I wanted to create stories that filled
that gap and to tell love stories in my own way…ones that are heartfelt,
hopeful, and celebrate sapphic women in the center of their own adventures.
Writing gives me the chance to contribute to that representation and to share
the kind of love I wish I had seen more of when I was first coming out.
How do you keep your ideas fresh and avoid traveling over
well-worn territory?
I keep my ideas fresh because my brain naturally works in
quirky and unconventional ways. I don’t try to force originality, it just tends
to happen because I approach storytelling from my own perspective, and I’m not
afraid to explore ideas that feel a little strange or out of the ordinary.
What trope have you not written yet but want to?
I’ve explored tropes like forbidden love, second chance romance, and friends to lovers in my stories, but I haven’t yet tackled a true enemies-to-lovers or fake-relationship storyline. Those are definitely tropes I can see myself exploring in the future, as they offer a lot of tension, humor, and opportunities for characters to grow in unexpected ways.
Do you have a specific writing process?
I don’t follow a rigid writing process, but I do have a
rhythm that works for me. Most of my stories live in my head for months before
I ever write a word. I visualize the world, the characters, and the plot, then
I begin writing the dialogue.
Do you have a favorite author and/or favorite book?
Some of my favorite reads have been The Honey Witch
by Sydney Shields and Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper. If you’re
looking for holiday-themed sapphic romances, I’d recommend Make the Season
Bright by Ashley Herring Blake for Christmas and A Hexcellent Chance to
Fall in Love by Ann Rose for Halloween. I love these books because they
combine heartfelt romance with fun, seasonal vibes and strong wlw characters.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
By day, I work as a People Development Manager, but when I’m
not at work, I love exploring local coffee shops and bookstores, going on
adventures with my daughter, reading sapphic romance books, growing herbs and
cooking. Lately, I’ve also been spending more time on yoga and hiking, which
helps me recharge and stay inspired for new stories.
About the Author:
Amanda is a sapphic romance author based in Westminster, Colorado, where she balances her love of storytelling with her role as a People Development Manager and devoted mom to a spirited little girl. When she’s not writing about the supernatural and soul-deep love, she can be found exploring local coffee shops and bookstores, experimenting in the kitchen, or going on various adventures with her daughter. Known for her warmth, humor, and passion for human rights, Amanda brings equal parts compassion and imagination to everything she does—both on and off the page.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda.murr.sapphic.author
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amanda.murr1985
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Escape-Amanda-Murr-ebook/dp/B0CJ2DWP73/ref=sr_1_1
1 comment:
We appreciate you featuring MORTAL ESCAPE today.
Post a Comment