NK Chats To… Margaret Amatt

Hello Margaret. Thank you so much for joining me and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your novel, Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn and what inspired it? 

Hi! The Crafty Bee story was inspired by an evening when I was looking at books on Amazon – for a change! – and I noticed how popular books about beekeepers were. It was at the same time that a friend of mine was talking about The Sewing Bee. Somehow the two ideas blended in my head and I though up the name Crafty Bee Barn. I wanted to do something that blended beekeeping and crafts. And the story developed from there.

What are the challenges you found when writing Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn?

This book had quite a few challenges. Probably the biggest issue was Lilah’s backstory. She’s had a tough upbringing and I wanted that to come through in the story without making it too dark, but at the same time not trivialising it or brushing over it. Aidan was also a challenge. He’s quite a gruff character who’s annoyed with himself for his past mistakes but I still needed to make him loveable and relatable.

What songs would make up a playlist for your book?

I always find this question really hard. I think I’ll have to leave it to someone else to choose after they’ve read it because I really don’t have a clue!!

What’s your favourite word and why?

This will probably sound very strange to most people but I like the name Demeter. I honestly have no idea why but I just love the sound of it!

Any other advice for aspiring writers? 

The best advice I can give to writers who want to publish one day is to get feedback! It’s an intimidating thought but it really is the best way to improve. Also read both fiction books in your genre and craft books to help learn about structure and plotting.

Which fictional world would you like to visit and why?

I’ve been a big fan of Lord of the Rings for a long time, so I think I’d like to visit Middle Earth, though preferably at a peaceful time!

What elements do you feel make up a good story?

A really good central conflict is the best element in any story for me. Give the characters a problem or two that needs solving and let me get behind them and root for them!

What are you currently working on? 

More books for the Glenbriar Series. When I started writing it, I wasn’t sure how many books would be in it. I still don’t but there are stories still to be told, so it’s going on!

Margaret’s work space

When did you consider yourself a writer?

That’s a very good question and tricky to answer. I guess I was a hobby writer for a long time before my books were published. I frequently had letters published in magazines and even won competitions, including a short story contest. When my first book was published in 2021, it was easier to say outright, ‘I am a writer’ because there was evidence. It’s a strange mindset and maybe one I should have tried to break out of before.

If you could pick any other fictional character to make a guest appearance in one of your novels, who would it be and why?

Oh wow, that’s tricky, and so much fun to imagine. I think I’ll go with Professor Lupin from the Harry Potter series. I’d like him to be a kind and helpful teacher at the local school in Glenbriar… Watch out on a full moon though!

About Margaret Amatt –

Margaret is a bestselling Scottish author and chocolate lover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you count her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of day and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all those years of practise, Margaret released her first novel in 2021. It was the first of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull.

Margaret is also the author of the acclaimed Glenbriar Series, based in the fictional Scottish town of Glenbriar. This is an on-going series with more books coming in 2024.

The stories are unashamedly romantic but with lots of drama and an eclectic mix of characters. Each book can be read as a standalone but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with the characters.

Say hello to Margaret via her website, Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter).

About Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn –

Luckless Lilah Clarke needs a big break, but getting caught wrecking a stall at the Glenbriar Fair was not what she had in mind – especially when the man who catches her is as hot as a summer’s day and sends her heart racing.

Charity campaigner Aidan McBride has returned to Glenbriar after a long absence to discover the love of his life dating his cousin, his cottage in tatters, and his beloved bees gone. When he catches Lilah destroying his mum’s stall and discovers the reason, he sees something in her he can’t explain – or resist.

Feeling sorry for her, he offers her a job, and she reluctantly accepts. What other options does she have? Now, it isn’t just Aidan’s new bees that are buzzing. Lilah dreams of Aidan being hers, but for someone with a background like hers, he’s well out of her reach.

Still stung by the loss of his ex, Aidan struggles with his ever-growing attraction to Lilah. But if he doesn’t spit out exactly how he feels about her before her past catches up with her, he stands to lose the real love of his life.

Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn is book seven in The Glenbriar series and was released in March 2024. Click here to buy on Amazon UK and Waterstones.  

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.