Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Tasukada.
Hi Amy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started writing regular when I was ten years old. My first stories were anime fan fiction that I would share with my friend. Around my early teenage years I began to write original fiction. These stories were science fiction and would span several books. During my high school years the stories switched to more contemporary with a heavy central LGBT love story. I continued writing in college, reading writing books and magazines whenever I had time between studies. When I moved to Dallas in 2012 I wanted to focus more on taking my writing more seriously. I joined several local writing groups and attended the DFW Con, a writer’s conference in Hurst. In 2016 my first book The Yakuza Path: Blood Stained was published. This story is part of a series and is an LGBT mafia thriller set in Japan. My other books quickly followed and in the end of the year I had six books out. From there I ran into some health issues with a few herniated disc and cubital tunnel. I love giving back and now occasionally teach at the wristers conference I attended.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of my biggest struggles is trying to balance getting the books written in a timely manner while keeping health on track. Readers are always ready for the next book as soon as they finish the last. It takes time to write books. I might want to get it out to them quickly, but I have to remember to take time for myself to relax.
Another road block is simply getting the word out that my book are there. A lot of people are interested in reading LGBT fiction but the book stores always have tiny sections for that content. Some people don’t even realize that there are books feature LGBT characters in them made for adults. So reaching readers who would be interested in my work is always a challenge.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m most known for my gay mafia thriller series, but the book I’m most proud of a romance spinoff called Addicted to Lust. The story deals with Hayato who has a lot of mental health issues. When I wrote the pandemic was going on and I finally had time to sit and recover from my spouse’s mental health journey.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most interesting lesson I learned is to keep at it the people who read it will notice all the time and effort I put into the small things. One book about a Artist, Finding Our Love, I learned so much about modern color theory and I still get a few messages here and there about people who appreciate that detail of using cyan, yellow, and magenta.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amytasukada.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amytasukada/
