An Interview with Amanda Davis

A.M. Davis is an artist and an author from Ohio. She co-authored her first novel, The Shrike and the Shadows—a dark and twisted retelling of the classic tale, Hansel & Gretel. By daylight, she is the marketing manager for an upscale resort. By night, she is seeking out her next story, playing video games, or imagining what new piece to draw and anguish over-dramatically.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

TV made me want to write! I used to spend time writing fan fiction for my favorite shows and games, such as Inuyasha and Kingdom Hearts. I loved storytelling! I didn’t even think about writing books until I started reading more. Stephanie Meyer, Holly Black, and so many other amazing authors really inspired me to pick up a pen and start writing stories.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

Crimson Peak was my main inspiration. I fell in love with the film and I wanted to read something that had the same spirit, or essence of the film. I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I wrote it instead. It’s my love letter to the film that inspired it.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I actually had a difficult time naming this book. Titles usually come to me pretty easily, but for the longest time I referred to it as ‘Malison Bleue’ which is French for Blue Manor. It was just the title I used to query, too, but by the time I finished edits with my publisher, I decided it needed a new name. The title then just didn’t speak to what it was about. We settled on The Mourning of Leone Manor as it alludes to grief and loss, which is a heavy theme in this story.

Describe your dream book cover.

My dream book cover would be something created by an artist that features my characters with a beautiful background. As an artist myself, I love to support other artists.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

So, I have worn many hats. I started my marketing career in tourism working for a local visitors bureau. I worked with a lot of small businesses to create the annual travel guide, and used the rest of the year to come up with events and promote businesses. I was laid off during Covid and started working at an online fashion boutique. I managed models, photos, product descriptions and images, social content, and so much more. I wasn’t happy there, though, as my workplace grew toxic over time and left. I have an amazing job now working for a resort as their marketing manager. No day is ever the same!

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

I didn’t read too many books while I was writing, but I did watch a lot of shows and movies with gothic themes. Haunting of Hill House, Haunting of Bly Manor, Crimson Peak, etc. While I was editing my book, though, I did read quite a few novels by Eve Silver, who writes gothic romance and gothic thrillers. Her work is so well done. I really wanted to emulate that with my novel, so reading her novels really helped me during my final edits.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.