Meet Amber Schamel! Interview and Giveaway

Author Amber Schamel

Linda Matchett: I’m so pleased to be chatting with one of my Stitches Thru Time colleagues, Colorado native Amber Schamel who is a woman of many talents. She is a multi-published author, singer, ministry volunteer, and businesswoman. We’re here to talk about her Amazon bestselling Christmas novella The Swaddling Clothes, a wonderful story about the fabric used to wrap the Christ-child. When and where did you get the idea for The Swaddling Clothes?

Amber: Funny story, that one. I was standing in our kitchen in August while the kids were watching a Christmas Veggie Tales movie called The Toy That Saved Christmas. I was praying about a Christmas story when I heard the grandpa reading the Christmas story. “And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in baby clothes and laid him in a manger.” “Baby clothes?” I thought. “The KJV says swaddling clothes. I wonder if there’s a difference.” I delved into research and from there came The Swaddling Clothes.

LM: The story must have required a lot of research. What sort of research did you do to ensure accuracy in the book?

Amber: It did require a lot. As I said, the story itself evolved from research. I began by researching the different theories of the swaddling clothes, but I also had to do a lot of research on the timeline of the Jewish captivities and where different Bible stories fit with it, Babylon as well as their rulers and gods, even down to details like “what type of palace did David live in while he was king?”

LM: What would you like readers to take away from the story?

Amber: If my readers put down the book saying, “This brought the Christmas story to life” then I will feel like it has accomplished its goal. However I would also like them to experience the way that God in His all-knowing and all-powerful way has orchestrated history even down to tiny, overlooked details...all for our redemption.

LM: You are one busy lady. Can you share a bit about your writing life such as whether you have a set schedule for writing, a special location where you write, or how you decide which project to work on?

Amber: Well...my writing life is not at all as regimented as I would like it to be. If I have a deadline, it means a lot of late nights and early mornings so that I can get writing in around everything else. Work, family and ministry come first, so my writing ends up happening in any spare minute I can cram it into. I often write on our long road trips, on the drive to church, pretty much anywhere I can open my laptop and plug in earphones.

LM: As an author, I would imagine you are a voracious reader. What authors have been an inspiration to you?

Amber: Gilbert Morris was one of my all time favorites as a young person. Since then I could name a list as long as Santa’s. Herman Melville, Augusta Jane Evans, Max Lucado, Francine Rivers, Julie Klassen to name just a few.

LM: Your stories are all written about the past. What is your favorite thing about writing historical fiction?

Amber: I have always loved history. To me, it comes alive in heart wrenching drama and action. I also see the amazing way that God’s hand can be traced through history. These two are what I hope to combine and “bring HIStory to life” for my readers. As Rudyard Kipling says, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”

LM: Great quote! What else would you like readers to know about you?

Amber: I have TWO free stories to offer readers today! You can get the prequel to my Days of Messiah series for free when you sign up for my newsletter, AND my Christmas book, The Swaddling Clothes is FREE on kindle today! Be sure to snag both of those as your Christmas present from me.

LM: Where can readers connect with you?

Amber: 
Website: http://amberschamel.com

Newsletter & updates: http://www.amberschamel.com/newsletter-signup.html

Blogs: 

http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com

http://www.hhhistory.com
http://amberschamel.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberSchamel

Twitter: @AmberSchamel https://twitter.com/AmberSchamel 

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/AmberDSchamel

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073165.Amber_Schamel

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Amber-Schamel/e/B00CIXK91M

LM: Thanks for visiting with us! 

Linda Shenton Matchett has been a freelance writer for over ten years. She is the author of Love's Harvest and Love Found in Sherwood Forest. Under Fire, the first book in her trilogy about WWII war correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown, will be released on July 25, 2017 by eLectio Publishing. To get to know Linda, visit her website.