Meet A. M. Darling
If your favorite romances are filled with heart, self-discovery, creativity, and a touch of magic, it’s time to meet A. M. Darling, an author who believes stories have the power to inspire, connect, and help readers see a little of themselves within the pages.
A self-proclaimed "Jill of trades," A. M. Darling has spent her life embracing creativity in all its forms. While romance novels hold a special place in her heart, her artistic passions extend far beyond the written word. From fine art and photography to fashion design, dance, film, and theater, she's always found new ways to explore and express her imagination.
Her journey as a writer began at just ten years old. With her head often in the clouds and a book never far from reach, she spent countless hours dreaming up characters and stories of her own. Writing quickly became her first true form of self-expression, and decades later, it remains one of the most important constants in her life. That early love of storytelling eventually grew into a desire to create books that are both captivating and deeply relatable.
As someone who loves helping others, A. M. approaches storytelling with the goal of creating characters and experiences that resonate on a personal level. She wants readers to feel what her characters feel, recognize pieces of themselves in the journey, and close the book feeling both understood and inspired.
Away from the page, A. M. is every bit the adventurous and free-spirited creative she portrays in her work. Whether she's traveling to new destinations, capturing moments through photography, creating art, or mentoring others as a life path guide, she brings curiosity and passion into everything she does. For her, creativity isn't limited to a single medium. It's a way of experiencing and engaging with the world.
That spirit of exploration and artistic expression shines throughout her writing, resulting in stories that blend heart, hope, and a little bit of magic. Her books serve as a reminder that while every journey is unique, we're often more connected than we realize.
Get to know A. M. Darling as we dive into a Q&A and explore the creativity, inspiration, and heartfelt storytelling behind her work.
Q&A
Tell me a little bit about your writing inspirations and/or how you got started.
My writing journey started when I was ten, filling journals with my thoughts and life adventures. Then when I was twelve I started falling in love with writing poetry, and was published in a couple poetry anthologies and would write many, many short stories for fun. Soon writing wasn’t just a hobby but a passion. I knew someday I wanted to share my stories with the world. My favorite author at the time was Kelley Armstrong, her Darkest Powers Trilogy was the first series that truly had me captivated. And in my adult years, Paulo Coelho has been a huge inspiration to me. Both authors have such an imaginative and moving way of storytelling, really emphasizing the journey of the main character in a poetic way, especially Paulo Coelho. They’ve both inspired my own style of writing.
Can you explain your journey of being a self-published author? Are there any tips you would give an aspiring writer you wants to self-publish?
I didn’t make a decision on how I wanted to publish my debut novel until I was nearly finished with it actually. When I felt it was time to look into my options, I took several days to do some in depth research on both traditional and indie publishing. I ultimately decided that I wanted to have the most control possible of what happens with my books and keep more of the profits, and so, self-publishing was the choice for me. I created my own LLC for the publishing, worked on the formatting (which had me wanting to pull my hair out, hahaha), hired an editor, designed the covers and built my social media platforms. I’m now writing my third book, and with the help of my amazing friend who I hired as my marketing agent, I’ve been attending some great author events and getting my books on the shelves of several wonderful bookstores.
A few tips I have for aspiring writers on this same journey: Research, research, research. You CAN do it, and there are a lot of free resources out there to help you along the way. YouTube has helped me so much! Learning from other authors there on how they go about certain things or even watching videos on how to properly format for instance, can be super beneficial. And also, do not compare yourself to other authors. Everyone’s journey will look and feel different. Comparing yourself to another is the quickest way to experience major disappointment, dissatisfaction and deflation in this industry.
Could you share some insights into your writing process? Do you have any rituals or habits that help you stay productive and creative?
Yes! I do my best to write everyday, even if it’s just a sentence. It keeps me committed while also relieving myself of the pressure of having to write a certain amount every day. I do what I can. Some days I’ll get way more done than other days, and that’s okay. Being intentional with my writing environment is also important for me. I like to switch it up and try different locations to write, or add different things to change the ambiance of my environment, oftentimes depending on a scene I write. Days when I’m writing spicy scenes I’ll have a glass of wine, some chocolate, candles lit and mood music. Sad or emotional scenes for me require a good blanket to curl up in, and perhaps the sound of rain playing in the background, stuff like that. The environment you set for yourself to write in can help with the creative flow in my opinion.
How do you create complex and relatable characters in your novels? Are there any specific techniques or inspirations you draw from when developing their personalities, motivations, and arcs?
Growing up, I was that kid that people were just drawn to tell about their lives, the ups and downs, and that’s continued into adulthood. The more I listened to people the more I began to understand psychology and emotional depth. The things that make us human, the complexities of our nature can be both beautiful and terrifying. When I create my characters, I create them with a sense of realism, crafted from what I’ve seen and heard from others, and even what I myself have experienced.
What have been the most rewarding moments in your writing journey? Conversely, what challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
The most rewarding part of this journey has been witnessing the twinkle in the eyes of my readers when they talk with me about the love for my books. Knowing that I am able to connect with them through my stories is magical! Marketing my books has been my biggest challenge. I’ve gotten way better at it, but it’s certainly not my strong suit. I ended up hiring a friend of mine as my marketing agent. He’s someone who believes in my books as much as me, which was important in my decision. He’s shown me some ways to market and has put in some great work helping me get my books in front of my target audience.
What future projects or ideas are you excited about? Can you give us a sneak peek into what you’re working on next?
I’m still working on completing my current series which I’m really excited about. And I’ve been considering expanding it with books that are related to the series but separate standalones. And I’m also planning a prequel for the series! I’m currently working on finishing the third book, White Shadows, and it’s coming along so nicely. More spice, more drama, more suspense, more everything!
Can you tell us about a scene or character that was particularly challenging to write? How did you overcome those challenges?
Aralyn is the “mysterious woman” in my series and I think she was the most challenging to write, simply because I had to keep her mysterious for the big reveal at the end of book one and at the same time not make her weird. For a while I struggled with figuring out exactly how to do that. But then I realized the necessity of following that saying, “keep it simple” and began realizing that the best way to build her mystery while keeping her fascinating was to have her give the main character and reader just enough to keep them tapped in. At the same time have her withhold just enough to make them yearn for more, all while dropping very subtle clues. Through Aralyn, I really learned how to perfectly blend mystery into my stories and create page turning books.
Her Work:
Where to Find Her
A. M. loves connecting with readers! You can find her on Instagram and TikTok.
