By Samantha Meyer
Beacon Correspondent
Local self-published author Amanda Chaperon is adding another chapter to her writing career with the release of her 10th book, “Distress Signal,” this Friday, Oct. 24.
The romantic suspense novel is the second in her “Dusk Valley” series. The series features interconnected stand-alones that focus on small towns, romantic suspense and slow-burn romance.
Chaperon will visit the Munising School Public Library on Tuesday, Nov. 5, for a book talk and signing. The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., giving readers the chance to hear Chaperon share insights about her writing and ask questions about her work.
Chaperon grew up in Munising after moving to the area when she was a toddler. Her love for books started early in her life, and the library played a crucial role in her passion.
“I used to come into the library a lot, even outside of school hours when I was younger, because I read constantly, so I was constantly needing new material,” Chaperon said. She later worked at the library for the summer in 2018.
Her roots in writing date back to second grade at Munising schools. Chaperon reflected on drafting small plays for her classmates to perform.
“I would write these little plays, and we would put on these little plays for the class,” she said. “I just always knew that I wanted to be a writer. That’s why I have a journalism degree … just a different way for me to be able to hone my craft.”
Chaperon credits bestselling romance author Susan Elizabeth Phillips as an early inspiration to her writing career. She recalls picking up “Fancy Pants” from the library as a sophomore in high school — her first introduction to Phillips’ work — and realizing, “Hey, this is something that I could love doing.”
“Reading her books made me want to write,” she said.
Today, Chaperon weaves interconnected storylines into her own series, such as “Love on the Vine,” where readers encounter familiar faces in new storylines and experience the dynamics of different characters from multiple perspectives. These ideas stemmed from Phillips’ book series “Wynette, Texas” and “Chicago Stars,” which introduced Chaperon to the idea of interconnected, stand-alone books.
Her new release, “Distress Signal,” contains romance that her loyal readership knows her for but also blends in suspense to the storyline.
“Forced proximity is a really big one that you’ll see in all five of the books in the series,” Chaperon said. “They all end up living together at some point or another. They’re slower burns. … I just think as far as romantic suspense, slow burns facilitate that a little bit better because all of these suspenseful moments have to happen to build up to the romance.”
As a fan of true crime and the TV show “Criminal Minds,” Chaperon draws inspiration from her interests to use in her writing.
While she is preparing a separate project for submission to a traditional publisher, Chaperon has built her career independently. She said having creative license has been an advantage.
“The big thing for me is complete creative control,” she said. “I’m a bit of a control freak. … I like being able to have complete control over what my cover looks like and what goes into the book. I’ve worked really hard to build my own readership, too. And they’re getting me 100% of the time.”
Her books are available through Amazon, but she encourages readers to support local and independent outlets. Readers can purchase signed editions through her Etsy shop as well as at indie bookstores such as Read My Lips in Marquette.
“I even have a bookstore in Alaska that carries them, which is really cool,” she said.
When she isn’t writing, Chaperon can be found reading. She reads up to 150 books a year. She also spends a lot of her free time with her niece and nephew. Locally, she loves summer days at Miners Beach and pontoon rides around Grand Island.