By BARBARA TRAVIS
The Literary Journey of Amy Vincent
Mississippi loves its writers and vows there’s “something in the water” that inspires them. That may very well be true, especially in the Delta, where storytellers reign supreme. And now a fresh spotlight is shining on Mississippi writers and the stories they tell. One name making waves on the New York Times bestseller list—more than once—is Amy Vincent, a standout voice in young adult fiction and paranormal romance. And yes, she hails from the small town of Marks, Mississippi.
Writing as Claudia Gray, her pen name, Amy’s a prolific author best known for her Evernight series and Star Wars novels, including Lost Stars, Bloodline, Leia: Princess of Alderaan, Master & Apprentice, Into the Dark, The Fallen Star, Into the Light, and The Haunted Mansion: Storm & Shade.
All have themes that are somewhat unique for a Southern writer. She “lucked into the young adult genre at the beginning of the big Twilight-fueled boom.” Influenced by the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, she started writing everything from young adult sci-fi to historical mysteries at the exact moment New York publishing companies wanted that kind of story, and it eventually led to an association and contract with Lucasfilm Press, a division of the Disney Company.
Born and mostly raised in Marks—her father Fred Vincent’s hometown—a very young Amy moved when Fred’s service in the army took the family to the “far-off land of Massachusetts.” Her mother’s family hailed from Tennessee, but on her father’s side, the Mississippi roots go back more than a century. So the story of how this little girl from the Delta made it big in the publishing world and now finds herself living in Italy is a pretty fascinating one. Stay tuned.
Having lived all over the map, writing was always her life’s calling, but it took a while to materialize. She lived in Memphis, Missouri, New York City, Chicago, and twice in New Orleans—once for law school, then later as a full-time writer. She went to Missouri for journalism school, then to New York for journalistic work. Looking back, she remembers “New York as a place I really loved, but when I went full-time as a writer, I knew I’d improve my chances of staying full-time by moving somewhere with a lower cost of living.” Chicago was her next stop before returning to New Orleans for its social warmth and beauty.
As for Italy, ever since childhood, she knew she wanted to live overseas at least part of her life. Fortunately, her husband, Paul, had the same dream. They both loved Italian history and culture. “Once I was sure I had a path to Italian citizenship, we started discussing a move more seriously—and at a certain point you have to ask yourself, is this a thing we talk about, or a thing we’re going to do? We made the leap.”
Every place influenced her writing. “The people you know in a place color your experiences more than the place itself, and we’ve been incredibly fortunate with friends we’ve made everywhere we’ve gone. We’re still getting to know our new city and country. Italians seem to really prioritize spending time with friends, and that’s a custom we’re happy to adopt.”
“I’ve done everything, career-wise! It took me a long time to get to my real vocation. I’ve been a lawyer in Louisiana, a journalist in Missouri, and a law-firm marketer in New York City—and yes, law-firm marketing is every bit as glamorous as it sounds. But I always loved stories and books and dreamed of being a writer. Finally, I began writing fanfiction on the internet, and after a few years, I realized I was able to write novel-length work. When I sold my first books in 2006, it still seemed like a lark, just a fun thing, not anything that could ever be my full-time employment. Just three years later, though, once I knew I could support myself for two years at minimum, I quit my day job. Here’s hoping I can keep this up a while longer, because after having been out of the workforce for this long, I have no idea what my résumé would look like.”
While many noted Mississippi writers set their fictional stories around local venues, Amy sticks to what works for her. “Since I’ve written mostly science fiction, fantasy, or historical fiction set in England, none of my books have been set in Mississippi. But of course, I benefited from having two wonderful English teachers, Mrs. Ree Holley and Ms. Elsie Chisholm, who supported my love of reading. And there was a point in my childhood where I had read nearly every book for kids in the Marks library!”
Her father proudly backs that up. He says she was a voracious reader and “could read from the time she was five. She sounded out the syllables in words, even big words, and if she didn’t know what they meant, she’d come ask me.” Vincent chuckles as he recalls that “on occasion, she’d come across some very interesting word she wanted to know the meaning of.” Since Amy read far above her age level, she kept him on his parental toes, providing childlike definitions for those interesting words.
The publishing business is challenging, but Amy says when it pays off, it’s a really good thing. “There’s nothing quite like paying off debt for two graduate degrees you didn’t use for very long. All that time, I kept thinking that doing what I most wanted to do with my life—writing—was impractical and unrealistic. As a result, it took me too long to start. Happily, all that time I was also reading books and watching TV and movies that taught me the kinds of stories I most loved. Writing fanfiction got me ready for the work I do now. Everything I thought was career preparation turned out to be wasted time, but everything I thought was wasted time turned out to be career preparation in the end.”
Her best writing advice came from a friend who compared creative work to a baseball player. “If he gets one big hit or home run out of every three times at the plate … he’s a candidate for the Hall of Fame. You have to keep at it, keep stepping up to the plate. Too many writers get stuck on ‘that one idea.’ You have to tell that story, start to finish, then tell the next one. And then the next. And so on. Just keep writing.”
Amy doesn’t pay much attention to reader feedback. “It doesn’t have that much influence on my plans for future projects. It’s better, I think, to follow imagination instead of second-guessing what people do or don’t want. What’s important is staying creative and being bold.”
Recognitions are always wonderful and welcome, and she has many; but she’s most proud of making a living as a fiction writer.
FAMILY FUN: Amy with uncle Jim Vincent, and from left, husband, Paul Christian, and her father, Fred Vincent. Photo: Courtesy of Fred Vincent
“That’s hard to do,” says Amy. “But story ideas keep coming, I keep working at my craft, and I’ve managed to make a career of it. And I’m very proud of recently obtaining dual citizenship in Italy! It was a long process. My Mississippi Delta—born and—raised Aunt Susan and I started eight years ago digging into state archives, searching for birth, marriage, and death certificates. Verifying generations’ worth of data is a whole lot tougher than I ever dreamed! My dad even had to sue the state to correct my grandfather’s birth certificate. So, when Italy officially recognized my citizenship, it felt like crossing the finish line of a very long race.”
She and Paul now make their home in Turin, Italy, and live “under the benevolent rule of a small dog named Peaches.”
To the rest of the world, she’s Claudia Gray, award-winning sci-fi and fantasy author—but to us, she’s Amy Vincent, the Delta girl whose creativity and talent vaulted her to literary fame.
