We chat with author Amy Tordoff about All We Have Is Time, which follows a jaded immortal woman and a time traveler who fall in love across the centuries, learning what it means to really live and love before their time together runs out.
Hi, Amy! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m a 43-year-old debut author living in Colorado with my husband and two teens. I received my BFA in Film from the Rochester Institute of Technology after completing my thesis in screenwriting, and currently use my skills to write heartfelt cinematic fiction with a speculative twist. When I’m not writing, I enjoy knitting, people watching, and reading all the signs at museums and historical places.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
There isn’t a singular moment I can pinpoint. I remember always loving reading or watching TV and movies or listening to songs that told a story. My dad recently discovered an old story I wrote when he was cleaning up boxes in my Nana’s house, and I wrote that when I was nine, so I guess at least since then!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Ballerina Bess! (It’s an early reader, and I still have it)
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Giver by Lois Lowry is the first book I remember really staying with me, proving how powerful a story could be.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. It’s the book I’ve let the most people borrow from my shelf!
Your debut novel, All We Have Is Time, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Immortal falls for time traveler.
What can readers expect?
A poignant, slow burn love story of an immortal woman living an endless but linear life and a time traveler who can only stay for twelve hours at a time, learning what it means to live and love as they fall for each other across the centuries. (I’m told you might want to have some tissues handy).
Where did the inspiration for All We Have Is Time come from?
All We Have is Time started as a question I wanted to explore: “What if an immortal and a time traveler fell in love?” I grew up watching Doctor Who so I was definitely inspired by those episodic adventures through time as I sat down to structure the novel, as well as the time-crossed love story between the Doctor and River Song.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
It was fun for me to explore so many different times and places and historical events throughout the long timeline of the book, but my favorites were the chapters set around St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It wasn’t something I intended to feature, but it kept coming up in my research and I thought the history of the cathedral served as an intriguing parallel to Beatrix’s story, with both of them surviving for centuries, through tragedy and hardship and the unrelenting passage of time.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
One of the trickiest parts for me was finding a balance between the more technical time travel element, the fantastical element of Beatrix’s immortality, and the human story of love. I didn’t want to focus too heavily on the mechanics of the time travel and struggled with how much to explain about Beatrix’s immortality.
I found the best solution when I’m not sure about how much information to give at a certain time is to show the chapter to someone who isn’t familiar with the story. If they start asking questions about how the world works, I know I either haven’t given them enough information or I haven’t given it to them in the place they need it.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Sometimes I still can’t believe it! I had taken an unintentional 8 year hiatus from writing when my kids were young, and found my way back to it when I participated in a National Novel Writing Month competition for the first time in November 2020. The book I wrote then was the first novel I ever wrote, was great practice, and made me want to recommit to writing. A few months later, I got the inkling of the idea that would go on to become All We Have is Time. From that first idea to publishing day, it took five years and nine drafts. It was surreal to hold the finished book in my hands for the first time and realize it really did exist!
What’s next for you?
All We Have is Time is being translated, so I’m really excited to see my book on shelves around the globe soon and to know that my words will be able to meet readers in their language.
I am also in the drafting stages of a new book! I don’t want to say too much before it’s taken shape but it will have historical and magical elements like All We Have is Time, with a love story at its core. I’m really excited to get to know these new characters!
I’ve also started curating a playlist of songs for a mystery project (as in it’s a mystery to me what it will turn into), which every writer knows is the first step of a new work in progress.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
My TBR (to be read) pile has basically exploded this year, there are so many amazing sounding books being released every week! I’ve been catching up on the Murderbot series by Martha Wells, I love her characters and humor. I’m excited to dive into some new books as the summer winds down. Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw is currently sitting on my coffee table with The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar. (I absolutely loved This is How You Lose the Time War).
