We chat with author Amanda Jayatissa about her latest novel, You’re Invited, which is a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive.
Hi, Amanda! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m an avid reader and (often exasperated) dog mum, living in Sri Lanka. When I’m not writing, I also work as a corporate trainer and own a chain of cookie stores with my husband, where I’m happy to fulfill my very important role as Chief Taste Tester.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I’ve always loved reading so much that writing just felt like the next logical step for me. I started writing my “first novel” when I was about eight or nine years old—a yet-to-be-completed rip off mystery starring me and my cousins! Since then, I’ve always written in some capacity, from journals, to short stories, to those terrible right-of-passage teenage angsty poems.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
First book I remember reading- I remember reading this picture book called The Blue Banana with my mum. I had forgotten about it till now, but just looked it up and it does exist!
The one that made me want to become a writer- The Ghost Next Door by R L Stine was the first book I read with an unreliable narrator and I’ve been chasing that thrill, both in my reading and my writing, every since.
One I can’t stop thinking about- The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead was the last book I read and I can’t get it out of my mind. I haven’t even been able to start reading anything new because I’m suffering from such strong book hangover!
Your new novel, You’re Invited, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
The best/worst wedding ever!
What can readers expect?
A lot of over the top wedding drama, Colombo society gossip, Sri Lankan wedding traditions, and oh yeah, murder.
Where did the inspiration for You’re Invited come from?
I was attending a very extravagant Sri Lankan wedding, admiring the beautiful décor, fantastic outfits, and the gorgeous couple, when I happened to glance over to the groom’s mother. Purely coincidentally, I happened to see this look of anger and frustration flit across her face. It was just for a moment, of course, and she was back to smiling at everyone in a very seconds, but it got me thinking how much happens behind the scenes of a wedding that we just don’t ever see. And then the thriller writer in me thought—well, what if we throw a dead body into the mix?
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
I love writing in first person POVs, but this book presented a bit of a challenge. My first book, My Sweet Girl, had a strong female narrator, and while I wanted You’re Invited’s narrator to be strong, I didn’t want the two personalities to overlap or get confused.
When I feel this way, what I often do is start journaling in my MC’s voice. It’s usually terrible writing and 99% never makes its way into the story itself, but it really helps me to get a grip on my MC and the type of story they want to tell. I have an entire notebook full of Amaya’s anxious ramblings, so I guess it worked for You’re Invited as well.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really loved writing about the Sri Lankan aunties and their gossip! They were all loosely based on aunties I have met in real life, and most of the gossip is what I’ve heard through the years, so it was a blast weaving it all in together.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best advice has been to just get the story down, no matter how rubbish you think it is at first, and then worry about editing later. Letting go of this expectation to have something perfect right off the bat took so much pressure off and made it much easier to move forward.
The worst advice (for me) was that you HAVE to write every day. This type of discipline might work for some writers, but it definitely didn’t work for me. I write so much better when I take some time off from my manuscript and return with fresh eyes. It also helps me to be a lot more creative.
What’s next for you?
I am working away at my next book and am very excited for it, but it hasn’t been announced yet so I’m afraid that’s about all I can say for now!
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
I mostly read thrillers, and here are the last three books that blew my mind!
The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead, Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier, Someone Else’s Life by Lyn Liao Butler
