Aminata Coote: Romance, Happy Endings, and a Giveaway

Please help me welcome Contemporary Romance author Aminata Coote to the blog this week! She’s sharing about her writing and giving away an ebook of His Perfect Match, Book One in the Orange Valley series. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page and leave a comment by November 14 for a chance to win!

Welcome, Aminata. Let’s start out with how and when you started writing.

I started writing in high school when someone challenged me. My classmate’s theory was that since I’d read so many books, I should be able to write one. The idea intrigued me, and I accepted the challenge. I hand-wrote my first book and caught the bug. 

A challenge that turned out for good! That’s awesome. Who was your favorite book character as a child and why? 

Anne of Green Gables. I always thought Anne would make a fantastic friend because she had so much imagination. 

What genre do you write and what inspired you to write that particular genre? 

I write in the Christian Contemporary Romance genre. I love happy endings and will read almost anything as long as it has a romantic subplot. I write for those readers who love romance stories the way I do but also enjoy a spiritual lesson woven in as well.

If you wrote in a different genre, which would you choose and why?

Hmm, this is a hard question. I have so many other genres I’d like to write in, so I’ll list my top three.

Women’s Fiction because I love stories that show characters overcoming hardships and coming out of them stronger. 

Romantic Suspense because finding the balance between action and suspense is one I’d love to experiment with.

Romantic Comedy to see if I can. I don’t consider myself naturally funny, so this genre would be a challenge for me to write.

Of all those, writing Rom-Com would be my greatest challenge, too. How do you incorporate Christ and hope into your stories?

My main characters don’t always start off as Christians. But at some point in their journey, they’ll realize they need Jesus if they’re going to get through their crisis. 

Usually, the themes in the novel will be tied to the lesson the character needs to learn. Only after they’ve learned the lesson will they have their happy ending.

Speaking of happy endings, tell us about the premise of your novel, His Perfect Match.

What if a blue-haired girl fell in love with a pastor? This was the original idea. Before I started writing, I thought Brianna would be something of a rebel. In the end, she was someone who’d been hurt by members of the church and had turned her back on God.

Something that happens all too often. I’m sure many can relate. What do you hope your readers take away from the book?

I hope readers will be more careful about how they treat each other. Sometimes, we don’t look past the facade people present to see the motivations or hurt behind their behavior. All of us have baggage, so we should be kinder to those who don’t behave the way we think they should.

A much-needed lesson for us all. What is one of your favorite quotes from His Perfect Match?

What if she chose to behave another way? What if she acted like God existed and had created her for a purpose? What if she chose to see God in her circumstances the way Daniel did? 

Great questions! What does a typical day in your writing life look like?

I work full time, so a typical writing day happens after my day job. I give myself about half an hour to switch gears and then I’m working on my current manuscript. 

If I’m in the drafting stage, I have a word count goal I’m trying to meet. While I aim for a minimum of one thousand words a day, I’m more focused on my weekly goal. 

If I’m in the editing stage, then my aim is 2-3 chapters a day. 

Sounds like you have a good schedule down. How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?

This varies but I can usually write 50 thousand words in about a month. My books range from 25 thousand to 65 thousand words, so a book can take anywhere from two weeks to about six weeks.

Wow, that’s amazing. What advice would you give an aspiring author?

There’s so much I’d like to say to a new author, but the two most critical things would be:

Don’t give up. Keep writing even if life doesn’t always make it possible to write every day.

Never stop learning. With today’s technology, we’re not limited to what’s written in books. Listen to podcasts. Connect with writers who write in your genre, but also those who don’t. Be open to learning from everyone.

Other things I’d tell a new writer: Understand that not everything will work for you. Be flexible and willing to try new things.

Solid advice. What’s next from you?

I’m releasing a new series in 2024. The Firefighters of Orange Valley is a spin-off from the main Orange Valley series and will have some of the characters that were introduced in those books.

Thanks so much for sharing on my blog this week, Aminata. I pray the Lord will continue to bless you as you write stories for His glory.

Join the conversation. Are you a fan of romance and happy endings? Do you have a favorite childhood book character? Which alternate genre Aminata mentioned do you enjoy most? What questions and comments do you have?

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page and comment by November 14 for a chance to win an ebook of His Perfect Match.

Please share Aminata’s interview on social media to help spread the word about her book!

Check out these interviews with Johanna Rojas Vann, Anne Perreault, and Katie Powner.