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OPEN BOOK INTERVIEWS: Amanda from "StoryCrumbs"
- Elizabeth Wolfram
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Imagine this....... you curl up on your favorite chair, wrapped up in your favorite blanket. There's a fire crackling in the background, paired with the steady taps of raindrops on the roof. You open your current book, flipping page after page until the fictional world comes to life in your mind. Fearless characters. New and exciting worlds. Battles of the highest stakes.
And you think, "Could this moment get any more perfect?"
It could, actually.... if you were to bite into a freshly-baked cookie and taste the flavors inspired by your favorite book character!!!! And, yes dear friends--that is totally possible!
Introducing:
Amanda, Owner of StoryCrumbs
INTERVIEW:
ELIZABETH: Hi, Amanda! I am so glad to be able to chat with you and learn more about the incredible business you are building! What is your “Why” behind StoryCrumbs? Where did the idea to combine cookies and books come from?
AMANDA: I created story crumbs for those who crave to experience their favorite books in a whole new, and wholly delicious, way. I wanted to share the magic of stories in a way that the reader could experience and enjoy every bite. Flavors that were as magical as the books they came from. I got the idea from thinking about all the bookish businesses out there: book boxes, bookish candles, bookish art, etc. I wanted something like that, but with a twist. And then I remembered the cookie mixes I made for Christmas gifts one year when I was a kid. How fun would it be to combine the two?
ELIZABETH: I know it is so hard to pick a favorite of your own creations, but what are a few mixes that you were really excited to create and are especially proud of?
AMANDA: Ooo, that is such a hard question. I’m always proud of the cookie mixes I create at the moment, but there are a couple that have stuck with me long after their initial creation. The first mix would be Liz from Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter. Her cookie mix is a Cheesecake Cherry Chunk Walnut & Orange cookie mix. I feel like all the flavors just melt together in the most delicious way, while also perfectly representing that character.
Another cookie mix that I’m really proud of is Mara from Ignite by Kara Swanson. Her cookie mix is a Cracked Molten Red Velvet Cinnamon Chip cookie mix. It was the fourth cookie mix I ever created and looks JUST LIKE molten lava, which I’m really proud of. And the flavor is also incredible!
ELIZABETH: What is your personal favorite cookie that you’ve made?
AMANDA: My personal favorite cookie that I’ve made is definitely Ysa from Waves of Redemption by S.L. Kein. Her cookie mix is a Spiced Blackstrap Molasses Orange & Butter Rum cookie mix. I adore spiced cookies, and this one with the zesty orange and creamy butter rum is just chef’s kiss
ELIZABETH: Where do you find inspiration and how do you go about creating the new mixes or flavors?
AMANDA: I draw inspiration for my cookie mixes right from the characters! I look at the book character’s personality, pulling on traits that I can easily identify with flavors like Snarky, which reminds me of salty pretzels, or Gentle, which reminds me of bananas or marshmallows. Once I have a base, I pull at other ingredients that might fit the flavor profile while also tying in other personality traits that character may have.
ELIZABETH: How does StoryCrumbs look different now vs. when you’ve started?
AMANDA: Story Crumbs looks different not only visually, but also in the every-day, nitty gritty. When I first got started, I followed the beautiful rule of “Get it together by going.” I got up and running fast, leaving my website a bit unprofessional, my logo less-than-perfect, and my day-to-day procedures of buying ingredients, printing labels, and packing bags a hasty and unorganized rhythm. Over time, I’ve mastered the organization of my business, both in the physical items and ingredients I use, and in the online representations I have.
ELIZABETH: What is your favorite part of running StoryCrumbs?
AMANDA: Eating cookies! Well, okay, that’s a pretty nice perk, but my absolute favorite part is getting to connect with readers and writers. Getting to work with authors to create a custom mix for their book characters is SO fun! It’s not only creatively freeing and enjoyable, but just such a joy to get to bring a bit of magic to their lives. Something tangible of the world they’ve lived in only in their imagination. Same with readers. Giving them a bit of whimsy to reconnect with old favorites or pick up new reads, it’s just so much fun!
ELIZABETH: What is some of the best advice you’ve received when starting your own business?
AMANDA: Great question! The best advice I’ve received when starting my business was a piece of advice I mentioned early, “Get it together by going.” If you wait to have everything perfect and lined up, you might just spend a year investing so much time, energy, and money only to discover people don’t want what you have to offer. Or, even harder, that they want what you have, but you didn’t set your business up right because you built it on an idea instead of the actuality of experience and practice. So get started as fast as you can, and work on the rest as you go.
ELIZABETH: I know that starting a small business can be so intimidating. Especially in the beginning, there’s just a lot of questions, fear, etc. How did you know that StoryCrumbs was the business you wanted to stick with?
AMANDA: It definitely can be. Even two years in, and I’m still facing new questions and worries every day, but the absolute love and excitement I’ve received from SO many authors and readers has kept me going. I’ve gotten endless comments, DMs, and reviews bursting with enthusiasm and kindness. I’ve had people who say they hate deserts tell me they are craving my cookies, and desert addicts say they’ve never had such a good cookie before. Their love is what made me keep pursuing my business, even when things are slow or I’m not growing as much as I hoped.
ELIZABETH: What are some aspects of StoryCrumbs that you are most passionate about?
AMANDA: Bringing fiction to life in a way that’s delicious and tangible. I think we all could use a little more whimsy in our lives, and being able to not only eat but bake and smell a piece of your favorite book is pure magic.
ELIZABETH: What advice would you give to someone just starting their small business?
AMANDA: Make sure what you have is something people not only would want, but actually need. Once you know the pain-point, the struggle someone is having, and how your service or product can help them, you’ll have a business that can really go somewhere. Not knowing if your business will work, or starting a business just like 10 other businesses out there isn’t going to make you stand out. But if you want to paint or crochet or clean homes, look at the BEST parts of the businesses you see, and put them all together. And if you can add on another key distinction that really sells it, then you’re golden.
ELIZABETH: Thank you so much for chatting with me, Amanda! I am excited for future and cannot wait to see the incredible flavors you continue to come up with! Readers, be sure to browse her selection of book-inspired cookie mixes! Authors, check out her options for creating custom mixes for your creations!
FIND THE cookies...
About The OWNER:
As a lifelong reader and baker, Amanda founded Story Crumbs to turn your favorite books into something you can taste. Her cookie mixes are inspired by literary characters, blending storytelling and baking to bring fiction to life—one delicious batch at a time. Each mix brings fiction off the page and into the kitchen where stories, like food, are meant to be shared.
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