An interview with WHEN STARS DIE author Amber Skye Forbes

Amelia Gareth's brother is a witch and the only way to save her family from the taint in his blood is to become a professed nun at Cathedral Reims in the snowy city of Malva. However, in order to become professed, she must endure trials that all nuns must face.

          

Surviving these trials is not easy, especially for Amelia, who is being stalked by shadowy beings only she can see. They're searching for people they can physically touch, because only those they can touch can see them. Amelia soon learns why she is being stalked when she accidentally harms her best friend with fire during the third trial. Fire is a witch's signature. The shadows are after witches.

          

Now Amelia must decide what to do: should she continue on her path to profession knowing there is no redemption, or should she give up on her dream and turn away from Cathedral Reims in order to stop the shadows who plan to destroy everything she loves?

What's your favorite part of a book to read or write?

My favorite part of a book to write are character development scenes because I can really get inside a character’s head and put emphasis on their feelings and all five senses. I am a very emotional writer, so anything with character development is fun to write.

Who is your target readers?

My target readers are teenagers. I see myself always writing for teens because being a teen is such a messy time in one’s life.

What is the age range?

It depends on what the teen can handle. Some say 12-18, while others say 16+.

What are the major themes of your work?

Some of the major themes of When Stars Die include love, loss, friendship, betrayal, and acceptance. The biggest them of WSD, however, is the motif of stars. They represent all that is needed for survival, because without the stars, life would be impossible.

Wow.  I like that.  Have your personal experiences affected your writing and if so, how?

Yes, my own personal experiences have affected by writing. I am a more emotional writer because of my experiences of being in two psychiatric units. I met many people from all walks of life and have become a more understanding person overall. You never know what’s going on in a person’s life, which is why it’s important to be kind, even to people who don’t always want to be kind in return.

What genre of books do you like to read? Do you limit yourself to only the genre that you write yourself?

I like to read just about any genre among the young adult market, but, overall, my favorite genre to read is contemporary literature because it’s real and focuses more on character than plot. And I write across genres. WSD is a paranormal romance, another book I wrote is a contemporary fantasy, and a current book I just finished outlining is a contemporary literary. I also have a short story appearing in an anthology my publisher is putting together that is a YA contemporary literary piece.

Were you always good at writing?

For my age, yes. But, like everyone else, I had to start somewhere. I never attempted publication as a young teen because I knew my writing wasn’t ready—at least my novel-writing skills. I did have a short story published at nineteen, one I started when I was eighteen. But I was always considered the best writer in my class at school.

Did you ever think you'd ever become an author?

I always knew I would because it’s what I’ve always wanted, and when I want something, I go after it and usually get it—well, really, I get it all the time. Anything I put my mind to happens for me because I do the work necessary to get it. I also won’t deny that I’m privileged to be able to get what I go after, because I know this isn’t true for everyone.

Are you a full time author?  If not, what’s your paying job?

Unfortunately, I am not a full-time author—yet. I am a Marketing Trainee for Southern Siding, which is a fancy term for trying to get people to sign up for giveaways so I can make appointments with them for home improvements in order to receive commission. I am also a part-time college student majoring in English with Middle Education. I want to graduate and either tutor with a company or do private tutoring along with freelance editing.

Purchase WHEN STARS DIE from Amazon or Barnes & Noble in paperback.  The eBook will be available later.

Amber Skye Forbes is a dancing writer who prefers pointe shoes over street shoes, leotards over skirts, and ballet buns over hairstyles. She loves striped tights and bows and will edit your face with a Sharpie if she doesn't like your attitude. She lives in Augusta, Georgia where she writes dark fiction that will one day put her in a psychiatric ward...again. But she doesn't care because her cat is a superhero who will break her out.

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