Amber M. Kestner Interview Published on: 16, Dec 2022
Which place are you proud to call your hometown? Do you still live there? If not, how often do you visit?
I lived in a hometown called Homosassa in Florida about an hour north of Tampa. I don't live there now and haven't since 2007. Last visit was in 2019 when my Grandpa Gail passed away, I haven't been back home since the Pandemic.
Do you read the kind of books you publish?Yes, I do actually because it is my favorite Genre that didn't exist growing up and I wish it would have.
What got you into writing romance?Reading romance as a teenager, especially Harlequin, I used to deep dive into it a lot.
Do you think being a writer is a talent one needs to be born with or is it something one can learn and be good at if one tries hard enough?I believe it is something you learn because we go to school to learn to spell and write sentences but reading is also taught too. It comes as you get older and know more on how to write.
Walk us through your writing process when you first begin to write a new book/series. Of researching, writing, and publishing/marketing, which one takes the longest or which one drains you the most?I always try to come up with character names first, then description, and once that is settled I go into the book. Jana & Angel A Girl For Her Series: Volume 1 was very hard to get into because I didn't know much about writing when I began, I had an idea of it because Clinging To Love was my very first big novel back in 2017. It takes a lot out of me to mentally prepare a story in my head, especially building plots. I have grown rather to enjoy editing on my own as an Author. The longest is Novels because my biggest was 60k at one point but I have lowered my word count to 50k. Series' drain me the most because I have to remember the story lines and where I wanted the story to go, it is a process, I am not moving forward with going into 2023.
During what period of your life did you write "A Coffee Shop Romance" and how does it reflect your thoughts and ideals from that time?I wrote it during the time I was crushing on one of my dearest best friends W.A. Ashes aka Ashley Mohler. It was a process of learning her sexuality preferences and the friendship with the characters. It is one that taught me that I can write anything if I put my mind to it and not be afraid. As for ideals it was a random one just like She's My Kind Of Country it was a story that just needed to be told.
How do you usually find the inspiration for your characters and their names?Interesting question. My characters are usually named after me in some type of form or for my recent project I am using my child's characters from their artwork to make a story. It takes me some time to know the characters, I have gone to great lengths to use Sims 4 the game to see who my characters will turn out to be personality wise but most of the time, I have crushes I have used for characters by myself with them.
Why did you name your character, Amber in the book, "She's My Kind Of Country"?Surprisingly because I never had a character based on myself besides Angel from Jana & Angel Collection. I thought it would give my readers an idea of who I was and what I deal with this includes body shame. I felt bringing my name out there would give future writers and readers an opportunity to see they can use their name in books too. Amber is also a personal favorite character of mine.
Would you rather be best friends with Sienna or Amber? Why?I had to chuckle at this one because they are both unique characters. Sienna finds herself after seeing that she doesn't need a certain person and learns to love Paige. Amber is special though that I would be best friends with, not because of her country accent being a Texan but the fact that she can hold her own at some points but also has mental problems like I do. I would get along with her quite easily. Honestly, though I would be best friends with both if I could but definitely Amber.
What fears did you have while publishing your memoir, "I Am Lesbian"?That no one would read it including my friends that are a part of it. The most is actually opening myself in the Introduction of who I am and what took me so long to come out. I did in my poetry book too but it didn't get as much notice. I have had more support with my memoir than anything though, so that is the bright side of it.
What do you think makes your writing stand out amongst the vast ocean of other romance novels?One of my best friend's pointed out that I write like screenwriting in my books, I have never done that type of writing in my history but I have learned to write what I like and it is that type of style for romance that surprises a lot of readers when they get introduced to my books. And another close friend pointed out that my storytelling is unique compared to most, yes, it has drama but I make chemistry with my characters and don't force them together.
What are some no-fail tips you have for writing a good book?Making sure to edit or have someone else help asking for help isn't a crime. When I began I had no idea how to do any of it but I have learned to edit even if it is a long way from writing the story out and always remember that not everyone is going to like your books. I would know as I have haters naturally but don't let them scare you away. I always tell my friends that are wanting to write books, write it, get that story out and don't shy away from being out there.
Where do you stand on traditional publishing vs. self-publishing? If you are not self-published/an indie author, would you ever consider it?I don't believe in going to just traditional publishing because for one my genre isn't that popular, yes, some in my genre have made it too traditional or have paved way for it in ways that I couldn't. I love being an Indie Author, I have made quite the way for others, I am known for bringing out the genre when others were afraid too. Yes, there were few Indie Authors bringing out my genre but very rare. I believe that self-publishing is the way to go when you don't want to wait for an actual publisher to get a hold of you and you need a lot to get into traditional publishing. I know many Authors bad mouth KDP and how they operate but I will say this if it weren't for them and Createspace when it existed, I wouldn't be where I am today and putting myself out there. It makes a world of difference being able to publish your work on your own.
What have been the best and worst parts about becoming a successful writer almost overnight?I will tell you this bluntly, I am not that successful as it took me years to find my own rhythm without using an ex friend of mines stories for guidance not that their writing is bad, it is just I met a lot of Authors who have changed their writing within time and built a world in their books. So far the best part is that I am now known to many and A Coffee Shop Romance helped boost that, I don't care if there is hate on my books or even myself as a person. I have followed my dreams. The worst is my haters, two of them that enjoy personally attacking me because I am not who they see me as and I honestly believe that they don't read my content. My career has never been easy since I started publishing in 2016 and my haters make it known but I haven't given up and I don't want others too either if they face any backlash like I have.
How did you first chance upon AllAuthor? Have you enjoyed using the site so far and is there anything we can do to improve your experience?I was nervous about the site, I am not going to lie on that. I didn't think I would be able to get myself noticed easily and it has taken a long time to find my own audience from going to Wattpad and then onto Amazon it is quite the change when you are actually out there. I love using AllAuthor, especially being able to put my books on the site with no issue. It is worth the experience. I haven't found anything that needs to be improved, the site is excellent and works great.
