The following is an interview with USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author Amalie Howard regarding the upcoming release of her latest romantasy novel, Queen of the Night Sky, through Avon Books. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Howard about her creative process in returning to the world and characters of the series, how she hopes that the story’s themes may connect with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Queen of the Night Sky! As the sequel to The Starlight Heir, where will readers find Suraya in her journey?
Amalie Howard: Thank you so much! In Queen of the Night Sky, after Suraya Saab unites with her chosen love, King Roshan Acharia, to save Oryndhr from subjugation at the end of The Starlight Heir, her greatest fear is realized when the newly minted king weaponizes her power. After an assassination attempt, Suraya escapes with an imprisoned azdaha—a mythical dragon—only to find herself in Everlea, the realm of the Night King, Darrius Nightsong…the shadow man from her dreams, who just might be her soul-fated mate. An unhinged Roshan will stop at nothing to get his Starkeeper back, and as war looms between the two realms, new prophecies of ruthless gods will rise. Torn between two kings—her chosen and her fated—Suraya must free her trapped magic to fight an ancient evil before it’s too late.
BD: In returning to the world and characters of the duology, did you find that there was an easy to reconnecting with and giving voice to the characters?
AH: Honestly, returning to a book feels a bit like catching up with old friends! I did have to go back and read The Starlight Heir to make sure I had all the details because I always like to ensure that all the foreshadowing and the seeded plot points in the first book are resolved in a satisfactory way. Fortunately, I had started writing this book soon after the first, so the mythology, plotlines, and characterizations were relatively fresh. As far as voice, I think with craft in general, personal voice can change the more books you write, so it’s important to do a re-read so you can really sink into the voice of each character and maintain that consistency going into the second book. You want the transition to be smooth, not jarring for the reader. I hope I accomplished that.
BD: What makes Avon Books the perfect publishing partner for this series?
AH: Avon is an incredible romance imprint with a fabulous portfolio of authors and books. When The Starlight Heir sold at auction, I knew I wanted a partner who was a pillar and a champion of the genre, so that’s why I chose to sign with them. My amazing Avon editor is the one who came up with the brilliant “why not both?” for the sequel, which rocked my story universe in the best way. So far from early feedback, I think readers are really loving the creative choices!
BD: The Starlight Heir was an incredible success with critics and fans alike. What can you tell us about your experience in seeing how much Sura’s story resonated with readers?
AH: Thank you so much! First, I am deeply grateful to every single person who picks up one of my books, and I love seeing The Starlight Heir and Queen of the Night Sky resonating so much with readers, especially because it’s diverse romantic fantasy that features Persian and Indian mythology. It’s so special to receive messages from people saying how much they enjoyed the cultural diversity, or appreciated seeing themselves reflected on page, or how much they admired Sura’s choices or some of the challenges she faced. I had one person tell me that every time they read about the food, their mouth was watering. As a writer who hopes her books are an immersive, cinematic experience, hearing that made my day. I also had someone write me to say that the love story was so organic, powerful, and real, which was wonderful to hear as well.
As a diverse romance writer, I always want my stories to be inclusive because joy and love are universal. Books are mirrors, bridges, and doorways, and everyone deserves to be able to see themselves on page. Human beings are an inherently social species with a biological need to belong, and while we might not always make those social connections in real life, we have a greater chance to see those deeply vital connections reflected in books. The idea of reading something and thinking “I am not alone” is an incredibly powerful thing, and seeing my books or my characters becoming these kinds of anchors for readers is a truly humbling experience.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
AH: As far as upcoming releases, the third book in The Diamonds young-adult series, which started with Queen Bee, Rebel Heiress, comes out this May. That novel is pitched as Bridgerton meets She’s The Man, only with mathematics and astronomy, in which a society heiress pretends to be her cousin to attend Cambridge University, and countless shenanigans ensue when she falls for her very handsome and gifted tutor.
If your readers enjoy historical romances (They are truly only a waltz step away from romantasy.), I have a few adult series in my backlist: The Taming of the Dukes series is based on ’90s films but make them historical. The first one, Always Be My Duchess, is a historical retelling of Pretty Woman, the second, Never Met a Duke Like You, is a retelling of Clueless, and the third, The Worst Duke in London, is a retelling of Ten Things I Hate About You. The Daring Dukes series features characters of color in the Victorian era, inspired by real people of the period, and the Regency Rogues series combines fairytales with Shakespeare. The first, The Beast of Beswick, is Taming of the Shrew meets Beauty and the Beast.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Queen of the Night Sky and your other work?
AH: Your readers can find me at www.amaliehoward.com and on social media. I’m most active on Instagram and my Facebook author page, and I also have a reading group on Facebook. The best way to stay in touch with me is to sign up for my newsletter, via the contact page on my website, which I send out about once a month. Thank you so much for spending some time with me!
