Interview with Amber V. Nicole: Author of the Gods and Monsters series

“We were destined to fight until the sky bled and worlds shook. But when he touched me, cradled my face as if I was the most fragile, beautiful being in the world, I melted.”

― Amber V. Nicole, The Book of Azrael

Kicking off the new blog with one of the most entertaining and stressful interviews we have hosted. Now, this was purely stressful due to the emotional damage Amber V. Nicole inflicts as an amazing author, whom we love, Amber loves to tease us. Amber just loves to dangle the carrot and leave us wanting more. While this blog includes parts of the interview from Volume 1 of Romantasy Illustrated it is also a far more extensive look into the interview, with more commentary, details and information.

A: is for Amber

R: is for Rachel

R: I got to sit down with one of my favorite authors of all time, Amber V. Nicole. The fact that I did not fan girl and go speechless is a pure miracle. Funny enough, I have been a fan of Amber’s since days after The Book of Azrael was released when I randomly found it and consumed it. I have since read each book as they have been released. Sitting down with Amber was an honor and left me in SHOCK. The things that I found out, the way that I was teased, the tears I wanted to shed. Amber is an inspiration and an artist, enjoy the interview.

If you want to watch the entire interview use this link:

YouTube Interview with Amber V. Nicole

How are you enjoying your time at the FaeBall?

A: I am having so much fun; I love interacting and being around readers. We got to do some panels, and book signings, which is just so fun. The atmosphere, because we all enjoy the same things, is so cool. I feel like even though I am an author we are friends now. It’s just so fun! I love doing events and stuff like this.

What does the bookish community mean to you?

A: My friends make fun of me because I’m so humble but I’m like, “I’m just a girl.” But I love that you love my books, and that you want to read them, let’s just bond over that. Before I was writing and shoving it in everyone's faces and begging them to read. I love to read, when I was younger, you would find the people who read the same books as you and you just build a community. It is a sense of belonging. Literature has always brought people together, since the beginning of time., it tells stories. They have done cave paintings of stories, it’s just another form of communication. I love being in it. There’s been a new twist since being an author as I am the one producing the stories, but it is still welcoming and warm.

“We were destined to fight until the sky bled and worlds shook. But when he touched me, cradled my face as if I was the most fragile, beautiful being in the world, I melted.”

― Amber V. Nicole, The Book of Azrael

What are some of your favorite books and those that have influenced you?

A: I know that I write fantasy and high fantasy, but I was a paranormal romance girly. Growing up, that’s what I read, Jeaniene Frost, is one of my favorite authors. She wrote the Night Huntress series, which was about this half-vampire who was in love with a full vampire, and how they made it work and it was an eight-part series. It was the first book that really just sat with me, I loved it because she is a badass female character, takes no shit, it gave me this feeling, “I can write this too. I can do this too.” It was rewarding, it’s my roots. Paranormal romance is where I started.

Do you see yourself going into paranormal romance after Gods and Monsters?

A: I do, I was talking to my Editor about this today too. Here’s the scoop, with the series I’m working on now, once it is completed, I already have a series tickling my brain. It will go back to more paranormal romance and I’m really excited. It will still have all the fun banter, but be a little bit smaller world, no opening realms again.

Can you tell us about the length of Gods and Monsters?

A: I always said it was going to be seven.

R: Are you sh!tting me! We are only three books in.

A: It’s funny because, on the plus side you guys get to grow with me. So you are seeing it from the beginning, whereas say hypothetically someone starts reading it later on and finds the series when it is already completed. It’s kinda of special though that we get to share that bond, with all my readers getting to the next one as they come.

R: Me, as each comes out, just consuming them.

A: Later down the road, we find readers who will “read, read, read” and you get to be like, “You know what I was doing, I was waiting for the fourth one.”  So that was always my plan, and it isn’t because I need to keep going, it’s just the world is so large, so dense, and you have multiple POVs. It’s not fair to the characters or the story if I cut it short. We are dealing with multiple POVs, and multiple relationships in different stages, it isn’t something where it is just a “now, kiss”.

R: I appreciate the build-up, the tension, the feeling of “Oh it’s coming, it’s coming” or “No it didn’t come”

A: Then at the same time, we are dealing with these big bad guy villains, and their motives and their plans. It’s like “How is that going to work out for us?” A lot of variables, a lot of things we have to get through.

Is this something you just thought of?

A: Back before college, even in high school, this has been a story that has just been with me. It kind of just built and built and built. I started with the urban fantasy route, it had to be bigger, and I had to do something else since we were dealing with gods. Originally I was going to school for veterinary medicine and just writing this on the side, but this is my passion. This is what I am excited to do every day, it brings me joy. It just kept going.

A: Funny story, when I mentioned and pitched my books to them. I said, “Maybe people will want a trilogy or four”. But they told me, “You need to write as many books as the story tells, I you need 12 then do 12.” And I said, I don’t need 12, but, thanks. It just progressed from there.

Every single time someone says, “Why should I read this book?” and I say, “Do you want a morally grey woman who Is truly morally grey? It isn’t often the woman who is morally gray, what was the inspiration for Dianna and keeping her consistent?

A: The original ideas were always her being morally grey, and him being super good, it was so fun to write because of the banter. “If they are hurting you then I will set them on fire” and he  {Samuel} is just like please do not.” Her morally-greyness has always been the heart of the story, it has shaped further along the lines because I’ve been writing this for so long. The things that I watch, I always joke that she has a little bit of Katherine Pierce in her, and I love that. But, at the same time, what if this is like we get the hot Damon Salvatore and Klaus’s, but I wanted a more female version, but progressing as it goes. It was fun to have that and be gritty, she can have these emotions and feelings, and do these things that male characters do, and still get the respect and love that the guys do and still get the love from the readers.

“Dianna is basically Katherine Pierce.” Amber describes Dianna as inspired by and a personality that closely resembles hers. “You get that feminine rage, but you also see why her choices are the way they are. It doesn’t change her, Her being in love doesn't change her. her healing doesn’t change her, that is just who she is to her core.”

“She is pretty for a fire-wielding death bitch that tried to kill us all.”

― Amber V. Nicole, The Book of Azrael

Something me and my editor discussed with writing is that we want to stay true to the characters. Even though SPOILERS LOOK AWAY GUYS, even though she is in love, It doesn’t change her core, if anything it makes her more protective of what she has, because of what she has lost.  That’s what I have loved about Dianna, her consistency. She is a this is my home, my family, if you F with us, sorry for you.

Do you have a favorite line or something you have written?

A: I do, but I can’t tell you, it’s in book 5. But Samkiel always has good lines, especially in book two. No matter what you do I am still here, I am still choosing you,

“Love is such a dangerous and powerful emotion. The gods curse it, for it has power. Empires have fallen for it, reduced to sand and scriptures. Worlds have burned for it, and they will once more. Love has the power to touch even the untouchable. Use it.”

― Amber V. Nicole, The Throne of Broken Gods

R: This is an ongoing book series, with the first three released. Book Four is set to release in August of 2024. Some of the tropes and themes that readers will find in this series are enemies to allies to friends to lovers, villain X hero, slow burn (with spice building in each book!), feminine rage, and a morally grey woman. I highly recommend this series!

The thing is, Amber V. Nicole has been one of my heroes and favorite authors for a while now. I never in a million years thought I would get to meet her, let alone get to interview her. This interview was the honor of a lifetime. Amber is not only such a sweet and fun human being but seriously impressive. When we talked about the entire Gods and Monsters series and how far ahead she is in it, it was shocking. The depth of not just the worlds that she builds but the realms that she is opening. She writes a powerful woman who is unapologetically herself and how that woman is someone we all aspire to be more like. Diana is written with such power, a force of nature, a power. A character whose sexuality is owned, who loves and protects fiercely, and brings gods to their knees. If you haven’t read The Book of Azrael, then you need to. Words can be formed to properly thank Amber for not only this interview but also for the stories that she tells.