Interview--emeraldphoenix23

Many thanks to the very wonderful Amber--emeraldphoenix23--for giving me her time (over 2 hours!). Let's get to know her and her characters!

Mandy: Hi, Amber! :)

Amber: Hey Mandy (wave)

Mandy: You ready to get started? I dunno how much time it might take.

Amber: As ready as I'll ever be. I'm as nervous as when I went to my first job interview. (:|

Mandy: I'll be gentle...promise. :D

Mandy: Caaaalm. Also, just to warn you if you don't already know--I abuse the smileys way more 

than I should. They're just too darn adorable. :3

Amber: Ok, ready when you are.

Amber: I love smileys too.

Mandy: I'll start off with easy ones and then move onto your stories.

Mandy: How did you find fanfiction?

Amber: It was kind of by accident. I was just surfing the Internet for some Twilight facts or stories from the set and it popped up. I checked it out and got really interested.

Mandy: That's how I found it. I was looking for fan written Breaking Dawn. :D

Mandy: What makes a story worth reading for you?

Amber: I like to see the depth of a character; what motivates them to take the actions they do and the journeys they take. I mean, an idea is an idea but it’s the characters and what they face, do, and how they act that really propels the story kind of like in life.

Mandy: Very thoughtful. :) Do you  have any pet peeves regarding fanfiction stories?

Amber: I think my biggest pet peeve would probably be when an author loses the spark for a story and just writes to satisfy the readers.

Amber: If an author’s heart isn't in the story you can tell and that upsets me. I think what happens at times is the pressure from some readers..

Mandy: Ahh, the threats from readers and the negative reviews that kill the spark in the authors. That happens much too often, too.

Mandy: First crossover you've ever read? Any crossovers you're reading right now and LOVE and want to recommend to the readers?

Amber: I can't remember my first crossover (worry) but right now I'm reading Fix You by AllyDLV. She's really amazing and we've gotten to be good friends through this.

Amber: Sorry it’s taking a minute to answer its hard trying to keep a four year old in a bed lol.

Amber: I'm also reading the lovely Maxipoo’s Supernatural/Twilight crossover.

Mandy: Aww. I hope I'm not taking away from mommy/son time. D:

Mandy: Both those crossovers are lovely! :D

Amber: No, he needs to go to bed we played all day today :D he is at that stage of let's see if I can test mommy lol.

Mandy: He sounds adorable! :3

Amber: He is and he knows it and uses it as a weapon.

Mandy: How do you deal with writer's block?

Amber: I listen to music usually and then I work on little side stories which helps me refocus. Sometimes stepping away from the story really helps. I'll be working on another story idea and then bam it hits and I go back to the first story.

Mandy: Most of your stories have the smooth transition from friendship to romance; in your opinion, it is important for the former to be first? And how important do you think the friendship that Bella and Damon share is to their relationship?

Amber: I think it is extremely important to start out as friends. In my own relationship my boyfriend 

and I started out as friends and the attraction grew. I think doing that really strengthens the foundation of a relationship. You know each other better. For Bella and Damon its extremely important neither has ever had a true friend so having that bond being able to be themselves and call each other on their crap is important. When they start the relationship a lot of the awkward I don't want to offend the other person stuff is out of the way you're honest and know how to talk to one another and that's what they do.

Amber: I think when a love grows from friendship to romantic love it makes the bond so much more solid and it brings it to another level of trust.

Amber: You have this established relationship with a person and decide to take a risk trusting not to 

damage that established bond. It's really all or nothing and you have to be all in.

Mandy: It’s hard to establish a good relationship without the two partners being best of friends. :)

Mandy: Which story were you most nervous/afraid to post? And why?

Amber: I think The Devil You Know was the one that had me really worried. I was in the middle of 

writing Buried Secrets 2 which has Bella and Klaus daughter then I started really delving into Klaus 

character so I wanted to try a different angle between the two of them. The whole plot of the story 

and everything was never concrete I didn't know if I wanted Bella to be with Damon or Klaus when I 

finally tool the decided it just felt right. I wanted to show a whole new side to bother characters as 

well as the other characters.

Mandy: That leads me to my next question; was it weird to be writing Klaus/Bella in a fatherly-

daughterly relationship and then start another with them being lovers?

Amber: Not as weird as you might think. I kind of had a switch I used when I wrote each story.

Amber:  Each Bella and Klaus were different so it was easy

Amber: In Buried Secrets Bella is a badass with a vendetta; in The Devil You Know she's more fragile

Amber: And then she begins to grow into the Bella she is now.

Mandy: I'll focus on Twisted now. :)

Mandy:  Bella is a powerful vampire, out of character from her weak one in Twilight. How did you 

come up with her personality?

Amber: I kind of took elements of my own personality. I just got this itch and was like I want to write a no nonsense, confident vampire Bella. That's kind of how she came out lol :$

Mandy: Is that how you managed to make her sound so cryptic, her tone so mature?

Amber: Kind of I pretty much raised myself as a kid my dad wasn't around and my mom was well not really a mom so I grew up pretty quick

Amber: My mom and I now have a great relationship (just to clarify)

Amber: I also used a lot of what I learned in my psychology classes about human development during life

Mandy: It's also your writing talent. You didn't have to tell us that Isabella's old and powerful; it was 

in her every dialogue, her way of speaking. :)

Amber: Thank you

Mandy: Edward comes off very stand-off unlike the calm persona he’d had in Twilight, such as when 

he accuses Bella of betraying him. He doesn't care why, doesn't listen, but judges. Why did you 

choose his personality like that?

Amber: I wanted to show a different side to him. At the time I wasn't really much of an Edward fan; I wanted him to be disliked. Lol for the way the story was meant to go that's the only way I thought it 

could happen.

Amber: I like tweaking with characters and taking them away from their stereotype personalities.

Mandy: What is one of Bella's characteristic that you kept from Twilight in all/most of your stories?

Amber: (mm)

Amber: I think the pain of Edward leaving is what I kept; that pain shapes her in a way that can go in 

several different directions. Pain makes us feel and know what's going on is real that's important. 

Also with pain comes joy.

Amber: Her reaction to it the zombie period shapes her for what comes next.

Amber: Does that make sense?

Mandy: Yup, completely! :)

Mandy: Last question for this story. The entire story left the readers anticipating. I was expecting a 

sequel where Klaus finds a way to build his army without letting Bella get hurt, but you showed that family can be reunited even after numerous mistakes. Why did you choose that route rather than a sequel?

Amber: Because that's what family means to me and that's an important thing. I'm not saying a sequel is out of the question ;) but it felt right to end it like that.

Amber: For now....

Mandy: Ohh, leaving the readers at the edge of their seat. :P

Amber: I like to do that :)

Mandy: Moving to Buried Secrets 2: Blood

Amber: Okie dokie.

Mandy: Stefan seemed the ripper in that of the show but different. What aspect that you add to his 

personality that wasn’t in the show?

Amber: I think the enjoyment of the ripping in the beginning. In the show you see his remorse but at 

the beginning of the story I didn't want that I wanted to show a more primal side to Stefan that we all 

know is there. I mean when he first turned we saw a small part of it I wanted to fully unleash it. I wanted to show that darker side to St. Stefan

 Amber: That even those we deem good can.go.to very dark places. I was actually taking a criminal psych course at the time of buried secrets 2

Amber: When it first started.

Mandy: I loved Paul's acting; we got to see a whole new side that was kept hidden by the goodie-Stefan. :)

Amber: Exactly.

Mandy: Any particular reason you had Bella and Stefan sleep together--other than the primal side that comes to turning off their motions? I know you said it eased the pain, but Bella was conscious in her mind, yet she still went along with it. What about the transaction from going to lovers and then back to friends for Stefan and Bella? How did that work out in YOUR head?

Amber: It was to really drive the nail home on the primal. I had established a potential relationship between Bella and Damon and to kind of take that away shows the power of the primal side it takes strength to overcome it and at the time Damon and Bella’s relationship wasn't exactly solid. Really Stefan and Bella haven't talked about the whole sleeping together which is coming up in the near future so that transaction hasn't really happened yet right now they are just trying to get ahead of Klaus lol.

Amber: I'm still working on how that transaction is going to go |-(

Amber: It's tricky

Mandy: Bella seems to have everything under control. How did you manage that while keeping her personality not being Mary Sue—aside from the obvious mistakes she’s made?

Amber: It was hard to make someone not so perfect is more difficult. Vampires are fantasized as these creatures who are perfect I had to make sure that I didn't stick to that fantasy so I went about and just focuses more on her human side her emotions and such

Amber: Our emotions drive us to do crazy and unreasonable things

Mandy: Moving to Stripped; Bella uses dark magic. Will there be consequences that you can hint at for us? :D

Amber: Oh there are more consequences to come and Bella is not done using dark magic either.

Mandy: ...You can't leave us there! Give us a little more to hold off on.

Mandy: Pleeease. *Pout*

Amber: I'm trying to think which one I can hint to lol

Amber: Happy new year!!!

Mandy: Happy new years, bb!

Mandy: Hope this year is all happiness and smiles for you. :)

Amber: You too!!!

Amber: You pick... The Hunter, Klaus, or dark magic?

Mandy: Oh god. ALL!

Amber: The Hunter he is going to be a formidable opponent he has a little power on his side. Klaus 

well we all know crossing him comes at a price and its usually paid in blood and the dark magic deals with the cure.

Mandy: Ohh, info! Can't wait for the chapters! :D

Mandy: Edward and the Cullens have been mentioned to leaving Bella as in Twilight, and it's had quite the effect on Bella. Will we see them in Stripped if nothing but so Bella can get closure? What will their role be?

Amber: Well in the last chapter they appeared and it was for closure but that's all I can say with what's coming

Amber: :x

Mandy: What! I didn't get to that chapter yet!

Amber: Yep!

Mandy: Aw, damn. Can I at least ask if they'll be in latter chapters? *Wiggles eyebrows* I can drive a mean bargain... (You don't have to. :P )

Amber: It looks like they might be appearing

Mandy: Yay! I feel like squealing and stomping my feet in excitement.

Mandy: This is completely normal for me, by the way. ^

Amber: Me too

Mandy: Moving to the story that got LOTS of votes...The Devil You Know. :D

Mandy: I already know how you came up with the plot... but the ending left me in surprised, but I 

was more surprised about Damon's foreshadowing bit dialogue.

Mandy: He said something about "what if Bella wanted to date me" in the sequel...and I have to ask. Can the Bella/Damon fans look forward to that or should be not get our hopes up? ;)

Amber: I wouldn't get your hopes up but you never know as of right now don't get them up I'm not done with Klaus and Bella yet.

Mandy: I'm content to pray. Those two have chemistry even though they didn't get much time together in the first story. I would absolutely LOVE to see something happen, especially since Klaus is the only one she's known any relationship/physical relationship with.

Amber: It's a possibility

Mandy: Annnd that is good enough for me. :D

Mandy: Jake's awesome. Will he or the pack be back in Mystic Falls or are they still staying away per Bella's request as she cannot control her thirst?

Amber: They will be coming to mystic falls

Mandy: Whoo! I kind of like their protectiveness. :D

Amber: What's coming up is pretty big and they will need everyone

Mandy: With Cullens and Esther, you mean?

Amber: Yeppers

Mandy: Ahh. Did you plan on having Cullens being involved in Esther's plan, or did it just happen as you were writing?

Amber: I planned on it I wanted them to be involved in the conflict and its also adds to the trials with Klaus character. His own insecurities are challenged

Mandy: Along with Damon's obvious interest? While Bella wants to remain friends, I can feel Damon's curiosity in wanting to get to know Bella in ways that only Klaus has. Am I getting wrong vibes there?

Amber: Not really. Damon is generally curious about how Bella changed a monster like Klaus into a man it has him thinking maybe there is salvation and hope for his own humanity

Mandy: I hope he won't use and discard if Bella ever gives him the chance.

Mandy: Welp, a little over two hours, but I'm done with my questions. If you have any answers to any of your stories that I may not have addressed, feel free to share them with us. :)

Amber: I don't think so unless you can think of any

Mandy: I find that writing emotions comes best from personal experience. Otherwise it sounds bland, like somethings are missing from it.

Amber: Couldn't agree more!

Amber: Thanks so much for doing this interview

Mandy: Thanks for your time! :) I really, really appreciate it.

Mandy: Happy new year once again, and have a lovely night. <3

Amber: Thanks you too, hun. I really enjoyed it