Inspiring The Next Generation with Kestner: April Author Spotlight

  Not every author's journey is smooth sailing. Honestly, if yours is you should be eternally grateful, for you've been hand-picked by the gods to be pampered. Like with every form of art, there will always be critics that try to tear you down and destroy your reputation. How you respond to them can make or break you as an author. Your readers are watching you and how you react. 

    Amber M. Kestner, the author of lesbian romance fiction, has dealt with more drama in her time as an author than any other author I know personally. That drama has made her stronger, resilient, and determined to stand firm for the LGBTQ+ community. 

    Originally born in Flordia, Kestner currently resides in West Virginia. She's made it her mission to write stories for the LGBTQ+ community (with an emphasis on the lesbian community) that lets them know they aren't alone. 

    "Coming out is hard enough in society and actually reaching an audience that has the struggle of coming out to family, friends, people you trust, and so much more, is important to me. It is easier to write for those that need to come out but without force," remarked Kestner. "In a good chunk of my books, I have written where characters come out of their shell and are able to be accepted by families."

    Kestner said that her favorite book that she's written is A Secret Love Affair.

    "I normally write for 18+," stated Kestner, "but I'm working toward a younger audience. My first book was published in 2016 and it started my series A Girl For Her, with the first title being Jana and Angel."

       "I didn't always know I wanted to be an author," confessed Kestner. "Actually, I wanted to be a dancer. I loved dancing and still do. I got involved in writing through poetry on Allpoetry.com. I met my best friend there and they encouraged my writing of stories. Honestly, my family and friends are what inspire me to write. I wasn't sure where to start when I began in 2011-2012."
  One of Kestner's biggest supporters is her daughter. Her daughter is a pre-teen who loves reading. She and her friends approached Kestner about reading her books and Kestner was a little uneasy with the idea. She knew that her books were rated 18+ and didn't want the young girls reading something that they weren't ready for, so she's set out to create some stories that are specifically geared toward their age level.
      "A Secret Love Affair [is my favorite] because for the first time in my career I took the time with someone else to work on a slow burn story that didn't require the relationship to be forced," remarked Kestner. "Also, it is college-based."
    I read A Secret Love Affair and out of all of Kestner's books, it may be my new favorite. It's tied with She's My Kind of Country for me. 
    As always, my official review of A Secret Love Affair is up on Goodreads (because SOMEONE *cough*Amazon*cough* still won't fix my review issue. I'm going to keep calling them out until they take this seriously. It's a personal war for me.) However, I wanted to break the book down here for you all too.
    I gave A Secret Love Affair a five-star rating. I couldn't not. Kestner took my two favorite tropes, mashed them together, and wrote them in an expert way. This book is a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, they-were-roommates, romance that's more real than over half the romances on bookstore shelves.
    The book had plenty of drama, which is a reoccurring theme in Kestner's works, but it wasn't over the top. The pacing was perfect. I adored the characters Paige and Sienna. Paige actually reminded me a lot of Regan from Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, so I was excited because I don't think there are enough characters like them in the world.
    I also have to say that I was pleased when a certain someone in the book got caught for the douchebag they were. Like, they deserved what they got. 
    When I asked Kestner who her favorite character is that she's written, she responded, "That is a hard one, because both main characters [in A Secret Love Affair] have their special parts, but I have to say Sienna Phoenix. She not only gets back at Paige but she also learns that she doesn't have to be with a selfish man to be in love with a female."
    The most difficult part of Kestner's author journey has been the amount of disrespect she's dealt with from critics.
    "Dealing with bullies," Kestner explained as the hardest part of her author journey. "I will not lie that has torn me down so much that I have threatened to quit more than once. I have wanted to throw in the towel so quickly because they literally make me feel like crap because of my mistakes, which every author endures in this journey."
    Authors are human so mistakes are inevitable. Especially in the world of the independently published. Editorial services are expensive and most independent authors don't have the money to spend on them. Not when they also have to create their covers and do their own marketing. Thus, many of us resort to beta readers and friends to help with editing. Something we like to say in the journalism world is, "you can't edit your own writings". This is true because if you are the only one editing your work then you are reading it as you know it should be written, not necessarily as it is written. This is why it's helpful to have friends and beta readers look over your manuscripts. Kestner, I know, has a beta reader process put into place that she uses to help with editing.
    When in doubt, seek help. There are plenty of other independent authors who would be more than willing to help with editing. Just make sure that you know them personally so you can trust them with your manuscripts. 
    "The best part of my author journey has been being able to find authors that are also in the same boat as I am," mused Kestner, and they have taught me more along the way. It has been the best experience of making friends, including long-term ones."
    To beginning writers and authors, Kestner says, "I have two points of advice. One: don't let anyone control your stories. You tell them the way they should be told and you choose how it should be written. Two: Do not let anyone bully you into quitting. Write your books and be proud. Also, don't forget to celebrate  your success."
    Currently, Kestner is working on A Coffee Shop Romance, which will be released in October. She said that she is proud of how this book is coming along and that it doesn't have much cursing or any advanced sexual content. "It's more about the control of the characters when they are around each other," stated Kestner. 
    If you'd like to connect with Kestner, you can find her Facebook at (Amber's World Of Lesbian Stories. Her Instagram account is @authorambermkester and her Tik Tok is @ambermkestner. Her books are available on Amazon if you'd like to check them out. 

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