What is the title of your latest release?
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT SKY
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT SKY is the epic conclusion in the Starkeeper duet. After Suraya Saab unites with her chosen love, King Roshan Acharia, to save Oryndhr from subjugation, her greatest fear is realized when her power is weaponized. 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 her back, and as war looms between the 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.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
The fictional fantasy realm of Endara draws from many different global influences, including Persian, Indian, European, and Caribbean. I wanted to bring some of my own lived experience as well as my personal background to the page with respect to setting, food, clothing, and cultural details, and I wanted to make the world-building as immersive as I could.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely! Suraya is fierce, quirky, has a dark sense of humor, and is deeply loyal so I know she’ll have my back if we need to bury a body in the Dustlands. Plus, she’s a bladesmith who can imbue weapons with magic and she has a dragon. Look out, world!
What are three words that describe your hero?
Powerful. Ruthless. Protective.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That writing an MFM why-choose romance requires extra hydration.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit as I draft, but sometimes I do have to force myself to move on and come back to edit later.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
When I go back to the east coast, I love a good Connecticut-style lobster roll.
Describe your writing space/office!
In my office, I have a desk that I have owned for almost 23 years as well as a loveseat that can turn into a daybed. My walls are covered in custom art, book covers, and career milestones. I also have a couple freestanding bookshelves with bookish items and gifts I’ve received from readers, but my favorite part of my office is my custom-built adjacent library with a ROLLING LADDER! Yes, I’ve absolutely done the Belle pose from Beauty and the Beast!
Who is an author you admire?
Jodi Picoult. Not only is she a good friend and never says no when I ask her to read early versions of my books, I love that she uses her platform to uplift underrepresented voices, is such a steadfast champion of human rights, and passionately supports freedom of literacy. She’s an icon.
Is there a book that changed your life?
LORD OF THE RINGS. This is a masterclass in god-tier world-building and gave me something to aim for in my own writing.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
When THE STARLIGHT HEIR and QUEEN OF THE NIGHT SKY went to auction within days of being pitched to editors by my agent, I was beyond thrilled and incredibly humbled by the interest for my diverse, inclusive fantasy romance. A multi-house auction was a dream come true for me and when my agent called me to discuss the offers, it felt so surreal. I’m still so very grateful for everything I achieve in my career.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Romance, of course!
What’s your favorite movie?
Princess Mononoke or Pan’s Labyrinth.
What is your favorite season?
Summer!
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Dinner with my family.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I really enjoyed Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I’d probably have to say Trinidadian food. Give me some macaroni pie, doubles, or oxtail, red beans, and rice all day, every day.
What do you do when you have free time?
I love reading and hanging out with my pets (a three-year-old miniature Aussie, a thirteen-year-old Yorkie, and a six-year-old tabby).
What can readers expect from you next?
The third book in The Diamonds young-adult series, REBEL HEIRESS, comes out this May. It’s 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.
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT SKY by Amalie Howard
Narrator: Anais Inara Chase, Ramiz Monsef
Starkeeper #2
A MFM Why-Choose Romantasy of Magic and Destiny
The Kingdom of Oryndhr has been saved by the will of the Royal Stars. But King Roshan, once Sura’s best friend and chosen love, has changed. She can sense corruption growing in him, and her own magic is being twisted by his command to dangerous ends. As dreams of her strange shadow guardian return in force, she is left unsure of her path—and of her heart.
When an attempt on her life leads to her rescue on the back of an azdaha, the dragon-like creature she once thought a myth, Sura truly finds herself in uncharted territory—in a land far beyond Oryndhyr’s borders. Everlea is full of magic, ruled by the deadly and enigmatic Night King, Darrius. And to Sura’s shock, Darrius is none other than the man in her dreams…and possibly her soul fated mate.
As a prophecy unfolds, the old gods awaken, and a war between kingdoms looms, Sura has no choice: she must fully embrace her destiny as Starkeeper and the entirety of her power before it’s too late. But all power comes at a cost…and darkness has a way of slithering into the smallest spaces.
Romance Fantasy [ Avon, On Sale: March 17, 2026, Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780063355897 / eISBN: 9780063355903 ]
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About Amalie Howard
AMALIE HOWARD is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling novelist of “smart, sexy, deliciously feminist romance.” The Beast of Beswick was one of Oprah Daily’s Top 24 Best Historicals to Read. She is also the author of several critically acclaimed, award-winning young adult novels. An AAPI/Caribbean-born writer, her interviews and articles on multicultural fiction have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Ravishly Magazine, and Diversity in YA. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found reading, being the president of her one-woman Harley Davidson motorcycle club #WriteOrDie, or power-napping. She currently lives in Colorado with her husband and three children.
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