SPOTTED: Jennifer Murgia + Angel Star

So today I'm with an author who I simply adore...Jennifer Murgia, the author of Angel Star! I've spotted her and took the chance to ask her a few questions! Jennifer will be visiting Fragments of Life for two days, in time for the awaited release! Check back tomorrow to get to know her characters! For now, enjoy the interview.

What is your purpose in writing Angel Star?


Angel Star took me by surprise. It’s not a story I had planned, the thought merely played over and over in my head and the next day I started writing. It was about midway through writing that I realized the positive messages the book could give teens.

What lessons will the readers pick up from your novel?

Angel Star touches a lot of issues: bullying, temptation, friendship and loyalty and dealing with a first time love. The core of the story however, is finding and staying true to yourself and your beliefs.

What was it like writing from poems to novels? Was there any difficulty?

Actually, I think my poetic background was the perfect fuel I needed to write a novel. I’m very conscious of voice and flow and of transition.

Was Teagan inspired by someone? If yes, who?

One of the reasons I personally love YA is that it allows me to relive moments from my past. So, I guess it’s safe to say perhaps Teagan is a part of who I would be if I had the chance to go back and do it all over again. Like me, she is very quiet in the beginning of the story but really evolves into her own.

When you initially wrote the draft, was Garreth a guardian angel?

Yes. Always.

Where did you get the idea about the eight-pointed star?

I wanted to add a real symbol to the story. My mother actually helped find it. I had read the prologue to her over the phone and she was thumbing through a book of ancient symbols and suggested the octagram. It was perfect!

Was there a part of the novel that was hard to write?

There was a scene that was a bit touchy. It actually begins with the prologue and picks up later in the story. It suggests suicide, but it isn’t. I needed to convey that I wasn’t giving the wrong message.

Did you include any personal experiences in the novel? Or was there a part of the novel that was inspired from your personal experience?

Hadrian’s character came from a dream I once had.

There is also a chapter about Teagan’s friend Claire and something that happens to her. I don’t want to spoil it because it is definitely a “wow” moment. Let’s just say I had a friend and something similar happened to her. I tried to channel the disbelief and shock I had felt years ago for that scene.

How does your mood affect your writing?

Well, like anything I have good days and bad days!

Is it important that you are in an ambience that you like when you write?

Not really, if there’s something knocking around in my head and needs to get out I can write anywhere.

Do you listen to music when you write? Do you have a specific song in mind?

Music played a bit part in writing Angel Star and I listened to it before writing. A lot of Evanescence, Linkin Park and Breaking Benjamin! If Angel Star needed a theme song, it would be Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls.

Do you write continuously or do you take breaks?

Oh goodness, I need breaks!

What are you working on now?

A secret. Shhhh….

What tips can you give to aspiring writers (like me)?

Treat your writing like a committed job. I like to write first thing in the morning, take a break and go back to it later. If you stick to a schedule, you’ll get more accomplished. Also, feel the story while you write. Listen to your characters. If you start writing and constantly look to the future asking, “I wonder who will want this? Who should I query when I’m finished?” then you’re not writing for yourself. Push all of the maybes out of your head and enjoy getting lost in the story!

What would you like to say to the people who have included your novel in their wish lists and / or to-be-read piles?

A humongous thank you! I get excited when I see my book on a wish list, or if the number increases on Goodreads. I just smile and say to myself, “that’s my book and someone wants to read it!”

It’s incredible!

Thank you for dropping by, Jennifer!

Thank YOU!
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Angel Star's official release date is tomorrow! Don't miss the chance to read this angel goodness!

Book Description:


Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams and soon discovers that her crush has an eight-point star etched into the palm of his right hand-the mark of an angel.


But where there is light, dark follows, and she and Garreth suddenly find themselves vulnerable to a dark angel's malicious plan that could threaten not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows, and now, she is torn between one angel's sacrifice and another angel's vicious ambition.

Divinely woven together, Angel Star takes readers on a reflective journey when one angel's sacrifice collides with another angel's vicious ambition in a way that is sure to have readers searching for their own willpower.
For more information and updates, visit Jennifer's Official Website.

You can also follow her in twitter!