-Interview by Joe Hummel
I had a chance to speak with a modern Renaissance woman, actress/author/director/producer/writer Amber Benson, best known for her role as Willow's love interest, Tara Maclay, on TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, about her latest project, "Death's Daughter," a three part fantasy book series with a little bit of fashion, Neil Gaiman and The Devil Wears Prada in mind.

Although originally planned as a single edition, her editor suggested that there was much more to the story of Calliope Reaper-Jones, and it became a trilogy.

Heaven, Hell, Purgatory.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, her family moved to Orlando, Florida, where one of her classmates was an unknown Joey Fatone. They later moved to Los Angeles to help the young actress/dancer singer get her career going. By age 16, it paid off with roles in "the Crush" and "King of the Hill."

Amber's multitasking was something that she grew up with, and she describes herself as "the captain of her own ship." She definitely is.

She enjoyed her three year run on Buffy. "It was such a great experience. I spent three seasons on this wonderfully written show.

There was a great family feeling on the set. Towards the end, it was a little rougher while Joss (Buffy creator Joss Whedon) was working on Firefly and Angel. Even when he couldn't give 100%, it was better than most of what is on television." I agreed.

"I had a great time on Buffy, but I wanted to make a film, I really wanted to go to film school. James Marsters starred in it. It was my fun film, not meant for the world to see. Thanks to James, it's kind of a cult favorite, with his fans from Buffy wanting to see it." (Details about her film, Chance )

Still recognized for her role as Tara, Amber has been in touch with most of the cast, and described Seth Green "as, literally, the funniest person in the world." With her travel, she has only spent about two months at home in California this year, but never closer to the Wilmington, DE PCM headquarters than Harrisburg, PA.
And what was she doing there?
A film with Ernest Borgnine.

She began her writing career by co-writing two books with Christopher Golden; she also wrote several Buffy comics with him for Dark Horse. Death's Daughter is the first novel she's written herself. "It was daunting." Death's Daughter is aimed at women in their late teens, early 30s.

"The family story involves a young woman, who's father is Death, and he gets kidnapped. She has to take on the family business, including her father's responsibilities. She wants nothing to do with the supernatural world, she just wants a normal life."

"No immortality, no super powers, she just wants a regular life. Her struggle is to accept the supernatural side to herself and her regular life with regular people," Amber described her heroine.

The first volume came out this year, and the second and third are scheduled over the next two years.

"I was really influenced by 'Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth.' I read a lot of his stuff - I just love mythology, mythological characters, I really wanted to incorporate that."

She wanted to mix in a little religion as well, rounding out her novel's reality. "I've always loved fantasy - myth was always a part of that," she told me.

A recent comic book fan, like many, she has a bunch, still unread, in storage. "I first wrote comics when Joss asked me to write for a Buffy anthology for Dark Horse."

She twitters too... "It's a good thing," Amber said of her new hobby. "It's a lot of fun, you can reach a lot of people rather quickly."

I reminded her that we had been Facebook Friends for several weeks, and it took a while to find her, as there are a lot of Fake Ambers. "Yes there a lot of fakes out there," Amber acknowledged.

She doesn't really look for herself online, in spite of a little joking about it in a prior interview. She does watch to keep her name misleading fans to adult sites, which has happened to her.

"Its cool when there are fans who aren't nefarious, who are just out there as fans, who might make some art or who just want to create things for you. It's fun for them, they're excited about what you are doing... they like to create or elaborate things for you. The homage sort of stuff is really cool."

When I told her pop star Prince was personally scouring youtube last year for people using his music without authorization, she laughed.

What's next for this artist entrepreneur? "I'm actually finishing up the third book," she told me, "and recently started 'The New Newbridge Academy,' with Simon and Shuster..."

"... and with my boyfriend, Adam Busch, we directed a film, called 'Drones'."

Does she have time for anything else, any hobbies? "I read a lot."

Sigh. Of course she does. I just hope she doesn't start a pop culture website as well.

Besides being a true pleasure to talk with,the modest Amber Benson doesn't like to brag.
She sings and dances the Macarena too: