Amber graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband, and a two-year old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less crazy larger people.
Asked about how Randolph affected her writing she said: "I specifically remember a time when my dad was chasing cows and dismounted to check the cinch. The horse whirled around and kicked him in the face. Dad had broken facial bones and a nasty scar. Most people would have labeled the animal dangerous and put him down. Instead, Dad renamed him Killer and rode him until the day that horse died (wish I were half as tough).
That's the kind of example I grew up with as a kid. I was surrounded by ranchers with calloused hands and soft hearts. By women who dedicated their lives to raising their families. Our community lived and breathed for their children, and it showed in the school and community events. And though I haven't lived in Randolph for 17 years, it is still home. The people are still my neighbors, and they still support me as they did when I lived there. It was among them I learned to reach for my dreams, shake of my failures, and try again. And again. And again.
It was that fortitude that kept me pushing myself to write four novels before one of them was accepted for publication. And it was that drive that kept me going for two series of twelve published books. One series was about witches; one about fairies. But the dedication, selflessness, and sacrifices of the characters all stemmed from the people I grew up watching. The people of Rich County, and specifically, Randolph."
That's the kind of example I grew up with as a kid. I was surrounded by ranchers with calloused hands and soft hearts. By women who dedicated their lives to raising their families. Our community lived and breathed for their children, and it showed in the school and community events. And though I haven't lived in Randolph for 17 years, it is still home. The people are still my neighbors, and they still support me as they did when I lived there. It was among them I learned to reach for my dreams, shake of my failures, and try again. And again. And again.
It was that fortitude that kept me pushing myself to write four novels before one of them was accepted for publication. And it was that drive that kept me going for two series of twelve published books. One series was about witches; one about fairies. But the dedication, selflessness, and sacrifices of the characters all stemmed from the people I grew up watching. The people of Rich County, and specifically, Randolph."
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