After nearly twenty years as a professional zookeeper, Amanda broke out of her cage to follow her muse. This led her down a sometimes rocky and wild path. So far, she and her muse have remained friends. They live on her family farm in Virginia.

When she was eight, she and her father wove their first tale about a jogging tadpole, a story they thought hilarious since it was inspired by a man in a Kelly green jogging suit and matching running shoes. The other passengers in the car were not amused. This was not her greatest work. Still, it started a passion for storytelling that has grown with age.

Amanda enrolled at a small woman’s college to complete her BA in creative writing. Shortly after, she gave herself the gift of a studio art class and quickly found an equal passion for art. Not one to conform to expectation, she double majored and recently completed her masters in interdisciplinary environmental art.

Amanda writes weekly for The Ravens Crossing, a young adult, science fiction/fantasy adventure. She has published poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and journalism all with environmental themes. She is an avid reader who has loved science fiction and fantasy ever since her parents gave her a birthday gift of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Hobbit, her first two full-length novels. Amanda also blogs about animals over at The Keeper of the Zoo. Connect with Amanda at Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter.