Introducing Amanda Cherry

About Amanda Cherry

Amanda Cherry is a native of Pensacola, FL and an alumnus of UNLV who hasn’t been thoroughly warm since moving to the Seattle area in 2003. Amanda’s first love was performing, and she has had a successful career as a theatre, television, and film actress.

Amanda’s first book was penned in her family’s den and published by her father in time for Christmas in 1985, she was six years old. After the limited success of that first outing, Amanda turned to writing stories for fun. She spent the next twenty-odd years doing just that.

A lifelong nerd, Amanda joined the staff at her favorite Star Wars site, Tosche Station, as a contributing writer in 2016 and discovered that letting other people read what she’d written was actually pretty fun. Thanks to the encouragement of a friend, she was invited to submit to Cobalt City Christmas: Christmas Harder in 2016 while living overseas in Berlin, Germany. When she learned that her story was bought, she cried.

Capitalizing on the success of that publication, Amanda’s pitch for a follow-up novel was accepted. The rest is, as they say, history.

Amanda once again lives in the Seattle area with her husband of ten years and four-year-old son. In her free time, she enjoys driving her little blue convertible and officiating flat track roller derby.

Q&A

What is something unique or quirky about you?

I don’t like cookies. I keep trying different kids of cookies to see if there is a variety that I truly enjoy, but at this point in my life I think it’s fair to say that I just honestly don’t like cookies.

Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you

I went to University in Las Vegas and spent a lot of time taking skating lessons at the local ice rink. It just so happened that the rink where I took lessons was also the rink where Olympic veteran Surya Bonaly skated. Once, when a news crew was in the rink (doing a story on her), I was about ten feet away from one of her amazing backflips!

What are some of your pet peeves?

My very biggest pet peeve has got to be judgy people/people who presume the worst of others. We’re all going through Some Stuff in life and there’s just no room in my brain to do anything but give people grace for their choices. Maybe that guy *is* a bad driver, or maybe he’s suddenly feeling poorly and racing to get home. Maybe that person is a jerk for cutting in line, or maybe they misunderstood the queuing system. Life is too short to immediately believe the worst of people.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I’m from Pensacola, Florida and lived there until I was 22. Then I moved to Las Vegas to attend UNLV before finding myself in Seattle.

If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?

On my sailboat! I have been a boat person all my life, and just this year was able to realize my lifelong dream of boat ownership. She’s a 1973 Ranger 29 sloop and, although owning a classic sailboat is a *lot* of work, I love every moment I’m aboard.

Who is your hero and why?

Carrie Fisher. She looked Hollywood’s judgment, misogyny, and double standards in the face and gave them the finger. She showed us that you can wear the dress AND kick the a**. She told us we could stay afraid but do it anyway. She didn’t let stigma stop her. And she knew I existed—we were twitter friends. I miss her every day and try my best to be a person she would still want to interact with.

What kind of world ruler would you be?

The best kind. I would abdicate all but the most ceremonial, get-dressed-up-and-wave-to-the-crowd duties to local municipalities and let the people govern themselves.

About the Book

The Dragon Stone Conspiracy A Strowlers Novel by Amanda Cherry
Genre: Historical Fantasy

Synopsis

When the Fäe go to war with a Nazi cult, one woman will protect humanity’s future.

As World War II rages, accidental immortal Pepper Elizabeth Jones is on the run from government agents on both sides of the Atlantic. Hidden in neutral Ireland, she is summoned to meet with a mysterious general, The Righ, who tasks her to save magic itself from the Nazis. Now, she must race against the clock to stop an evil ritual and prevent the Nazis from gaining a world-shattering supernatural power.

Pepper Jones and the Dragon’s Stone is part of the Strowlers Shared Cinematic Universe, a collaborative global story that anyone can join.

Tell your story. Change the world.

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