Amanda Burns is the pen name for a couple who write sizzling romantic suspense together. She’s crafted her pen name to honor two black-sheep ancestors: a Cherokee grandmother and a bastard grandfather, both of whom were nearly forgotten in the family records. Amanda is thrilled to bring life to their voices through sharing captivating stories of romance, suspense, and triumph over nearly impossible odds.

Amanda draws on her background as a family therapist and a criminologist to craft stories where heroes and heroines confront real-life issues and hold fast to hopes and dreams in the face of tragedy and despair. She lives in the upper Midwest and has four children. She enjoys working with horses and dogs, attending the theater, listening to music, working many kinds of puzzles, and of course reading, reading, reading.

Amanda’s favorite all-time quote is something a character told her while she was writing Willow Smoke: “Listen kid, if you hang around me much you’ll have to get used to expanding your dreams. I don’t dream small. It doesn’t take any more time to dream big than small.”