Amanda Browning still lives in the borders of Essex house where she was born. The third of four children - her sister being her twin - she enjoyed the rough and tumble of life with two brothers as much as she did reading books. Writing came naturally as an outlet for a fertile imagination. The love of books led her to a career in libraries. When she left her job in libraries, she wondered what to do next. She remembered a colleague once told her to write a romance, and went for it. Being happily single allowed her to take the leap into writing fulltime. Her first effort elicited an invitation to visit Mills & Boon HQ, then off Bond Street. Although her first two manuscripts could not be used, the third was accepted and published in 1987, she hasn't looked back since, the success is still something of a wonder. Amanda enjoys her extended family, and is Great-Aunt to eighteen nieces/nephews. Her twin sister's two grandchildren are especially close, and she risks serious damage to her back when playing the fool with them! Besides writing, which occupies a great deal of her time, she is very interested in researching her family tree. This has led to discovering relatives in the United States and Canada, and just recently these relations have visited the UK. She is about to plunge into the world of the Internet in order to make more discoveries which should be interesting in more ways than one! What is left of her spare time is spent doing counted cross stitch. She really enjoys the designs based on the works of Marty Bell, and the gorgeous designs of Victorian ladies and Angels in Lavender and Lace and Memorabilia ranges. They are so intricate and it is very satisfying to finish one and finally see it hanging on a wall. Of course, she still manages to find time for some gardening. Like most gardeners, she is constantly waging war against cats, who think the beds are their private toilets, and the snails who dine out on her flowers. So far she has resisted the ultimate deterrent of trekking out, at night with a torch and a bucket, but she's giving it serious consideration!