AMBER KIZER
Stories in Amber...Captured in Time
The Official Bio
Amber Kizer writes two very different young adult series for Delacorte Press/Random House. The Gert Garibaldi series is contemporary, frank and funny following an American high school student through the perils of growing up. Her debut novel ONE BUTT CHEEK AT A TIME was included in the prestigious NYPL Best Books for the Teen Age 2008 list. The next book in the series 7 KINDS OF ORDINARY CATASTROPHES will be released April 2011.
The Fenestra series is paranormal,
dark and follows a girl who shepherds dying souls to the afterlife.
In
addition to these series titles, the spring of 2012 will see the release of a
stand alone dystopian, young adult novel also from Delacorte Press/Random
House.
Amber has
toured nationally, speaking at writers’ conferences, on television and radio,
to educators, and to teenage readers. Recently, she was selected to present one
of a few breakout sessions at the NCTE Assembly on Adolescent Literature at the
Philadelphia 2009 Conference.
Her
official website is www.AmberKizer.com and more about
The Unofficial Stuff
I never thought I’d have chickens—I’m a city girl at heart. I love traffic and sirens, crowds of people and shopping at the grocery store with anonymity. But I’m highly adaptable and I began my interest in chickens when the neighbor's flock came over for afternoon treats. The evolution and variety of chickens are amazing. I got hooked. Plus they're like moving yard art with personality. At the moment the flock is Hunk (son of Fabio my first most glamorous rooster!) and five hens...coyotes and eagles take their toll, so it's a small group!
We have a dog, Lacey. And four cats: Sugar, Pookie aka Gracie, George and Martha.
When NCAA basketball starts, I read on commercial breaks and during time outs—you’d be surprised how much can get read! I usually cheer for beautiful ball regardless of the team, but I do have favorites—what can I say? Go GW! Go Big 10! March Madness is an incurable condition!
I love to bake. Seriously, I dream in flavors. My latest cheesecake recipes have been a green tea with fresh blackberry topping and an almond-apple with homemade caramel sauce. But the creation I’m most proud of is a wedding cake I made for a friend this past summer. She wanted color and shape and something non-traditional to go with the outdoor summer party of their reception. The best part is that guests came back for seconds because it tasted so good! (All the flowers are made from gum paste and fondant--want to know how? Check out books by Colette Peters--including Cakes to Dream On )
I started writing about seven years ago, after I developed a rare nerve condition during my freshman year of college. It's a complicated condition that affects both of my legs. The simplest way to explain it is to say my legs don’t always work, but they always hurt. The muscles, skin, bones and nerves are completely wonky. Normal nerve signals usually reserved to tell the body to stop doing something (the OUCH! response) fire in my legs 24/7. However, unless you’re a close friend you wouldn’t notice—I work very hard to walk normally, smile and keep the ouches to myself. I have a motley crew of tools I use to deal with the symptoms including meds, acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, heat, ice cream and cheesy movies. Everybody deals with something, right? It did mean changing my ideas of personal success and future plans. Now, I have to take things as they come and prioritize constantly. Writing is wonderful because I can work around the legs and bad days. It’s as flexible as I have to live. I’m blessed with a wonderful agent and dedicated editor and I’m thrilled Gert gets to debut next fall in all her glory.
"Let Them Eat Cake!"
Check out the pictures below of my recent cake creations!
