About the Author
Autobiography
Bullied and pushed inward...
"I have heard if you can write a book about your life's story without shedding a tear, you have truly healed, and are a strong person. That is someone I strive to become. Though writing my life's story did help me heal somewhat, I am not the person I strive to be. Yet. When will I know I've become her? I don't know. But I won't give up. I am a work-in-progress." Amber wishes to reach others like her, who need to escape their brutal worlds in order to heal, or just have a break from their day-to-day pain. Becoming someone else, even for a little while, can give strength when needed the most.
A.R. Grosjean, aka Amber, was born on March 11, 1976, to the parents of David and Mavis Rigby. She grew up on a small farm just outside of Monroe, Indiana. Amber is the second child of three girls. Hope, Amber, and Wendi. Amber was bullied growing up between her peers and family members. She turned inward and discovered writing a year after attempting suicide. She was 11 years old when she discovered being a writer was who she wanted and needed to be. It gave her a sense of purpose and an identity she never had before. Amber enjoyed spending time with all the cats on the farm, singing and talking to them as if they were real people. For her, they were the only real friends she had. It was later, when Amber learned she had more friends who she remained in contact with long after graduating from high school. But it took a long journey of healing before that discovery was made.
In 1996, Amber married Jack Grosjean. They are still married today and he is her biggest fan and supporter. They have three grown children and five grandchildren. Amber is called Nana, and her first grandchild named her. Now, Amber collects anything "nana" including mugs, pens, bears, etc. Her grandchildren are Amber's biggest inspiration although she is inspired by everything and anything around her. Fantasy is Amber's favorite genre because it allows her to go beyond the rules of life and just let her imagination take over. She enjoys writing most genres and doesn't want to stop with fantasy, but go beyond it.
On Writing
Amber is passionate about writing. It is the process of writing that she enjoys the most. For her, writing is an adventure.
Amber is what you call a "pantser" which means, she doesn't plan the stories. She watches the characters play out the scenes in her head and writes down what she sees, hears, and feels. She did try planning a story once, but when it came to writing the story, the outline for the story "went out the window". Not knowing what's around the corner keeps Amber excited about each story, pushing her closer to the end, whenever that may be. Every writer is different. What works for her may not work for you, so do what works for you if you're a writer too. Amber talks about writing on Instagram and would love to be friends there.
Like many writers, Amber used to dread the editing process but came to love it because it always made the stories better. This is a process that cannot be skipped. One thing Amber learned is that when others edit the story, the writer can't allow their personal feelings to cloud their judgment. It isn't personal when an editor says something needs to be fixed. It is only for the story's improvement. She has grown to love to hear other's feedback.
Amber has a flexible imagination, which has enabled her to write different stories back-to-back. She can write fantasy and turn around to write a thriller with a completely different feeling and tone to it. This has made her different from other writers, something she hated about herself for a while, but grew to cherish as writing improved. Amber loves being different now.
If you have any questions, please email Amber and tell her what's on your mind. Thank you!
-
Can you write a story about me?I actually don't take requests for stories, but I always thank people for their ideas. I have enough ideas boiling in my mind so I'm good for quite a few years and more ideas are brewing almost daily. I did meet a man who played for the Harlem Globe Trotters in the day and a book was written about him. He said if he had met me first, I'd be the one writing that book. He autographed it and gave me a free copy. I gave him one of my books too and signed it for him. That would have been one book that I would have written for someone. He turned out to be a great friend. He's passed away since then.
-
Can you give me some writing tips?I am always sharing tips on writing, editing, marketing, and cover design (from what I've learned). I enjoy helping other authors because I know how it feels to start from nothing and have no help. So if you want to know something, ask on Instagram (I'm on there the most). You're also welcome to email me at a.r.grosjean@hotmail.com for a more direct answer.
-
I bet you make a lot of money, don't you?Believe it or not, most writers don't make a living on writing. We write because we love it. I'm one of those writers. Of course, I would love to be like Stephen King who does make tons of money on my books, but sadly I don't yet. It would be an added bonus for me. Until then, I will just keep on writing. Most writers need a full time so they can pay their bills, and write in their spare time. I do write full time but haven't hit it big yet. I'm going to keep learning and growing as an author so I can shoot for that goal but it isn't the most important thing for me. The important thing is getting read.
-
How do you handle rejection?When I first began writing, I received a lot of rejections for Peterson Estate. And I mean a lot. The first one came from 17 Magazine. It was a magazine my sister read a lot so I thought it was the perfect place to try first. I was writing for my age group so it made sense to me. When they finally replied back saying no thank you, I was excited because the editor did say it was good but it just wasn't for them. It gave me hope, something I hadn't had yet. Imagine, someone professional, saying I was good. I went back to the drawing board. The story was just a short story at the time, so I began working on it, and I improved it far beyond my wildest dreams. The short story turned into a novel-length story. I had the beginning. I wrote, then rewrote, then rewrote again. So instead of tossing the story out and giving up, it inspired me to keep going. I tried again. Another rejection. I tried again and kept going. I was determined to find one publisher who wanted this story. After losing this story and rewriting it from memory, I decided to put it on hold and try another story. Cursed Blood was finally accepted, then Stolen Identity, and then finally a publisher accepted Peterson Estate. This was a result of my determination and dream.
-
How do you come up with your ideas?Ideas come from all around me. And sometimes, they come from out of nowhere lol. I had one idea that did just that, and it scared my husband because I accidentally blurted it out loud. It still makes me laugh thinking back at that moment. It has gotten to the point now that if my husband has a dream, he shares it with me and tells me I can use it for one of my books if I want to. I have one of his dreams written down with the intention of writing a book with it. It was a weird dream but sparked my own idea, so it was cool lol. He thinks it's amazing. I do keep my mind and eyes open for endless possibilities as I move around daily. I never know when something someone says or does sparks another idea to form in my mind. My own dreams included. I keep a pad of paper with me when I do go out just in case something hits me and I have to write it down for later. That way, I don't forget!
-
How long does it take to write a book?Every book is different, although the average book can take 1-2 months to write. Then 1 month to edit, give or take. I have a lot of books that I have started writing but put them on the back burner for other things. So those books may take less time to finish because the bones are already there. I've had a few books that actually took a year to write from beginning to end before the editing process started. Those books were on the back burner for a long time before I got back to them and finally finished them. And I had a story or two that took less than a month because it just flowed quickly. The editing process for those took longer to make sure they were just right. I have no control over how fast the stories leave my mind so I feel blessed I've been able to get them out and onto the paper. I try to stay motivated and inspired so writer's block doesn't affect me.
-
How do you get past writer's block?I can be struck by writer's block at any given time. Sometimes just thinking about the scene can help me get through it. Sometimes, I have to take a step back and let my mind wonder about other things so my mind can take a quick break. For a while, I was switching back and forth between other books, and sometimes that helped. And sometimes staring at a blank page will push me into writing lol. Every book has been different, and every block has been different. It doesn't strike that often so I feel lucky. I just stay focused on the story at hand and try to keep writing, even when it doesn't make sense. When I edit the story, something could trigger inside me that will change the scene and that always helps. On the real tough blocks, sometimes changing the wording on a sentence and making a minor change in the scene pushes me through the block. Reading the last sentence usually does help though. Or looking words up in the thesaurus for that one word that's blocking me from finishing the sentence.
-
What do you keep in your writing space?My laptop is always front and center. It is the most-used thing on my desk. I am a smoker, so there's an ashtray next to it. I keep it clean. I keep my books closeby as well as all of my notes. There's a shelf on the desk where I have a few things like my "Nana" mugs, pictures, pens for notetaking (I love gel pens), notes on post-its, as well as a corkboard, and dry erase boards. I keep my planner there as well because I store notes in it while writing as well as the notebook for character names and other notes.
-
What is your writing routine like?Over the years, it has changed many times. Right now, I don't have a routine. I have a job that takes part of my day, off and on (I'm on call basically). So, I write when I have free time. Once a week, I stay up all night so I can work on my "writing" stuff and I'll do extra writing at that time.
-
Why do you write in so many genres?I write whatever my characters compell me to write. I do this because these people inside my head deserve to have their story told. I know what it's like to be ignored and want nothing to do with that. Plus, I don't have to turn down a good idea because of the genre. Do I get confused? No. As I get older, I am having more problems with memory. By the time I'm finished with a story, I've already forgotten how it began so I can turn around and begin editing right away. If I'm finished editing, I can move on to the next book, sometimes on the same day. I just switch gears, so to speak.
-
This month's newsletter contains a photo of the books you have planned for years to come, with covers and titles already! How on Earth do you do that? --Pat Spencer, author of Story of a Stolen Girl. (Question asked in newsletter)When I have an idea for a story, I begin working on the cover, almost right away while the idea is fresh on my mind. Then I decide when I'm going to write it. Sometimes, I'll move things around, depending on the excitement level the idea gives me. I know what I'm capable of doing, but I do like to push myself a little so I can keep growing as a writer. I know I can write 4 books a year easily, because the stories usually flow. Now I write 5 books a year plus "books on the side" which means I'm writing two books at the same time. The book on the side is slower because I am focusing on the one that's schedule for a release date. As time passes, I will adjust the cover designs. That way, when the story is finished, the cover will be ready to go along with the spine measurements. I download the template with page count from Amazon, which can be found here. Since I don't know the exact page count when I first make the covers, I will make the final adjustments once the story is 100% finished so the final cover will look almost the same as the original cover before changes were made, with the exception of any designs that were changed over time lol. It keeps me busy, but I enjoy the process. When planning the release date, I think ahead giving myself time to write the book, edit the book several times, and give people time to Beta Read them. So far, I haven't missed my date. I guess having a deadline keeps me more focused. I took Journalism in high school to learn how to write under a deadline so that helped big time and has also sped up my writing lol. The picture below is what the question was referring to. All of these books are planned/scheduled to be written. God permitting, I write all of them! This was an awesome question and I really thank Pat for asking. Anyone else have a question for me? Email me the question and I'll include it in the next issue.
-
How did you learn how to create covers?It began by asking a lot of questions. A member from a Facebook group took me under her wing (she made a cover to show me the basics) and worked with me while I made my first cover, helping me choose pictures (I pick one and she said yes or no, and why it didn't work). Then I went to Google (youtube) and watched a lot of videos several times, repeating the same videos until I grasped the idea. I also checked Amazon's top 100 in the genre I was designing the cover for. I would sit on a design for a while until something better came up and would change the design. This cycle went through many times. It was in 2024 when the covers really showed an improvement, but I don't think my learning will ever quite be done--just as my writing knowledge is ever-growing. I have fun with it so I don't mind the challenge! I feel as though it's worth it just to see a final image that looks amazing! Trends are always changing so I've got to stay on top of things in order to stay in the ranks.
-
What is your religion?I say Christian, though I don't really belong to one religion. For me, it's a relationship, not a religion.
-
Do you put yourself into your stories?I do. It helps me relate to the character when I've gone through similar situations or have something in common with the character. Sometimes, it isn't much; one bit of personality or trait. Sometimes, it's a lot. Sometimes, I use a piece of someone I know or love, like my grandchildren. If I can relate in one way or another, I know others will. They do say, you don't know a person until you walk a mile in their shoes. Sometimes, I don't know the character until the story is finished, learning something new with each page as I get to know who I am or other people the same way.
-
How did you begin creating covers?It was a learning curve. When I began, I knew nothing but didn't want to use generic covers found on Amazon's list of designs. So I asked questions and got to know people who did their own covers. Some took me under their wings and taught me a thing or two. Then I went online and watched videos to learn techniques. Though I'm still learning, I have to say I've come a very long way since I first began. Now, I'm trying to make covers for other writers. I'm not ready to make costum covers yet, but I'm growing toward that goal.
-
What was your first book?The first incompleted story was called Adventures of Norman Witchcrafte. He was a little boy who died and went to the wrong part of Heaven. Kind of like a Goonies type story. I lost that story and couldn't remember how it was told so I gave up on it. After that was "My Haunted Castle". I loved castles growing up and I always wondered what it would be like to live as a witch so I put the two together and wrote that "short story". It was rejected by 17 Magazine and rewritten as a novel called Mysteries of the Peterson Estate. Over the years, it was changed, lost, rewritten, and rewritten again before it was finally published under my original pen name. Peterson Estate was my first completed story. I never gave up on it. It was since republished under my new pen name as a series.
-
What fears do you have as a writer?I used to fear losing my stories but after actually losing them, I don't fear it. Instead, I keep everything backed up in several different places so if I do lose something, I have it somewhere else and can have access to it. Fears I have now include... 1. Not being able to write anymore (losing my eye sight, losing my laptop, or for any other reason I can't write anymore. 2. Not selling any books. I think a lot of writers fear this one. I want to be read. It's not about making money but if no one buys anything, they can't read them. I do give away copies, so that's good. 3. Learning that I'm not as good as I think I am. In my heart, I believe I am a good writer and I have been told many times I am good but the fear still remains in the back of my head. Sometimes, it feels like people are just saying nice things to me like they did when I was a kid. It stings so the fear still resides. 4. A few other fears are there, but the first three are the biggest.
-
What do you do when you're not writing?I clean rooms for a small local hotel in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The rooms normally take an hour or less, but sometimes do take a little longer than that. I'm also a "secretary" for the hotel, printing copies and doing other paper work on my computer for the owner/manager of the hotel. Occasionally, I will help watch the front desk and run the hotel when the manager isn't there. That part takes care of itself though lol. Besides that, I watch movies and play games on my tablet when I'm not with family or friends. I pretty much stay busy through the day and night.
-
Why did you write your autobiography?I felt my story was important to share with others who may be going through something similar to what I went through. I also felt it was important to show that talking about depression, bullies, and other similar things is important so we may stop these things from occurring. If my story can save one life it would be worth it.
