Author Interview: Amber Manning

Amber Manning is an independent, working mother of 3 rowdy and handsome boys. She has a "no-nonsense, never quit, make no excuses" attitude and tries her best to stay positive throughout life! Her main purpose in this world, she believes, is to raise her boys properly, help others and make a difference! She loves "the old school" way of living and believes that if more people would have that attitude that the world would be a better place! Born and raised in Texas, she is 100% Texan in heart! She loves her family, water sports, outdoors, reading, camping, bonfires, good music turned up loud and can sometimes be corny. She knows it and her response is, "being normal is boring!" She tries to always give the gift of a smile because she says she hopes it "brightens someone's day!" She believes every single person has struggles and believes the philosophy "you should never look down on someone, unless it's to help them up!" Her favorite story is the "Starfish Story" (you made a difference to that one).

She recently wrote "Mighty Big and Super Great: Texas is the Lone Star State!" The first part is a rhyming and witty story that touches on some of the history of Texas while also introducing the importance, meaning and symbols that are relevant in our state. The second part includes 28 fun Texas facts mixed with more knowledge of fundamental elements such as the Texas pledge and state song.

I had a chance to interview her to learn more.

Why did you decide to write this book?

I have always loved writing! I love Texas, and children have always been my favorite people in the world!! When I came to work for my boss, David Thomas Roberts, who is also an author, I read his books very quickly and let him know that I thought they were excellent and that I was impressed. He then asked, “well, if you love reading so much, do you also love writing?” My response was, “yes, very much so. I have written since I was around 11 years old.” He then asked me if I thought I could write a “Texas history book for a 6 year old.” At first, I was somewhat apprehensive, but I never let on. I was unsure if I could write a Texas history book that a 6 year old would not get bored with, as history can be boring for children of that age. But, I answered, “I can sure give it a shot.” So, I began this mission. After a few complete re-writes, I finally turned in what would be the text that appears in my book, Mighty Big and Super Great: Texas Is The “Lone Star State”!

What was the most interesting fact you discovered for the book?

There are so many interesting facts about Texas, it is hard to pin this down to one; however, I did enjoy learning that Caddo Lake was our only natural lake, I enjoyed learning that the Amarillo airport is an alternate landing site for the space shuttle, and I was intrigued to learn that Texas was 801 miles from border to border. That being said, there is so much to learn about Texas that I am still learning more interesting facts every day!

How did you get started as an author? 

This is nearly the same answer as to why I decided to write this book; I have always loved to write, and I was given an opportunity by David Thomas Roberts to do just that. He is the owner of the publishing company.