Amanda Cockrell

Amanda Cockrell is a distinguished author, born and raised in Ojai, California. She was surrounded by a creative environment as her father, Francis M. Cockrell, was a screenwriter, and her mother, Marian Cockrell, was a novelist and screenwriter. Ojai, with its horse-riding culture and the presence of Hollywood's elite, became the template for the setting of several of Cockrell's books.

Cockrell's writing journey began in high school, where she created characters that her English teacher criticized for being shallow. This critique, however, only motivated Cockrell to hone her writing skills further. She pursued her passion for writing and creative writing at Hollins College, now Hollins University, where she received a master's degree in English and creative writing. Hollins University has a renowned writing program that encourages students to develop their unique writing style, rather than conforming to a specific mold.

Cockrell has had a successful writing career, having written in various forms, including radio commercials, ads, local history, book reviews, obituaries, and wedding stories. She has also published under the pseudonym Damion Hunter. Cockrell has received recognition for her work, having been awarded fiction fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Currently, she serves as the managing editor of Hollins University's literary journal, The Hollins Critic, and director of its graduate program in children's literature. Cockrell lives with her husband, Tony Neuron, and a variety of dogs and cats in Roanoke, Virginia.