I’m so excited to introduce you to Amber Wilds. Amber is the star of my latest novel, Playing By The Rules, which will be available next week. The best news is it will be FREE on all platforms so you can get your copy without spending a cent!

A little background on Amber…

Amber grew up with two great parents and a little sister, Gabby. They were close growing up, but Amber and her dad had a special connection. She was a tomboy and her dad taught her to play softball and love it. She went to college on a softball scholarship.

Just before the start of her spring semester of her senior year, Amber was out drinking with friends and got arrested. Her arrest wasn’t okay with the team and she was kicked off the team, lost her scholarship, and had to drop out of college because her parents couldn’t afford to pay for her college.

The story begins five years later when Amber is trying to put her life in order. She is sick of working crappy jobs to make ends meet and is ready to go back to college and finish her degree.

Here’s my “interview” with Amber so you can get to know her. And make sure you pick up her story next week! Stay tuned to Facebook and Twitter for updates on the release.

MET: What are you doing with your life?
AW: Nothing right now, but I want to make more of my life than just being a drain on society. I don’t take handouts, but I know I’m not contributing to the world.

MET: What is standing in your way?
AW: I don’t have the money to go back to school and without a degree I can’t do much other than what I’m doing.

MET: What do you do for a living? Are you any good at it?
AW: I work because I have to. I’m sort of attached to eating. And having a place to live. And clothes. I work at the Y because they let me keep a set schedule so I can work my other jobs around my Y hours, Delta Sonic is cool because I get to be outside which I like, even in the cold. My ump job is new but I took that because the money was good and I needed some extra for my bff’s wedding. I also figured it would be a good way to figure out if I can handle that world again, the one that cast me aside after I got arrested.

MET: What is your secret dream?
AW: I’d love to meet that cop again and kick him in the shins. Or maybe the nuts. He ruined my life and I wish I could share an inkling of my pain with him.

MET: Where do you live?
AW: Emily and I share an apartment in Paradise Park, NY, about thirty miles south of Buffalo along Lake Erie (and totally fictional). Our apartment isn’t in a great area of town, but it’s all I could afford and Emily was saving money for her wedding so it worked for her too. The place is small but we each have our own room and bathroom. The kitchen and living room are tiny, but it works for us.

MET: What are your hobbies?
AW: I don’t have time for hobbies. I work constantly so I can eat. Does eating count as a hobby?

MET: I don’t think so. It’s more of a necessity. What is your biggest fear?
AW: Seeing that cop again. I joke about wanting to kick him, but I’m not sure I could control myself if I ever met him.

MET: What do you avoid more than anything else?
AW: Breaking rules. The last time I broke a rule was when I got arrested. I haven’t done anything ‘bad’ since then. I don’t drink anymore, and I always make sure I’m in line with the rules. I can’t risk going through the same thing I went through before.

MET: What is your biggest strength?
AW: I guess working hard. I’ve been killing myself for so long just to survive I guess I’ve gotten good at it.

MET: What do people like most about you?
AW: Hell if I know. I think I’m a bit bitchy most of the time.

MET: What do you wish you could do?
AW: I wish I could go back and get a ride home with my friends that night. I try to imagine how different my life would be if I’d never been arrested, but everything about my life that sucks goes back to that one night, one stupid decision.

MET: What talents do you have?
AW: I guess I have a unique was of looking at things. I wanted to become an architect because I’ve always loved creating things, but I’m a good artist. I can listen to someone talk about something and draw it for them. Architecture seemed like a good fit. I just hope I can get enough scholarships and financial aid to make it happen.

MET: Who do you have a crush on?
AW: Does Channing Tatum count? Coach Caleb intrigues me. He didn’t back away when we met, but he’s married which means he’s totally off limits.

MET: What do you believe matters?
AW: Truth and obedience. I learned the hard way that if you aren’t obedient you will get punished for it, even if you didn’t really do anything. I’ve always believed in truth. Too bad some people don’t want to know the truth.

MET: What’s your favorite expression?
AW: Go suck an egg because it’s a nice way of telling someone to fuck off.

 

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Amber a little. She was a fun one to write about. I can’t wait for you to read her story.