Ashley C. Darling

#PimpMyBio is an optional blog post for the Pitch Wars 2016 mentee hopefuls. If you don’t know what Pitch Wars is, take a look over at Brenda Drake’s site, and learn all you want to know! It’s basically an awesome contest for writers where mentees (like me!) join up with mentors in the business (authors, agents, editors, etc) and work together to get the mentee’s manuscripts polished and up to snuff for the agent around in a few months. I can’t wait to submit!

ABOUT ME

I’m a twenty-something fantasy writer living in northwest Arkansas. By day I work at a veterinary clinic as an inventory manager/receptionist, and by night I’m a swashbuckling heroine, a warrior defending her people, and a young mutant learning about her power — all in my books, of course.

I’ve been writing since I was 11 (so like forever, but who’s counting?), ever since my grandfather gave me my first (used) Toshiba laptop. I started out in the Neopets forum (yes, I’m that old) and eventually moved to forum-based roleplay. When I’m not pretending to be a wolf on the internet (GO WOLF!), I’m researching for my novels, or else reading some of my favorite books.

I’m a huge fantasy and sci-fi fan. Some of my favorite authors include JK Rowling, George RR Martin, Robin Hobb, and Pierce Brown, among others. In my teenage years I obsessed over Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. TRUE BLOOD is my favorite show EVER, and the books the show is based on, the Sookie Stackhouse Series, are just as amazing. I love vampires; I should probably write about them someday!

I grew up in Miami, Florida, for seven years, then moved to northwest Arkansas when my dad got a job up here. I love it. It’s the most gorgeous area of the country, even if it can get a bit stifling (it was once well over 110 degrees for two weeks. Talk about heat!).

I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I can remember. It’s something I’ve worked on over the years, but in 2014 I finally had the grand inspiration for my book. Between a friend’s ideas, and my own crazy imagination, I dreamed up the world in which I write, and I hope the passion and love for this world come across.

ABOUT MY BOOK

I’m submitting THE ADEPT, a YA historical fantasy inspired by the Amazon warriors of ancient Greece. It follows a young woman as she uncovers a plot to kill the Queen, and the consequences of her actions as she discovers the would-be-usurper’s identity: her own mother.

WHY PICK ME

Everyone says this, so to some extent it loses its meaning, but I will seriously bust my ass to revise and strengthen this manuscript. I love the ADEPT and the world I’ve created. I just need someone else’s eyes to help me polish it, bring it to a shining gleam, and delve deeper into world than I ever thought possible. I’ve got the work ethic, I just need someone to point me in the right direction, because right now I’m feeling a little lost.

Take a look at the other mentee bios here.