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Born in the small town of Norwich, Conn., Ami Blackford spent a vast amount of her childhood exploring the woods and developing her sense of adventure through imagination. With pencil in hand, she kept a daily journal of her thoughts. Her journals eventually evolved into narratives. She realized at a young age she treasured the art of storytelling, and found great inspiration in the works of Jim Henson, C.S. Lewis, rnJ.R.Tolkien, Brian Froud and Steven Spielberg. rnrnIn 1995, while working towards her undergraduate degree at Tallahassee Community College, Blackford took a class that changed her life. The class was Drawing 101. She discovered she was not only a writer, but also an artist. During the course of the class, she realized she wanted to write and illustrate children’s books.rnrnIn 1998, Blackford was accepted at the Atlanta College of Art. She began working diligently towards her dream of illustrating her writing. With the support of her husband, Lance, she was able to remain focused on her goal. After taking a three year hiatus from school, for the birth of their daughter, Destiny, she re-entered the illustration program with a deep commitment to achieve her dream. Blackford graduated in May 2006 with her B.F.A. and believes “Quest for the Dragon Stone” is her first milestone in a long and exciting career. rnrnThe road to publication has been paved by hard work and patience, and Blackford hopes that adults will be as enchanted with her work as children: “Anything you can dream may be accomplished; it is only a matter of setting one’s mind to it.”
