Author H. T. Martineau

Where to begin …

I hate these sorts of things. Don’t you hate talking about yourself? Oy. I hope you enjoy my stories and that the stories stand for themselves. Me? Well, I’m probably a lot like you.

I was a weird one growing up (still am, really). I grew up on a farm, more happily spending time with animals than people. When I wasn’t spending time with another sort of introvert, I was reading. In school, I could read no matter what was going on around me. I could drown out anything and stay absorbed in the story. My first time in trouble at school was because I decided it was better to read in Pre-Algebra than do my homework. My first encounter with bullies was when my book was taken and thrown in the trash. In the cafeteria. Eww.

I was more at home with books and other fantasies. I grew up reading fantasy and adventures. My favorite author in middle school was Tamora Pierce. If you love reading about strong young gals who go against the grain, those are for you. My favorite author since has been Juliet Marillier. In addition to weaving tales to lose oneself in, she’s also a very down-to-earth lady. Finally, a tried-and-true will always be Dragonlance. My favorite Dragonlance book would have to be Siege of Mount Nevermind. There’s just something about the gnome flingers that gets me. There are also more mainstream staples, like Tolkien. Adventure, medieval, or fantasy, and I’m usually eating it up.

Growing up, one of my favorite things was to go to festivals with my family. Scottish festivals, Celtic festivals, Medieval Faires, and the Renaissance Festival (where I actually married my dream man in a fairytale ceremony). When I was sixteen, I got to live the magic firsthand, going to Scotland for five months (and two days) as an exchange student. It was an experience like no other. Among the amazing sights and opportunities, I first dreamt up the world of Ambergrove in a Scottish park. Neverland, to be exact. Yes, really. I sat in a gazebo on Kirrie Hill, in the beautiful Kirriemuir (occasionally taking a break to use the Peter Pan swing) and drew up the first drafts of the worldmap. I stayed up late on the bright summer nights and wrote synopses for dozens of stories. I can’t wait to tell them to you.

I almost didn’t write them. I put all my book stuff away for nearly a decade. I went to college, had some major lows, pieced myself together (with help), became a homeowner, and taught high school English for a couple years. My amazing husband (who I met due to mutual nerdiness) has always been supportive. It was his encouragement that prompted me to dig out my map, find the nine-year-old flash drive, and make full use of my 2019 spring break. Now, here we are. My books are available in libraries and bookstores, and I will continue to publish new books every year. If you like Ambergrove, and you can’t wait for the next books to come out (hopefully that’s the case), you have my husband to thank. He’s my adventure.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Enough of that. But really, though. I’ll end with this: Take time for the things you love. I spent years telling myself I didn’t have time for this or that, telling myself even if I did have time I wasn’t good enough. A lot of “don’t have times” added up to a lot of missed opportunities. Cherish the people who cherish you, do the things you’ve been wanting to do, and believe in yourself. Make the world you want to make.