Amanda Collins Beams is a poet, writer and self-described history geek. Born and raised in the ‘Land of Lincoln’, she has always had a keen interest in how people lived in the nine...view moreAmanda Collins Beams is a poet, writer and self-described history geek. Born and raised in the ‘Land of Lincoln’, she has always had a keen interest in how people lived in the nineteenth century. After a career in marketing and public relations, Amanda is exploring a new career as a novelist. She is the mother of two grown sons and a willing slave to one extremely-spoiled four-pound ‘dog-ter’.view less