I’m delighted to introduce Amanda Cleary Eastep to you today! Amanda writes for kids and young adults in a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina, where she hikes to waterfalls with her husband and is studying the ecosystem of Southern Appalachia. Her love of God’s creation fills her stories. She is also the senior editor at Moody Publishers, Chicago, working closely with nonfiction and children’s fiction authors to shape their books for Christian readers. Amanda and her husband, together, have eight grown children and a border collie named Annie who wakes Amanda up early to write. I'm excited to share our conversation with you.
Interview
Sue: Jack and the Red Giant is the sixth book in the Tree Street Kids series of middle grade adventure stories (Moody Publishers). Please tell us about the joys and challenges you've experienced as you've written this series.
Amanda: Writing a series takes commitment, and so sacrifices–such as time away from family–are made to reach the goal. However, by my fifth book, I had learned to better pace myself by not overcommitting to my publisher and setting aside early morning writing time so that I could enjoy a true sabbath day each week. One of the greatest joys while writing the books was the reminiscing and brainstorming I did with my three grown kids, each of whom inspired the Tree Street Kids characters Jack, Midge, and Ruthie. The title and some plot points in Jack and the Red Giant (book 6) especially came together after the four of us sat late into one evening imagining fun scenarios. In the acknowledgments of that book, I thank my kids for the ideas they each contributed and I ran with.
Sue: These books touch on big topics such as bullying, friendship, and social skills--all so important for middle grade kids, from a Christian perspective. Any feedback you've received from readers that you can share?
Amanda: I’ve appreciated how parents have described the approach to these topics as “gentle.” In each story, what I want young readers to experience more than stark reality (which they experience every day) is real hope.
Sue: If you could give your 12-year-old self one piece of writing advice, what would you say?
Amanda: Never doubt the value of your writing. Neither payment, nor publication is a measure of its worth. Even if you get paid to write and even if you get to hold your printed book in your hand one day, write first for the joy of it, for the opportunity to meet with God between the lines. I’d also tell a young writer who aspires to write for kids to always nurture their humor, playfulness, and curiosity. These are a children’s writer’s greatest assets.
Sue: Your work with the 21st Century Packhorse Librarians sounds wonderful, and it's in line with one of our goals here at Write2Ignite - to share our faith with the world through literature. We'd love to hear more about your experience with this organization.
Amanda: After mitigating the damage to our home following the historic and catastrophic flooding in western NC caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, I joined a grassroots effort called the 21st Century Packhorse Librarians. This small group of book lovers was named for the original packhorse librarians of the Great Depression who traversed rivers and hillsides on horseback or mules to deliver books to families in remote areas of eastern Kentucky. Throughout the year following the flood, our modern-day librarians delivered about 20,000 donated books to the hardest hit mountain towns–via SUVs not mules! Seeing my Tree Street Kids books go to children who had lost belongings, homes and schools, and loved ones (in one case, a mother) was an experience I–even as a writer–can’t put into words.
Sue: What can we look forward to seeing from you next?
Amanda: My third fiction story for young readers–this time teens–comes out in the August/September issue of Brio magazine (Focus on the Family). Inspired by my work with the packhorse librarians after the WNC flood, the story is titled “The Book Girl of Parson’s Creek.” I’m also back at work on some children’s stories I’d stuck in the drawer while I wrote the six Tree Street Kids books.
Sue: Please finish these thoughts:
I love… besides the Lord and my family? Being outside, especially in the woods or in the garden; taking courses for my Blue Ridge Naturalist certification; traveling to Scotland and India; and getting completely lost in a book.
My favorite Bible character… is Gideon. I love this story so much I once told it through a translator to kids at a village church in India. Gideon’s doubt over God’s care, his wild requests for a sign (and God’s great patience in answering), and his eventual defeat of the Midianites with only 300 men armed with trumpets and clay jars…? He doubted and questioned but obeyed and God used him mightily.
I was hoping you'd ask… “If you could live out a fictional children’s story, which would it be?” Meg in A Wrinkle in Time or Lucy in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Sue: It was lovely to chat with you, Amanda! Thanks again for stopping by and for sharing your expertise with us!
Readers, you can learn more about Amanda by visiting her website, and connect with Amanda on Instagram or Facebook.
GIVEAWAY!
Amanda has generously offered to give away a copy of the entire 6-book Tree Street Kids series to one of our readers. To be entered in the contest, leave a comment in this blog by June 1st.
Children’s author and educator Sue Irwin has written nature features, and biographical and how-to craft articles for various magazines, including AppleSeeds and Highlights for Children, and she’s a frequent contributor to Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. She’s excited about her upcoming board book, Hey There, Blue Bird, Why Do You Chirp? (B&H Publishing, 2026) – releasing in August! – and more coming in 2027. Sue hosts W2I’s monthly Time2Write sessions, and sheinvites you to visit her website and connect with her there.
What a fun interview! I’ve only read Jack Vs. the Tornado, but I really enjoyed it. It was engaging and exciting!