Amy Leigh is the pen name of romance author Brenda Smith-Beagley. Brenda grew up in the small mid-west town of Janesville, Wisconsin. The daughter of an artist, she tried her hand at painting and figured out early in life she was able to express herself better with words. Her mother is a talented seamstress and floral designer and gave up any hope of her daughter ever following in her footsteps when Brenda tore out the zipper of her Home-Ec skirt nine times and still sewed it crooked.

Upon graduation from Craig High School (Go Cougars!), she accepted a scholarship to play basketball for the University of Missouri, where she enrolled in the School of Journalism. At Missouri she met her future husband who followed her from economics to philosophy class MWF. After two years, warm weather and the Pac-Ten beckoned. She transferred to the University of Arizona at Tucson where she was a starting center and team Co-Captain for the Lady Wildcats. Go Wildcats!!

While at Arizona, Brenda developed an interest in fiction writing. Who else but a future author would take fiction writing classes as electives? She graduated with a BA in Radio-Television.

Shortly after she married her college sweetheart, in a five-minute ceremony in Las Vegas, they moved to Phoenix. Her husband's career in Public Relations has taken them to Arizona, California, New Jersey, Colorado and Texas, where she currently resides. Aside from writing, she substitute teaches and keeps busy attending her young son and daughter's sporting events. Much to the dismay of the coaches, Brenda is one of those obnoxious parents who can be heard from the stands shouting instructions to the kids.

She is a member of Romance Writers of America, North Texas Area Romance Writers, and The Heart of Denver Romance Writers.