Amber Garza

Her latest novel, When I Was You, is an up-all-night story of suspicion, obsession and motherhood

About Amber Garza

Amber Garza has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Coffee and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music, and talks about her characters like they’re real people. She lives with her husband and two kids in Folsom, California, which is — no joke — home to another Amber Garza. She is currently working on her next novel.

 

BOOKS:

When I Was You (August 25, 2020) | Target – Indiebound – Amazon – Barnes & Noble

The Last Time I Saw Her (December 8, 2017)

Mark My Words (March 7, 2017)

The Girl Frozen In Time (June 21, 2014)

The Stranger I Know (April 13, 2014)

Your biggest literary influences:

Alice Hoffman, Jodi Picoult, Sophie Hannah, Mary Higgins Clark, Carolyn Keene, Beverly Cleary

Last book read:

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

The book that changed your life:

Little Face by Sophie Hannah. It was the first true psychological thriller I’d read, and it blew my mind. After that, I was hooked on this genre.

Your favorite literary character:

Nancy Drew. Growing up, I read every single Nancy Drew book at least once. I loved how smart, strong and brave she was. 

Currently working on:

I’m working on a book tentatively titled Where I Left Her. It’s the story of Whitney and her fifteen-year-old daughter Amelia. One evening, Whitney drops Amelia off at a friend’s house for a sleepover. From the car, she watches Amelia walk up to the front door, sees the friend let her in. The next day, Whitney returns to the house to pick her daughter up but is greeted by an elderly woman who has no idea what she’s talking about.

Words to live by:

Let everything you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 14:16)

Advice for aspiring authors:

Read, read and read some more! Honestly, I can’t think of better advice. I’ve always been an avid reader and I believe it has shaped not only my love of writing but my ability to craft a story. 

ARTICLES/REVIEWS:

Publisher’s Weekly review of When I Was You

Get Literary review of When I Was You

Christina McDonald’s review of When I Was You 

Readasauras review of When I Was You



 




Testimonials

” "A thoroughly enjoyable, heart-pounding thriller. When I Was You pitches two women with the same name against one another, and the rug is pulled out from under you the moment you decide to trust one of them. The tension builds right up to the final twist!"
- —Sandie Jones, USA Today bestselling author of The Other Woman 
” “Amber Garza has upped the game on the classic stalker novel! When I Was You is a fast-paced, beautifully plotted book that will keep you reading until the last page. You won’t want to put this one down.”
- —Samantha Downing, USA Today bestselling author of My Lovely Wife
” “I opened When I Was You expecting to just have a quick sneak peek ... and couldn’t put it down all weekend. Exhilarating, page-turning, shocking, this is one of those rare psychological thrillers that really is the whole package. An electric, raw, emotional story that will leave you breathless. With a tightly woven plot, twists I never saw coming, and characters so sharply drawn, I inhaled the story rather than simply read it. When I Was You is a dark and twisty delight.”
- —Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling author of The Night Olivia Fell