Amanda M DouglasAmanda Minnie Douglas was an American author of adult and juvenile fiction. She was probably best recognized by young readers of her day for the Little Girl and Helen Grant series, which were released in the decades preceding the turn of the twentiet century. The eldest daughter of John Douglas and Elizabeth Horton was born in New York City and raised there, with the exception of a few years on a farm outside Poughkeepsie, New York. She studied art design at the City Institute of New York City for a while before circumstances compelled her to rely on her stronger talent as a writer to support her family. Douglas started by sending short stories and poetry to local publications. Her stories eventually published in The New York Ledger, the Saturday Evening Post, and Lady's Friend Magazine. Her debut work, In Trust, was published in 1866 and sold approximately 20,000 copies. Douglas learned from this initial experience and made careful to keep the copyrights on all of her future works. She went on to publish at least one novel per year until her retirement in 1913. Read More Read Less