Madeline Baker was born and raised in California. She began writing to entertain herself, never telling anyone until a friend told her she was writing a book as well. After letting a few friends read the book and getting good reviews, Baker decided to try and find a publisher. It took her six years and 31 rejections, but one finally accepted the manuscript for Reckless Heart. Baker writes historical romance novels for Leisure books under the name Madeline Baker, and paranormal romances for Leisure LoveSpell under the name Amanda Ashley. In 1988 Reckless Heart, Reckless Love, Reckless Desire won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award for Best Indian Series. In 1991, Whisper in the Wind… won the Affaire de Coeur's Golden Unicorn Award for Best Time Travel, followed by winning the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence for Midnight Fire in 1992. Baker won the Paperback Trader's Romance Readers Award for Best Indian historical with The Spirit Path in 1993 and Loving Devlin won the Best Indian Historical award from the Puget Sound Romance Readers in 1994. 1995 won Baker the Paperback Trader's Romance Readers Award for Best Indian historical for the second time, as well as being voted one of Affaire de Coeur's Top Ten Authors. In 2000, she was voted Historical Storyteller of the Year by Romantic Times Magazine. Her works include Dude Ranch Bride, West Texas Bride, and Every Inch a Cowboy.