Amber Helt

Owner, project manager, coach

Amber Helt has her Bachelor of Arts in creative writing and has been working in the publishing industry for over ten years. She was the co-chair of the North Texas chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association for five years and teaches courses on writing and editing for the Editorial Freelancers Association, DFW Writers Conference, and other professional organizations. She’s worked for major and indie publishers, editing fiction and nonfiction work in all stages of production. Her short fiction and ghostwriting projects have won several awards, and although she specializes in speculative fiction, she’s passionate about helping fellow creatives reach their full potential. She is the author of the fantasy-horror short story “Tooth Faerie” in The Lost Legends: Book of Monsters.

Outside of Rooted in Writing, Amber writes short stories and dark fantasy. She lives in Plano, Texas, with her small zoo of animals and toddlers. She’s a strong believer in the Wordsworthian Stroll, and you can often find Amber along one of Plano’s many walking trails.

Cayce Berryman

Developmental Editor

Cayce Berryman has a bachelor’s in English and creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University and an associate in journalism from Del Mar College. She earned an editing certificate from the University of Chicago’s Graham School and has been editing since 2014, when she started a writing workshop called Authors’ Tale. She is a member of ACES and the EFA and works with independent authors and hybrid publishers on multiple genres, including fantasy, mystery, memoirs, and more.

As a dog mom and a new boy mom, Cayce can usually be found at home spending time with family when she’s not editing. Or, if she’s feeling creative, you can find her writing, painting, or taking artsy pictures.

Katherine Kirk

Line Editor, Copy Editor

Katherine Kirk has one Bachelor of Arts in English literature and another in philosophy, as well as a PGCE in English language and literature. She has been editing full time since 2020. She is a professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading and was a panelist at their 2023 conference in Glasgow. She works with indie authors, traditional and hybrid publishers, packagers, and game developers on a wide range of genres, with a particular interest in wibbly-wobbly science fiction and the vast worlds of fantasy.

A lifelong traveller, she has lived in five countries, speaks six languages (but only edits in one of them), and serves two feline overlords. When she isn’t editing, you can find her throwing shiny math rocks, stabbing fabric to make fiber art, or reading under a tree.

Richelle Braswell

Content Editor, Line and Copy Editor