My Family in the Heartland is the first book in the AMAKA series, which follows a little girl, Amaka, in her adventures in her African homeland. Ure was inspired to create a character that was bold, fun and believed in the magic of life. This will hopefully inspire young readers to be proud of themselves, their heritage, imperfections and realize that their true beauty lies in their hearts.The author, Ure Mezu-Chukwu, is a cardiologist with further specialization in electrophysiology, whose love for family and her childhood growing up in Emekuku, South-East Nigeria inspired her to begin writing. She is the youngest girl and eight child in a close-knit family of 11 kids. She started college at 15 years old and graduated in 3 years. She completed medical school in 3 and half years before pursuing her advanced training. She lives in the suburbs of Pennsylvania with her husband and four kids, aged 6 years, 5 years, 3 years and 9 months old. She loves singing, traveling, cooking and spending quality time with her family. She enjoys participating in global health missions in underserved communities. My Family in the Heartland is the first book in the series, AMAKA.