Amanda Engelke: Losing a Dream, Finding Faith & Starting Again
What happens when the dream you’ve spent your whole life pursuing suddenly disappears?
In this episode of the Angela Adkins Podcast, Angela sits down with author, publisher, and visionary Amanda Engelke for a powerful conversation about loss, healing, faith, second chances, and finding the courage to dream again.
Amanda once dreamed of becoming a professional ballet dancer, but years of physical strain and a serious fall forced her to walk away from the future she thought was already planned. What felt like the end eventually became the beginning of something new.
Amanda shares how reading and writing became an outlet for her grief and how that journey eventually led to her book Dancing Beyond the Chains, a clean contemporary romance centered on healing and rediscovering purpose. She explains how pieces of her own emotional journey found their way into the story while allowing her characters to develop journeys of their own.
The conversation also goes behind the scenes of building Reality Xscape Publishing, where Amanda is working to give authors mentorship, guidance, community, and another path through the publishing industry.
Episode Highlights
How Amanda’s dream of becoming a professional ballerina came to an end
Turning grief and disappointment into creativity and purpose
Why writing became more than a hobby
The personal story behind Dancing Beyond the Chains
Learning to see your worth even when others don’t
The importance of surrendering control and trusting God’s direction
Creating clean, meaningful fiction without sacrificing great storytelling
The realities authors face when entering the publishing industry
Why Amanda created Reality Xscape Publishing
Mentoring new authors and helping them turn writing into a career
What’s next for Amanda, including new books and upcoming publishing projects
A powerful closing prayer for anyone who feels lost, discouraged, or afraid to dream again
If you’ve ever watched a dream disappear and wondered, “What now?”, this conversation is for you.
Your story isn’t over just because the plan changed. God may be leading you toward something you never expected.
Watch or listen to Episode 27, share it with someone who needs encouragement, and don’t be afraid to dream again.
Be sure to check out Amanda’s Dancing Beyond the Chains, learn more about Reality Xscape Publishing, and subscribe to the Angela Adkins Podcast for more conversations about faith, healing, purpose, and hope.
