Meet Heather

MEET HEATHER

Photo Credit - Kendall Stigall

How to Pronounce Heather's Name:
HEH-thr (rhymes with feather)
Sti-GAAL (same vowel sound as in stick + gall rhymes with wall)

Once upon a time...

in a little-known land called Central New Jersey, lived a girl named Heather. She loved books, baking & the beach, sewing & scrapbooking, and her friends & family, but she didn't know what she wanted to be when she grew up. Now that she's grown, she tells people that she still doesn't know. But the truth is, she's doing exactly what she was meant to do.

Heather now lives in eastern Pennsylvania with her husband and six children (five human & one canine). When she's not writing, you can find her connecting local children's writer and illustrator friends to critique groups, helping plan Eastern PA SCBWI events, reading, running, chasing children (sometimes on the beach), baking, sewing, scrapbooking, or playing with her friends and family. While doing all of those things, she's still dreaming up story ideas that she turns into books for others to enjoy.

Heather writes stories about children’s interactions with themselves, others, and the world, and she hopes they will inspire, entertain, and connect with her readers.

You can view Heather's official Press Kit HERE.
You can contact Heather HERE.

Member of...

Represented by...

SCBWI (Critique Coordinator/Meet & Greet Coordinator for SCBWIEastPA); 12x12 Picture Book Challenge; a zillion or so writing blogs, Facebook groups, online challenges; an honest & supportive critique group; and a kooky & supportive family.

Amy Nielsen of The Purcell Agency.

Q & A and Other Fairly Useless Trivia

Who...

. . . were your favorite teachers? Mrs. Glemming (5th grade), Mrs. Brainard (6th grade), Mrs. Sardella (8th grade), Mrs. Wilson (12th grade)

What...

. . . is your educational background? Fancy answer: I earned a Bachelor's Degree from Connecticut College with a double major in Child Development and Psychology-based Human Relations and a Certification in School Social Work and Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. Not-so-fancy-answer: I studied how people, especially children and families, behave and think.

Where...

. . . do you get your best ideas? Everywhere! I get ideas from observing and listening to my own and other people's children, from memories of my own childhood, and from funny or interesting things I hear or read. I am often inspired when I'm running, walking the dog, and even in the shower (isn't everybody?).

When...

. . . did you decide to be a writer? Short answer: Yesterday and a long time ago. Long answer: Read my two first blog posts A Visitor for Heather Part 1 and Part 2.

Why...

. . . do you write for children? I have always enjoyed connecting with children, and one way is through books. I wasn't an avid reader as a child, but I discovered a few stand-out books that made me feel understood and showed me the joy of reading. I hope my stories bring a little of that magic to some readers out there.

How..

. . . long can you go without eating chocolate? A week. Or maybe a few days. Okay, more like a few hours.

If...

. . . you could have one superpower, what would it be? A pause button that worked on everyone but me. I'd promise not to abuse my power. Really.

Pet Peeves...

. . . not using turn signals, improper subject-verb agreement, the word "should"

Useless Trivia...

. . . I can cook and bake (a lot); change spark plug wires and a tire; sew, knit, and crochet; do a headstand, pushups, and planks; and go the distance (slow and steady finishes the race). I learned how to drive a tractor and use power tools in elementary school and how to fly sailplanes in high school. I am terrible at remembering people's names and learning foreign languages. I wish I could teletransport. I grew up in a town with no fire hydrants, grocery store, high school, house numbers, sidewalks, streetlights, or library (I borrowed books from a bookmobile until they built one), and we had our milk delivered in glass bottles. I once rode an elephant and a camel, and I took a class just so the teacher could no longer say he never had a girl pass (I got an A). Every year; our family does a 3-day "cookie marathon," and we often bake over 2,000 cookies.