Hi! I'm Heidi and I write and illustrate books for kids and teens (and maybe adults one day). More often than not, my work finds itself centering around themes of community, empathy, inclusion, and love. Born and raised in Southern California, I now live in Salt Lake City with my family, including our adopted pup. She has one brown eye and one blue eye, so I named her Graceling, naturally.
Here are some other facts about me:
Accolades: I made the gallery showcase for the 2023 Kids Comics Unite! PitchFest for my early reader graphic novel featuring a set of beloved neurodivergent guinea pigs. You can view the whole gallery here and my personal pitch page here. I also received an Honorable Mention in the 2022 #PBParty showcase for my picture book, The Wild Within, about what it's like to be highly sensitive.
Favorite books? Graceling series, The Prince & the Apocalypse, Wild Blue Wonder, Firekeeper's Daughter, Living With Viola, With a Name Like Love, A Mad Wicked Folly
How did you get into writing? Actually, the writing has always been in me (bah-dum-ch!). I've been writing since I was little. I remember co-creating comic books with my brother when we were bored at our dad's house. Emo poetry poured out of me during my tween and teen years. I moved through journalism and editorial work in high school and college. But when I had kids, I rediscovered my love for children's stories.
How did you get into art? Again, it's always been there, no matter what art form I was kindling. Drawing, sewing, baking, crocheting, card making, painting, printmaking... I want to learn it all. But after starting college as a business major and realizing I didn't want to spend my life doing that, I found the most fun major I could: art! (I did minor in graphic design and paid the bills with that job for over a decade.)
What pets do you have? Some of my stories feature animal characters and I'm heavily inspired by my own pets. As an adult, I had a Pomeranian named Roxy, three guinea pigs (Stacy, Riley, and Buttercup), and at present have a mixed breed dog named Graceling (Gracie, for short).
