I started my career after attending SUNY Oswego and fulfilling a dream of moving to New York City. Working at Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. and Condé Nast introduced me to the world of publishing. Upon moving back to my hometown of Buffalo, NY I found my place at The Buffalo News and met my husband who was serving in the United States Air Force. My background in marketing, photography, sales and writing broadened as I lived, worked and traveled overseas. I authored and managed The Stars and Stripes European special publications in Kaiserslautern, Germany and eventually went on to pursue a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Currently, I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia and Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida. I have a private practice offering Teletherapy. My passion projects include creating stories and books. 

I grew up reading and writing for fun. My earliest memories include my mom reading Opik the Artic Owl and City Mouse, Country Mouse on repeat to me. As I got older, some of my favorite stories were by Judy Blume, VC Andrews, The Sweet Valley High Twins and The Babysitter’s Club series. They all opened up new perspectives and worlds to me. I believe it helped me build empathy and resilience by learning and reading about how kids come from different backgrounds and deal with situations. It taught me I was never alone when I was immersed in a good story and provided an escape to places I couldn’t travel to on my own. Now I am sharing the excitement with my own son as we turn the pages of The Magic Tree House series. I am reliving stories of The Babysitter’s Club with my daughter, eagerly digesting the pages. This time around it is revealing a whole new side to the books, as I am taking in her point of view while providing an opening to having important discussions. 

As an author, my past experiences in the media prove useful with developing stories, collaborating with illustrators and publishing. Working with children, I incorporate my love of books whenever it’s fitting. Often pairing it with a creative outlet. This usually involves making art, crafting, writing, or anything that resonates with them in order to identify, label and express their thoughts and feelings. 

I hope the book The Circle of Hugs offers another channel to experience more aha moments. Children’s books are important at any age. Grown adults can experience the power of words in a bite sized chunk of 32 pages, on average. It creates opportunities for bonding, growth, and sometimes fertile ground for healing wounds. I aim to share inspiration, joy and uplifting messages of connection and resilience.

My grandma once proclaimed, "Heather, I believe you have a serious case of wanderlust!" Fortunately, I met my match with my husband who shares a similar diagnosis. We have traveled to over 25 countries together, exploring, sharing stories and forming countless connections. 

My hope is that this book ignites your senses as a reader and helps you recognize the special ties you have with family and friends. 

My life as a mom, counselor and writer continues to drive my passion and focus forward. Being able to combine my love of kids, family, travel and writing is a dream. Thanks for joining me.