
Hi! I’m Nanette Heffernan. Thanks for stopping by, it’s nice to e-meet you!
You already know I’m a children’s author but here are a few things you may not know about me. I love books. I read books all the time. Fiction stories, anything that makes me laugh, and hundreds of children’s picture books every year, especially environmental children’s books. I also love baby goats. The 3 Cs: cats, coffee, cookies. And… hiking, camping, backpacking, snowshoeing, gardening, walking in the rain, fog, chilly mornings, and anything else as long as it puts me in an outdoor environment.
I’ve had a lot of jobs in my lifetime, mostly selling stuff. I’ve sold just about everything from software, to clothes, to ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream. In fact, I spent nearly twenty years in the corporate world, much of it as VP of Marketing and Sales, before I got to do what I really love, be with my kids and write. Now I spend my days plotting children’s picture books/middle grade adventure novels, and homesteading. I also volunteer as a Master Gardener, Girl Scout leader, Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT) member, Wilderness First Aider, Certified Sustainability Consultant for schools, and with a host of other organizations such as Sustainable Lafayette, Sustainable Contra Costa, and of course SCBWI-the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
My commitment to leave the world a better place than I found it is the single force driving all that I do. So although I love my leadership roles in the community, nothing lights me up more than dressing in school lunch trash and visiting schools and festivals, talking with thousands of kids about the importance of protecting our environment and sustainability. I am pleased to share my efforts have earned me three Environmental Awards of Excellence by the city of Lafayette, CA. I live in Northern California with my husband, three children, Koda the dog, George the cat, eight chickens (every one named Companion), and the cast of characters from my stories, all of whom I chatter with daily.