Heather Swain...

lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, two children, a dog, and two cats. She is the author of five novels for young adults, two kids craft books, two illustrated children's books, two novels for grown ups, and numerous short stories, personal essays, and non-fiction articles. 

Full Bio:

Heather Swain is an award-winning author of novels, short stories, personal essays, and non-fiction articles. In 1999, she came to literary attention when her story “Sushi” appeared in the anthology Virgin Fiction 2 from Rob Weisbach Books as one of twenty winners in a national contest for new young writers.

Her first novel, Eliot’s Banana, was praised by Kirkus Review as an “engaging debut about death, modern romance, and growing up.” Midwest Book Review called it “a deep chick lit tale” that was “one of the sub-genre’s best of the year.” Her second novel Luscious Lemon was awarded the Best Fiction Book by an Indiana Author from the Indiana State Library Center for the Book and was short-listed by Romantic Times as one of the best chick-lit books of 2004.

Her personal essays have been anthologized in the collections Because I Love Her, It’s a Wonderful Lie, and Crush: 26 True Life Tales of Love. She’s also written pop culture essays about Gilmore Girls, Supernatural, and Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter for the Smart Pop series which have been published in the books Coffee at Luke’s, In the Hunt, and Arduer. Her short stories have appeared in books This is Chick Lit and Cold Feet, as well as in literary magazines such as Other Stories and Potpourri. She is the co-editor (along with Emily Franklin) of the anthologyBefore: Short Stories About Pregnancy from Our Top Writers. Swain’s work has also appeared in Time Out New York Kids, American Baby, and Salon.com among other publications.

More recently, she has been focused on writing for teens. Her futuristic thrillers Hungry, Gifted, and Supermoon have been praised by School Library Journal as “a unique tour de force…that requires readers to examine current society, their place within invisible and sometimes all-too-visible hierarchies, and the consequences of genetic engineering.” Publisher’s Weekly says, “Swain’s fast-paced novel offers an engaging story line, a strong narrative voice, and intriguing worldbuilding.” All three novels are available from Feiwel & Friends/MacMillan.

Previously, Speak released her series for teens about a 15-year-old elf named Zephyr who attends a performing arts high school in Brooklyn. The first book Me, My Elf, and I hit stores in June 2009, with a sequel Selfish Elf Wish in 2010. Her next YA novel,Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire, a paranormal spoof was released in September 2012.

When she’s not writing fiction, she’s making toys and playing games at home with her kids. Her first craft book, Make These Toys made a splash in the summer 2010, with reviews and excerpts in national magazines such as Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, and Better Homes and Gardens. The follow-up book, Play These Games hit shelves on May 1, 2012.

Heather’s first two children’s picture books All Kinds of Kisses and How Many Hugs were released in 2016 & 2017 both in picture book and board book formats.

You can find her on Instagram @haswainbooks.