Meet the Author - Heather Norman Smith

Heather Norman Smith

Heather is a Christian Fiction and devotions author. Her goal is to use the written word to entertain and encourage while illuminating the redemptive love of God. Heather is proud to be a life-long North Carolinian and aims to present the beauty of the Tar Heel State in her fiction. Her home is just outside Winston-Salem, NC, where she lives with her husband and their four children, two cats, two dogs, and some fish.

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Author Interview

When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

I knew when I was very young, but I forgot all about the dream until one day in 2017 when a character showed up in my head and started telling me her story.

When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?

I’m a mother of four—two girls, ages 12 and 9, and two boys, ages 6 and 3. (The youngest is a pre-adoptive foster placement who has been with us for six months now!) My husband is our youth pastor, so I’m a pastor’s wife, and my dad is our pastor, so I’m a preacher’s kid. I work as a contractor in the Information Technology industry, but I am on hiatus between contracts right now. I love to spend time with my family, explore my home state of North Carolina, and sing about Jesus.

What is your favorite genre to read? What about that genre draws you?

I like all things Southern Fiction. I enjoy rich characterization of people who are proud of their heritage and feel a deep connection to their birthplace the way I do.

What is your favorite holiday? And why?

I love Easter! I love the feeling of new birth in springtime. I like that it less commercialized than Christmas. And for me, Easter commemorates the most important event in human history.

What historical figure do you admire and why?

There are so many that it’s hard to narrow down. I have great respect for the founding fathers of the United States who had such wisdom and foresight in establishing a government for the people, by the people. And I admire the disciples of Christ who promoted the Gospel despite persecution that lead to them being martyred. Some of my heroes from more recent history are Corrie Ten Boom, who was captured by the Nazis for hiding Jews in her home during WWII, and Elisabeth Elliot, who went to live with and minister to the Huaorani natives of Ecuador in 1958, even after they killed her missionary husband.

What research did you do for this book?

One fun thing I did was subscribe to the National Geographic online archive, so I could actually read the articles my character, who loves the magazine, would have read and make references to them. I also did internet searches to make sure certain things had been invented or brands were around in 1961—like gas-powered lawnmowers and Kool-aid. I looked up musicians of the time to make references to songs that would have been playing on the radio. I read about News Headlines from that year, like the Bay of Pigs invasion. I also did a lot of research on the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the building of Fontana Dam.

Which character did you enjoy writing most?

I enjoyed writing Nate, of course. As the main character in a first-person point-of-view book, he and I spent a lot of time together. But I also enjoyed writing Smithy—Nate’s friend in his early twenties who is a bit of a complex character. He’s tender and kind, but has a sketchy past. He’s not naturally sophisticated, but he tries to be when the situation calls for it.

Because I am a K-12 school librarian I have to ask – what is your favorite children’s book?

I think it’s for all ages, but my favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Some favorite picture books from my childhood are The Monster at the End of This Book (starring Grover, of course) by Jon Stone and “Stand Back!” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” by Patricia Thomas.

Every year I organize a Young Authors Day for the kids at our school. What advice would you give to a child who wants to be a writer?

Just tell the stories you want to read.

This interview was originally part of a blog tour.

While her books aren’t necessarily written for the K-12 Christian school audience, there may be something that will work for your audience.

Find Heather’s Books on Amazon

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If you are an avid reader, you need to check out my Reading Journal for Book Lovers is perfect for readers. As a paperback, Reading Journal for Book Lovers is a great gift for all book lovers, bloggers, and book reviewers.