Welcome — I’m glad you’re here.
I write stories about love, choices, second chances, and the wonderfully complicated people who rarely behave the way I planned.
Some of those stories are contemporary. Some carry a little suspense, history, or magic with them. But at the heart of all of them are characters trying to figure out who they are, what they want, and whether they’re brave enough to reach for it.
This is where you can explore my novels and short fiction, go behind the scenes of the places and ideas that inspire my stories, catch up on what I’m writing, and occasionally witness what happens when fictional characters completely hijack an author’s carefully constructed plans.
So grab your favorite drink, pull up a chair, and stay awhile.
There are always more stories to tell.
About the Author
Heather McCoubrey began writing in middle school after a teacher showed her that instead of simply disappearing into other people’s stories, she could create worlds of her own. Her first poems appeared in her school magazine, and before long she had graduated from poetry to writing her first full-length novel.
She is the independently published author of To Love Twice, Back to December, Emily’s Choice, and True Love’s Kiss. Her short fiction has also appeared in The First Line.
Heather writes emotional, character-driven stories about love, healing, family, friendship, and the choices that can change a life. Her characters have a longstanding habit of ignoring her outlines, developing opinions of their own, and occasionally turning what was supposed to be a straightforward romance into something considerably more complicated.
A native of Maine who moved throughout the United States while growing up, Heather now lives in Pennsylvania with her family and their ever-changing menagerie of pets. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, traveling, daydreaming about tropical islands, practicing her terrible British accent, or wondering why the people she invented refuse to listen to her.
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Meet Heather
Where were you born?
Calais, Maine — way up there near the Canadian border.
Favorite color?
Purple. Always purple.
Coffee or tea?
Chai. Iced, frozen, or hot — I’m equal-opportunity chai.
Early bird or night owl?
Night owl. Absolutely no contest.
Dog or cat?
Yes. 😂
I’ve always loved cats for their independence and attitude, but apparently my life has expanded into a full menagerie, so I refuse to choose anymore.
Do you listen to music while you write?
Sometimes. It depends entirely on the scene, the mood, and whether my characters have decided music is allowed that day.
Do you outline your novels before you write them?
Very loosely. I usually know who the characters are, where the story is starting, and roughly where I think it might end.
Then the characters laugh at me.
I’m definitely more of a discovery writer than a strict plotter. Some of my favorite moments happen because a character takes the story somewhere I didn’t expect.
How much do you write every day?
I don’t have a daily word-count rule anymore. Some days I write thousands of words. Other days I edit, brainstorm, research, or stare suspiciously at a character who refuses to cooperate.
I’ve learned that writing a book is still writing even when the word counter isn’t moving.
Favorite character you’ve created?
This is an unfair question.
Every time I think I have a favorite, another character shows up and demands attention. I have a soft spot for Anna from Back to December because of everything she survives and becomes, and Flynn and Libby from True Love’s Kiss gave me an entirely different kind of story to love.
But ask me again while I’m deep into another manuscript and I’ll probably give you a completely different answer.
What kind of stories do you love to write?
Stories about people making hard choices.
Love stories, yes — but also stories about healing, family, friendship, identity, second chances, and figuring out what you want when everyone else seems to have an opinion about what your life should look like.
Apparently I also have a weakness for characters carrying enough emotional baggage to require their own airline.
Where do your story ideas come from?
Everywhere.
A place. A line of dialogue. A strange historical fact. A news story. A dream. Something someone says in passing.
The actual problem has never been finding ideas. It’s convincing all of them to wait their turn.
What is your writing process like?
Chaotic but effective. 😂
I usually start with a character or situation that won’t leave me alone. I write until I understand the people better, occasionally discover I’ve gone twenty thousand words in the wrong direction, complain loudly, and then figure out what they were trying to tell me.
My characters are opinionated. I’ve accepted it.
What do you read?
Mostly fiction, especially romance, romantic suspense, mysteries, historical fiction, and anything that makes me care deeply about the characters.
I also love discovering the kind of book that makes me resent real life for interrupting my reading time.
Favorite place to read?
Somewhere comfortable, preferably with good weather, shade, and absolutely nobody asking me where anything is.
If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
Somewhere I haven’t been yet — preferably beautiful, full of history, and near water.
I’m always ready for another adventure.
What’s something readers might not know about you?
Short stories were actually where I first learned to love writing. Give me a prompt, a strange first line, or a ridiculous constraint and my brain immediately wants to turn it into a story.
What are you working on now?
Several things, because apparently choosing only one fictional universe is beyond me.
I’m developing new romance and romantic-suspense projects, along with a mystery series that has become considerably more complicated than originally planned.
Which, honestly, is pretty much how all my stories behave.
Heather McCoubrey | Author 