Heather Manley: Combining Human Body and Nutrition in an Entertaining and Engaging Fashion
Dr. Heather Manley, who in 2001 received her medical degree from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, is a practicing physician whose primary interest is preventative healthcare for families. She is the author of the award winning Human Body Detectives, her children’s educational adventure series of story-telling books, eBooks, and iPhone/iPad apps. She also promotes wellness and naturopathic healthcare on her website DrHeatherND.com. She lives on the Big Island of Hawaii with her husband and two daughters, and is currently at work on the next Human Body Detectives adventure.
Tell us a bit about your family. My husband, 2 daughters and I live in Hawaii… not on the beach but in the mountains (3000 feet elevation). We have 2 cats, 1 dog and 2 crazy chickens that roam our backyard eating every single bug and laying eggs for us everyday.
What is your favorite color?
Silly as it might sound, but pink is my favorite color – especially fushia pink. It always brings a smile to my face when I see it.
What is your favorite food? This is tough because I love to eat. Recently I had grilled polenta topped with spinach and mushrooms with a cashew cream sauce. Thank you Café Gratitude for that meal!
What do you do to unwind and relax? The beach completely relaxes me: the sun, the sand and the smell of the ocean. I literally cannot move when I’m there. I will just lie out a towel and nestled myself into the sand.
What’s your favorite place in the entire world? Africa. I lived in East Africa in my early twenties and fell in love with the people, the culture and the wildlife. Enough about me… onto my kids’ book series!
What inspires you to write and why? First and foremost: the kids. The obesity epidemic, the health of the world and planet comes in second. I feel that if people understand how their bodies work, they are more apt to make healthier lifestyle decisions.
Do you intend to make writing a career? I have always enjoyed writing but it never occurred to me that I would ever be a published author. I am a naturopathic physician and have spent years in a classroom or lab learning about biology, chemistry, biochemistry… practically, every ology out there!
Have you developed a specific writing style? My mission is to write entertaining, engaging yet educational stories about the different physiological systems of the body and weaving in a bit of nutrition too.
What is your greatest strength as a writer? My greatest strength is simplifying how the different systems in the body function to enable people to really grasp how it works. It is quite empowering for my readers!
How did you come up with the title? I liked the idea of CSI and connecting detective with human body, I came up with Human Body Detectives.
Who designed the cover? My artist lives in Argentina and when he has the images completed, I will chose one or two that I believe will make a great cover. I will then send them to my graphic artist and she does her magic on creating the ideal cover.
Can you tell us about your main character? My daughters, Merrin and Pearl, are my main characters. I wrote the stories for them and their classmates; therefore, it seemed fit to use their names.
Who is your publisher? After submitting my manuscript to publishers and agents and receiving no possible contracts, I decided to go ahead and self publish. It has really been a blessing as I have so much creative control.
What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general? The hardest part is not allowing myself to edit while I write, A few years ago, I was at a writers conference and one author said, just keep writing because you can always go back and edit. Sometimes, I want to edit as I go but I think you lose some creativity with that.
What was the hardest part about writing this book? I would say sorting out exactly what I want the kids to learn: vocabulary, medical terms and organs. Once, I have figured that out my brain just begins creating scenarios that kids would relate too and the writing takes off.
Have you started another book yet? Yes… my fourth book on the skeletal system is at the editors right now and the images are being created.
Can we expect any more books from you in the future? Next up are journeys through the nervous and muscular systems.
What contributes to making a writer successful? Passion, Patience and Persistence.
Do you have any advice for writers? Just keep writing, definitely begin blogging and be a part of social media world. You need to market!
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? Ohhh there are so many, but Dr. Phil said once, “ Just put it all on the line and see what happens.” And this has helped me get through times when I am a little scared about putting myself out there.
Buy at Amazon
Genre - Children’s (G)
Buy at Amazon
Genre - Children’s (G)
Buy at Amazon
Genre - Children’s (G)
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