Psst! I'm Writing a Book!

Book title, theme, and chapter examples revealed in this patron update.

Dear friend,

Thank you for your generous support of Letters From Heidi. Whether you’ve been cheering me on since 2020 or you discovered my work on Substack, your support has gone a long way in empowering my pen and enabling my words to be published.

If you’re unfamiliar with my writing journey, here’s a quick(ish) recap:

In 2019, I turned 30 and my husband,

Mikey

, gifted me a blog as he thought it prime time to invest in something I enjoyed. I never set out to become a serious writer, but after “Closing the Cultural Gap” was published in an anthology, I began to prayerfully consider whether my hobby should become a career.

It seemed as though God was giving me the green light when he surprised me with a growing readership, patron gifts, and even being contacted by an American publisher who invited me to write a book! I was thrilled by the idea, so I cut back my working hours to 1 paid day a week, and announced publicly that I was going ‘all in’ with my writing.

It was while things were going really well that my pen was interrupted by further surprises—firstly, a worldwide pandemic which greatly changed the publishing landscape for new and unknown authors; and secondly, a successful pregnancy after facing infertility for 5 years. Unable to cope with the stressors and pressures of so much change all at once, I burnt out, and took a 2-year hiatus from writing.

I don’t love failure and I hate disappointing people - so announcing to my patrons that I was taking an indefinite break from writing was tough. No one shamed me for my decision, but my inner critic was loud, and She was the one I disappointed the most. In retrospect, being forced to pause was the best thing for my faith, soul and transition into motherhood. I can now understand God’s purposes for that season—even if it was hard for me to accept His timeline at the time.

For so long, I had been scrambling on the spiritual hamster wheel of hoping to be enough through doing more; deriving my value from being seen and validated for what I can do, instead of nurturing the unseen of who I am becoming in Christ. Persevering for two years as a stay-at-home Mum through the Tiny Years taught me that invisible work can be invaluable. My worthiness is in Christ—not a platform.

While it is true that motherhood put a pause to my career goals, I believe I am now a better writer because of it. I didn’t always desire children, and yet my daughter has changed and blessed me in profound ways. Most notably, she has given me a deeper understanding of God’s grace, mercy, and unconditional love for His children. I have learned this through the indescribable love I feel for her (something I once feared I was incapable of), but also through the grace she daily extends to me in my imperfections as a mother. What was once abstract theological concepts are now tangible truths I experience daily and can echo in my writing.

In 2024, I launched Letters From Heidi on Substack and enabled paid subscriptions from the get-go. This was a vulnerable decision, because to be frank, the stressors and pressures that existed back in 2020 are still there. I don’t want to let my patrons down. I’m still time poor and Mum Brain is the real deal. The difference now is that I am realistic with my limits and capacity, and I’ve learned to be ok with failure. I will faithfully labour to the best of my ability, and leave the outcome in God’s hands:

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” - Proverbs 16:9

So what have I been working on?

I write two days a week with a focus on two things:

1. Publishing monthly letters on Substack to my subscribers.

2. Writing my book!

Note: This book update is available for patrons only. Details about the book title, theme, and chapters is behind the paywall.