Heather B. Habelka

Heather B. Habelka spent her childhood summers identifying flowers with her grandmother, exploring the small stream in her backyard, and fishing and gardening with her father. Her mother encouraged her love of reading and writing. She read to Heather every night, indulged her almost daily requests to visit the library, and proudly displayed her poetry and short stories on the refrigerator.

Like many children, Heather lost her connection to nature, and to her imagination, when she started college. As a journalism major she found herself spending more time in front of her computer and less time getting lost in nature or in a great story. But that all changed when she and her husband, Jim, took a trip to Alaska almost ten years ago. They hiked paths once covered by glaciers, kayaked with salmon, and watched soaring eagles and breaching humpbacks put on the most spectacular show.

Upon returning home to Connecticut, Heather and Jim started hiking the trails surrounding their home and kayaking and boating on Long Island Sound. Today, as a freelance journalist, she covers many topics, including all aspects of health and wellness. She is also writing her first work of fiction.

Tracy López

Tracy López is a bilingual writer and poet. Through her nonfiction and fiction writing, she seeks to connect readers with people, characters, and the world around them — sharing stories that explore our shared humanity and celebrating both what makes us individuals and the commonalities that bring us together. When not writing, Tracy likes to spend her time reading, creating art, visiting museums, and autumn day-hiking. She has hiked parts of the Appalachian Trail at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; Shenandoah National Park, Virginia; and in Washington County, Maryland. Born and raised in Maryland —just a short drive from the nation’s capital — Tracy now lives in the beautiful mountain state of West Virginia with her husband Carlos, two sons, and a silly hound dog named Margot.

Her wide-ranging work has appeared in a variety of print magazines, including Café Magazine, Ser Padres, and Plaza Familia, and on Fox News Latino and several other online outlets. Tracy co-authored a middle grade novel, Detour Ahead, which was a National Jewish Book Awards finalist, was included in the Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, and received a starred review from Kirkus, who called it “A well-written and engaging tale…”