Books & Anthologies
Out from the Underworld
Greenpoint Press, 2015
Finalist, Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award (2016)
Readers’ Favorite Five-Star Silver Medalist (2015)
East Texas Writers’ Guild Book Awards (2015)
In this heartbreaking yet darkly humorous coming-of-age memoir, Heather Siegel recounts the upheaval of her childhood after her mother’s disappearance, which thrust her family from suburban stability into foster care and hardship. Forty years later, Heather and her siblings confront their past, uncovering family secrets with resilience, humor, and compassion. Out from the Underworld is a wrenching and inspiring story of survival, hope, and the unbreakable bonds of siblings.
The King and the Quirky
Regal House Publishing, 2020
Winner, Next Generation Indie Book Awards — Women’s Issues (2020)
Gold Medalist, Readers’ Favorite Book Award (2020)
In this lighthearted and heartfelt memoir, Heather Siegel navigates love, marriage, and motherhood with humor and honesty. At 34, the artsy skeptic falls for Jon, a man of science and logic, and embraces suburban life—but soon finds herself questioning identity, feminism, and the fairy-tale of “true love.” With quirky entrepreneurial adventures and candid self-reflection, this memoir explores the highs and lows of modern womanhood with plenty of personal growth and laughter.
The Indigo
Stone Tiger Books, 2023
Book Excellence Award Finalist (2023)
Leapfrog Press Fiction Contest Honorable Mention (2017)
Sixteen-year-old Jett Hart refuses to accept her mother’s brain-dead diagnosis after a mysterious near-out-of-body experience in an indigo-colored, starry realm. As her aunt moves to pull life support, Jett races to reconnect with this otherworldly place and bring her mother back—if she can navigate quantum physics, parallel universes, and a growing bond with an amateur physicist friend. The Indigo is a thrilling YA novel weaving astral projection, cosmology, and the fragile ties between consciousness and reality.
Our Magical Pandemic
Stone Tiger Books, 2022
Edited by Jeff Ourvan
An anthology of original short stories capturing whimsy, fantasy, and humor during the COVID-19 lockdown. Heather Siegel’s short story "Taste the Fruit" follows a yogic gardener whose pandemic experiment with a mysterious lawn mushroom takes an unexpected turn.
PLU8 Literary Magazine, 2020
In a year marked by chaos and isolation, PLU8 captures the panic, rage, fear, love, and confusion of 2020 through diverse voices worldwide. Heather Siegel’s creative nonfiction essay, “Pinged,” centering on a facebook romance, explores the themes of midlife invisibility and the desire for connection in the digital age.
Black Lives Have Always Mattered: A Collection of Essays, Poems, and Personal Narratives, 2LeafPress 2017
Edited by Abiodun Oyewole, this anthology offers a broad and thoughtful exploration of racial injustice, history, and resilience through essays, poetry, and personal stories.
Heather Siegel’s essay, "Teaching Racism," shares a personal look at conversations with her young daughter about race, language, and fairness. Through everyday moments and honest reflection, Heather explores the importance of helping a child understand a complicated and painful history, while holding hope for a new generation.
The Chaos Journal of Personal Narrative, 2017
Heather Siegel’s essay, “30 Ways to Succeed,” is a sharply funny account of opening a beauty and juice boutique. As the dream of reinvention unravels into chaos—complete with overpriced fixtures, family friction, and mermaids—Siegel explores the absurdities of entrepreneurship, identity, and the myth of ambition with biting wit and clarity.
The Flexible Persona, Vol. 02 No. 02: The Corporeal Issue, Fall 2017
A biannual print magazine featuring established and emerging writers worldwide. Heather Siegel’s creative nonfiction essay explores the visceral and personal realities of living with autoimmune disease, revealing the physical and emotional battles and the complex journey toward healing and acceptance.
