Ann Heap

Ann is an award-winning author and artist who lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Even though she earned her degree in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh in 1965, she entered the indie writer world late in life, publishing her first novel two months shy of her eightieth birthday. She writes stories that feature strong, independent women who have stepped out of their time and place in history, stepped beyond their circumstances, to face challenges that readers recognize and have, perhaps, experienced. Though they can be classified as women's fiction, her stories are not just for women as they explore the side-by-side challenges of the men who love them. She creates worlds with community and friendship that celebrate heritage and history.

Her personal foundation of a long life well lived, though not without its many twists and turns, has allowed her to bring a wide perspective to her writing. From her dedication to activism in the 1960s, through careers spanning social work, the business world, and finally teaching, she has a diverse palette to draw from that is reflected in her writing.