Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Heather Sweeney

We recently had the chance to connect with Heather Sweeney and have shared our conversation below.

Heather, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Reading a good book! I don’t remember exactly how my love for writing was sparked, but I’m pretty sure it had something to do with my love for reading.

I usually average reading about four books a month, mixing it up between fiction and nonfiction (usually memoirs). I’m a sucker for a good story and good storytelling, and when I find that combination in a book I’m reading I get totally lost in that world.

I used to think that reading was pure entertainment for me, but when I became a writer I realized it went beyond a fun hobby. Reading a variety of books also helps my writing, whether it’s teaching me how to use literary devices or how to pace the narrative or how to leave readers wanting more. So I feel like reading is a great use of my free time because it’s not just entertaining me, but it’s also helping me improve my craft.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the author of the memoir CAMOUFLAGE: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage, which was published in October 2025 by Post Hill Press. It’s about my journey from being overshadowed by my husband’s military career to rediscovering my identity after divorce as a single mother approaching middle age. This is my first book, but hopefully not my last!

I’ve also been a freelance writer for about 15 years. I’ve had work published in national publications as well as literary magazines, including the New York Times, Washington Post, HuffPost, Business Insider, Newsweek, Good Housekeeping and many more. I write about a range of topics, but I mostly focus on divorce and relationships, military life, women’s health and parenting.

One surprising thing about my life as a writer is that I have no educational background in writing. My undergraduate degree is in psychology, and my Masters degree is in elementary education. I don’t think I’ve ever taken a college course on writing other than the basic requirements, but I’ve always loved to write, whether it was bad poetry in high school or filling years of journals. One day I decided to start a blog, and my writing career took off from there. Everything I know about writing has come essentially from on-the-job training, learning as I go from trial and error, from other writers, and practice.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I can’t pinpoint an exact moment, but I know that feeling originated in a pool.

I was a competitive swimmer for twelve years, and I knew growing up that I was physically strong. But feeling powerful involves more than the physical, it includes the mental side as well. That discovery of mental strength took a little longer to grasp, but my years of competing as a swimmer instilled in me the power of confidence, persistence, dedication, problem-solving, goal-setting, and a willingness to work hard to get what I want. And even though my swimming career ended when I was nineteen, I’ve taken all of those skills with me into my writing career.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I almost gave up on my book!

I’d been working on my memoir for several years when a literary agent reached out to me on Twitter offering to consider representing me. Shocked and excited, I sent her my manuscript she requested, fully expecting an immediate positive response. I just knew my dream of being a published author was about to come true.

I was very wrong.

Despite multiple follow-ups with this agent, I never heard from her again. I still don’t know what made her reach out to me to begin with, but when she ghosted me I questioned everything about my project. Was I a bad writer? Was my story boring? Was it time to admit this book would never get published?

After that I took some time away from the manuscript. My confidence was crushed, which in turn crushed my passion for this book I had already dedicated so much time to. I honestly wasn’t sure I’d ever go back to it.

But I did go back to it. And the time away actually gave me some perspective to see things that weren’t working. I hired a developmental editor, made some major revisions, and a few months later I ended up signing with a different literary agent. Obviously, I’m incredibly thankful I didn’t give up!

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think most aspiring writers believe there’s only one path to publication, that if you don’t have an agent and you don’t get an offer from a Big 5 publisher, you’ll never get your book published. I know I once believed that! But it’s not true at all.

I know a lot of authors, and I don’t think I’ve heard the same path to publication twice. Some authors have literary agents, some don’t. Some got publishing deals within days of being on submission, some persevered for years before signing contracts. Some got exactly one offer, others went to auction. There are so many ways to get to the final result.

No path is easy. But once I realized I could find my own path instead of focusing on the only one I thought existed, I was more hopeful about getting my book published.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
In nature. I live near the beach, and it’s the first place I want to go to when I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Whether I’m walking at the edge of the water clearing my head or sitting in a lounge chair watching the sunset and searching for dolphins, the beach is my happy place.

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