About

Andi Diehn graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College, relied on a freelance writing career when her children were young and childcare was expensive, and now works as a children’s book editor and marketer at Nomad Press. She has written eleven nonfiction books for the educational market, and a fictional picture book on mental illness, MAMA’S DAYS, from Reycraft Books. She has six more nonfiction picture books scheduled to release over the next two years.

Andi also works as a bookseller at her local indie in rural New Hampshire, where she lives with her husband, three sons, and lots of pets.

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You know what I love? Books. And dogs, my family, snow days, beaches in winter, and my job. I’m a writer and editor, and mostly I work with kids’ books. Kids’ books are one of my favorite things in the world.

MAMA’S DAYS (illustrated by the amazing Ángeles Ruiz) is the book of my heart. It’s about a little girl who tells the tale of a misunderstood dragon to help her understand her mother’s behavior, which swings from content to excitable to depressed.

Depression and anxiety are part of the experience of many families, including my own. It’s important to talk about how we’re feeling, what we worry about, the things we wish were different, plus everything we hope stays the same. I want to show kids (and grownups) that they’re aren’t alone, that we’re all showing love as best we can.

And that it’s always good to ask for help.

More about me…

I edit and do some marketing for Nomad Press, publisher of nonfiction children’s books. Since March 2020 (hmmm, wonder why?), I’ve worked from home, which my dogs love. The cats, not so much. 

In fall of 2021, I realized I needed to talk to more people that just the ones I’m related to, so I got a job at my local indie, the Norwich Bookstore. A couple days a week I take off my slippers, put on shoes, and have delightful conversations with other people who love books, and that’s turned out to be the best thing I’ve done for my mental health all year.

I also ghostwrite romantic comedies, which is really just an excuse to watch a lot of feel-good movies in the interest of “research.”

I’m working on several picture books, plus a middle grade horror novel. 

Oh, knitting! I took up knitting a year ago so I wouldn’t scroll through my phone while I watched those research movies and now I can’t stop!

More about me: I have three sons, a husband, three dogs, two cats, two parakeets, a bearded dragon, two ducks, and 20 chickens (give or take, depending on the season). We live on a dirt road in the wilds of New Hampshire where most of our neighbors are deer. I love running the dirt roads around my house, meeting friends by the lake to knit together in the sun, and growing vegetables. Which the chickens and ducks usually eat before I can pick.

I’m represented by Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency.

Things I love:

The sound a hot pan makes when splashed with cold water

Dumplings

Financial security (that’s why I’m a writer. Bwhahahahaha!)

Winter beach

Eating together with family and friends

Sleeping toddlers

Reading on a blanket in a field

Old photographs of people caught in a moment of silliness

The color grey

Turning a skein of yarn into a ball of yarn

Dogs. All the dogs.

Also all the cats.

When friends visit the bookstore and pick out books for each other

Cake. All the cake.