Grateful, Nostalgic, and Still Dreaming: Reflections on the 2026 IPPY Silver for The Hidden Vegetables

The announcement of the 2026 IPPY Awards brought a moment that was as sweetly surreal as it was humbling: The Hidden Vegetables cookbook was awarded the silver medal. Sitting with that news, I felt a wave of gratitude—and, inevitably, nostalgia—wash over me.

It's hard to believe that eleven years have passed since I published my very first book. In some ways, it feels like yesterday; in others, it feels like a lifetime ago. So much has changed, not just in the publishing world, but in my own life. Yet, through every twist and turn, writing has remained my constant companion and source of joy.

Recently, I found myself revisiting an old interview from a few years ago. Watching that conversation, I was struck by just how much has changed—and how much remains the same. The dreams, the doubts, the excitement of each new project: they’re all still with me, just shaped by time and experience. If you’d like to share in a bit of that nostalgia, here’s the video I’m sharing: [Watch the interview here:  Bio Video]

I’m grateful for every project I’ve had the privilege to work on, from cookbooks to women’s fiction, motivational non-fiction, and everything in between. Each book has taught me something new—about craft, about readers, about myself. And the learning never stops. Even now, I discover something every time I sit down at my desk, often with a cup of coffee and a head full of ideas.

This journey hasn’t always been smooth. Book 2 of my current women’s fiction series has traveled a more winding path than I’d hoped, delayed by a double rotator cuff repair. Recovery has been its own chapter—one that reminded me to be patient with myself and to appreciate the process, even when the pages turn slowly. While I can’t announce a release date just yet, I promise: it’s coming. And, in the meantime, I LOVE Jo’s story and can’t wait to share it with you all.

Looking back, I’m filled with gratitude for the readers, fellow authors, and friends who’ve cheered me on. The awards and recognition are wonderful, but the real reward has been the relationships and memories built along the way. Here’s to savoring the past, celebrating the present, and embracing whatever adventures lie ahead—shoulder rehab and all!

 

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Heidi Herman is an indie-published author of eleven books across four genres, including Women’s Fiction, Non-fiction, YA, and children’s, whose path to writing was paved by a lifelong love of reading and a career as rich as her storytelling.

After thirty years as a top-tier telecommunications cost management consultant, Heidi channeled her broad business expertise into entrepreneurship, running a successful restaurant before co-founding Hekla Publishing with her mother, a fellow author, to promote and distribute their combined titles celebrating their Icelandic heritage, later adding the imprint Pink Viking Press, dedicated to women’s fiction.

Her work has earned notable recognition, including 2017 and 2025 US Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, a 2026 IPPY Silver in Cookbooks, a 2018 Foreword INDIES Gold in Romance, a B.R.A.G. Medallion for her motivational non-fiction, On With the Butter!, and was named a 2018 American Fiction Award Finalist in Chick Lit/Women’s Lit.

A South Dakota resident and part-time Arizona snowbird, in addition to the Wyoming Writers, Heidi is a member of the Arizona Authors Association, the Non-Fiction Authors Association, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Western Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. These days, Heidi balances nonprofit work with writing women's fiction, supporting fellow indie authors on their publishing journeys, public speaking, travel, and always making time for new recipe experiments in the kitchen.