I am the author of two middle grade novels with Little Bee Books/Simon & Schuster, THE FLOURISHING OF FLORALIE LAUREL and THE SERENDIPITY OF FLIGHTLESS THINGS. When not writing, I enjoy painting, dancing, and hanging out with my animals. I live with my flop-eared dog, Blue, in Vermont. I hold a Master's of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and am a professor of children's literature, arts education, and writing at Champlain College.
Get to Know Me!
1. My name is pronounced FEE-ah-nawt and is Irish in origin. Sometimes I go by "Fia." In Irish, it means "wild deer."
2. I live in the Burlington, Vermont area, but grew up just outside of Boston. I have also lived in New York City and in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
3. My birthday is six days before Halloween. Growing up, I enjoyed many spooky birthday parties!
4. As a young child, my older sister wrote me "fairy letters" involving complex characters and plots in the fairy world. I believe these letters inspired me to create my own stories.
5. I am an Irish and modern dancer. As a teenager, I competed at the championship level in Irish dance and traveled to Ireland and across North America for competitions.
6. A small selection of my favorite books include WEST OF THE MOON by Margi Preus, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE by Kate DiCamillo, and OVER THE MOON by Natalie Lloyd. My favorite movie is MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM.
7. I decided I wanted to be a writer in fourth grade, thanks to my amazing teachers, Ms. Sylva and Ms. Heller. This love of writing was further fostered by my high school creative writing teacher, Ms. Karman, to whom THE FLOURISHING OF FLORALIE LAUREL is partially dedicated. The other half of that dedication is to Mrs. Armentano, my high school art teacher, who also encouraged my creativity and individual path. In high school, I took almost entirely creative courses , projects, and internships (all in the fields of writing, art, dance, and music) to fulfill my school credits. I finished my first novel in my senior year and began working on FLORALIE at that time as well. I spent a year and a half pursuing undergraduate studies at two colleges before switching to graduate school. I currently hold a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
8. Fun Facts: My favorite color is indigo, my favorite vacation destination is Ireland, my favorite tea is mint, and my favorite flowers are forget-me-nots and lilies (I couldn't pick just one).
9. I have a service dog named Blue. He is my best friend and has truly changed my life. I am also expecting a puppy soon!
10. When I am not writing, I can be found taking my dog on walks, painting (I especially love oil), and daydreaming.
2. I live in the Burlington, Vermont area, but grew up just outside of Boston. I have also lived in New York City and in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
3. My birthday is six days before Halloween. Growing up, I enjoyed many spooky birthday parties!
4. As a young child, my older sister wrote me "fairy letters" involving complex characters and plots in the fairy world. I believe these letters inspired me to create my own stories.
5. I am an Irish and modern dancer. As a teenager, I competed at the championship level in Irish dance and traveled to Ireland and across North America for competitions.
6. A small selection of my favorite books include WEST OF THE MOON by Margi Preus, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE by Kate DiCamillo, and OVER THE MOON by Natalie Lloyd. My favorite movie is MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM.
7. I decided I wanted to be a writer in fourth grade, thanks to my amazing teachers, Ms. Sylva and Ms. Heller. This love of writing was further fostered by my high school creative writing teacher, Ms. Karman, to whom THE FLOURISHING OF FLORALIE LAUREL is partially dedicated. The other half of that dedication is to Mrs. Armentano, my high school art teacher, who also encouraged my creativity and individual path. In high school, I took almost entirely creative courses , projects, and internships (all in the fields of writing, art, dance, and music) to fulfill my school credits. I finished my first novel in my senior year and began working on FLORALIE at that time as well. I spent a year and a half pursuing undergraduate studies at two colleges before switching to graduate school. I currently hold a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
8. Fun Facts: My favorite color is indigo, my favorite vacation destination is Ireland, my favorite tea is mint, and my favorite flowers are forget-me-nots and lilies (I couldn't pick just one).
9. I have a service dog named Blue. He is my best friend and has truly changed my life. I am also expecting a puppy soon!
10. When I am not writing, I can be found taking my dog on walks, painting (I especially love oil), and daydreaming.
To have Fiadhnait visit your school or event, please contact her at [email protected].