The Author’s Mic™: Nicole Hicks Shares the Heart Behind The Heaven Team
The Author’s Mic™: Nicole Hicks Shares the Heart Behind The Heaven Team
Some books entertain us. Others meet us in life's hardest moments.
In this episode of The Author’s Mic™, I sat down with children's author Nicole Hicks to talk about her beautifully illustrated book series, The Heaven Team. What started as a simple question from her young daughter has grown into a collection of books that helps families talk about grief, loss, and heaven with children in a way that feels hopeful instead of frightening.
Watch the full episode:
Nicole shared how the idea for The Heaven Team began after the loss of a family member. When explaining death to her daughter, she heard something she had never heard before.
"Did the Heaven Team come to get her?"
Her daughter imagined a group of angels whose job was to welcome people into heaven. That simple idea stayed with Nicole and eventually became the foundation for her first children's book.
As we talked, it became clear that these books aren't just stories. They're tools that help parents navigate conversations that most of us never feel prepared to have.
Since publishing the first book, Nicole has expanded the series with The Heaven Team: When a Pet Goes to Heaven, a coloring and activity book, and a pet remembrance companion journal. Each resource was created after listening to families who wanted additional ways to help children process loss.
One of my favorite parts of our conversation was hearing Nicole talk about bringing Skyler and Noah to life. Like many authors, the characters became real in her imagination long before they appeared on the page. She knew how they looked, how they sounded, and how they interacted with one another. Finding an illustrator who could capture that vision became one of the most important parts of the publishing journey.
We also talked honestly about the business side of being an indie author.
Writing the book is only one piece of the process. There are illustration costs, author copies, vendor events, marketing, and the patience required to build an audience one reader at a time. Nicole reminded new authors that success rarely happens overnight, but consistency matters.
Another topic that resonated with me was representation. Nicole intentionally created characters that children of color could see themselves in because every child deserves stories that reflect their lives and experiences.
Looking ahead, her vision extends far beyond books. She hopes to one day bring The Heaven Team to life as an animated series, allowing these characters to continue helping children through even more of life's difficult conversations.
It's always encouraging to meet authors who are creating books because they saw a need that wasn't being filled. Nicole isn't simply publishing stories. She's giving families a resource they'll return to when they need comfort the most.
The Heaven Team
https://linktr.ee/theheaventeam
- Inspiration often comes from real conversations with children.
- Children's books can make difficult conversations less intimidating.
- Representation in children's literature matters.
- Publishing requires both creativity and business planning.
- Consistency and patience are essential for indie authors.
- Listen to your readers. Their feedback can inspire your next project.
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