About

Erin Mindes

Erin Mindes holds a Bachelor's degree in English and is the author of picture books, young adult novels, and short stories. Her picture book The Lifting Balloons was a finalist in the 2020 International Book Awards, and her short stories appear in several anthologies. When she’s not writing, she can often be found baking sourdough bread—well over 1,000 loaves and counting—spending time outdoors, studying the scriptures, and exploring new games, music, or shows with her family. She lives in Northern Utah with her husband, four children, two dogs, and a cat.

Author Erin Mindes

I grew up in Arizona, where the cactus are pokey and the sunshine is strong. I loved it. I explored my backyard and neighborhood year round, creating many adventures inside my head.

I continued to create stories in my head through several moves during middle school and high school.

Confused at what to study in college at Northern Arizona University, I changed my major two times before settling on an English degree, where my all time favorite class was Creative Writing.

During this time, I worked at a hotel, keeping the lobby clean, running towels and shampoo bottles to rooms after the maids had gone, taking out trash, and plunging clogged toilets. I had a little closet room where I'd take breaks and write down my thoughts or work on assignments. It was there that I knew and decided that I wanted to be a writer.

But it would be several more years, after marriage and kids, until I would focus on making my dream a reality.