A creator and storyteller from a young age, Nanette Snipes never missed a chance to tell stories to her younger sister and friends. Oftentimes, she'd act them out as well, with fallen pine trees becoming large vessels upon the sea, where she would valiantly fight off pirates. On occasion, sun rays shining on pine needle carpets became her dance floor, and like in the movies, she whirled and danced. This was before her idyllic life was interrupted by divorce at age twelve. Right before the divorce, she accepted Jesus as her Savior, and though her life took a number of serious twists and turns, He brought her through each time, with a firmer grip on her faith.
While she never became an actress or a dancer, she did become a storyteller. Her stories are now in more than fifty-five compilation books, including three of the Miracles series by Guideposts. Additionally, she has stories in the original Chicken Soup for the Soul series, the New Women's Devotional Bible, Zondervan, and God's Way series, among others. She also has been a contributing writer for Turning Point Ministries in the past.
After too-many-to-list stories and articles in Christian magazines and books, she did work-for-hire projects with Honor Books and Publications International. While her stories became widespread, her family life tumbled downhill with the suicide of her former husband, her children's divorces, losses of her husband's jobs, and health issues, but even those things became fodder for her storytelling.
Finally, after much debating, she put her toes into editing waters, and found it more than refreshing. She actually loved helping others mold their stories into interesting books. As a freelance editor, some of the most interesting people she's worked with have been ghostwriters (those who tell other people's stories). Among the books she's assisted with are Unshaken, Zondervan (about the 7.0 Haitian earthquake), and Taylor's Gift, Revell. Additionally, she edits monthly newsletters for a corporate business.
Nanette finds solace in God through her own personal trials, and that is how she's able to relate to her editing clients--through her empathy and her innate ability to step into their lives.
She married her husband in 1976, and has four grown children and six grandchildren. The only child left at home is her feisty fur-child (cat), Eli.
Nan's Story, "When I Was a Prodigal Son," was used in For the Extreme Teen’s Heart — this book was a finalist for 2001 Gold Medallion Book Award
• Second and Third Place Award — Articles, Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference
• Writer of the Year — First Annual American Christian Writers Conference, Atlanta
• First Honorable Mention — Short Fiction, Gwinnett County Council of the Arts
• Grant Award — Gwinnett County Council of the Arts
• Taproots Award for Short Fiction — Taproots Writing Conference, Furman University
• Second place — juvenile book-in-progress at Dixie Council of Authors & Journalists