Heather Cook, a hometown girl, has scored big with her first book, “You’re Welcome, Mama,” which has already hit the Amazon charts as a Hot New Release following Sally Fields and Michelle Obama!

Cook, who was born and raised in Elizabethton by her grandparents, Earl and Shirley Grindstaff, is a graduate of Elizabethton High School and East Tennessee State University. She now works for the city of Kingsport as director of marketing and public relations.

Inspired by her own experiences as a mother, Cook hopes through her book to lighten the load for young mothers. Described as a lighthearted read, the book is a culmination of two years of work by Cook, who is the mother of a four-year-old daughter, Piper, and the wife of Lafe Cook, band director at Dobyns-Bennett High School. 

She shares several stories in the book about raising her daughter, and hopes they will resonate with young moms. 

“As a young mother, I kept discovering two things, really: One, how we act like we have it all together all the time, and we’re actually really vulnerable and need help and we won’t ask for it,” Cook said. “Then the other piece is we’re frazzled, we’re exhausted, we’re overwhelmed and we’re crazy and we wonder why. And it’s because we don’t take time to take care of ourselves. We’re taking care of everything else, and not ourselves. So, it’s just this motivational book that takes you through a journey with super bite-sized ways to be good to yourself.”

Cook said once she compiled her thoughts and stories into book form, she shared it with 20 young mothers, who all seemed to benefit from it. From there, she decided to publish it.

Aside from her roles as mother and wife and her job, Cook is also a life coach or “people developer.”

“I find innovative ways to create space and not waste in your life. From team training to one-on-one consultations, I try to deliver a plan for performance improvement, both professionally and personally. I am passionate about leadership development ,” said Cook.

The new author was a member of the first Roan Scholars Class in 2000. She received a Bachelors of Business Administration in marketing and communications in 2004; a Masters in Business Administration in 2006; and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis in 2012.

Though the book will be sold at a few local stores, it will primarily be available on Amazon in paperback and electronic version. The paperback is available for $9.99, while the e-book is $3.99.

Cook will have a book signing Saturday from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Coffee Company in Elizabethton. She will have some books available for sale Saturday.