I'll never forget that cold January 27th morning when I woke up to the heart-warming news that my latest novel, Lety Out Loud, was named a 2020 Pura Belpré Honor Book. It's tradition that an award committee member call the author the night before with the …
Lety Out Loud – Author’s Inspiration
When I sit down to write, I always try to write the stories that I craved as a young girl. Since pets were a huge part of my childhood, I love to write about brave, smart characters who are determined to protect stray animals. Lety Out Loud was inspired by my …
What does it mean to me to have Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring published in Spanish?
EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING! 1) I've visited many Dual Language Schools throughout the United States and the students always ask for the book in Spanish, Now, students can pick up the book in either language of their choice. It's a way of encouraging their …
Happy Birthday, Frida! Giveaway!
In honor of Frida Kahlo's birthday on July 6th, me and Sugar Chat Cookie Studio are celebrating with a fun giveaway for two lucky winners! More details below. Sorry, we can only accommodate entries from Continental USA. …
Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring Inspires Classroom Art Projects
Students and teachers in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas were the first to read and receive a copy of Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring thanks to the Texas Book Festival's Reading Rockstar Program. Upon my visit there, my mind was blown by all the …
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Cover Reveal for Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring!
I LOVE the cover of my upcoming novel Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring. The cover art designed by award-winning illustrator, Rafael López, is absolutely beautiful and perfectly captures the flavor of Mexico and mystery that permeates the story. …
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Cover Reveal for the Junior Novel Coco
It was an honor and so much fun working on the junior novelization of Coco by Disney Pixar. It's a beautiful story about familia and music and celebrates the true essence of Día De Los Muertos. The novel is currently available for preorder at your favorite …
My book recommendations – partial list
Several times I’ve been asked about my recommendations for diverse books, so I made a list. This list is by no means complete nor organized in any profound way. I'm sure that I'm leaving off LOTS of books, but these are the ones I've managed to read (in …
Allie, First at Last is here!!
Woot woot! What do you think of the book cover? I LOVE it. …
I don’t usually Blog, but…
Happy Birthday Gaby, Lost and Found! Ten Coolest Things That Have Happened to Me Since Gaby, Lost and Found Was Published Looking back on this fun-filled busy first year as a new published author, I have created a list (I’m obsessed with …