Step Into the Shadows: My MG Fantasy Adventure is out on bookshelves this week!
I’m thrilled to finally share my newest middle-grade fantasy adventure—Anomalies 53: Into the Shadows, the first book in an exciting new series that blends mythical creatures, a top-secret Area 53, and brave kids into one heart-pounding quest.
Growing up in Topeka, Kansas, I devoured fantasy adventure books. But something was always missing: characters who looked like my friends, my cousins, and my Mexican American comunidad. Latinas like me dreamed of discovering secret portals, time traveling, and riding unicorns, but we rarely saw ourselves on those magical journeys.
That’s why, as a children’s author, my guiding principle is simple—write the books I wished for as a kid. For twelve years as a published author , I’ve stayed true to that mission. And Anomalies 53: Into the Shadows is exactly the kind of story my younger self would have stayed up all night reading before racing to school the next morning to ask my teacher, “Do you have more like this?”
About the Story
In Anomalies 53: Into the Shadows, eleven-year-old Ollie Robles has grown up inside a secret government research facility where wyverns, llamacorns, and baby manticores are real.
night, Ollie accidentally sets several mythical creatures free. With his best friend, Garen Jackson, he sets out to return them to Area 53. But instead of bringing them back, the friends stumble into a hidden world called Shadowland—and discover that they share a mysterious connection with the beings who live there.
Why I Wrote This Book
I dedicated this novel “to everyone who finds magic in the shadows.” Because even in uncertain times and when the shadows feel like they’re closing in on us, I witness young people rising.
This story is for:
Kids who search for magic in unlikely places
Readers who believe kindness is a superpower
Anyone who refuses to let others define who they are or where they belong
My hope is that this series sparks curiosity, laughter, and a lifelong love of reading—especially for those who rarely see themselves riding wyverns, befriending chupacabras, and outsmarting ogres.
I hope you’ll pick the book up at your local library or favorite bookstore–available now wherever you buy books–and enjoy it and share it with other readers who love fantasy adventures and all kinds of mythical creatures. Happy reading!
