~ARC GIVEAWAY ~

We’re 2 weeks away from the release of my Middle Grade graphic novel MISS QUINCES, so I’m giving away a signed English ARC+ exclusive print + sticker! 

I’m choosing one winner each from Twitter, Instagram & TikTok (participation in all platforms is definitely allowed but only one copy per winner).

 To enter:

-you must follow me on social media

-retweet /repost on IG stories my giveaway post (see below)

 -comment what you’re looking forward to this summer! 

Giveaway post:

Twitter

Instagram

Tiktok

Giveaway ends April 27th! 

Good luck!!

Hi friends!

I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be a guest panelist at the North Texas Teen Book Festival this upcoming Saturday on March 5th, 2022.

I’m going to be on two awesome panels with inspirational writers and I hope I can offer some insightful words to the event! And this will be my first book festival in person ever, so I’m so honored to start this journey as the author & artist for Miss Quinces!

If you’re attending the event, feel free to find me at these panels:

Panel: Take a Break- Vacation Vibes

with Jenny Lee, E. Lockhart, Angela Velez and myself!

When: 10:30 am

Where : Room JB C-D

Panel: Family Ties- When we have each other, we have everything.

with Erin Entrada Kelly, Christina Soontornvat and myself.

When: 1:00 PM

Where : Room BG 6-8

You can check out more about the festival at http://www.northtexasteenbookfestival.com/.

And here’s some info on some more events coming up:

-March, 11th: BIPOC Pop (Austin, TX)

10-10:30am “Storytelling for New Gen BIPOC Audiences”  

ft:Candy Briones, Pablo Leon, Kat Fajardo, Paul and Carlos Meyer  

Facilitator: Hector F L’Hoeste.  

This month, I had the honor of joining some fabulous Latine artists for a gallery show at the Centro Cultural Aztlán in San Antonio for their 45th Annual Segundo de Febrero Exhibit: Mapping New Narratives.

Growing up in NYC, I was unaware of the cultural significance of Feb. 2nd and how important it was for Hispanics living in Texas, Colorado, Arizona, and California. 

I didn’t know that this particular date (also known as Segundo de Febrero) marked the official end of the Mexican-American War with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty created a designated boundary between Texas and Mexico using The Rio Grande as the divider and as a result of this, a new population of Mexican-Americans were formed. As for Mexicans who foudn themselves on new U.S. territory, they had the choice of remaining Mexican citizens, returning to Mexico, or claiming U.S. citizenship. 

So when I received an invitation to submit work for the 45th Annual Segundo de Febrero show, I wanted to honor the culture and historical significance of the holiday by creating a brand new comic! 

My contribution for the show was a 3-paged comic called “The Smell of Memories”, which is a love letter to the Proust Effect I experience whenever I smell something that reminds me of memories of my childhood in Honduras. It’s a bitter-sweet feeling I experience because it’s associated with lovely memories but it can be a lonely experience when you’re miles away from your home. 

I couldn’t attend the opening reception of the show but I was able to take some pics of the pieces before I shipped them out! It was a fun comic to make and I hope people enjoyed the story. 

You can read the full comic on my Ko-Fi, early access available for subscribers!

More info about the show:  curator/lead artist was Héctor R. Garza and participating artists include: Frederick Luis Aldama with Oscar Garza, Fernando Andrade, Terry Blas, Jesse Burciaga, Alexandria Canchola, Isabel Ann Castro, Monica Estrada Saldaña, Hector R. Garza, Omar Gonzalez, Ruth M. Guajardo, Alejandro Macias, Gabi Magaly, Angelica Martinez, Ben Muñoz, Zeke Peña, Alan Serna, Jesus Trevino, Jose Villalobos, and myself!

Show is up until March 4th, 2022!!

Wishing you all a lovely Valentines Day~

Everyone deserves love, especially you!! 

Excuse me while I happy dance to the sight of my character Sue on the Scholastic Graphix header on Twitter!!! My childhood self would be jumping with joy and feeling proud of our accomplishment! It feels really surreal but I feel like I just checked something off my bucket list haha. 

Miss Quinces will be out on April 5th, 2022~

Don’t forget to preorder your copy at your local bookstore.

(let’s support small businesses!)