New book, who dis?
Hey boo, hey!!!!!
It’s been a minute (mind ya biznazz!). I have approximately 4,990 blog posts written in my head (see previous sentence) so, stay tuned.
THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE NEWS. And yes, I am yelling. There’s excitement happening over in these here parts. Why, you ask?
After all these YEARS of me not talking about it, I can finally talk about it. Elena and I have a children’s book coming out! Please meet our new baby:
The story behind the book
On Saturday, November 2, 2019, at 7:50 pm, I created a note on my phone. Why? Well, a certain somebody was sitting next to me during our regular nighttime convos when the words “when I was little” popped out of her. Two sentences in, I opened the note to start transcribing what was being said.
My then 9-year old was opening up about this thing she believed, that she was a little embarrassed by, about Mami’s resting place. This book was born out of that story.
It was well past her bedtime after we spoke. Even then, I thought there was something there. What do you know? There was!
Grief, Gardens, and Growing Room
This grief journey has shown me something I didn’t expect: Our children have their own grief journeys.
Not only do they experience loss in their own ways, but they also need space, real space, to feel their feelings. I was blown away by the conversations (and the healing) we had just from this one story.
The Other Side of the Garden begins in a place rich with the silky, watercolor memory only a child can conjure, where a little girl and her mother come to visit Abuela. In the distance, she notices an old blue house on the other side of the fence by her Abuela’s new garden.
With each visit, the garden becomes an empty echo of what it was: laughter, flowers, and dancing in the breeze. Abuela never answers and is no longer seen. What remains are the memories and the love. It is a gentle, honest exploration of the way grief colors our world—and the love that lingers on the other side.
Speaking of color…
Y’ALL! Brianna did that!
Once again, her illustrations perfectly mirror the story and the way I pink puffy heart her so much cannot be put into words. Not just as an artist, but as a human being and a part of my heart family.
To say this is a personal story (for all parties involved) is an understatement. My heart is so full. The official on-sale date is 03.03.26! But the preorders are open TAHDAY! Pre-orders are important so I hope you hit up your favorite retailer and support Elena, Brianna and I as we embark on this beautiful storytelling road. Don’t forget to help us spread the word!
P.S. I’m making my way downtown. And by downtown, I mean Substack. If you’re on the mailing list, you probably heard but if not, head on over and hit subscribe. I’ll be chit chatting about some thangs over there that might not make it to this site.