SANTIAGO’S 1st ANNIVERSARY

I’m a little bit late in writing this post about Santiago’s Dinosaurios first anniversary, which was on October 27th. But given that it was a very special day, it really deserves a post. After all, you only get to celebrate your debut’s first year out in the world once.

For the past few months, I looked forward to that day with great anticipation, as it’s a unique milestone in my life. To celebrate the occasion, on the previous weeks, I created a photo album using Shutterfly with some of my favorite moments of my publication journey, from the time I signed my book deal on March 2021 to these past months which have been filled with school visits and author events.

As I went through my photos, I was taken back to those special moments and my heart was (and still is) full of gratitude and a big sense of achievement. I realize that I made one of my biggest dreams come true, plus it turned out to be the beginning of other dreams to follow. I’m so blessed to have the chance of doing something I truly love and sharing it with children. I hope that in a way, the messages in my stories will touch their lives and leave them with a positive message for their future.

Another gift I made for myself was the following frame, in which the dinosaur is made of different words (a word cloud). I took those words from the reviews Santiago’s Dinosaurios has received in Amazon. As you can see it’s a very meaningful image, which I´ll be able to take on my next author visits and which will always remind me of these 1st year reviews.

I’m happy that I was brave to pursue this new dream even if it was not one I had in my younger days. I’m glad it wasn’t too late for me and now I realize that it’s never too late to dream a new dream and to succeed in that pursuit. I’m also proud that I had the courage to try something new, to keep on going in spite of the constant rejections I faced and the many moments of self doubt I experienced (yes, honestly.). Publishing a book in a language that isn’t originally my own has been truly something, and I’m grateful to be able to enjoy these days as I look forward to what is coming next with new books, meeting more children, and growing as an author and as a person.

Thank you everyone who has been part of this adventure. Thank you to my amazing editors, Andrea and Nivair, for believing in me and for everything you taught me. Thanks also to my publishing, marketing, and publicity teams in Albert Whitman & Company. I’ll always be grateful for your help in making this dream come true and for believing this was a story worth telling. Thank you to my loved ones, my family and good friends, who have cheered me on since the beginning and who celebrate what matters to me every day.

I’m also grateful to my wonderful critique partners, who support me one manuscript at a time, you’ve truly made a difference in this adventure. Thanks to my mentor Lynne Marie, my writer friends, Las Musas, Rate your Story and to all the different “teachers” I’ve had the chance to learn from the craft of PB writing. It’s really been a long journey full or learning, and the best thing is that there’s always something new to discover and to improve.

I hope that Santiago’s story will continue to touch more people and to be able to celebrate many more anniversaries in the future. So, for now, cheers to little Santiago and his dinos, you’ve really have changed my life. 🥂

Finally, as to how I celebrated the actual anniversary, I can tell you that I spent my morning volunteering at a PTA event for my daughter’s school, and later that evening my family set up on a trip to the mountains in Tennessee to watch the beauty of the changing leaves in fall. The days we got to spend away were a delight, with beautiful views from our cabin and just the most relaxing atmosphere. So, as you can tell, it really was an anniversary to remember.

Thanks for reading,

M

Cover photo by Cup of Couple.