Author’s name: Steena Hernandez
What is your upcoming book title? Lupita’s Brown Ballet Slippers
Illustrator’s name: Melissa Castillo
Other book titles: My debut picture book!
Date of release: October 22, 2024
Preorder or Order link: I included 2. 🙂
Publisher: Beaming Books
Agent: Lynnette Novak
Agency: The Seymour Agency
Hometown: San Antonio
1. What are 5 things you want people to know about your book?
-It’s about Lupita, who wants to find her perfect shade of ballet slippers.
-It’s informative and includes back matter on the challenges dancers of color have faced.
-Meant for all readers, even if they don’t dance, and I hope everyone can find their own way to shine.
-It touches on inclusion, belonging, and diversity.
-There were many, many revisions of the story and I enjoyed the process of making it the best story it could be!
2. What are 5 helpful hints or tips you wish you would’ve known before starting on this publishing journey?
-Get a good group of critique partners who share stories and meet frequently.
-Don’t dwell on rejections in order to keep moving forward on your goals.
-Take breaks when necessary.
-Don’t be afraid to write something new in another age category.
-READ, READ, READ!
3. What are 5 fun/quirky facts about yourself as an adult or child?
-As a child, I couldn’t sleep unless my stuffed animals were piled all around me.
-I used to tell people that my name was Flower, and one time, the neighbor told my mom I had the sweetest name. (I had to confess soon after.)
-I used to play trombone in middle school and high school.
-I took Taekwondo as an elective in my elementary magnet school program.
-I’m a night owl, and I stay up every night way past my bedtime.
4. What are five things you learned about yourself while on the journey to publishing this book?
-I learned the true meaning of patience.
-Having a debut group for support was so beneficial.
-It’s never too early to market yourself.
-I learned how to step out of my comfort zone, and I created a personal newsletter.
-I learned how to use apps like Canva and InShot to create content for social media. (I had never used any of them before.)
5. What are 5 must-read picture books?
-BIG by Vashti Harrison
– Ida, Always by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso
-The Rough Patch by Brian Lies
-Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Márquez and Devin Elle Kurtz
-Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh