What is your book about? 

Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers is a collection of 12 original fairy tales that depict the stepmother as a protective family guardian. Most stories feature her as the protagonist, and some explore her contributions as a supporting role to the child or children. All my stepmother characters have different roles, some are queens, scholars, warriors, travelers and entrepreneurs. Each story shows a stepmother facing a different challenge that she must overcome to achieve her goals whether they are survival, prosperity, justice or self-fulfillment.

What inspired you to write the book?

I first started work on Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers as a high school student in 2007-2008. Writing the book was a gradual process that took at least 12 years. I composed the short stories while completing my education and working different jobs until I eventually got hired at the Library of Congress. Over time it became apparent that traditional fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella and Snow White did not reflect the experiences of real stepmothers and their families in modern life, because they were not modern stories. Like many children, I experienced growing pains with my stepmother and struggled with the “wicked stepmother” myth. Nowadays, however, we have developed a strong and loving relationship. I created this book to celebrate my relationship with my stepmother and to provide other blended families with new fairy tales that are entertaining and inspiring. 

What is your target audience for the book? 

The target audience for the book is middle grade readers (ages 9-12), though older readers are welcome as well. This book is intended to be entertaining for the young and young at heart. I want to offer children and their parents a positive alternative to the stories that cast a dark shadow over the title of “stepmother” and shed light on the good stepmothers that deserve recognition for their accomplishments. The book is now for sale on Amazon Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers and readers can follow the author on Good Reads and Instagram for more book news. I’m happy for my book to be featured in the Author’s Lounge.

What do you hope readers could get out from your book? 

I hope that this book can reduce the stigma surrounding the title of “stepmother” and improve family dynamics. Stepmothers don’t have to be depicted as the villain in every story. I also want to inspire future writers to develop new plots and characters for their own stories.

What are your future goals/plans for the book? 

As a writer, you must keep moving forward and I have many more stories to tell!  Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers is the first instalment in a trilogy, and volume two is coming along nicely. After the Virtuous Stepmother stories, I plan to transition into writing novels for adult readers.

Tell us something about yourself.

At the Library of Congress, I work as a library technician in the Mexico, Central America and Caribbean section. In this position I process bibliographic records, print spine labels for books and organize shipments from book vendors. I would consider myself a sociable introvert and a bold, ambitious scholar. Not every librarian is an introverted by-the-book disciplinarian. I do like to organize things, though. I enjoy social activities with my friends, but I also have moments when I need to have some private time for personal reflection. Sometimes I feel as though my work life and recreational life overlap because they both involve spending time in front of the computer or reading text. As a contrast, I focus on physical activities like biking, dancing, walking in the parks, and visiting the Smithsonian museums when I go out.