Q: Raquel, can you share a little bit about yourself?
Hi everyone, my name is Raquel but I also go by Rachel. I have been a children’s book author since 2023 and the magic of storytelling has been such a rewarding adventure. I am very proud to have a close connection with my two adult children, Kalob and Haley. I have written two children’s books so far and my third book is in the works. As a mom and children’s book author, my mission is simple: to plant seeds of imagination to inspire kids to keep reading and dare to dream. Every story I write is a window to a world of endless possibilities, to show young minds that their own potential can be truly limitless. I was born in Southwest Florida but have proudly called the Dallas/Ft. Worth area home for almost 20 years now. I had a long career in the banking and finance industry for almost 30 years, now I am semi-retired and have so much more time to focus on my book writing and hobbies. I love to cook, sing karaoke, go to the movies and have weekly lunch or dinner dates with my kiddos.
Q: Tell us how and when your author journey began?
I always loved and excelled in school. Language Arts was my best and favorite subject. My higher education was in Accounting and Finance, go figure. I had the idea about 10 years ago to write children’s books but it was just a thought at that point. Around 2022, a family member shared a Facebook post of my hometown library opening a time capsule from my old elementary school. My cousin tagged me because she saw my name written on a short story and asked if it was me that wrote it. It was! I had always told my kids I was a writer and that I had written a scary story when I was a kid but couldn’t prove it. But there it was on display, my story was titled: The Dolls (I grew up in the 80’s so Chucky/Child’s Play was my scary inspiration!) I realized that seeing and reading my childhood story with my own eyes, was a sign for me to transform that idea into reality. I began to research how publishing works, lived at Barnes & Noble, checked out countless library books, figuring out the look I wanted my artists to capture in my characters … the whole enchilada. By December 2023, I had founded my own publishing company and my first book was complete and ready for publication.
Q: Can you share more about the theme of your book series?
My current series is called A to Z Kids, a happy alphabet and family-themed book collection specifically written for children ages 2 to 8. The preoperational cognitive years are so critical for young minds, so I intentionally design my stories to provide a peaceful environment. I want to show children what positive reinforcement can look like when a loved one actively listens and supports their learning milestones. Right now, families can jump into Book A: Ariel and the Avocados / Ariel y los aguacates, and Book B: Benny and the Bike / Benny y la bicicleta. Now the third, Book C is currently in the works!
What makes this series unique is that each main character has a favorite hobby, object, or place that begins with the same letter as their name. Every story ties that favorite thing to a special, trusted person in their life—someone who listens, motivates, and champions the character’s learning. That person is their anchor, their person and the real reason behind their love for it! Unlike books for older readers that focus on a problem to solve, this series has zero conflict. Instead, the stories focus entirely on the magic of learning, exploring their interest, and strong family connections.
My books are also bilingual, written in both English and Spanish. As a proud fifth-generation Mexican-American, it was important to me to share both languages—it is truly like having two books in one! The pages feature a clean parallel layout: the English story sits at the top of the left-hand page, separated from the Spanish translation underneath by a decorative row of the character’s favorite object. I also feature three color-coded words for each language on every page to help children naturally connect the two, sometimes highlighting perfect cognates! To give young minds better focus, the bright and colorful illustrations stay on the right-hand page with plenty of open white space around them. Then, each book ends with a simple, dialogue-sparking question on the very last page to keep the conversation going.
Q: You mentioned that you’re working on your 3rd series book, how is it going?
It is going amazingly well! My third book is titled Camila and the Camera / Camila y la cámara. The story follows little Camila, who has just mastered the letter ‘C’ at school. She is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her big sister, Callie, who is coming home on a college break. Together, they go on an adventure around town to capture picture-perfect moments. By the end of the story, Camila discovers that her love for her camera was created by an unbreakable bond she shares with her sister—proving that love connects them no matter the distance or the age gap between them.
The story is written, and my artist is in the illustration phase right now. I recently discovered Kickstarter, an awesome crowdfunding platform that many independent authors and creators use to help fund and complete their projects. After doing some recon, I decided to launch my very first campaign around August or September. To celebrate I am actually gifting my first 2 books, here is the link if you are interested: https://rkhbooks.com/products/free-digital-book-social-media-gift
As independent authors may know, not having a large publisher or marketing team behind you, means you have to fund and promote each book ourselves. I believe indie authors have a true passion and we create our books with love, but bank accounts read numbers, not stories which can make the process take longer than expected. Kickstarter allows the community who believes in your project and mission to help bring those stories to life. By selecting a reward tier, backers are essentially pre-ordering the books and receiving tangible items in return for their support if the campaign is successful in achieving its goal.
I hope with the help of the community Camila’s campaign will be a successful one so I can deliver Camila’s book to my supporters by December. For anyone interested in following my Camila Kickstarter journey and checking out the exciting rewards tiers I will be offering, here is my profile link: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/a2zkids or you can find Camila’s Campaign info page on my website: www.rkhbooks.com
Q: What is the main takeaway you want young readers and their families to get from your books?
Books provide our children with genuine superpowers. Every story we read with them builds their vocabulary, imagination, knowledge, and resilience they need to shape a brighter future—because they are our future. An empowered child can can reach any mountaintop! But let’s not forget that inspiration has no expiration date. To every adult reading this: please know that it is never too late to reinvent yourself or chase that quiet dream whispering in your heart. Look at me—I stepped into my passion and became a children’s book author in my 40s! If I can turn the page to a brand-new adventure, so can you. I believe in you! I admit, social media has not been my strong suit, but I am improving, and posting more consistently now! For doses of vocabulary and inspiration, I invite you to join my growing community. You can follow my social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at our universal handle: @rkhbooks. I promise smiles and learning along the way! Stay inspired, keep growing, and Happy Reading everyone, and thank you so much for hosting me, KidlioMag—I truly appreciate you all! – Author Raquel
