DREAMer follows a young immigrant girl as she tries to find her family with the help of a kindhearted couple and a stack of postcards she has collected. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

I used to teach elementary school and had many immigrant children in my classes. Marisol was one such girl and although her past is not the story I wrote, she is who I had in mind when writing the book. I also have a friend who taught children stuck at the border in Tijuana and conversations with her also helped fuel my ideas.

How much research did you undertake for this book and how much time did it take to put it all together?

I already had some knowledge of the problems immigrants faced, but I did quite a bit of research on DREAMers and DACA. I also had to research the many California locations in the book.

Each book I write takes about a year between me starting it and publishing – about eight months of writing it and then my three editors read them and I make changes.

What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?

The morals I try to live by: compassion, respect, initiative, integrity, courage, trust, resourcefulness.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

I have finished writing my next book with the temporary title, “Luther in Limbo” and am waiting for my editors to send it back for my changes. I assume it will be published this spring.

I have started writing the next one with the temporary title “Dutch’s Last Hurrah” while waiting for my editors.

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