Evangeline Duran Fuentes used to claim that she wasn't an author.

Fortunately, nobody believed her.

A storyteller all her life, Evangeline published her first book earlier this year.   Cry on Hallow's Eve is a children's Halloween ghost story, incorporating elements of Mexican folklore and culture.

Since then, Evangeline has gone on to publish two other children's books:  Friends Across the Border  and Feel the Sound.   Her richly imagined and compelling stories immerse young readers while delivering subtle lessons on compassion, courage and friendship.  And both Friends Across the Border and Feel the Sound teach new language skills: Spanish and sign, respectively.

Evangeline talked about the background that developed her creative talent, her journey to becoming an author, and some of the ways to spark children's imagination and creativity.
In this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear:


What Evangeline's growing-up years taught her about developing her creative gifts;


How she evolved from storyteller to writer;


How she came to publish her first book;


A selection from her first children's book, Cry on Hallow's Eve;


A preview of her two subsequent children's books, Feel the Sound and Friends Across the Border;


The lessons of her books that she and her family put into practice;


How Evangeline has grown as an artist and learned from her young audiences, since publishing her first book;


How she inspired her young listeners to create their own stories and get past "writers' block";


Her tips on getting children excited about reading;


The lessons she's taken away from her experiences, about writing and pursuing a creative dream.