Mary Vela has been a member of WLT for over two years and is registered for one of WLT’s upcoming classes. She lives in San Antonio, TX.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
Mary Vela: I love to write for children. I have published a total of 16 picture books and 12 short stories. My husband contributes by making the stories humorous and entertaining. Some of my books won awards and one is currently a finalist in a national competition.
Scribe: What authors would you like to have coffee or a beer with and which beverage?
MV: I would love to have coffee with romance writer, Nora Roberts. My next goal is to write and publish a romance novel. I already have the title: Suffer for Love.
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
MV: If I were stranded on a deserted island, I would want to have a book on how to write great fiction. I would read it over and over until I memorized it. Then I’d be ready to write a novel with vivid details of my experiences on the island.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
MV: The Writers’ League has contributed immensely to my writing career. I learned a lot from their classes and met many wonderful and talented writers. Writers’ League plays a major role in helping writers succeed.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
MV: I would like to write a romance novel but I know it won’t be easy. I have to learn how to “show” and not “tell.” At present, I have at least 50,000 words written but it is far from complete. I repeatedly tell myself, “You can do it!” so I won’t give up.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
MV: Besides being a writer, I am also the inventor of three plush dolls called Luv-Beams®. The patented dolls are so unique that they stop traffic. A group made up of educators and parents gave them Preferred Choice and Seal of Excellence awards and Toy Directory’s TDMonthly Magazine featured them as winning toys. Two dolls are pictured below:
Recently, I started an adventure series involving the doll characters and hope to launch them soon. The first book, You Can’t Take the Dinosaur Home, published in English and Spanish, already won two awards. Below is an illustration from their book.
You’re welcome to see my books and dolls on my website: www.luv-beams.com. They are available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, etc. under my name: Mary Esparza-Vela. They are also available at special rates by writing to me at luv-beams@satx.rr.com.
