Maria Isabel Rosario, Children's Illustration Author
Maria Isabel Rosario, age 43 and a Bronx, NY’s native currently lives in Spanish Harlem, New York. She attended LaGuardia Community College, where she majored in Liberal Arts. As a freelance writer, Rosario work is not limited to one field; she has a number of clients and works for various companies and private individuals.
“Growing up, I had a tough life. I found relief and peace when I wrote out my feelings. Writing removed the weight of the burdens I carried. The anger and sadness that I felt slowly seeped into my words. My imagination and feelings found a safe place and allow me to express myself without judgment.”
In the past, Rosario’s life and circumstances had her on a different path than what she’d planned. Today, this writer and illustrator have repainted her world and given it a brighter future, and she’s on track to assure that her new path has a greater outcome.
At the age of 41, when her daughter Kayla was 7 and her son, Isaiah was 4, Maria wrote, illustrated, and published Kayla and Isaiah: Going to the Park and My Cat. Imagined the thrill of a new author, holding her first published book in her hand. Then consider the smiles on Kayla’s and Isaiah’s faces. “They loved seeing their names on a book. Even now they are excited to be animated characters.”
Kayla and Isaiah: Going to the Park and My Cat is a cute story of two siblings and their playground adventure. A story that depicts how excited kids are when their parents take them to the playground. The book includes a bonus mini-story about a mischievous cat, called My Cat.
Kayla and Isaiah: Going to the Park is available in English and Spanish and can be purchased with one click on the image.
Maria recently published the latest addition to the Kayla and Isaiah Series, Kayla and Isaiah: My Brother Isaiah. "In this edition, Kayla explains what life is like for Isaiah who is on the autism spectrum. She explains through her eyes about the struggles that Isaiah faces on a daily basis. The purpose of this book is to educate people about what life is like for a child on the autism spectrum."
Rosario has also published a book of poetry that she titled, My Inner Me. “The poems express my deepest thoughts. In this book of poems, I articulated my thoughts of the world, all that’s happening in it and our behaviors toward one another. I do not shy in my views when speaking of how some people are dressed in wolves’ clothing.”
The author is hoping that her dedication and never ending imagination will grant her the keys to success and financial security. However, success for Maria has another definition. “If something I wrote changes someone’s life or their way of thinking about a certain subject, then my goal would have succeeded.”
Rosario has learned a lot in her writing and publishing journey and would love to someday give back to the indie author community by guiding and helping other independent authors.
Rosario has written several short stories that have never published, but that might change. She’s considering putting all the short tales together in one book. Currently, she’s writing her first YA (Young Adult) book titled, When the Dragons Came. Of all the stories she’s written, published and unpublished, Maria says her latest Kayla and Isaiah book and the YA story are her favorites.
Writing for Rosario is not exempt from challenges. The daily obstacles she face would be difficult for most of us, yet the fact that she is able to write and publish in spite of her situation deserves admiration. She’s a single mother with three children. Many of us are, but for Maria, it doesn’t stop there. Her son, Elijah, age 19 is her oldest. Then there’s Kayla, who’s now 10 and Isaiah, her 7-year-old, but there’s more. She elaborates on the struggles of trying to advance her career as an author while dealing with daily impediments. “I am a single mom. I try my best to spend time with my kids and at the same time make time to write. My son, Isaiah, is autistic. My son, Elijah was diagnosed with schizophrenia and my daughter is having some health issue. Obstacles happen, but as a single mom, I’ve learned how to overcome those challenges. Hurdles and difficulties, these are the types of things that help me be a better, stronger person. I use my strength to teach my kids to become better and stronger individuals no matter their disabilities or ailments.”
Rosario didn’t always have the strength to move forward. She says, “I was letting the fear of not being good enough take over living out my dreams.” A fear that evolved into motivation became inspirational lessons for the single mother of three. “I choose to self-publish because I wanted to take a chance on myself and my talent because I realized something very important. If I want my kids to follow their dreams and not give up, I also have to live by those words. It took me two years before I actually self-published my first children’s book.”
The dream of leading by example weighed heavily on Maria. “I thought about being on my death bed. I know it sounds a little odd, and it's not something people like to think about, but I did. I asked myself, did I want to die knowing I didn’t give my all to make my dream come true, no matter what the outcome.” She no longer has that question because Maria is a published author, who has led by her own example and put that deathly fear to rest.
As a children’s author, Maria prefers writing in first person. She says, “When I’m writing in first person, I become that character at the moment. As the character, I think about what I would do in certain situations. What kind of moral do they have? What do they care about? How do they want to be perceived or if they care how they are being perceived?”
The mother of three targets a youthful audience because “I think now more than ever that it’s important to reach our youth. Especially with everything that’s going on these days. I want to give them hope and understanding.”
Interviewer: What in your personal life have you included in one of your stories?
Rosario: Well, on the second book of Kayla and Isaiah: My Brother Isaiah, Kayla talks about her brother who has autism. My son Isaiah is autistic and my book helps to educate readers about autism. Through the illustrations and writing, I illustrate what my son, Isaiah goes through. I hope it helps other parents who have kids with autism or any other type of disability.
Writing is only one part of self-publishing, there are many moving parts, and for that purpose, many writers pay others to produce where they lack the experienced or don’t have the time to learn. Once Maria decided to publish her story, something she’d never done before, she prepared herself to learn all that she didn’t know. Looking at the finished product, she says the book cover amazed her the most. “It adds to my artistic skill set.”
Interviewer: What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
Rosario: I would say when I was in Junior high school. There was a kid harassing me in the school gym. I got fed up because he had been harassing me for a while. I yelled at the top of my lungs, “STOP!” Everyone in the gym stopped doing what they were doing. They all looked at the kid. He stopped harassing me after that.
I started a journal and discovered my love for writing. I also discovered that I had a voice and I did not have to suffer in silence."
When Maria Googled herself, Google was generous in providing information on her life as an author. “I found pictures from Twitter, images of my books from Amazon and some videos I created on YouTube to promote my book.”
Since writing her first short story to now working on her latest projects, Maria says she’s found that her writing and abilities have improved. “I have always been a good speller, but I found that I’ve improved in that area as well. Also, I wouldn’t mind adding more to the story of my first children's book and make a better book cover.”
Once she confronted her fears, Maria Rosario’s boldness took hold of her life and led her to become a published author. Today, she's constantly moving forward in the literary world, but she’ll never forget where she started and the fears that tried to stop her from pursuing her dreams. She offers encouraging words to others who may be bound by those fears, “Don’t be afraid to put your work out there. Take a chance on you.”
Take a chance on Maria Isabel Rosario her stories are educational and fun. Learn more about Maria by connecting with her on any of the sites below.
