Palmetto Bay mom writes picture book about angels

Like so many others, Palmetto Bay mom Anabelle Valenzuela-Alarcon always has wanted to write a children’s book. Unlike most people who say they have a story to write, Valenzuela-Alarcon put her words on paper

She sent the picture book manuscript out to a few publishers but was rejected — the book doesn’t follow the norms of traditional publishing — so she put it away for 20 years. Then one day she saw an ad on Facebook for a publisher. She contacted the company, which helps authors self-publish, found an illustrator, Sarah Latham, and in early August, the book was released.

The Day An Angel Ran Into My Room was inspired by her daughter and the teachings of Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra and Marianne Williamson.

“The book is an inspirational tale about a 6-year-old, who is about to go to bed,” Valenzuela-Alarcon said. “She asks for five more minutes. In those minutes an angel appears in her room.”

Valenzuela-Alarcon said the story is told in a very light-hearted way.

“I was inspired to write this story by my kids, but also I had been immersed in cassettes by Wayne Dwyer. When I had my kids, they are born perfect, but along the line the messages get garbled.”

She believes her book helps teach children how an action causes a reaction. It shows cause and effect and details how parents are a child’s best teacher.

“It’s a spiritual book and told through a language kids can understand,” she said.

The book helps children understand that angels guard them day and night.

“It introduces the concept of an angel,” she said. “Although we are all different, we are all one. We all come from the same God so we are family. The other thing: the world is like a school with your mother and father being teachers. That’s where the little girl becomes confused. She thinks her teachers are her teachers.”

Valenzuela Alarcon said the angel tells the girl that her parents are here to teach her about life and that everyone is a teacher or a student at some point.

“She can find her angel, but first she needs to believe in the angel and to pray,” Valenzuela-Alarcon said. “Once you pray, the angel will help you. There is a saying that when you pray, God sends angels running.

“I’m pleased with the early reception,” she added.

Valenzuela-Alarcon has a background in advertising, marketing and public relations, so doing the publicity for the book does not faze her.

“That has been helpful to me as far as how things work,” she said.Valenzuela-Alarcon has lived in Europe, the United States and her native Honduras. She moved to Miami 18 years ago and has lived all over south Miami-Dade, including Kendall and Palmetto Bay.

She has enjoyed the experience of releasing her book so much she is planning to write more. “I’d like my next book to be about bullying. That is a big problem these days,” she said.

The Day An Angel Ran Into My Room was released at the beginning of August as a print-on-demand book. It’s available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com and through the publisher at www.Sbpra.com/AnabelleValenzuela.


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