April 2015 Book of the Month:
Howl of the Mission Owl by Cecilia Velástegui
April 2015 Teleconference: Cecilia Velástegui, author of Howl of the Mission Owl published by Libros Publishing
Book of the Month Outside Links: Book Author Publisher
About the Book:
Howl of the Mission Owl
By Cecilia Velástegui
Published by Libros Publishing
ISBN-13: 9780990671374
Cecilia Velástegui fabulously spotlights native Californian history, culture, and traditions in an Aesop-inspired tale set during the infamous gold rush. Howl of the Mission Owl: El ulular de la lechuza follows eight animal friends, led by the wise and inquisitive spotted owl, as they unravel the mystery of the missing gold nugget, ultimately learning that “harmony is golden.”
About the Author:
Cecilia Velástegui
Cecilia Velástegui
Cecilia Velástegui was born high up in the Andes mountains in Quito, Ecuador, where she spent her childhood. Although she now lives at sea level in Monarch Beach, California, she still has two friendly alpacas, Tupac and Khipus. Cecilia was raised in California and France, and has traveled extensively in over 50 countries. Her favorite country is always the most recent country she visited.
She received her graduate degree from the University of Southern California, and speaks four languages. She was a marriage and family therapist, but now she is a devoted writer. Cecilia is on the board of directors of several cultural and educational institutions.
In addition, Cecilia is the award-winning author of psychological thrillers with historical intrigue. Missing in Machu Picchu received First Place at the International Latino Book Awards in 2013, Traces of Bliss won the 2012 First Place in Popular Fiction by the International Latino Book Awards and was selected on the 2012 Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club in association with the Association of American Publishers, and Gathering the Indigo Maidens was a finalist for the Mariposa Award.
The Spanish edition of Traces of Bliss (Vestigios de Dicha) is a 2013 finalist for the Book of the Year by ForeWord Reviews. Her novel Gathering the Indigo Maidens is also available in Spanish. Cecilia is currently translating Missing in Machu Picchu to Spanish.
Her upcoming historical novel, Parisian Promises, has received a Five Star review from ForeWord Reviews and a Recommend Level by the US Review of Books. Cecilia is known as the Fabulous Fableist™ for her bilingual children’s fables. Her fable about the newest mammal in the Western Hemisphere, Olinguito Speaks Up – Olinguito alza la voz (2013), won first place at the 2014 International Latino Book Awards. Lalo Loves to Help – A Lalo le encanta ayudar will debut on two stages during the Orange County Children’s Book Festival in September 2014, and Howl of the Mission Owl will be featured at the Los Angeles Zoo Hispanic Heritage celebration in fall 2014. Cecilia lives in Southern California with her family and eleven pets.