This week, I’ve been working on building upper body strength. I have very strong legs, but I’m extremely lazy about going to the gym. I’d rather ride a bike or stay home reading. As a result, I got a shoulder injury that would take months of physical therapy to go away. Needless to say, I went to the doctor, who scolded me (my exaggeration) for spending hours watercoloring and sketching without a drawing table or easel. My fault. Now, first thing in the morning, I have to do PT, and every ten minutes, I have to stop whatever I’m doing to correct my posture and stretch.

Behind the Curtains

When I was ten years old, I got bitten by a bug, the writing beetle. It happened when I was in elementary school, and my fifth-grade teacher submitted my writing to a contest, and I was picked to read my poem to the entire school. Then, my literature teacher in seventh grade encouraged me to keep writing. She truly inspired me with her love for literature and the Spanish language. During secondary school, I had a small audience that thoroughly followed my poetry and short stories: one friend. Every day, we sat together to read my works in progress. She gave me feedback and encouraged me to keep going. My first side business was writing love poems to prompts my classmates gave me based on their affairs (very complex during teenage years).

My First Book

Honestly, I had no intentions of publishing a children’s book first. I wrote The Adventures of Patti and Barci in 2010, when I was still in Cuba. This book was inspired by my Chihuahua and the street cats. But the motivation to write it came from babysitting a super cute three-year-old boy who helped me forget I was trapped in a dungeon. Truth has it, I needed a way to tell my story. An easy way to talk about my life in Cuba. A channel that wouldn’t get me in trouble when I would go to visit the Island. It’s not paranoia. The regime in Cuba has every eye they can on potential troublemakers like me.

A Dangerous Window

When I lived in Havana, I really didn’t know who I could trust. Once Cubans on the Island were allowed to get Internet, I was very cautious about which of my past acquaintances I befriended on Facebook. Any Cuban still on the Island—and maybe out of the Island—was suspicious to me. The minute I started publishing about my book, one of those Cuban FB friends asked me, “What are you writing about?” I knew then I was on the peephole.

Fear What?

My mother is more afraid of my writing than anybody in this world. She fears that if I go to Cuba, they are going to arrest me, and I will never be free again. Truth is, everything I write has a message of love and compassion. What could I know that everybody in the world, right now, doesn’t know about the regime in Cuba? Even saying the word “regime” is considered propaganda against the government. But I’m tired of not saying anything. I’m not hiding or running away anymore.

My Book in the World

My book is available to everybody to read. I’m currently working on books two and three of the Patti and Barci trilogy. If you want to know more about me, read my story at this link. My book is available in Spanish and English, plus a coloring companion book for the little ones. Follow this link to find my book at multiple stores. And check out my social hangouts to see all my adventures.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who always woke up smiling. Then…

Au Revoir!

Thank you so much for following my writing journey. There are so many places to be, but you chose to read my story. ‘Till we meet again.

Anechy Padron