Emerita Romero-Anderson

Email - emerkent@​gojade.org


A Colorado native, I wake up to a glorious sunrise over the Sangre de Cristos and the scent of pinon pine rising from chimneys. My birthplace, San Luis, is a small community with a richly woven tapestry of Hispano culture, traditions and family history, which reveal an important part of our national story.

Don Dario Gallegos, my great-great grandfather, built the oldest continuous mercantile in Colorado in 1857, which is still owned by my family. In 2007, we celebrated its 150th anniversary. Several of my mother's ancestors were some of the first settlers who established San Luis de la Culebra in 1851.

I am a sixth-generation Hispanic, a descendant of New Mexicans and Spanish colonials, who were in New Mexico prior to the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. This bicultural heritage immersed me in an enduring oral tradition.

As a youngster, I loved to listen to stories told so often at family gatherings or made up by uncles and aunts at bedtime. I began to tell my own stories, entertaining kids at the willow tree in a neighboring field. My stories became so popular, I got help with all my chores.

It is from this creative place that I began my journey as a writer and author of children’s books.

Teaching for twenty-seven years and reading countless children’s books helped prepare me. I am a graduate of Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado and hold a Masters from the University of Northern Colorado. While working on my Masters in bilingual/​multicultural education in 1978, I wrote my first book, Que Dijo el Gato? It was never published, but gave me the idea to write other books.

I am married and have a beautiful daughter who blessed us with identical twin grandsons in May, 2007. I’m sure a picture book on twins is forthcoming. In 2009, Megan gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Aubrielle. Our lives are filled with joy as we spend an abundance of time with our grandchildren.

I retired in 1998 to write children’s books. I love giving book talks in libraries and schools. I do a big book reading for my picture book, Grandpa’s Tarima, and bring visuals and props to show how I got my ideas for the story. We play a drum, chant and I leave time for questions.

For my non-fiction children’s biography, José Dario Gallegos: Merchant of the Santa Fe Trail, ages 10 and up, I use a power point to present the biography and expand on the concepts and information in the book.

My latest book, Milagro of the Spanish Bean Pot, was published in April, 2011. The illustrator, Randy Pijoan and I do a book signing presentation. I read passages from the story. Randy shares his story board and talks about the creative process for the art work.

I show my writing process for my books and show how a book comes together from first draft to publication.

I present at conferences and organizations, have been a guest author, an author-in-residence and I’ve taught Young Writer’s and Teacher’s as Writers workshops.

My current memberships include, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Women Writing the West, The Authors Guild, and an SCBWI critique group that meets once a month.