Happy Book Birthday to A Light For Lucinda.

Grab your cafecito and join us for a conversation with Olga Herrera about her beautiful book A Light For Lucinda / Una Luz Para Lucinda. 

Olga, welcome to this interview with Las Musas! We are eager to learn about your project. Tell us more! 
A Light For Lucinda is a lyrical picture book for ages 6-9 (Grades 1-4)
This book honors the human instinct to provide order and stability amid chaos and strife. It is a heartfelt, and uplifting story that shows the love and comfort a family brings to one another during a time of uncertainty and strife. 
The story is set during the Cuban Revolution but it is relatable to any reader.  It invites you to witness the uncertain feelings Lucinda and her family share, and leaves you with a resilient and hopeful comfort.

Where did you get the idea to write this particular story?
I had a phone conversation with my mother while I prepared for a winter storm.  I was cooking dishes that my family could eat in case we lost power.
My mom recounted a memory of when she was little in Cuba during the Battle of Santa Clara. My Grandmother kept cooking in the midst of all that chaos. My Mom drew a parallel between my grandmother and me. We both cooked to bring comfort to our families because we could not control the chaos outside. That realization sparked this story.  It made me think of what other acts of service would family members do in that situation. 

Can you share your path to publication for this book?
I wrote this book back in 2020 and went on submissions. I received a few requests to rewrite and resubmit it.  I rewrote it a lot of times!  From different POVs, with side-by-side narratives, I softened the language, etc.  Still, it didn’t sell, and I put it away for a while. A couple of years later, with a different agent and different times, we took another look at the manuscript, submitted it and it sold quickly!   I feel the editor, Gabriela Baron, connected with this book and understood it. The entire team at Charlesbridge showed so much love for it.  I guess my message here is sometimes it's just not the right time for a story, but you don’t have to give up on it; the right time will come.

What message are you hoping readers will take away from this story?
I wish for readers to feel hopeful.  Hard times come and go. There is chaos that we can’t control, but we can find ways to comfort one another, our families, and our community.  My favorite quote from this book is  “No need to curse the dark, we will just create our own light.”

What comes next for you as an author?
I am working on two graphic novels for my debut graphic novel series.  I am very excited to write and illustrate a fun series.  Graphic novels are a lot of work and challenging, but I find them so fun and exciting.

What 3 recommendations would you give writers who are starting out?
1) Write anything! Write it badly, off genre, doens’t matter, just write it down.  A lot of times, you have to get that first idea out of your head before you can explore it further and take it in the direction it needs to go.

2) Just because it didn’t sell, it doesn’t meant is not a sellable book.  It’s a matter of the connections that are sometimes beyond your control.  The right editor finds the right book for them; the world is ready for that specific message. The stars have to align, and sometimes they don’t.  So, put that project away and start another one.  You can always rework a manuscript and try again with more time and distance from it.

3) Don’t give up.  If you feel discouraged, take a break.  But don’t give up on your dreams.  You will still have that longing to get your books published; the dream won’t go away.  Time will continue to pass. The trick to perseverance is to enjoy the ride.  Enjoy the ups, the downs, the almost-but-not-quite.  All the NOs you will hear will only make that Yesses so much sweeter.

Olga Herrera

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​Olga Herrera is a multicultural Cuban and Ecuadorian author and illustrator of children's books. She earned her BFA from the Ringling College of Art and Design, majoring in Illustration.
She co-founded Illo Chat, a podcast for illustrators, and is an active member of the SCBWI and Las Musas. She also teaches illustration to seniors in her community and mentors emerging authors and illustrators.​
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Olga is bilingual in English and Spanish.
www.OlgaHerrera.me

​Social media handles:
Instagram: OlgaChildrensIllustrator
BlueSky: @Olgaherrera.bsky.social
More Books from Olga:
​​Rock and Spike Graphic Novel series (Author, Illustrator) Random House 2027/2028
Alice Alone (Illustrator) Amicus 2025
​The Unwelcome Surprise (Author, Illustrator) Feiwel and Friends 2023

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