Cecilia Vega-Ryan

I am a Cuban American writer and educator.  I am currently writing picture books, an early chapter book, and I have a YA novel that needs to begin. My stories are quirky and about family, perseverance, and nature.

I reside on the central coast of California surrounded by microclimates of varied terrain.  One of my passions is environmentalism. I volunteer at my local Nature and Art Museum, and provide tours and stories to children at the Santa Ynez Botanical Garden. Being surrounded by different animals, domesticated and wild is a gift that I appreciate every day.  My milieu is my muse for writing. 

I have been writing and creating stories since I was a young child.  I recall my sixth-grade teacher requesting copies of my stories from class.  I have always loved reading, (although I am slow at doing it), watching movies, and plays and being swept up in the story. As a Child Development Professor, I have worked with teachers and children for several years. I did children’s theatre for a while, so performing tales naturally led me to writing again.  I wrote a one-act play in a workshop, which was well received.  I began writing children’s picture books right before graduate school, then put them aside.  After teaching child development and penning curriculum, I decided that picture books were calling, and the stories needed to be shared, so I joined SCBWI and have not looked back.

My hobbies are photography, cooking, and gardening, (of which I am working on getting better at all three), traveling, and spending time with my husband, dog and cat.  I also enjoy seeing my life-long friends and laughing, eating and drinking good wine together.  Additionally, I love spending time with my twin stepdaughters.

I believe in putting humorous and sweet stories into the world to whisk away young children and capture their imagination.