Introducing author Lucy Rivas Enriquez

This is a guest blog post by author Lucy Rivas Enriquez, author of DJ's Lullaby - A Mother's Love Song.

Thank you for the opportunity to bring my story to your readers. DJ’s Lullaby – A Mother’s Love Song is a very personal project. It is the bedtime story I created for my son when he first came home to us. The lullaby at the end is the same one I sang to him hundreds of times. I wanted him to know from a very young age how special he is and how loved, wanted, and prayed for he has been. I am the mom in the book and my son is DJ. This is our story.

In August of 2009, my husband and I became foster parents and welcomed baby DJ into our lives. We fell in love with him from the first minute we saw him. Truth be told, I fell in love with him years before when I knew in my heart he would come. I didn’t know he would come through adoption. But believe me, I knew he would come. My son is now a toddler about to turn four and one of the biggest fans of this book. I think he likes to see his image on the cover. He also enjoys the pictures that go with all the silly faces I would make when I would tell him the story.

 

A mother’s love is a universal theme. That’s the overriding message of my book. Throughout the pages, I talk about this “mom in waiting” who has all the special mommy parts needed to do the job. In the end, her baby comes to her through adoption. Nonetheless, all the special mommy parts are still there and used for exactly the right purpose; being a mom. Anyone who is a mom, a child of a mom, or even knows a mom can relate to it. There is an adoption component to the story. Families who have grown through adoption will find it particularly special. Most importantly, it is a children’s book intended for sharing with the very special children in our lives. My goal in sharing this very personal story is to provide parents a tool for conversation about the depth of the love they have for their adopted children. With all my children’s stories, I want to make adoption a celebrated choice.

 

My book combines a few themes at the same time. Certainly it is a book about a mother’s love for her adopted son. It also has an element of faith and trust in God’s plan. I think it is important for children to hear these messages from a very early age. What sets my book apart however is the fact that it is a book with a mission. We were blessed to have DJ’s two older sisters join our family a year after he did. We finalized our forever family by adopting them too. Adoption, in particular adoption from foster care, is a cause very near and dear to our family. I have partnered with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. They are a wonderful organization that works to find “forever families” for youth in foster care. My proceeds from this and future children’s books are being donated to help children in my area get matched with their forever families.

 

DJ’s Lullaby is my debut book. I am currently working on several other children’s books. Simon the Dragon is being illustrated at this time. Simon is a dragon who struggles with being different.  A special book about DJ’s sisters is also in the works. Their story is a little different. We were their 4^th home and they were old enough to understand what was going on. There are struggles for them that come with that experience. My books all have a special component about diversity, adoption, acceptance and other themes that children in foster care or who are adopted struggle with. I hope to help children with similar experiences understand they are not alone. I hope to help parents by providing a fun and interactive tool to open discussion about these themes.

 

I would be remiss if I don’t take the opportunity to mention my illustrator, M.A. Moisa. She is my extremely talented sister. She is an amazing artist and person. Right now, she is busy working on Simon the Dragon and I have seen some of the drawings. Readers are not going to be disappointed. She has an uncanny way of breathing life into the words. They tell the story just as much as the words do. She is featured on my website.

 

About the Author

 

Lucy Rivas Enriquez is a businesswoman who has worked in the field of human resources for more than 17 years. In that time she has learned a thing or two about people, diversity, and the human condition. Writing has always been a part of her life and now she weaves real-life experiences and lessons about diversity, acceptance, adoption and people into her children's books.

 

In her debut book, DJ's Lullaby, Lucy shares the bedtime story she created when DJ joined her family. It is a heartwarming story of love for her adopted son. Lucy and her husband became foster parents when they learned there was a baby coming into the world who might need a home. They welcomed baby DJ into their lives when he was 10 days old. One year later, DJ's two older sisters joined him. Today, Lucy, her husband, and three (now) adopted children live in Illinois, where running around, being silly, and singing songs are an important part of daily life.

 

You can visit Lucy on her website, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.