CAROL GORDON EKSTER: Allison reached out to me on the Kindling Words East Facebook page. I love highlighting others who have been to this wonderful #kidlit author retreat. And we’ve both published with the awesome publisher, Beaming Books.
Allison, can you tell us how you found your way into the world of writing picture books and about journey to becoming an author?
ALLISON ROADRUCK ROZO: Hi Carol! It was fun connecting with you at Kindling Words East (KWE) and now on Writer’s Rumpus. I appreciate you having me on your incredible blog!
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with books. My grandma was a children’s librarian at Miller Park Library in Upper Arlington, OH, and she (and my mother) constantly read to me. On top of visiting libraries and book stores, my grandma bought me reading treasures from library book sales. I thought about the people who read the books before me and how books connect us all. Picture books have always been my favorite. I’m in constant awe of how the art and words work together to carry us through a story.
As a kid, I was asthmatic and sick a lot, so books and art were my escape. But with my run-on fantasies and silly family-based comics, I never thought I had what it takes to be a published author. It wasn’t on my radar at all. I went to school for fine art and then graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in the History of Art & Architecture. Looking back, I realize I was writing stories the whole time about the artists and their artwork.
After college, I became a litigation paralegal at an international law firm and met my Colombian native husband Rafael Rozo (and co-author of my books). We travelled to Bogotá, Colombia to visit his family, and I was instantly inspired by the art and culture. My creative side was reawakened, and I enrolled in illustration and graphic design courses. But to create illustrations, I needed a story. So, I began to write my own, leading us to your next question…
CGE: And you write with your husband, Rafael Rozo. We want to know how that works!
ARR: As I wrote, I asked Rafael about his childhood in South America and for more and more input. Until I realized we were writing the books together. Our writing process is me coming up with a concept, then bouncing ideas off of Rafael. Once we know the basic framework, I sit down at my computer and build the story.
In our drafting process, I sprinkle in words from my limited Spanish vocabulary, and he makes sure they have the correct meaning and includes more where he thinks they fit. He weaves in his culture, including words, phrases, and places throughout the text. We often discuss how important it is for our children to feel proud of their Hispanic heritage. Our family’s official language is “Spanglish” with the revolving door of various levels of Spanish and English speakers in our home. I take our manuscripts to critique groups and together we work through the feedback. When we’re happy with the manuscript, we send it off to our agent to work her magic!
Fun Fact: Our wedding reception was in a library!
CGE: Did you have quick sales or twists and nerve-wracking turns before contracts were signed?
ARR: We were lucky to sell our first two books quickly in the spring of 2022. But they both had twists and turns before finding homes and after!
DIEGO FUEGO THE FIREFIGHTING DRAGON almost sold to Kind World Publishing in the spring of 2021. Luckily, when they ultimately passed, they gave me some fantastic feedback. I entered #PBPitch in June and my agent Elisa Houot fell in love with the manuscript. After an unsuccessful R&R, and about seven months on sub, Diego found a home with Penguin Workshop. From then on everything was smooth sailing.
UNIQUE LIKE YOU sold in about three months to Beaming Books. Everything was easy-peasy until after the contract was signed. Suddenly, we received an email that our editor was leaving the publisher. We were pushed back from our original release in 2024 to 2026, and in limbo for a year until our project found a new editor. We were relieved when there was renewed interest and they bumped up the release date to September 2025. It turned out beautifully, so it was all worth it!
CGE: Can you tell us the story behind the story of your books Diego Fuego the Firefighting Dragon, illustrated by Vanessa Morales Penguin Workshop, 2025 and Unique Like You, illustrated by Angie Alape, Beaming Books, 2025?
ARR: The story behind DIEGO FUEGO THE FIREFIGHTING DRAGON began when our three-year-old shouted something that sounded like, “It’s a firefighting dragon!”
“Did you say a firefighting dragon?” I asked.
“No.” He shook his head.
To this day we have no idea what he was saying, because the idea immediately took off.
“His name is Diego Fuego!” I laughed as Rafael pointed at the map of South America on our kitchen wall and said, “and this is where he lives, Tierra del Fuego!”
We loved the firefighting dragon who saved the day! But how? Or why? At first, we imagined him suited up like a real firefighter, but the story didn’t come together until we began to think of him as a child. I thought about my own life and struggles with allergies and asthma. Many a party, a holiday, or a family get together was ruined by my unfortunate flare-ups. One Christmas Day, my mom burned a pizza and the smoke sent me into an asthma attack. She rushed me to the E.R., apologizing all the way. This moment got me thinking about how a family of dragons couldn’t help breathing fire even if one of their own was allergic. Rafael loved it, and we created a family of dragons who are happiest being together, but cannot help triggering poor Diego Fuego’s allergy to smoke.
UNIQUE LIKE YOU was inspired by a photograph I took in 2009 on a trip with Rafael to his hometown of Bogotá, Colombia. We saw a mother, her young daughter, and their donkey stop in front of a wall of graffiti with the words ÚNICO COMO TÚ (UNIQUE LIKE YOU.) Rafael explained to me that they were recicladores, people who collect reusable/recyclable trash to sell or trade. Immediately, I could feel a story growing. I imagined a girl on a quest in her community to discover how everyone is unique, and how she’s unique too! It took many, many drafts, but I’m so proud of what we created. The book also showcases the beautiful city of Bogotá.
Rafael is from Bogotá, and together we created a story that represents our family and incorporates pieces of his beloved city, including graffiti art. It shows how one small moment on an average day can inspire a journey of discovery, about how each one of us is unique, from a far-off country to our own neighborhood. As youths, it would have been invaluable to have a relatable character, like Lina, who speaks a different language and is from a working-class family, but sees trash as treasure, opening our eyes to the beauty that is hiding all around us.
CGE: You had your first two books come out in the same year! Was that challenging for you in terms of marketing? Do you like the marketing aspect of being an author? And how do you balance writing and marketing?
ARR: It has definitely been a wild ride! In the beginning UNIQUE LIKE YOU was slated for 2024 (then 2026 and back to 2025) and DIEGO FUEGO THE FIREFIGHTING DRAGON for 2025. We never expected them to release so close together. I like to think of them as twins, with each one having their own personality and needs. The challenging part is wondering if what I’m doing is working and where to invest my time. Mostly, I work to reach out to people about possible events or collaborations. I try to never say no (even if I have no idea what I’m doing!) I’ve been lucky to have marketing opportunities come my way just by asking.
For DIEGO FUEGO THE FIREFIGHTING DRAGON, we were honored to have the amazing librarian Betsy Bird do our cover reveal. Then we received exciting news that Diego Fuego was going to be the “face”of the Buckeye Book Fair in Wooster, OH. Leading up to the fair, they hosted a story time and book signing with a real-life firefighter! It was incredible to see the children relating to Diego Fuego and learning vital fire safety tips. Other libraries across the U.S. have used our book to tie-in fire safety with story time.
UNIQUE LIKE YOU came out for Hispanic Heritage Month, so it was really fun combining it with the celebration of being Latine. It’s more artsy oriented, the inspiration being from graffiti art, so I’m working towards having it sold in museum stores and using more of the arts angle when we do story time. At our Barnes & Noble book release (and subsequent story times), I brought toilet paper & paper towel rolls, cardboard, etc, and let the kids turn the “trash” into “treasure.” Seeing what the children create has been one of the most joyful parts of selling our books.
Do I like the marketing aspect? I would say yes and no. I enjoy being on social media by creating fun posts (mostly to try to make people laugh,) and handing out stickers, but I really would like to be creating books. In 2025, I stepped back from writing to balance it all. I also was busy making fun author props like Diego Fuego hats for my family, a giant painted cardboard box that looks like our book covers, and a snowy skirt to go with Diego Fuego’s icy sneezes from a used Elsa (Frozen) dress, and more.
I’m still working on the balancing part. I lean into our wonderful kidlit community for advice. Events like KWE and in-person SCBWI conferences are vital for us writers to be able to discuss what is worth spending time on and what isn’t.
CGE: Do you have a dedicated time to deal with your writing and illustrating life?
ARR: Most of my creating is in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee and, for some reason, donning a cozy hat. This is my free/quiet/peaceful time before the errands kick-in and my kids get home from school. But if the ideas are flowing I might write all day and night. Unfortunately, I’ve found that I can only be creative in one discipline at a time. If I’m writing, I am all in. The same for creating art. I’ve learned to give myself grace.
CGE: What are your top tips for our #kidlit #amwriting audience?
ARR: My first tip is to hold on tight to the heart of the story, the little nugget that got me excited to write it in the first place. I have found that sometimes in revisions I lose it, and I wonder why I felt so strongly about the story in the first place. Even though my first draft is usually a mess, it holds the seeds of the raw emotion I was going for. It helps me to jolt down in the first draft why I’m writing the story (this can be in a pitch or blurb) while the excitement of an idea is flowing, to have that feeling as a touch stone.
A second tip is to keep joy at the center of my writing, connecting to the kid inside you. I try to look at the world I’m creating from kid-Allison perspective, turning off my adulting mode (yay) and my mama bear instincts to imagine how a child would feel. For Diego, I realized that kid-Allison wanted to feel in control and powerful through her struggles with asthma. So, I gave that power to Diego Fuego! And in UNIQUE LIKE YOU, I used kid-Allison to look at a community with fresh eyes, seeing how everyone is full of possibility. Keep those kid-goggles on as much as possible in your daily life to see what you discover about yourself and your characters.
Finally, a few years back, I watched a webinar given by Dev Petty, and she told us she doesn’t write ideas down. If it’s a good enough idea it will stay with her until it’s ready to be written. At first, my brain couldn’t compute this. What if I lose an idea? But now I have completely embraced this way of thinking. My ideas marinate for a long, long time before I write them down. I text myself little snippets and then, when I’m ready, it all comes together. I’ve learned that for me patience is key.
CGE: What does the future hold for Allison Roadruck Rozo?
ARR: Hopefully, I’ll have more book sales, book events, and school visits! I’m on sub with picture books, co-written by my husband, and recently a story written only by me. I cross my fingers and toes, and just keep on creating!
Thank you once again for having me, Carol!
CGE: My pleasure, Allison! Thanks for your inspiration.
You can connect with Allison here:
Instagram: @allisonrozo
Bluesky: @allisonrozo.bsky.social
Facebook: @allison.rozo.books
Twitter/X: @allison_rozo
WRITERS' RUMPUS 