Meet Mikaela Wilson | Children’s Book Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mikaela Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mikaela, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always enjoyed being creative and considered myself an artistic person. In my career as an IT analyst, I don’t get to use my creative lens very often. I missed being creative and becoming an author has allowed me to tap back into my artistic side. I thoroughly enjoy the entire book-making process. I love doing the storyboards for my books and designing how I want every page to look from top to bottom. I love working with my illustrator and seeing everything come together. Becoming a children’s author and using my creative side again has ignited a passion and a feeling of fulfillment that I didn’t know I needed.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
The André and Noelle series is a collection of children’s books modeled after my own multicultural family. My kids LOVE to read, and we are a permanent fixture at the library. Through our reading, I noticed there was a gap in children’s literature that portrays multicultural families. I wanted to create a series like The Berenstain Bears where you can read about familiar and lovable characters time after time, while also filling in the gap of multicultural children’s literature. Since publishing my books, I’ve gotten numerous emails from families telling me they loved reading about a family that represented their own. I also think seeing diverse characters is equally important for families that don’t necessarily look like the characters they’re reading about.

The thing I’m most proud of is the fact that I’m creating a legacy for my kids and someday they’ll be able to read these books to their kids and their grandkids.

I started writing my first book in June of 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. Since then, I’ve published 10 books and have many more on the way. It wasn’t easy at all; it is a lot of work and very much like owning your own business. In the early stages I had no idea what I was doing so I took a 6-week self-publishing course to learn the ins and outs of self-publishing. The first book was the hardest as I was learning everything on the go. I spent a lot of late nights and early mornings working trying to figure everything out. I believe I was able to overcome all the challenges because I believed in what I was doing, I enjoyed what I was doing, and I had tremendous support in my husband.

Some lessons I’ve learned along the way are, go at your own pace and use the people that are where you want to be as inspiration. Also, community is huge. There is an online self-publishing community that has been extremely supportive and helpful in my journey. Find the community in whatever niche you’re in to support and lean on.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
You can’t beat the beaches in San Diego. I love watching the sunsets at La Jolla Cove Beach and Mission Beach. Windansea Beach is also beautiful and not as crowded. They’re perfect for a fun day with the kids or a romantic setting for a date night.

My two favorite restaurants are Supannee House of Thai and Bencotta Italian Kitchen. For family fun, Belmont Park, USS Midway and the San Diego Zoo are our favorites. So much to see and do at each and great for all ages.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband! He has been my #1 supporter in my venture as a children’s author. Whether it’s taking the kids for an afternoon so I can work on my books, or offering to learn the business side for me when I’m overwhelmed. He has believed in me from day one and I don’t know if I could have done it without him.

Website: https://www.mikaelawilsonbooks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikaelawilsonbooks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikaelawilsonbooks/