Today we’d like to introduce you to Giana Gallardo Hesterberg.
Hi Giana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Being a published author was a long-time bucket list item of mine.
After exploring self-publishing options and traditional and independent publishing companies, I decided to self-publish my first two books. Music, Music, You Can Too! is a children’s nonfiction book that breaks down musical concepts. Stories by the Seashore is an adult nonfiction collection of 40 short stories. I published Stories by the Seashore in 2019, and Music, Music, You Can Too! in 2020.
Since then, several of my poems and short stories have been published in various anthologies. My favorite thing to do is present at local schools.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Releasing a book virtually in the middle of a pandemic (2020) was no small feat. There’s a reason self-publishing has the word “self” in it– everything is up to you. Creating the book, finding an editor, photographer, or illustrator, launching the book, and any sort of marketing. Thankfully, the South Texas Literacy Coalition helped me launch my music book live on Facebook. We made an event and invited people to the occasion. It was a great moment!
While I love my city, Brownsville, Texas, is not exactly booming with authors or publishing opportunities. I do know several other authors, but the distance between us and coming out of the pandemic has made it somewhat challenging to plan and attend events together.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My city of Brownsville, Texas, is known as one of the poorest cities in the United States. When I was in high school, I attended a Fine Arts Academy with the piano as my main instrument. I was also a percussionist in our band. Music is huge in our city. Several of my classmates received full rides to colleges and music conservatories because of how well they sang or played their instruments. Thus, I begin to see music as a way out of poverty.
Traditionally, students can start learning how to play instruments and read music when they begin middle school. I wanted to give them a headstart in elementary school. This is what originally inspired my children’s book, Music, Music, You Can Too! I am most proud of this book because it was born out of a love for my community and all the children in it.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is not to take my health or congregating together for granted.
Now that the crisis is largely behind us, I find myself going out much more, and investing more time in my community. I also finally decided to go back to school to study Clinical Mental Health Counseling; the need is great.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.storiesbytheseashore.com
- Facebook: @gghesterberg
