Hola! Welcome! 👋🏼
I’m Jackie Morera, a children’s author, mother, and pastelito enthusiast.
How it began …
I was born and raised in a small suburb of Miami to Cuban immigrant parents. Our home overflowed with whimsy, imagination, and enormous belly laughs.
My dad helped me “write my first book” when I was very young. He bound pieces of paper together and invited me to fill them with my stories, which he later brought to life with his illustrations. It’s difficult not to fall in love with writing when you’re introduced to it in such a magical way.
I couldn’t get enough. So, I spent my formative years playing around with storytelling. I scribbled away at tales of adventure, betrayal, intrigue, and romance, led by uncommon heroes and thwarted by villains you expect and some you don’t. I wanted to write it all, just like I wanted to read it all.
How it’s going …
I live in the Sunshine State where I’m blessed to spend my days in the world of imagination and daydream with my husband, son, and our silly dog.
When I’m not playing pretend or going on an adventure with my favorite little human, I write about those things instead. Specifically, stories filled with characters who look and sound like those who filled my heart and world growing up.
My picture books include Abuelo's Flower Shop, illustrated by Deise Lino; Together We Remember, illustrated by Violeta Encarnacion, coming May 13, 2025; and an unannounced book slated for Fall 2026.
xo, Jackie
Upcoming events
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03/29/2025 in Winter Park, FL
In-person: Children’s Book Author Fair
From 1:00-4:00 pm ET at the Winter Park Library
1052 W Morse Blvd, Winter Park, FL 32789
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05/17/2025 in Sanford, FL
(Free) In-person: Storytime, Craft + Q&A
with Jenny Alvarado
From 11:00 - 12:00 pm ET at Spellbound Bookstore
105 N Oak Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
RSVP link coming soon!
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05/24/2025 in Tampa, FL
(Free) In-person: Storytime, Craft + Q&A
From 10:00 - 11:00 am ET at Tombolo Books
2153 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
RSVP link coming soon!
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05/31/2025 in Brooklyn, NY
(Free) In-person: Storytime, Craft + Q&A
with Violeta Encarnación
From 10:30 - 11:30 am ET at Lofty Pigeon Books
743 Church Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218
RSVP link coming soon!
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06/14/2025 in Miami, FL
(Free) In-person: Storytime, Craft + Q&A
with Violeta Encarnación
From 12:00 - 1:30 pm ET at Books & Books
265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
RSVP link coming soon!
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06/28/2025 in Philadelphia, PA
(Free) In-person: Storytime, Craft + Q&A
From 10:30 - 11:30 am ET at Julia de Burgos Bookstore
2600 N. 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19133
RSVP link coming soon!
FAQ:
Do you have a bio we can use?
Of course!
Super Short Bio:
Jackie Morera is a Cuban American author of books for young-at-heart readers. Outside of writing, Jackie enjoys talking to the bees and butterflies in her pollinator garden, savoring pastelitos, and cozying up for a good nap. Her work includes Together We Remember, Abuelo's Flower Shop, and more!
Short Bio:
Jackie Morera is a Cuban American author of books for young-at-heart readers. Born and raised in Miami, Jackie now lives with her family in Central Florida. She’s a wife of 10+ years, a mom to the most marvelous kid, and is never far from her animal familiar: currently, a floppy black lab named Tanner. Outside of writing, Jackie enjoys talking to the bees, caterpillars, and butterflies that visit her pollinator garden; savoring pastelitos; and cozying up for a good nap. Jackie is an active member of Las Musas, a volunteer for the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, and a 2025 PB Rising Stars Mentor. Jackie is the author of Together We Remember, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación; Abuelo's Flower Shop, illustrated by Deise Lino; and more!
Long Bio:
Jackie Morera is a Cuban American author of books for young-at-heart readers. Born and raised in Miami, Jackie now lives with her family in Central Florida. She’s a wife of 10+ years, a mom to the most marvelous kid, and is never far from her animal familiar: currently, a floppy black lab named Tanner. Outside of writing, Jackie enjoys talking to the bees, caterpillars, and butterflies that visit her pollinator garden; savoring pastelitos; and cozying up for a good nap.
Jackie participated in the Twitter contest formerly known as #PitMad in September of 2021 and received an offer of publication from Beaming Books in November of the same year for her debut picture book, Abuelo's Flower Shop, illustrated by Deise Lino. Additional picture books include Together We Remember, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación, coming May 13, 2025 (Random House Children’s Books/Make Me A World); and more!
Jackie is an active member of Las Musas, a volunteer for the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, and a 2025 PB Rising Stars Mentor. She was selected as a 2022 Las Musas Hermana Mentee, partnering with Laura Taylor Namey on a young adult contemporary romance novel. Jackie is represented by agent Ashley Reisinger of Triada US Literary Agency.
Jackie invites you to visit her online at jmorerabooks.com and on TikTok, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads @jmorerabooks or by subscribing to her newsletter.
Click here to listen to the pronunciation of the surname Morera.
What is your writing process?
This depends on age category, but mostly, I feel my way around a story. When it comes to picture books, my stories often begin with an idea jotted down in my notes app. On a particularly inspiring day, I might type out an entire draft. But, more commonly, the complete story usually comes later and evolves through multiple iterations before it’s “ready.”
My novels are character-driven, so I first need to know the people who make up the world. I spend a lot of time with them in my mind before they ever grace the page. After drafting, I reverse-outline and revise from there—all in the same document with no “dump file!”
What are you working on now?
I try to work on a few picture book drafts a month so I have some ideas brewing for 2025 that I’m excited to dive into. I’m also bouncing between drafts of a fun YA contemporary and a middle-grade fantasy adventure.
Interviews & Features:
