It takes diligence and dedication to put time and effort into teaching English and writing young adult fiction, and that’s exactly the qualities that Deidre Sequeira possesses.

Sequeira teaches at Harmony School of Innovation, a charter school located on the northeast side of San Antonio, Texas, and is an author of the young adult book, “Isla Emerge”.

Sequeira moved from a small public school from the Hill Country to a nearby charter school when she was 13 years old. The move was due to bullying. That one decision impacted her decision to someday teach at a charter school.

“It was just an eye-opening experience,” said Sequeira. “The teachers were amazing.”

Sequeira speaks highly of her experience in a charter school setting.

“When I went to this new school and had all of the amazing teachers who made me feel good about myself and feel confident, and I had all of these amazing friends, something clicked for me,” said Sequeira. “I told myself, this is what I want to do for other people.”

The decision was made more certain because of  teacher, Mr. Hernandez, who taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English, high school Spanish, and was the principal of the middle school Sequeira attended.

“He definitely had his hands full and he rocked it,” Sequeira said. “He did an amazing job.”

Teaching is not the only thing that Sequeira is passionate about, she’s also the author of the trilogy, “Isla Emerged,” “Secrets Submerged,” and “Currents Converged,” her latest work in the Isla trilogy.

“Isla Emerged” is the first book in the trilogy that introduces the main character, “Isla,” who happens to be a mermaid. The story was inspired by Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” but with a much more unique approach to storytelling. “Secrets Submerged” is a short novela that acts as a 1.5 story to “Isla” and is about half the size of the first book. The latest story that wrapped up the trilogy is “Currents Converged,” which Sequeira finished writing this summer.

“It’s really weird to be done,” Sequeira said. “Isla and I, we’ve been through a lot together so it’s a little bittersweet to have finished, but I’m excited for what’s next.”

Sequeira is currently in the writing stages of her duology and is predicted to be finished with the project by next summer. As always, though, things change, especially during a pandemic, but you can be sure Sequeira is extremely excited to finish the project as soon as possible.

The balance of being an author and a teacher are difficult, but Sequeira has so much passion that it’s hard not to see her fulfill yet another goal. Sequeira also encourages writing beginners to go ahead and submit their work out into the world.

“There are some amazing books published out there by the authors themselves or by small indie publishing houses,” Sequeira said. “They’re doing great work, and when it’s well edited and well put together and they have a great cover designer and a great team, then things work out.”

If you would like more information, please visit the website: https://www.deidresequeira.com/

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

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

Book links:

Isla Emerged: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SCT8S62/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0

Secrets Submerged: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08645DKJ5/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0

Currents Converged: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VF813PS/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0 :