Jackie Garcia-Morales

Jackie is a proud Puerto Rican and neurodiverse woman raised in New Jersey. She holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Drexel University, as well as a Digital Marketing Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania and a Certificate of Women’s Entrepreneurship from the Bank of America’s sponsored program via Cornell University. In 2023, she made the leap from medical school to publishing with work at Penguin Random House, Baker and Taylor, and Writers House. Currently, Jackie is the Public Relations Director at a boutique children’s publishing house, MamaBear Books, as well as the Editor for the Journal of the American Herbalists Guild, a nonprofit academic publication. She serves as the NJ State Ambassador for the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) and a member of the USBBY Outstanding International Books Committee. In her free time, she is a freelance reviewer for Kirkus Indie and Publishers Weekly. She is the founder of the Catalyst Creators Scholarship & Fund, a scholarship that supports authors writing picture book manuscripts featuring underrepresented voices and Feathered Stag Press, a BIPOC poetry project. As an author, she is represented by Analía Cabello at Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Her debut middle grade novelPesky Roots/Raíces fastidiosas will publish in 2026 with Arte Público Press. Connect with her on her website and BlueSky @realjackiegm.bsky.social or IG: @nieveesol and @hellojaymorales.

Theresa Maria Villarreal

Theresa is a Texas based author and entrepreneur. Theresa earned her Marketing degree from the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business in 2009, where she was recognized as top in sales, and she completed the Bank of America sponsored Entrepreneur Program through Cornell Online in May 2025. As a writer Theresa is inspired by her love for classics like C.S. Lewis and Tolkien, as well as her Christian faith. She is the award winning creator of the middle grade portal fantasy series Adventures in Oculus; Book 1 received a Christlit Book Award for its strong Christian themes steeped in identity exploration and adventure. She is represented by Syrone Harvey of Belcastro Agency. Theresa supports the kidlit community through book reviews via her author website and through her YouTube channel, Literary Ladle. She has also served as a judge for the Aurora Realm Awards and volunteers in social media marketing for SCBWI Houston. She is currently working to launch a microschool in her community and, along with her husband, teaches weekly STEM co-ops for children of diverse ages. Theresa is also a mom to two incredible children who sometimes serve as her beta readers and a tiny turtle named Daisy who may or may not star in an upcoming book series.Connect with her on IG @naturellement_theresa.