Please welcome, lucia Matuonto from Bilbao, Spain
Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Lucia! I love featuring hardworking authors like you. Why don’t you, please, tell our readers about yourself.
I am a wife, mother of Gabriella and Physiotherapist specialized in respiratory therapy and neurorehabilitation.
I grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and my favorite hobbies were spending the weekends on the beach and reading fiction. I used to prefer books over dolls and my dream was to visit other places and learn about different cultures. I learnt a lot from the books. I read and I kept writing manuscripts, but I lost them from moving around a lot.
Beach and books, what a wonderful combination! The beach could be a wonderful place to get inspirations to write. Tell us about your book and what inspired you to write it?
The Trilogy Zoe the Crab tells the story the journey of a sweet little crab named Zoe and her adventures. Zoe wants to make friends and shows her mother that she is as brave as her brothers, although she is younger than them. She ends up losing her claws during an accident and gets lost on the beach. Through many ups and downs, she meets new friends, grows and becomes a better crab.
My books are about inclusion, diversity and friendship. It is important to spread awareness about these themes and I believe that by having some examples, kids who do not require special needs will be able to relate better with those who do have special needs.
Thirteen years ago, I moved to the Middle East and I had to adapt myself to different people, cultures and costumes. In Bahrain, I started working as a consultant for a new rehabilitation method and had the opportunity to run lectures and give speeches in several countries. During this time, I also started coaching parents and caretakers. Right after I moved to the UAE, US, Germany and Spain where I also worked with children in the schools and in the rehabilitation centers. Because I had the chance to live in different countries, I developed a better understanding of how different cultures behave and react. In fact, working with kids with different upbringings made me more appreciative of the need of embracing diversity and advocating inclusion. This is what sparked the idea of creating books that promote these important concepts in a playful way.
I find inspiration in nature, my paintings and my patients.
I used to go to a beach in Florida and there were plenty of crabs there. It was fun to observe their behavior and I thought there were very cute. During the quarantine, these memories came back to my mind and I decided to write a story inspired by them. Also, the inspiration behind Zoe comes from my patients who need to be strong to adapt themselves to daily difficulties.
Inclusion, diversity and friendship are a few of the many important topics our children need to learn for sure! What was the hardest part about writing it?
The hardest part was to decide to stop writing this book series. I wrote three books about Zoe and I wanted to keep writing about her, but I decided to create new books with different characters and environments.
I read your books and I fell in love with Zoe! I can understand how you would want to continue writing about her. She’s one cute character, but very courageous as well. What was the most exciting part of the process?
I was amazed when I read the first review about my first book. It is very exciting to learn that someone spent time to write about my work. I am so appreciative every time I see a new review.
Yes, we authors thrive on reviews. The first positive review is something that would surely inspire a writer to continue writing, so please, readers, keep it coming! 🙂 Were your chapters inspired by someone?
Absolutely, some of them were inspired by my mother and my daughter.
That’s sweet, so close to heart! Was there a character that you’ve enjoyed writing about more than the others?
Yes, I love writing about Ned, the rabbit. He is smart and genuine, and he always has intelligent answers to everything.
Yes, I like Ned, too. He reminds me of my son. Do you have a favorite part of the book, a dialogue perhaps?
Yes, I do! My favorite part is when Zoe the crab and Ned the rabbit meet a snake and ask about her name. The snake, who has no name, apologizes for that and tells them to call her Snake like everybody else. In the end, they name her Sofia and she loves it.
That is a sweet part of the story, I love that they value friendship. As a writer, do you have any advice you’d like to share?
If you want to become a writer, you should listen to podcasts, read books on a daily basis if possible, and write.
Great advise! I was once told that if you want to become a writer, you must become a reader first! Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers before we sign off?
I love connecting with people around the world so make sure to follow me on my social media. And please leave a review or a comment, I would love to hear from you!
Thank you so much for stoping by, Lucia! We wish you good luck and more power to your future endeavors!
To learn more about Lucia Matuonto, visit her website @ www.luciamatuonto.com or check her social media @
https://www.instagram.com/luciamatuontoauthor
https://www.facebook.com/zoethecrab
For more author spotlight or to learn about my work, please visit,
https://www.instagram.com/author_jennifersenne
https://www.facebook.com/authorjennifersenne
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