These past few months I’ve been working on a side project and I’m pleased to announce that the first three books are available in both English and Spanish. Since these are illustrated bible books meant for pre-teens and teenagers, it was quite a stretch to publish in the same genres that I have been publishing as C.E. Flores (books about the writing process and living in Mexico). So, out of necessity, Millie Flores was born.
Millie Flores is still (not) me, but the pen name I am publishing this series of bible books under. She even has her own bio.
Millie Flores was born and raised in central Pennsylvania. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Education and spent many happy years teaching students of all ages and learning styles. Her household currently consists of one husband, one child, two cats, and three dogs but she’s always willing to take in a stray or two more. She works with her creative artist friend Claudia Guzes to create illustrated bible stories for teens and pre-teens mostly because she thinks the women in the bible were amazing and their stories should be told.
Two of the first three books are like a guessing game. In the Biblical Trivia book, there is a question and four possibilities for the reader to guess. The second page has an illustration of the woman and a bit of information about her life. In Who Was I?, three clues are given to the identity of the woman mentioned in the Old Testament. The next page has a picture of that woman and a bit of information about her life. The third book, Biblical Playing Cards, is a full-color book with bingo and card games ready to be cut and laminated. You can see the English series here and the Spanish versions here.
My son did the Spanish translation for these three books. He’s still learning the ropes, so there was some back and forth about the relative merits of era vs fue but for his first attempt, I’d say they are quite acceptable. Who knows? Perhaps his career as a translator will take off now that he’s finished his high school education, although we are still waiting on that diploma from UVEG.
He has his own logo or whatnot, drawn by the talented Clauda Guzes. He isn’t sure what he’s going to do with this new skill he’s learning, but he does look mighty impressive in the graphic, wouldn’t you say?
Leigh Thelmadatter picked little ol’ ME as a subject for this week’s article for Mexico News Daily. I delightfully showed my son the article and he says, it’s formatted well, but he’s not interested in reading what someone wrote about us because he’s already lived in. Then patted my shoulder and went about his day. Well, I guess that’s how excited a teenager gets about mom’s fame (now if the fortune follows that would be great!).
Anyway, here’s the article if you haven’t already seen it circulating the social media platforms.
Whether someone has changed because of moving to Mexico or whether the change occurs that inspires the move, there is no doubt that Mexico is pivotal in many women writers’ lives. Today I hope you enjoy a brief look into Kate Evans life and times.
I’m from California. I live a nomadic life, while spending several months a year at our house in Mexico. My husband Dave and I left jobs and home eight years ago to travel and live home-free. A year in, we bought the casita near Cerritos Beach in Baja California Sur…sight unseen. My sister lived next door and told us about the place being for sale. We intuited we’d love the area—and we were right.
Whenever we return to Baja and are driving down the bumpy dirt road to our place, a sense of peace sweeps over me. Mexico has taught me to relax with what the moment brings. I love Mexico’s rich culture, history, and beauty (both natural and human-made). We’ve driven up and down Baja several times, and I find the desert/sea combination unique and awe-inspiring. I’ve also very much enjoyed Oaxaca, Mexico City, and Tepoztlán. Mexico is a huge country that I want to explore more.
Two months into living nomadically, I had a seizure and discovered I had a brain tumor. As I write about in my memoir Call It Wonder: An Odyssey of Love, Sex, Spirit and Travel, this challenge set into motion a life transformation. It also reinforced how grateful I was to be living the life I love
I’ve faced other challenges, including another major surgery two years ago, falling in love with and marrying a woman midlife, then dealing with a brutal divorce after 15 years together, and losing my beloved parents to prolonged illnesses. These are not singular to me. We all face challenges, change, and loss. “Overcoming” means allowing life’s lessons to help my heart grow. And, truly, life is transformation.
The love and support of friends and family keeps me going. Also, reading has always helped me understand how others live this life, make it through tough times, and keep their creativity alive. I’m proud of how many lives I touched in all my years of teaching. I’m also proud that my memoir won the Bisexual Book Award. But honestly what I’m most proud of is that I’ve learned to make friends with myself.
We explore wherever we are. For instance, right now we’re spending six weeks on Kauai and have been snorkeling, hiking, biking, going to farmer’s markets, spending time with friends who are vacationing or live here—and tomorrow we’re taking a boat to the Na Pali coast. We also do the usual things, such as cook, clean, read (we’re book addicts), listen to music, do yoga, surf the internet, take walks, play cards and Yahtzee, zoom with or call friends. I play the ukulele, watch about an hour of YouTube videos in Spanish most every day, and listen to guided meditations. I also work as a writing coach and book editor, and of course I do my own writing.
I retired early (at age 50) from teaching with a small pension but more importantly lifelong medical benefits. My husband is retired and draws social security. When we’re not at our casita, we rent it out. We keep our eyes open for opportunities. For instance, we lived in China for a year, where I taught at a university. I led a writing retreat in Thailand and have developed online creative writing courses. As a writing coach and book editor, I help people write their stories (www.kateevanswriter.com). I’ve also published a number of books (several are available on Audible as well), including:
For the May Queen, a coming-of age novel about a young woman going away to college
Complementary Colors, a novel about a straight woman who falls in love with another woman
And most recently, I co-wrote with Mary Janelle Melvin Revolutionary Kiss, a historical romance that takes place during the French Revolution (under the pen name Mary-Kate Summers).
Audiobook
Audio book
I would consider a defining moment in my life when I read Harriet the Spy as a girl. That set into motion my desire to write, to travel, to be a strong girl, and to live unconventionally. I’m currently working on a book about our house sitting adventures.
Also, after retiring from nursing, my mom became a writer. I remembered reading one of her books in manuscript form, a historical romance taking place during Gold Rush California. After she died of dementia, I figured it was lost. But last year my sister found it in a box! My mom hadn’t spoken the last year of her life, so it was quite moving to see her intelligence and humor come alive again on the page. The book has good bones but needs reworking, so I’m also working on that and will publish it under both of our names.
I plan on meeting these goals by writing one word at a time.
Surviving Mexico 