My name is Franchesca Guzman. I was born in Heidelberg, Germany on September 26, 1985 to native Puerto Rican parents Casey, a soldier for the U.S. army, and his wife Maria. Shortly after I was born, my family relocated to Puerto Rico and, later Dallas, Texas where I currently reside. My family at that time consisted of my mother, my father and my older sister Jessica. When I was thirteen years old, my parents divorced and my father remarried. Although it was a rough transition at first, I now have a wonderful relationship with my stepmother, Juanita. Seven years after being married, my brother, Casey Martin was born. In September of 2006, I married the love of my life, Agustin. So, in a nutshell, that is a little bit of information about me and my family.

Although I excelled in education, my passion always lived in the arts. At the completion of my sophomore year I decided to increase my workload and complete my high school education by the end of my 3rd year, which allowed me to commence the search for my true calling. My search included universities, community colleges,  and internship programs, but entrepreneurship was where I found my niche. Through my adolescence I explored many art forms which included dance. I became most interested in the Latin dances, because through them, I felt most connected to my heritage & culture. Ultimately, that interest lead me to become a student of the art form. When my mentors in dance felt that I had become skilled, I was given the opportunity to begin teaching. Today, I am the co-owner and Assistant Director of a dance studio called Sandunga. In my exploration of the many art forms that exist, I also found a love for writing. I am an avid poet and now I am exploring the possibility of sharing my poetry with children of all ages through the venue of children's literature. To accompany this exploration, I am also including my first works of art. Although never formally introduced to the visual arts, I felt to capture the true essence of my stories, I would have to become an illustrator as well.

Throughout my childhood, my parents did a wonderful job of reinforcing my Puerto Rican heritage. I traveled to Puerto Rico every summer to spend time with my extended family. As an adolescent I came into contact with adults who were also well versed in our Puerto Rican history and its rich culture. Just recently though, I noticed that there was a lack of information about Puerto Rican culture in children's literature. This became the main inspiration for me to begin writing and illustrating children's books. I hope to reach children throughout the world, of all cultures, to share with them the beauty of my heritage. I especially want the children of Puerto Rico to have a solid foundation of their history.