Global conflict has upended the lives of tens of millions of people. Nearly half of those affected are children. What Makes Me Feel - A Refugee Story follows the lives of three children from different parts of the world for a moment in time as their lives are turned upside down due to conflict. Inspired by the true stories of millions of refugee children, the central characters of this emotional story must overcome tragedy and remain hopeful in search of a brighter tomorrow. This stirring introduction to the experience of refugee children brings an awareness of the realities many children face in the hopes of finding a brighter future.
Mitten, Luana K.: - Luana K. Mitten is the founding editor and CEO of BeaLu Books, which she established in July 2015 as a way to bring the joy of quality children's book publishing to young authors and readers. Having personally written 58 books and edited hundreds more, Luana brings a wealth of experience to her role. Prior to founding BeaLu Books, she served in a host of editorial roles and worked as an educator, teaching creative writing and reading to elementary school students. As the founding editor of a small but mighty independent book press, she works with authors to take their writing from manuscript to book and coordinates with her talented team of in-house illustrators and designs to produce titles that support the development and provide challenges to the young readers. She lives with her very supportive husband, son, and canine companions, Mr. Beans and Lucy, in Tampa, Florida. Find her online at: Twitter: @Luana_Mitten @BooksBea Facebook: @BeaLuBooks Instagram: @BeaLuBooks Linkedin: https: //www.linkedin.com/in/luanakmitten/
Raymo, Tara: - Tara Raymo is a graphic designer and artist in Port St. Lucie, Florida. She loves working on books for children and making them fun and interesting for a kid to pick up. Tara also enjoys all she gets to learn while designing the books. Some of her favorite things to do are reading children's books, such as Harry Potter (She is a BIG Harry Potter Geek) and watching Disney movies. While Tara likes all the fun stuff, she can switch it up to a more professional level, with marketing materials and social media marketing. Tara has been working in children's book publishing for 13 years. Completing tasks such as Book Design and Layout, Photo Research, Art Direction, Board Book Design, Catalogs, Marketing Materials, and Social Media Marketing. Prior to the publishing world, Tara spent 12 years of experience in the print industry, with the job function of prepress and design. This has helped Tara with her designs as she has the knowledge of what printers expect in the final files and pdfs being delivered. Tara can be reached at CreativelyTara@gmail.com.
Veda, Devendra: - "Devendra Veda was born in Trinidad and Tobago, where he spent the first 15 years of his life before relocating to the United States with his parents and five siblings. His own childhood experience has made him sensitive to the needs of children which is one of the reasons he opted out of a 12-year career in graphic design to work with struggling students in the classroom. Devendra currently lives with his family in Tampa, Florida. When he isn't playing dollies with his preschooler, Devendra can be found staring into space. What Makes Me Feel - A Refugee Story is Devendra's first children's book. His stories aim to bring awareness and stimulate discussion on some of the issues children face in our world. Keep up to date with upcoming events and new releases on his website: www.devendraveda.com"
