Bio: Cindy Montoya

So far I've written a YA novel, started rewriting faerie tales to make them more about women and power, and written a picture book that I'm illustrating. I’m trying to learn how to balance the wonder of being a mom and the creative work I want to do. I want to explore illustration, create a body of great work and find out how to get published. Even in school my art was always about showing the intrinsic power women have. I want all of my work to empower girls and women, to help them understand and access their potential, influence and talent instead of being distracted by the demands our culture places on them. J.R.R.Tolkien is a huge influence on me, as well as the art that has been done around his stories.