Rachel is an Adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK) who was born in the U.S. but spent most of her childhood living in Latin America and is now raising multicultural children with her Latinx husband. They are planning a big move to Lima, Peru in June of this year. Rachel loves creating bilingual stories that introduce children to her childhood home and the joys and anxieties of the cross-cultural experience.
As a neurodivergent creator thriving with ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression, Rachel also enjoys creating stories that celebrate children with special brains and help them cope with big emotions in productive ways. Many of her books include social-emotional themes such as anxiety, loss, resilience, emotional intelligence, meditation, and mindfulness.
When Rachel isn’t writing, she enjoys walking her Bearded Collie along the river behind her house, playing board games, and rainy afternoons with a hot beverage and a good book.
Rachel is an active member of the SCBWI, multiple online critique groups, Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 picture book challenge, and Courage to Create. She serves as a member of the 12×12 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She is also the Critique Group Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the SCBWI.
Honors
Rachel was recently selected as the 2022 recipient of The Writing Roosters Memorial Scholarship for the 2023 Michelle Begley Mentorship Program, through the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the SCBWI. Rachel is working with the amazing Claudia Mills for six months on her Chapter Book, which is the first in an intended series about unsolved historical mysteries.
Rachel’s work was showcased in the 2022 PBParty Showcase.
She was honored to be selected as a mentee by the amazing Anika Denise, as part of the 2019 inaugural 3-month #PBChat Mentorship.
She was also selected as a runner-up for Denise Vega’s Believe Scholarship in 2018.
Works in Progress
My debut picture book is set to release in Summer 2024 with Free Spirit Publishing! It’s an SEL picture book about a little girl with ADHD and Anxiety who uses super coping skills to become her own hero.
I have several other completed picture books and I’m working on a Chapter Book series and my first YA novel (a legal thriller of course!) I am actively seeking agent representation. You can find me on Twitter @rachel_funez.
Someday I hope to collaborate with my sister, Jen Callison, a talented artist and aspiring illustrator. Please check out Jen’s portfolio, too.
Rachel Funez Writes 