We caught up with author Christina Treviño as she prepared to bring El Camino del Destino to The Sparkle this Sunday. Admission is free, as for all our readings and signings, and you will take home a potted sunflower seed with your book purchase! We hope you'll come. Christina's last event here was a joy and we can't wait for Sunday!
Donna:
We're excited to take this journey down El Camino del Destino with you this weekend! Can you tell us a little about how this book came about for you?
Christina:
This book is truly a story I needed to tell to share my dad Tristan’s journey as a young boy. He is a musician and a storyteller who has this incredible gift—he can take the stories of his very difficult childhood and make them sound like epic adventures. Despite not having much food or money, being raised primarily by his older sisters after his mother passed away when he was very young, and working incredibly hard right alongside the adults doing migrant farm work, he turned those experiences into legend. I grew up listening to these tales and they’ve stayed with me ever since.
El Camino del Destino is actually the second book I published, following El Rancho Chocolatè, which was inspired by my mom, Berta. Both of these stories poured out of me as a way to honor the family paths that led me to becoming a fashion designer and now an author. It’s about that "destiny" we all feel when we look back at where we came from—honoring our ancestors, the hardships they overcame, and saving those stories for future generations. Winning an International Impact Book Award for this title in January was an incredible moment; it proved that these specific family stories are both inspirational and universal.
Donna:
Your books seem to focus a lot on family, and you gently bring a bilingual element to them too.
Christina:
Family is so important to me. I’m always thinking about the people who paved the way for me and the difficulties they faced, and I want kids to see that their family history and what makes their family unique is their superpower.
As for the "Spanglish"—I know it's hard to believe, but I didn't learn fluent Spanish growing up even though my parents spoke it fluently every day in our house. I learned many Spanish words and can understand a lot of what is spoken, but I think it's important to maintain a level of Spanish in these Mexican-American stories that allows Spanish-speaking children to identify with the characters. It also brings non-Spanish-speaking children into this world gently, without it feeling like a vocabulary lesson; I want it to feel like a warm hug from an abuela. It’s about keeping the culture vibrant and making sure the next generation feels that authentic sabor of the story.
Donna:
We'll be bringing an Earth Day element to the reading, planting sunflower seeds to take home. What are you planting at home this spring?
Christina:
I am obsessed with gardening! Everything about it—I absolutely love! There’s something fun and childlike about getting your hands in the dirt and the simple joy of catching the mist from the garden hose. The care and feeding required to bring something of beauty into the world that we can enjoy both visually and on the tongue is so rewarding. What an incredible ability to plant a seed and make that happen! Plus, being out in the beautiful weather is just another amazing perk.
My garden always seems to be ever-changing, but I always start off the season—like right now—with assorted lettuces and radishes. I’m a fan of both the vegetables and fruits that can provide produce all summer long: heirloom tomatoes, assorted spicy and hot peppers, carrots, cucumbers, melons, and squash. Once you’ve had the garden variety, buying them at the supermarket seems so underwhelming!
I also love a good herb garden right outside of my kitchen so I can just run out and snip whatever I need while I’m cooking—thyme, rosemary, chives, tarragon, and mint. And, of course, I’m a big fan of a great cutting garden to bring flowers into the house all the way until late fall. I love starting with daffodils and hyacinths, then on to peonies and roses, then dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, Gerber daisies, sunflowers, and loads of wildflower mixes like bachelor buttons, scabiosa, and Black-eyed Susans!
And on another note:
You’ve spent over 30 years as a high-level fashion executive and consultant. What sparked the pivot to children’s books, and how have you translated those "industry" skills to authorship?
Christine:
The pivot felt very organic. It was the right place, the right time, and my creativity needed a new place to breathe in a more meaningful way. I spent decades designing and building brands for other retailers and celebrities. I had always been doing a similar type of storytelling with brands, but it all started to feel very unimportant. I wanted to use those same skills I'd learned in the fashion industry to build something deeply personal and meaningful to my own heritage and family.
I’ve been able to translate all of those executive skills—project management, brand identity, product development, marketing, and global sourcing/production—right into authoring and self-publishing. The rewards have been both what I expected and some I truly hadn't considered. Beyond the pride of a finished product and the business side of sales and workshops, it’s the resonance that matters most. These stories hit home with children who finally see their families represented, but I didn't expect my own journey to become a mirror for other women. I’ve met so many women who see themselves—or who they hope to be—in my own personal story of making a career change, being comfortable in my own skin and heritage, and being vulnerable enough to share that story with them. Finding that supportive "tribe" in the author community while standing strong in my own culture has been an amazing part of this journey.