I’m glad you are here!
How should I start?
You may (or may not) know me from the Kidpressroom website – which started as Reviews by the Banks and I ran for seven years. It was a beautiful ride. But as you know, things evolve, life changes, and I had to move on (more about this in a few)…
My passion for books and children’s writing started at an early age — when I used to play teacher with my sister, cousins, and neighbors. I remember growing up, proudly embodying the role of an instructor, with a book in one hand and deep-rooted (unexplored) passion in my mind.
Of course, this is not to say the love of reading my mom instilled in my sister and me with her big stack of books sitting by her nightstand.
The rich literature my school required — works from Luís de Camões, Fernando Pessoa, Machado de Assis, Jorge Amado, and Clarice Lispector — was the modest beginning of a journey of words and treasure, which later on, I was delighted to follow suit.
By the time I became a teenager, I had refused to read teenage novels and instead dove into my mother’s “library” and read adult fiction.
Road to Writing
First, let me start by saying that I come from the service industry, where I worked for more than ten years and received a Master of Science in Hospitality Management Studies.
Subsequently, I turned to education – in which I have extensive experience nurturing children’s well-being, growth, and imagination – and worked more than halfway through a master’s degree.
But why am I telling you this?
Because my journey to full-time writing was a non-linear, long slog.
Imagine going through those mud runs (except that, in my case, there was no run), with every obstacle representing a real challenge. To that end, I had no other option other than face the challenges and keep going. Mental strength was crucial for staying focused and committed to sailing through them.
But above all, thank goodness for that commitment and perseverance! The real spark for writing ignited when I was studying and working in early childhood education. I had the first aha moment in one of those language arts activities in the classroom, working one-on-one with young kids. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be an author of children’s books someday.
Life moved on until a few years down the road when the stars aligned, and I was invited to pursue reviews at Readers’ Favorite: Books Review and Award Contest, for which I became an official reviewer.
Incidentally, I soon undertook resume-writing projects, which allowed me to work with customers from diverse professional backgrounds, including education, services, business, IT, and the biomedical field. But honestly, do you know that feeling when something is missing?
Resume writing was an excellent opportunity to get my feet wet, but the technical nature of the writing was killing my creativity. So I guess you know where I’m getting at…
Soon I was bored.
But fate, again, worked its magic!
Writing while learning the ins and outs of marketing and playing with several tools gave me the nudge to set up a blog in 2016.
Do you remember that I mentioned Reviews by The Banks?
Yep, that was the starting point.
In the first quarter of 2020, I rebranded that blog to Kidpressroom and turned it into an online magazine, and the rest is history.
Alongside this endeavor, I have worked on several book projects, including three children’s picture books, one relaunch, one non-fiction, and a flash fiction collaboration.
It’s safe to say that there is still a lot to conquer. But I SO look forward to tackling it that I have goosebumps (I hope you joy me in this journey!).
And now, without further ado, let me share with you what I’ve done and what I’m currently working on:
Book Publishing and Author Timeline
The Adventures of Froblicious the Frog
Giggly Bear’s Fun Trip in the Yellow Bus
Dinosaur Adventure: A Field Trip to Remember
Understanding the Psychology Behind Them and How to Get Readers to Leave a Review
Dog Days of Summer: Flash Fiction
In June and July 2016, respectively, I released my first two children’s books in the series “Let’s Learn While Playing”—The Adventures of Froblicious the Frog and Dinosaur Adventure: A Field Trip to Remember
In June 2017, I launched the third book in the series— Giggly Bear’s Fun Trip in the Yellow Bus.
In October 2020, I re-launched the second edition of Dinosaur Adventure: A Field Trip to Remember. This new edition contains exciting updates, including Language Arts Enrichment and Fun Facts about our favorite dinosaurs.
The Adventures of Froblicious the Frog, Giggly Bear’s Fun Trip in the Yellow Bus, and Dinosaur Adventure: A Field Trip to Remember are available at major retailers.
In May 2021, I launched Book Reviews: Understanding the Psychology Behind Them and How to Get Readers to Leave a Review: (A Perspective from a Former Reviewer) after years of research about the subject.
Also, in May 2021, Dog Days of Summer: Flash Fiction (Shorts Flash Fiction), a collaboration with 17 fantastic authors from various genres, came out to the world.
Currently, I’m also working on other fun stories for the youth, including my first middle-grade novel.
At this point, it may sound cliche or redundant, I know.
But I’m passionate about writing, and so do books!
Being adventurous, coffee, movies, traveling, and everything healthy living (yoga, anyone?) are my gem.
I strongly believe that life is about balance and finding peace within ourselves. That allows us to connect with who we truly are and bring goodness to the world. So, the way I balance work life with mental and spiritual health is by working out. Yoga and meditation are also a big part of my life — as a matter of fact, it has been an absolute pleasure to embark on a journey of meditation on her other website, Meditation Brings Abundance.
Brazilian-American, Kelly Santana Banks landed in the U.S. over 20 years ago, making it her home sweet home since then. When not “on duty,” she loves to indulge in the next best reading, exercise, and spend time with family and friends exploring exotic locations.
