Promotional Events
Guest Speaker at the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge (CMOR)
I was invited to speak at a CMOR fundraiser at their beautiful facility in Oak Ridge, TN on September 26, 2023. Their event coincided with National Hispanic Heritage Month and gave donors a chance to hear about my journey in publishing a book about a young Puerto Rican girl who loves science and math. Executive director Beth Shea and development associate Veronica O'Hearn arranged for local NBC-affiliate WBIR reporter Maria Guzman to interview me at the event! Below are excerpt clips of the interview.
September 27, 2023 -- And just a few days after my in-studio interview, another interview aired on the same local NBC-affiliate WBIR! This time, reporter Ryan Connors met me on the campus of the University of Tennessee to interview about how my book series connects with National Hispanic Heritage Month in Knoxville. Here is the link to that recorded interview: WBIR onsite interview at UTK
September 21, 2023 -- I had the privilege of being interviewed by local NBC-affiliate WBIR reporter Raya Quttaineh... in studio! It was a great experience to talk about my book and to promote the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge's fundraising event, held just a few days later. Here is the link to the recorded interview: WBIR studio interview: Lola Derez book
March 20, 2023 -- My relationship with Tates School started as a dad of two daughters attending school there, and continues to this day as a judge in their science fair for many years. This spring, the organizers and I created a special science fair category and awarded a copy of my Book #1 to the winner! In future years, I hope to the same with the other books in the series. These are some really smart young students (... future engineers!) at Tates!
PODCAST APPEARANCE!
Aired March 9, 2023! Check out my interview with Bex Buzzie, creator and host of The Homeschool Advantage podcast, here: https://realedtalk.podbean.com/
December 1, 2022 -- I had the honor of being interviewed by Bex Buzzie, creator and host of The Homeschool Advantage Podcast (podcast: https://realedtalk.podbean.com/ ). Homeschool Advantage website: https://thehomeschooladvantagepodcast.gator.site)
February 24, 2023 -- I held my first book signing event at the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in conjunction with their "Family Game Night" event. Natasha, Renee, and Matt at AMSE were so supportive and accommodating of my event! I signed books and spoke with a young lady who is just beginning her writing journey. I shared with her my experiences with the writing and publishing process. If you're ever in the East Tennessee area, you must visit and experience the AMSE! And tell them I sent you!
October 29, 2022 -- I had the privilege of being interviewed by Sherri Sanderson, creator of the Knoxville Area News & Events (www.knoxville.areanewsevents.com). It was a wonderful platform to share my vision for the book series and what inspired me to jump into the project. The article can be found here: https://knoxville.areanewsevents.com/local-author-spotlight-with-adrian-gonzalez-author-of-the-lola-derez-s-t-e-m-series-for-young-adults-ages-10-18/ and the full video interview can be found on their Facebook page, here: https://fb.watch/gtozUz4MOU/ Please follow Knoxville Area News & Events!
October 5, 2022 -- During my visit to Tate's School of Discovery on September 29th, I was interviewed by Tammy Cheek, staff writer for a community newspaper The Farragut Press. She recorded a short interview and took photos of me with the students. An article based on that interview was published in the October 5th edition, and can be read at this link: https://farragutpress.com/articles/2022/10/12222
September 29, 2022 -- During my visit to Tate's School of Discovery, I was interviewed by Hannah Moore, a reporter from our local ABC television affiliate, WATE6. She filmed a short interview of me and some of the morning's book reading and Q&A session. I'm thrilled that the segment made that evening's broadcast! View it here: WATE6-Interview-NewsBroadcast
September 29, 2022 -- My second visit to the Tate's School of Discovery was a great success! Over 60 students (4th, 5th, and 6th graders) listened to me read portions of Episodes 1 and 2, and later asked amazingly insightful questions. I ended my time at Tate's by signing books for about a dozen or so students. I can't wait to return in 2024 to feature Book 2 (Episodes 3 and 4) of Lola's ongoing adventures!
Tate's School of Discovery
April 5, 2021 -- Thank you for inviting me to share my experiences and my Lola Dérez book series! I had a great time speaking to you about being a writer/author, where I find ideas and inspiration for my stories, and the importance of written communication throughout our lives. Thank you for your comments and feedback, too! You are all very kind and respectful young women and men! I can't wait to visit you again...next time with book copies!