First Author Reading... to a Room Full of Published Authors

Thank you for watching my first ever author reading, which happened Sunday night, January 11, 2026!

​Thank you to my family and friends for being there live, and for the room full of published authors from the Women's National Book Association (WNBA) South Florida chapter for being so kind to me and open to my ideas.

What an opportunity! What a feeling! I am on cloud nine.

Thank you also to Alice’s Teapot Cafe on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida for setting the tone for the event with so much Alice in Wonderland magic. 📚🪄

Photos and transcript of the speech below.

The Story Behind the Stories in Illustrations:

2018 Princess Tessa first concept. Watercolor on paper, by Jackie Morreale.

2019 Princess Tessa & Luc the Duke first concept. Watercolor on paper, by Jackie Morreale.

2020 Princess Tessa "hair" book cover concept. Watercolor on paper, by Jackie Morreale.

Moments during the Speech:

Author Jackie Morreale's intro to her first live reading.

Jackie Morreale's reflection on past moments that have led up to her story writing journey.

Jackie Morreale's speech ends with an uplifting moment for others to find their why and let this be their year to make something from their heart.

Jackie's first time author reading in words:
​The Story behind the Stories (transcript)

My name is Jackie Morreale.
​The correct response to that is, "Hi Jackie."
Hi everybody. nice to meet you.

I am the author of Princess Tessa and Luc the Duke book series. You've just read, The Furry Christmas Miracle. It still feels a little bit magical to say.

These four stories are more than words and pictures on paper. They are the result of a lifelong love of storytelling and a dream many years in the making. I've always wanted to write stories that made people feel something, the way my favorite stories made me feel growing up.

When I was in second grade, I had a teacher named Miss Doctor who taught me cursive writing. What began as flowy letters, quickly turned into pages, and stories. One mystery story earned an A++++, written boldly across the top of the paper. in purple ink.

That moment stayed with me. It was the first time I felt seen as a writer.

Years later for my senior project In high school, I wrote a children's book and hosted a story time. for my favorite teachers. They clapped, my mother even laminated and spiral bound it. and I dreamed of sharing my stories in a bigger way.

Despite all of that encouragement, self-doubt found a way to linger.

Life carried me into creative design, marketing and business. I learned a great deal, but Writing slowly took a backseat. What I missed most I later realized was storytelling, not for selling, but for meaning.

Everything shifted in 2025. I finally faced the truth that writing wasn't just something I enjoyed, it was something I needed to do. I stepped away from comfort, studied new ideas, and committed to creating from the heart rather than worrying about outcomes.

The first story in the book series, Princess Tessa Meets Luc the Duke, was originally written during the early years of the pandemic. When my children were little and our world suddenly became very nowhere to go, I wrote.

I wrote out of love, out of uncertainty, and out of hope.

These stories are my heart. My family is the why.

We don't always know "the how". But when we listen closely, to what calls us, everything begins to shift. It's scary. It's exciting. And it's worth it.

Thank you to my talented daughter, Natalia Morreale, for helping me illustrate this story that I'm holding. It feels absolutely unreal to share a love of visual storytelling with her.

Thank you, dear reader, for being part of this creative journey with me. If I can do it after dreaming about it for 40 plus years, you can too. Find your why! create something magical from your heart.

Author and Illustrator Jackie Morreale, Illustrator Natalia Morreale, and friend, Lawyer Arielle Barreto, with Princess Tessa & Luc the Duke books at Alice's Teapot Cafe in Delray Beach, Florida

Jackie and Natalia Morreale, co-illustrators of The Furry Christmas Miracle book.

The Morreale family at the first author book reading, with Princess Tessa & Luc the Duke books.

Women's National Book Association (WNBA) South Florida chapter authors who read at Open Mic on January 11, 2026.