Rowena Cala Is A Successful Author With Her First Book

Rowena Cala grew up in Lincolnwood & Skokie and is now a first-time author with the release of "Gia and Lincoln’s Aggravating Allergies" aimed at kids. Amazon.com is very impressed with new writer Rowena: "As a life-long allergy and asthma sufferer, she has turned her every-day health issues--and the growing allergy health issues of children--into an entertaining picture book."

BarnesAndNoble.com describes the story as: "Gia, a helpful monkey, springs into action when she finds a dejected lion, Lincoln, beneath her shady tree. She learns that he’s allergic to meat, but loves bananas! They become fast friends. But soon Gia discovers a new fact about herself—she’s allergic to fluffy lions. They resolve to overcome this aggravating obstacle to their burgeoning friendship. Lincoln’s zany attempt to cheer up Gia results in a serendipitous twist, revealing a way this banana-loving duo can remain friends after all."

In the past 9 months "Gia" has 12 reviews, of which 11 gave top honors of 5 stars, while 1 review gave 4 stars...it's rare to receive such high praise for your first book. Just to be fair, these great reviews don't include a glowing review from her sister!

A press release quotes Rowena: “As a life-long allergy sufferer, I was self-aware that my numerous allergies set me apart from other kids.” She continues: “In today’s society, it’s more common to have allergies or to know someone who does, and to help avoid allergic reactions.”

Rowena attended Queen of All Saints School on the Lincolnwood-Chicago border, as did her siblings Robin & Ruben & Suzanne. Her parents are Drs. Sylvia & Ruben Cala and her northwest side childhood memories include: "I remember Monster Park very well and hanging out at Billy Caldwell golf course. In Lincolnwood I would bowl on Sundays with my dad and siblings at Gabby Hartnett's. I also spent a lot of time in the water at the Lincolnwood pool and daycamp at Henry Proesel Park. Lincolnwood Library was a favorite hangout for a bookworm like me. Another fond memory was playing video games at The Bunny Hutch!!"

The "Cala Family Era" of the 60s/70s/80s in Skokie reaches back to the days of Cock Robin & Record City. Rowena says her family lived in Lincolnwood by Pratt & Hamlin and for posterity she was hoping to get a souvenir brick from the Purple Hotel, but she didn't hear about the special sale until it was over.

Since Rowena took many years to write her first book, is there another book in the coming years? She answers: "I hope there will be more children's picture books in my future. I have a few other manuscripts with the "Gia and Lincoln" characters, but I'd like to branch out into other genres as well, like middle grade novels. So far the whole process of writing to publication to marketing has been challenging and enjoyable."

"Gia and Lincoln’s Aggravating Allergies" by Rowena Cala - and illustrated by Gabriel Vega - is available at www.rowenacala.com and other internet book sites.