Author Doris Vega Baez ’09 Delves into Taíno History

Author Doris Vega Baez ’09 offers free book readings to area schools. For more information, contact her at dorisvegabaez@yahoo.com

Twice-published author Doris Vega Baez ’09 says she has learned a lot about the publishing business since she began her children’s series on the Taíno, the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean.

Her books, “Anani and the Brave Hurricane Adventure” and her latest, “Cayey and the Funny Coquí Adventure,” are both self-published and available on Amazon.

Taking into account what she learned from her first self-publishing experience, she decided to approach her second book differently.

“It was truly an independent project,” says Vega Baez. “I created my own publishing company on the side, just so I can publish my own books.”

Coquís are small, nocturnal tree frogs native to Puerto Rico and are known for their loud, easily identifiable “KO-KEE” call. The addition of the amphibian to her second book is just one of the extra touches that Vega Baez incorporates into her books to make them as engaging as possible to her readers.

“Everyone in Puerto Rico knows and loves the coquí,” Vega Baez says. Each book is also written in Spanish and English.

For her first book, Vega Baez says it was helpful to contract a publisher that would do all the steps necessary to bring her creative work to life.

“I was grateful that I chose publishing partners for ‘Anani,’” Vega Baez says. “I learned so much about the process.”

As a graduate of the UCF College of Business, and after previously working in a publishing company, Vega Baez already had an idea of what it took to make her second book launch successful.

This time, she filed her own copyright paperwork, hired a freelancer to assist with the pagination of the book, and did her own distribution through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other platforms. She sent out press releases to her media contacts and did Facebook and Google ads. She also reached out to school media specialists, offering to give free book readings throughout the community.

Vega Baez says her books are a labor of love: she learned about the Taíno from her grandfather, who told his family’s history through stories that he learned from his own grandfather.

“He sparked my imagination,” she says. “He was such a good storyteller that I found myself wondering what it would have been like to be a child in the Caribbean in the 1500s. I thought that other children would also be intrigued by what life was like back then.”

According to her grandfather, the Taíno were very peaceful.

“They lived off the land, they were hunter-gatherers,” Vega Baez says. “They loved nature and were beautiful people.”

Her grandfather also taught her the unpleasant side of Taíno history — such as how her ancestors tried valiantly to fight off the invading Spaniards. When fighting proved futile, many Taíno retreated into the rain forests they knew so well.

The Taíno had other day-to-day challenges too, including the threat of hurricanes, a fear that her young female protagonist in her first book tackles head-on.

“The Taíno continue to live through our DNA,” Vega Baez says. “Most people who are living in the Caribbean today claim a genetic history of 20% or more Taíno.” Vega Baez says she was tested recently and is 17.6% indigenous, according to an ancestry composition report.

With her second book, Vega Baez decided to go with a mischievous 8-year-old boy named Cayey, who lived in Boricua, or what is now known as Puerto Rico.

“This book is about an 8-year-old’s natural curiosity,” Vega Baez says. “Cayey does not take himself too seriously and enjoys finding out about all the wonders of the world in which he lives. He follows his heart.”  

Vega Baez, who has an 8-year-old daughter, began telling the history of the Taíno in her books because she wanted to set a positive example of accomplishing a goal. Now, the two are collaborating on a fourth book, this one featuring the adventures of their Siamese cat.

In her “day” job, Vega Baez assists authors with their already-published books. She explains the importance of marketing their books, and the impact it can have on their royalties. In the process of helping them, she is also acquiring knowledge that is useful to her own publishing process.

Vega Baez says one of her favorite things to do is to introduce her books to children through her free readings at schools in Central Florida and in Puerto Rico. Recently, she gave a reading at the Smithsonian Institution during a traveling exhibition on the Taíno.

“[The children] just get so excited,” Vega Baez says. “They give me hugs, and it just brings joy to my heart to see their reaction to a book that I wrote.”

Her own e-books are available freely through public libraries with a library card.

As her books continue to inspire and engage young readers, Vega Baez remains dedicated to sharing the rich history of the Taíno people and the lessons they impart for today’s generation.