Ahwatukee resident Ricardo Yancey Jr. leads a double life when it comes to careers.
By day, he is an event manager for Arizona Public Service and by…well, whenever the married father of three has time to write.
Last year, he penned a book, titled “My Best Friend Granny, ” which won second place early this year in second place in the Bookfest Awards’ Children’s-Family category.
Yancey, who with his wife of 14 years, Adriana Estrada-Yancey, and their kids has lived in Ahwatukee for eight years, “should be very proud of this outstanding accomplishment,” said Bookfest founder Desireé Duffy at the time, noting “this year’s competition was exceptional.”
Now, he’s followed up on that success with a booked called “Everything.”
In this book, Yancey continues the mix of nostalgia and universal themes to again write a family theme.
His inaugural work partially relied on his memories of his beloved late grandmother, who “passed on so much wisdom and life lessons to me at a young age.”
This time, Yancey – who also illustrates his books – echoes more nostalgia to drive home a point to parents.
“Do you remember when outside was everything as a kid?” he asks. “This book is a perfect reminder of what was once important to us parents growing up, and what that very same feeling means to our children today.”
In the book, a father “takes a journey down memory lane to figure out his ‘work/life’ balance with an unexpected visit from his younger self. Reminding him of the promise he made back when he was his son’s age (and) finding out in the end what everything truly means.”
In a YouTube interview, Yancey said he’s “always been into storytelling and amazed with the fact that you could escape in between the pages of a book or novel or comic book.”
‘);]]>
“I’m still trying to get used to this whole author title,” he confessed. “It just baffles me sometimes that I’m actually an author, but I’m getting used to it.”
He said the fact he also is an illustrator and a painter helps his writing and vice versa.
“I can visualize what I’m writing and put it on paper, whether it be text or illustrations,” he said. “I love to paint the picture for people. When it comes to my stories, I want them to escape into the imagination of my storytelling. If that makes any sense, I want them to read the book, and they’re instantly there wherever the book is taking them.”
Yancey also isn’t content with just writing, as he also envisions “going in the direction of an animated short film” that would further develop the themes he set forth in “My Best Friend Granny.”
That way, he said, people might get an even better idea of “the African American experience in a single-parent home where mom works two jobs to make ends meet, Dad’s not around. He may be popping in and out of your life every once in a while, but Granny’s there, right?
“She’s there to provide wisdom and support and love, where mom has to make sure that there’s a roof over their head, clothes on their back, and food on the table. And I don’t think there’s very many animated short films like that, and I would love to go in that direction.”
For now, Yancey is relishing the fact that he gets to write and inspire others.
Of course, as a working family man, the biggest challenge in pursuing that passion is “just finding time to finish each book – just finding that balance,” he said after his first book was published.
“This “children’s book author” title and world is still new to me, but I’m finding my way and what works best for me.”
“Everything” as well as “My Best Friend Granny,” are available on Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
