A.C. is a French-Vietnamese-American writer and parent with a background in psychology.

She also comes from a family shaped by survival. Her mother, aunt, grandmother, and brother escaped the Vietnam War. Her father, born during World War I, fought in World War II, was captured, and managed to escape imprisonment. A.C. grew up with an early awareness that life brings hardship, and that we all need tools to get through them. Sometimes, even as adults, we aren’t aware of these tools or how to teach them to our children. And, wounds, left unspoken or unhealed, can quietly carry forward through generations.

Growing up, her emotional guidance often came in the form of well-meaning but vague advice like “Be nice,” “Don’t cry,” or “Just get along.” As a child, and even as an adult, she wasn’t always sure how to navigate certain feelings, especially emotions like anger, rejection, and shyness.

It was not until adulthood, after a series of difficult life events, including the deaths of both parents and her brother as well as other traumatic experiences, that she began to accept and move through challenging emotions. Through her personal history and earlier work in the mental health field, she learned that resilience does not come from avoiding discomfort but from meeting it with curiosity, compassion, and support. She discovered that healing and emotional growth come from engaging the mind, body, and heart.

The Colors of the Heart series was created from this belief. A.C. hopes that through gentle, imaginative stories, children will be able to move through their emotions at their own pace, with practical tools and a safe space to build emotional strength, one step at a time, and build resiliency for life.