Biography
Hey there! My name is Cesar O. Zuniga. Note: my full name is Cesar Omar Zuniga Amador, (which is a long name, I know!).
Yes, this is my biography, but I don’t want to treat this as a formality. Instead, I thought it’d be great to evoke the feel of a friendly, personal chat, the kind we might have in person.
After this, I hope you’ll have a better feel for the kind of person I am.
So, who am I? I’m an economist by profession and a writer by passion, but, like everyone, I’m more than just titles. I remember a funny nickname some colleagues ascribed to me back in my home country Mexico, they called me: “dreamer”. I’ve always felt like that word describes me quite accurately, and maybe soon you’ll understand why.
A long story, short(ish)…
I was born in Mexico City on August 15th, 1990. Ever since I was young, I’ve had a great passion for writing and the arts in general (drawing, music, painting, etc.). I also loved to read! When I was around seven, I started reading fantasy books, and my favorite writer was Jules Verne.
Later, I started reading Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling (for sure!), H.P. Lovecraft, and more. I remember writing my first story around the age of 7 as well, titled in Spanish “La Espada de Fuego”. I wrote it in a yellow paged notebook, and it was a mess: sloppy handwriting, mistake-riddled, and full of typos. But it was also a good story full of imagination.
It had the hope of a boy that believed that dreams can become a reality. And although that first story never saw the light of day, it did fulfill a purpose: it ignited a passion for writing that flows through my veins every single day. It also got me wondering:
Could I become an author? Could I have works of my own published one day?
During my high school years, I kept writing. I started with horror. Then I decided to mix it up and experimented with writing romance before moving to thrillers and fantasy. By 2008 I had written five full books that nobody read and were never published. They were like my biggest secret in the world.
Eventually, I did tell some close friends about them, and I even let them read a bit as well. Maybe it was shyness, or maybe a lack of confidence, that kept me from opening up about them to a wider audience, who knows. But I never got the chance to share them further.
In 2008, the unexpected happened. My computer malfunctioned and I lost all the information I had stored on the device, including my books. It was a terrible blow for me, and it felt like I lost a part of myself. I still remember every single word I wrote down, though. Maybe I’ll rewrite those stories one day. I think I’d like to.
A whim of fate? Maybe...
When that happened, I promised myself that I would do whatever it took to publish the next story I wrote.
I knew that my stories were good and that they deserved to live, not die with some broken machine, having only been read by a hard-drive. However, it would turn out to be a while before I finally started writing my next book.
The next few years of my life were focused elsewhere. I entered the university (to study economics) and started working at a bank at the same time, just as my father had planned for me since I was a kid.
My life was completely different than I had imagined, but I can tell it was plenty and I was happy.
Anyway, I had an inspirational epiphany while I was working at that bank in 2012. A new story took root in my mind, anchored by a name that I would never forget: "Veraldine".
I remembered that oath I had made to myself and I knew I had to see Veraldine’s story through to fruition.
Let’s end this quickly (we’ve been chatting for a while now!).
It was supposed to be a short biography. I started writing the saga now titled “Alfheim, Veraldine’s Quest”. I finished the manuscript in 2013 and after a long, arduous journey attempting to find a publisher, I finally decided to self-publish the online version of the book through Amazon Kindle in august 2014.
I did keep looking for a publisher, but, in Mexico as everywhere else, the market is extremely complicated and competitive.
By 2017 I had successfully published the paperback through Amazon, as well. And, in December of 2017, I presented the book in the international book show in Guadalajara.
Enough or too little?
I had achieved some measure of progress, but it wasn’t enough. I sold some hundred copies back then, but I knew my books were deserving of a wider audience.
After resolving some personal issues the following year, I took a leap and made what has been the most important choice of my life: I quit my job, sold all my belongings, and decided to fight for my dream, for that promise I had made to myself all those years ago.
I moved to Canada in 2019 with many goals, but the most important one was to translate my books to English so they could be enjoyed by a wider audience.
And now, a year and a half after arriving in Canada, I’m here sharing with all of you a piece of my story, a piece of my dream. Finally, I have the first of my books translated to English and even though it’s been hard, even though it’s been difficult, I think it’s been worth it.
It’s premature to talk about success at this point because this journey is just getting started, but I will say that I’m happy I'm sharing this journey, this dream, with you.
I agree: "I am a dreamer".
English 
Español de México