Phillip D. Cortez became fascinated with books and stories at a very early age, and it wasn’t long before he wanted to write his own. He began his career as a freelance sports writer, contributing to his local paper before moving on to editorials and feature stories for various publications. He is the author of several children’s books, including I’ll Be the Moon, winner of a 2024 International Latino Book Award. Cortez still loves to read and, with his wife, Patty, is now fascinated by the many stories told by their four children: Ivan, Cameron, Ava, and Zoe.