Valenti, Karla Arenas: - Karla Arenas Valenti is a Mexican author who writes picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels, including the highly-acclaimed magical realist novel, Loteria. Karla's storytelling draws heavily from her Mexican heritage and culture, and she is proud to partner with Hispanic Stars to showcase the contributions of remarkable Latinx heroes. Karla currently resides in the Chicagoland area with her family, two cats, and far more books than she can find shelves for.