Terrilyn Alexander

Terrilyn S. Alexander is a wife, mother, and author who lives in Illinois with her husband, a retired fire lieutenant and certified nutritionist. Her passion for storytelling began early, inspired by her mother, who instilled in her and her siblings the importance of reading and writing from a young age. Terrilyn often read her own stories to her family when she was a child, and her love for creative expression has remained a constant throughout her life. 

The idea for I Want to Be a Dolphin came after watching a dolphin documentary with her 8-year-old son, Ausar, who later told her, “Mom, I want to be a dolphin.” That moment sparked the story, which she began writing while cooking, capturing the vivid imagery in her notes. Her husband, Leon, later encouraged her to share the manuscript, leading to its publication.

Terrilyn graduated summa cum laude from DePaul University in 2000 with a BA in sociology. She is currently working on the sequel to I Want to Be a Dolphin, continuing her mission to inspire children through imaginative, heartwarming stories. In her spare time, she enjoys marketing essential services, reading, cooking, baking, coloring mandalas, and spending quality time with family and friends.

As she continues to develop her children’s book manuscripts, Terrilyn remains committed to championing the empowerment of reading for all children, believing that stories can help young readers dream big and believe in the possibility of their dreams coming true.