THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

   It is my pleasure to welcome author  Mayra Calvani to The Latina Book Club .    Mayra is a wife and mother of an 9-year old author. Plus, she is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction for children and adults, who just signed on with Mansion Street Literary Management.  Mayra is also a reviewer for The New York Journal of Books and co-editor of Voice in the Dark ezine. She’s had over 300 reviews, interviews, stories, and articles published in print and online. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Children's Writer's Coaching Club. I don’t know how she does it all. Join me as we chat with Mayra about her books, the mother-daughter book signings, what she’s doing for Christmas and the New Year. And as a special gift, Mayra has shared with us her tips on how to write children’s books. Read on. Q:  Tell us about yourself. Family? Work? Pets? Thanks for having me as your guest, Maria. It’s a pleasure to

    What is La Navidad without Coquito?! At my house there is always coquito with the Christmas holidays.  They go together, like rice and beans.   This year, I am planning on attending a Coquito Tasting.  Why don't you join me this Saturday? El Museo del Barrio and the International Coquito Federation host their 9th Annual Coquito Tasting Contest on Saturday, December 18.  Special guest: comedian Victor Cruz, and music will be performed by the Trio de New York. The Tasting is FREE and runs from 6:30-9:00pm.  First come, first served! BRING ID.   Yes, really. The program schedule is as follows:              6:30-- Tasting begins              7:45--Music performance              8:30--winners announced              8:45--More Music No drinking and driving so grab a cab or hop the train. For more info on the Coquito Tasting, visit El Museo del Barrio at http://www.elmuseo.org/ . Hope to see you there!---mcf CREDIT:  Photo from El Museo del Barrio's

Many thanks to the Latin Baby Book Club for this book suggestion. One of my favorite Christmas songs is Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad."  He wrote it when he was 24 and homesick for Puerto Rico, like I always am this time of year.   Now, my favorite song is a picture book for readers of all ages, and just in time for Christmas. From the Latin Baby Book Club:     Singer/songwriter, José Feliciano’s popular Christmas song comes to life in this beautifully illustrated book. Caldecott Medal winner, David Diaz, creates a stunning story with a collage of images that center around the parrandas of Puerto Rico, where Feliciano was born. The beginning of the book includes an introduction that introduces the history of parrandas and describes this festive tradition. Blind from birth, Feliciano has more than 65 albums out and has received six Grammy® Awards. He is also the first performer to win pop music awards in two language categories. Talk about inspirational! You can

            I usually try to visualize the scene in my head before I write it. This way I play it over and over,  or rewind and move it in a new direction before I actually sit down to write the seen.                    ---Caridad on writing Q:   You are a lawyer, mother, wife, writer, lecturer, speaker, organizer. How do you find time to do everything? What are your secrets on time management? A:   My family teases me that I plan spontaneity, but the truth is, I do keep to a loose schedule of what I do every day. That means that I try to write every day, but also leave time for relaxing and hanging out with my family. I also tend to multi-task, so I may watch television while writing or working on projects. Q:   You helped Harlequin launch their Nocturne line with your first book in the Calling series, DEATH CALLS. Is the series over? What more should we expected from the series? A:   I’m happy to say THE CALLING series is not over. Two other novels, tentatively titled A

November 24, 2010 –Spain’s Culture Ministry named author Ana Maria Matute the winner of its Cervantes Prize, the Spanish-speaking world's top literary honor. The Cervantes is likened to a Nobel for literature in Spanish. “I take it as a recognition, if not of the quality of my work, then at least of the effort and dedication that I have devoted to writing throughout my life,” said Ms. Matute. Matute is ranked as one of the country's top post-Spanish Civil War writers, with her work often centering on many aspects of the 1936-39 conflict. Her best known works include SCHOOL OF THE SUN and SOLDIERS CRY BY NIGHT. Ms. Matute is 85 and was born in Barcelona. She is only the third woman to win the 35-year-old award after Spain's Maria Zambrano in 1988 and Cuba's Dulce Maria Loynaz. King Juan Carlos will present Ms. Matute with the award, which comes with a US$167,000 prize, on April 23, 2011, the anniversary of the death of Cervantes, in Alcala de Henares, Cervantes’

 It's a Young Adult novel, but don't let that scare you.  Carida Ferrer does an excellent job in bringing her characters to life.  This book is about puppy love, dreams, dancing, marching, seduction, betrayal and redemption.  It's for readers of all ages. For the book review and a quick Q&A with the author, click here . To read more about Caridad, click here . Happy Reading!