Q&A WITH AUTHOR... VICTOR CASS

  

TELENOVELA, Outskirts Press, January 2009

Q:   Tell us about yourself. What is your job when you are not writing?

I was born in Kingsville, Texas, but was raised in my hometown of Pasadena, California. I was actually born in the same hospital as my mother, author Thelma T. Reyna. I’m a sixth-generation American of Hispanic descent. My cultural heritage includes Spanish, Irish, Scotch, Mexican and Native American roots. My ancestors include a New Yorker in General Zachary Taylor’s army who married a Mexican war bride, and a Spanish immigrant who fought for the Mexican Army on the opposing side during the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-48.

When I am not writing, I serve the citizens of Pasadena as a 17-year-veteran police officer of the Pasadena Police Department. For the last 3 ½ years I have been on the Homeless Outreach-Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) Team, a law enforcement mental health crisis team. I am also the founder and chairman of the Pasadena Mental Health Advisory Committee, where currently we are working with the city health department to put on a Latino Mental Health conference in November 2010.

I was the recipient of NAMI California 2010’s Criminal Justice Professional Award, given to the "criminal justice professional who has advocated for and has been an integral part in implementing best practices that have resulted in the decriminalization of persons with serious mental illness.”


Q:   Tell us about your latest book, TELENOVELA. Do you begin with a character or a theme?

With TELENOVELA I wanted to write a non-traditional romance that dealt with the complicated and often challenging love lives and friendships that American Latinas experience. My protagonists are two American women of wholly different Latino cultural backgrounds—one is from a traditional Mexican family and the other from an Argentinean family. While they each have their men and the drama that comes with infidelity, dreams dashed, and love lost, the story is really about the friendship that develops between Lorena Sandoval and Miriya Fronzini.

When I write I usually begin with an idea or theme, like what would happen if one woman had a man who wouldn’t marry her, so she had an affair with another man who started dating her future best friend, and then build upon that.


Q:  Your mother is author Thelma T. Reyna. Did she inspire you to write?

My mother was definitely my inspiration. As far back as I could remember, I knew that my mom was a published author. She was also an English and creative writing teacher, and made sure that my sister and I spoke properly. It was natural that she not only inspired me by encouraging my own creative writing efforts, but by supporting my love of books and reading. My mother and her short stories are very influential to me and my writing style. While her themes are vastly different than mine, her narrative pacing and the feeling in her words make me want to be a better writer.


Q:   What is the most important thing that your mother has taught you as a writer?

She has taught me that there are stories and important themes, as well as life lessons, in the mundane and ordinary details of simple people’s lives. She is also a great editor and has really made me a better proofreader, even of my own work.


Q:  What other authors / books have inspired you?

I think that Phillip Roth is the greatest writer alive today. His books often move me and his writing style is so precise, yet wholly emotional and compelling. He is the Jewish John Updike. Speaking of Updike, he is also one of my big influences, as is Raymond Chandler. Beautiful writing, both of them. Whenever I feel myself getting in a rut, I crack open THE BIG SLEEP and read the first paragraph. The same with Stephen Crane’s RED BADGE OF COURAGE—they both have two of the best-written, most beautiful first paragraphs of nearly any book.


Q:   What is your writing routine?

I am often told that I’m a “disciplined” writer, which I think means that I have the patience, time, energy (or all three) to sit my behind down at Starbucks and literally stay there for four to eight hours at a time working on my books. I think I go to Starbucks to write because there are too many distractions at my apartment (I’ll start picking up other books to read or thumb through, or I’ll start tinkering on my hobbies). I also like the dull hum of people and activity at a bustling coffeehouse. I’m able to concentrate more and think clearer than if I’m sitting in silence.


Q:   What are you writing now? What is that story about?

I’ve just finished a book, THE POLICEMAN’S DAUGHTER, which I will be shopping around, which is about a half-Jewish-half-Mexican cop who time travels 500 years to the future only to find himself on the run from agents of a US police state in which race is a thing of the past, and perpetual war a thing of the present. The detective’s daughter, a small child in his time period, 2009, is at the center of a conspiracy a half-a-millennium removed. It’s surprisingly apolitical on purpose, as I leave the reader to grapple with conflicting issues of right and wrong. ♥

VICTOR CASS
To Friend him on Facebook,  click here.  
To Follow him on Twitter, click here.




THELMA T. REYNA
To read The Latina Book Club interview of Victor’s mother, click here.

FAST GIRLS & JUICY MANGOS (includes book trailer)

  

Women like sex.

We do, whether we say so in public or not, whether we admit it to ourselves or not.

Women like sex. And, the next best thing to having sex is reading about it. But, we don’t just say we are reading about sex, we read….erotica.

Erotica.

The word itself is titillating and sensual. The books are even hotter.

Take for example, FAST GIRLS: EROTICA FOR WOMEN, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Cleis Press, 2010). It’s a wonderful collection of short stories about women in control of their bodies and their beds. These “Fast Girls” are confident and unafraid of taking sex by the balls, pun intended.

And, Latinas also like sex, like erotica. Hell, we are synonymous with sex. Think Rita Hayworth, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Mendes and Zoe Saldana.  Latinas have always been seen as sultry, sexy and sensual. That’s us. And we have the erotica collection to prove it.

JUICY MANGOS: EROTICA COLLECTION, edited by Michelle Herrera Mulligan (Atria Books, 2007), contains stories by seven of the “smartest, sexiest Latina literary writers.” Some of the stories are set in exotic backdrops around the world; all with beautiful heroines who slip out of their daily roles and take on new, daring, sexy personas.

Someone wrote that, “JUICY MANGOS will shatter your ideas of female innocence forever.” It does! And though this book may be the first ever Latina erotica collection, there are plans for more.

“JUICY MANGOS is one of the first Latina Erotica collection ever published in the U.S. At Atria Books, we decided to publish it because we felt that there was an audience for this type of book. The book received a great response from the public, and yes in the future we will consider publishing another collection of stories," said Johanna Castillo, Vice President and Senior Editor, Atria Books.

There is no race discrimination in erotica. Women of all races, all colors are reading and writing erotica.

“Sex is a common denominator,” says author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. “We all think about it and have fantasies, and erotica is a booming market. There are definitely people of all backgrounds writing erotica, and there are some specific anthologies focused on women of color, such as Carol Taylor’s Brown Sugar series, and Zane puts out Caramel Flava, focusing on African-American and Latino/a stories.”

Some Latinas who write, or have written, erotica include: Sofia Quintero, Lolita Lopez, Mayra Montero, Mayra Santos-Febres, Adriana Lopez, Elisha Miranda, Yxta Maya Murray and Laura Guevara.

Why do they write erotica? 

"As a writer," says Lolita Lopez, "I find erotica a fascinating genre. Where else can you explore all kinds of deliciously naughty fantasies without any real world consequences? There's also something freeing about the subject matter. Plus, you can't beat the looks on the faces of folks who ask what you do!"

Who is reading erotica?  The erotica reader is anyone and everyone. Race, color, sex, even age doesn’t matter when it comes to reading erotica; although, you must be at least 18.

The important thing – with any book in any genre – is the story. The characters must capture and hold our attention until the end. And, in the case of an erotic novel, the sex has to be hot. Why?

Because sex sells. And, women love sex.

So, what are you reading?♥



WANT TO WRITE EROTICA?
Rachel Kramer Bussel is actively looking for more stories featuring women of color, if anyone is interested in submitting to her OBSESSED and/or WOMEN IN LUST, click here.   The pay is $50/story and 2 copies of the book for one-time rights.

And if you sell, let me know so we can promote you here at The Latina Book Club.


TO VIEW THE FAST GIRLS BOOK TRAILER ON YOU-TUBE, click here.

Q&A WITH AUTHOR... THELMA REYNA

   

   

   

   "A short story cannot be poorly written and survive."

-- Thelma Reyna

   

Q:   Tell us about yourself. What do you do when you are not writing?

I was born and raised in Kingsville, Texas. I'm a 4th generation American with most of my roots in Texas, where my relatives still live. I moved with my husband and son (Vic, when he was a baby) to California after grad school. We've lived in Pasadena, CA ever since. I also have a daughter, Christine, who lives in Chicago.

When I'm not writing, which is rare, I pursue other interests. I took early retirement from public school administration five years ago to do three things: (1) teach at a university, (2) start my own business in something I love, and (3) write books. I've been fortunate to do all three. I teach graduate education at California State University, Los Angeles. I also own a writing consultancy called The Writing Pros, in which I work one-on-one with adults on their professional writing goals, such as a doctoral dissertation or master's thesis, writing a book, a grant proposal, etc. I serve as editor and writing coach. I also ghost-write books and write custom resumes for my clients.

Regarding my own writing: I published THE HEAVENS WEEP FOR US AND OTHER STORIES last year and just completed my second collection of short stories, which I hope to publish soon. Though I've been published off and on for 30 years or so, these are my first book-length works. I also write a blog, "American Latina/o Writers Today" and contribute monthly to the "Powerful Latinas" blog. I have a short story due to be published in the literary journal, PALABRA, anytime now, as well as poetry due to be published in CAPER literary journal in a few days.


Q:  Tell us about your new collection of short stories. Do you begin with a character or a theme?

It can be either or both. Sometimes, it's an event I recall from the past, or that I've heard or read about. Most of my writing is inspired by ordinary people I've known or learned about who lead ordinary lives. Sometimes my writing is partially autobiographical. I think this is true for most writers, past and present. I believe that even mundane events experienced by everyday people can carry great import, either as individual occurrences or as cumulative experiences that someday elicit insight or deeper understandings of life. My aim is to show people experiencing these events and to show how they changed as a result of their experiences.

Q:   Why short stories? What is it about that medium that appeals to you? And, why not a "real" novel?

Short stories have long been my favorite literary genre, going back to my 16 years as a high school English teacher dissecting and discussing literature with my students and colleagues in Pasadena. Short stories are harder to write than many people think. You don't have a cast of thousands, and take hundreds of pages to leisurely tell your narrative, like you can in a novel. You have to identify the one or two, or handful of, key characters needed for your narrative. Then you have to select a few scenes--or maybe just one!--in which these people are developed for the reader. Within the space of 5-25 pages or so, you have to essentially write a "mini-novel": a literary work with an engaging plot, setting, believable characters, and a theme. You have to be very selective about which "snapshot in time" in your characters' lives you'll choose to reveal whatever your theme is.

I've read many novels that had mediocre, or even badly written, sections in them; yet the book tumbled along, with the reader still turning the pages, because there was much more still left to cover. Novels, even so-called classics, can be a mixed bag like this. A short story cannot be poorly written and survive. Each sentence, each paragraph, each page must be focused and well-written, with nothing extraneous. Short story writers like this challenge.

Also, I've had many readers tell me that their hectic schedules hardly allow them time to read novels, but a short story collection is manageable. They can read a story at a time, or several, and get closure. If the stories are good, the time between stories is spent by the reader reflecting on a story, analyzing it, creating meaning out of it. This is time well-spent. Short stories are very well-suited to modern life, modern schedules.

I haven't closed the door on writing a novel someday. At this point in my career, however, I don't feel driven to do so. There are other books churning around in my head that are asking to be written first.


Q:   How does it feel to have your son follow in your footsteps and become a writer? What advice did you give him as a new writer?

I am very proud of my son and his unique accomplishments as a writer! Early on, he may have seen me publishing stories and poems here and there and seen the joy and satisfaction I felt in sharing my work. We never really talked about it, though, as something he could or should do. Vic is actually a much more disciplined writer than I am, and he published his first book before I published mine. As a little boy, barely in kindergarten, he was writing stories and illustrating them, and putting them together into books he created himself. (As an adult, he is a practicing, exhibiting fine artist as well as a writer.) I believe he wrote his first book (never published) when he was about 16 years old. Writing and art were always part of his life, throughout his childhood, and these have continued unabated throughout his adulthood. In my mind, it's almost as if his writing practice and mine ran in parallel tracks!

I think, for these reasons, he didn't actively seek, or need, my advice. When he was ready to publish, though, he asked me to proofread/edit his book. I have done so for each of his three published books, as well as the fourth book he recently completed, as yet unpublished. He has also published quite a few nonfiction pieces throughout the years, such as columns and editorial essays, and I've also edited some of these for him. In the editing process, we discuss his characters, themes, and other aspects of his works. We get into lively discussions, and I like to think that my editorial critiques help him refine his thinking and writing. Otherwise, Vic is very independent and productive.


Q:   What is your writing routine?

If by "routine," you mean a schedule, I don't have one. Maybe this is because, on any given day, I'm doing different types of writing: editing a client's project, writing for my blog, guest blogging, polishing my stories, creating new stories, or writing letters/commentary to the New York Times online (which I do pretty often!). One thing is certain: I'm writing something almost every day. (I try to save weekends for my husband, who's very supportive of my writing.)

I'm a fast writer. My stories are oftentimes written in one sitting, or perhaps two. I sometimes stay up all night, for eight hours or so, to write a story. I'll think about a story before I begin writing, sometimes for days. I have the plot in mind and know how my characters are, how they act and think and feel. Very rarely do I outline a story on paper. I think I've done this only once. I edit my story as I go along, so when I finish a story, it's in pretty good shape. Then I set it aside, sometimes for a few weeks, sometimes for just a day or so, then polish it. The polishing may take several "rounds," or it might just occur in one more session with the story.

Sometimes I go to my favorite local cafe, usually when I want to write a new story, or when I need to revise. I write at the cafe mainly when I have a very clear purpose for being there that day. Otherwise, I write at home. I have my own office devoted totally to my work.


Q:  Who are the authors / books that have inspired you?

I enjoy and admire Toni Morrison's and Ray Bradbury's poetic, vivid language. I like the simplicity yet deep complexity of Jhumpa Lahiri's short stories. I like Sandra Cisneros' authenticity of cultural presentation. A book I taught for many years, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, impressed me deeply with its highly compact, intense narrative and compelling symbolism, the best I've ever seen. For nonfiction, the historical writing of Robin Kelley, a USC professor, is high on my list. Also in my heart are my son's writings, of course!


Q:  What are you writing now? 

I've just rewritten a story I wrote more than 15 years ago, originally titled "Circles" and never published. It involves a beautiful young man, Salvador, who goes to war and how his being away affects the two most important women in his life: his mother and grandmother. While these women are tied together by their love of Salvador, there is an undercurrent of tension between them regarding love withheld and love misunderstood. I alternate between the mother's reminiscences of her earlier conflict with her mother, and her mother's recollections of how things were. So the story goes from one woman to the other, and it all takes place in one day, from morning till night, with several flashbacks. It's a sad story, simple and complex. I'm still trying to get it right.♥


Thelma's Links:

Website:                           http://www.thelmareyna.com/
Blog:                                 http://www.latinowriterstoday.blogspot.com/
Guest blog:                        http://www.powerfullatinas.com/
Writing business website:   http://www.thewritingpros.com/


MEET THELMA'S SON!  
Come back to The Latina Book Club on Monday, August 30, for Victor Cass' interview.
  
 

BOOK REVIEW: THE MADONNAS OF ECHO PARK by Brando Skyhorse

  

  “We slipped into this country like thieves, unto the land that once was ours.”

“People don’t understand miracles. They expect too much from them.

Sometimes, a miracle is best when it is you that sees, and God that knows.”

THE MADONNAS OF ECHO PARK
Brando Skyhorse
Free Press, 2010

THE MADONNAS OF ECHO PARK is not so much about the immigrant experience, as it’s about finding and holding onto the American Dream. Skyhorse’s characters are already in America. The old country has been left in the past; now, their only focus is to make a place, a home for themselves in this new land, a land that was “once theirs.”

The story is told in vignettes – quick peeks into the lives of the people of Echo Park. A Madonna MTV video makes the L.A. neighborhood famous; a drive by shooting makes it infamous. The stories are interconnected and revolve around the Esperanza family, as they struggle to fit into the community and into society as a whole.

There’s Hector, an illegal all his life. He lost his wife, his child, his job of 18-years and then his freedom, when he witnesses a crime and tells the police, only to find that he’s the only one going to jail.

There’s Felicia, his ex, struggling to raise her daughter. She’s a cleaning lady, a silent, faceless worker until a drive by shooting pushes her into the spotlight.

There’s Aurora, straddling two worlds, two cultures, not knowing who she is or where she belongs.

And around them is the community of Echo Park, with its colorful characters: A religious hypocrite who sees the Virgin Mary at a bus stop; a bus driver who’s separated himself totally from his roots until one night the struggle for survival is fought on his bus; an ex-gang member who doesn’t understand his son’s desire to enter the army; and, a charismatic seamstress who settles for the familiar and loses her life on the job.

THE MADONNAS OF ECHO PARK is a worthy read. True, following the stories and the characters is confusing at times, but the characters are engaging and realistic. I heartily recommend it.♥


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:    Brando Skyhorse was born and raised in Echo Park, California. He’s a graduate of Stanford University and the MFA Writers’ Workshop program at the University of California, Irvine. His next book is a memoir about growing up with five stepfathers.


BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS

1) Who are the Madonnas? Have you seen the MTV video?

2) Are these immigrants truly living the American Dream?

3) Identify the family ties. Who is related to whom?

4) What is the significance of the visitation from the Virgin Mary? What does the “Lord” know? What role does religion play in this book?

5) What do you think is captured in the infamous photograph?

6) What is the importance of the jacaranda trees? What events do they witness?

7) Are there any happy endings in this book?

Q&A WITH AUTHOR ... STEPHANIE ELIZONDO GRIEST

I met Stephanie years ago in New York City when her first book, AROUND THE BLOC, came out.  It was the first book of my monthly Latina Book Club.  She came and spoke to our group, and blew us away.  I have never met a more charismatic person.  I wanted to follow her on her adventures right then and there, but I couldn't -- life, love, work, no dinero.  So now I join Stephanie's adventures from my armchair.  ---mcf

Q:   Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? How are you getting all these grants to travel and write?

I am from Corpus Christi, Texas (or, as I prefer to call it, Corpitos), but much of my life has been spent on the road. (My great-great Uncle Jake was a hobo who saw America with his legs dangling over the edge of a freight train, so wanderlust is encoded in my DNA!) My journey began in 1992, when I attended a high school journalism conference in Washington DC that featured a keynote by a rockstar foreign correspondent for CNN. He had covered the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, riots and revolutions. When he finished, I ran up to the microphone and asked how I could be a foreign correspondent just like him. "Learn Russian," he said. So I did. In 1996, I jetted off to Moscow and haven't stopped traveling since. I’ve explored 35 countries and 48 of the United States thus far, but while wanderlust sparked my interest in travel, activism fuels it. I’ve stumbled upon outrageous injustices in this world, and the only way my conscience will allow me to depart is by writing about it.

As for the dinero to do this, I have something marvelous to disclose: You don’t need to be rich to travel, just resourceful. For starters, there are loads of travel grants, scholarships, and fellowships out there, from the Henry Luce Scholarship to the Fulbright to the Rotary Club. If you crash on people’s couches <<http://www.couchsurfing.com/>> or in airports <<http://www.sleepinginairports.com/>>, eat street food, and avoid Western Europe, you’ll probably spend much less than if you stayed here in Los Estados Unidos. You’ll also have far more adventures.

Q:   Tell us about your new anthology, The Best Women's Travel Writing 2010. Where did the idea come from? How were authors selected? Is that an annual book?

Travelers’ Tales has been publishing its Best Women’s Travel Writing series annually since 2005. Each year, they receive thousands of travel stories from around the world, and they sent me the top 100 by women in a great big box. I, meanwhile, solicited nominations from numerous venues (including WorldHum.com and PerceptiveTravel.com); placed calls for submissions on scores of listserves and websites; and recruited from several MFA programs. I must have read 200 stories in all, which was truly a joy. One minute, I would be romping around a rainforest in Borneo; the next, I’d be tango dancing in Buenos Aires. I retired each night exhausted from all my vicarious adventuring. Editing an anthology is rather like being a midwife, easing each story’s passage into the big, wide world and smacking out its first breath.


Q:   The anthology just won a Gold Medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards. Congratulations. What other awards have you won for your writing?

Oh dear. Bragging makes me blush! But okay, since you asked: AROUND THE BLOC was named Best Travel Book of 2004 by the National Association of Travel Journalists of America; 100 PLACES EVERY WOMAN SHOULD GO won the Gold Prize in the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition and BEST TRAVEL BOOK in the 2007 Latino Book Awards; and MEXICAN ENOUGH won the Richard J. Margolis Award for Social Justice Reporting as well as the 2009 PEN Southwest Nonfiction Book Award. I can’t stress enough my gratitude for this: the literary dioses have been so kind.

Q:   Your first book, AROUND THE BLOC, was about your trip to Russian, China, and Cuba and was followed by MEXICAN ENOUGH, about your trip to Mexico in search of your roots. Are you on a quest to go "around the world?" How can we join you?!

I am indeed, and you can be too! The best way to start is just that: START. All too often, traveling gets postponed. We wait until graduation to commence our big adventure. We wait until we’ve paid off our college loans. Until we’ve paid off our mortgage. Until our ferns/Chihuahuas/kids are grown. The root of our procrastination is usually fear. We are afraid of getting lost on the open road. Of growing lonely. Of getting mugged, kidnapped, raped, killed. I have embarked on six major journeys and—in the days before my departure—honestly believed I would never return. So I wrote out my will. That’s right. At age 36, I have six versions of my will neatly labeled and tucked in a drawer. Somehow, writing those farewells frees my mind and enables me to go.

Yet, the scariest part of traveling is everything you must do prior to boarding that plane: quitting your job, buying your ticket, subletting your apartment, shoving your stuff in storage. But once you have physically boarded that vessel, you’re golden. You’re ordering margaritas, flipping through guidebooks, drawing up plans, dreaming. And then you’re stepping off that plane and beholding the jungle, the ocean, the mountains. The glorious people you’ll soon be meeting. Before you know it, you’re traveling; you’re transcendent. You’re one with Madre Camino.


Q:   What is your writing routine?

I am a literary masochist. As soon as my eyes open (generally between 8 - 9 a.m.), I wash my face, brush my teeth, plunk down at the desk, and stare at the computer screen until I am literally passing out from hunger (generally between 12 - 2 p.m.). Then I cook some oatmeal, go for a bike ride or yoga class, check email, and -- if I can stand it -- write another hour or two. After dinner, I edit my day’s work, then read until my eyelids droop.

Q:   What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Deeply reflect upon why you want to do this. Fame and fortune cannot be part of the equation -- and frankly, neither can publication. You must believe in the story you have to tell, and be whole-heartedly convinced that it will change the perceptions and perspectives of others. These are the only goals that can justify the immense work involved in this business.

If you decide to go for it, build a community. If you don’t know any writers, go to conferences or join a group and befriend some. Seek out mentors. Whenever you read a wonderful book or article, send its author a note and -- if they live close by -- an invitation for a cafecito. Sell yourself and your ideas to editors, agents, and publishers. Follow up on every lead and jump on every opportunity. Always write thank you letters to those who help you along the way. Learn from your mistakes, celebrate your successes, and above all -- enjoy the journey. You are a thinker, a storyteller, an artist, a traveler, a writer: OWN IT!


Q:   Who are the authors / books that have inspired you?

Aye, so many! Let’s start with Alma Guillermoprieto and Elena Poniatowska. Everything they write is genius, but I especially admire Guillermoprieto’s essay collection "The Heart That Bleeds," and Poniatowska’s novel TINISIMA. I’m also a big fan of authors who write about Mexico and/or the borderlands, including Luis Alberto Urrea, Ruben Martinez, Sandra Cisneros, and Gloria Anzaldua. Other heroes include Sherman Alexie, John McPhee, and Jon Lee Anderson. And no collection is complete without a few volumes of Anton Chekhov.

Q:  What are you writing now?

I just finished an investigative piece about colonias, the unincorporated plots of land found on either side of the U.S. – Mexico border. Hundreds of thousands of people (the bulk of whom are Mexican or Mexican-American) inhabit these communities, which often lack electricity, running water, and sewage. My essay focuses on colonias around Corpitos. Not only do the residents there live in abject poverty, an unusually high number suffer from cancer and asthma, and the birth defects there rate among the highest in the nation. I’m trying to determine why, and have a sneaky suspicion that the nearby refineries, prison, and waste dump have something to do with it.


Q:   Are you on the internet? Can we Friend / Follow you? 

You can always find me at my website, http://www.aroundthebloc.com/, and I recently started a blog about travel, writing, books, and combos thereof, at http://aroundthebloc.wordpress.com/. Drop on by; I’d love to hear from you!♥



COMMENT:   Do leave a comment and let us know about your adventures.

MEET AND GREET: TONI PLUMMER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS

     
   

Toni Plummer has been at Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin's Press, for six years. As Associate Editor, she acquires and edits books in various genres and for all imprints.

Toni has many authors in her stable (an industry term), including several Latino authors. Though Thomas Dunne Books and St. Martin's Press do not have a Latino line per sé, Toni is looking for new Latino authors that will fit in any of their genres. (She acquires more mysteries than anything else, but also literary and commercial women’s fiction, and nonfiction.)

"My mother is from Mexico, and I like reading about the Latino experience in the U.S." she explains. "I want to find new Latino voices." And so Toni spreads the word to agents and attends conferences and book festivals like the Los Angeles Latino Book & Family Festival, the largest in the country.

Toni is delighted to see Latinos writing not just literary fiction, but also mysteries, romance, fantasy, et al. She encourages writers to join the different writing organizations, like Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Private Eye Writers of America, etc.

"Authors should network with other authors, to learn about the industry and opportunities," stresses Toni. "The success of a book has a lot to do with the author's efforts. It’s their work. In the end, they can sell it better than anyone else can."

Today's authors promote themselves through their own websites, blogs, and social networks, like Facebook and Twitter. Blog tours are also catching on.

Toni accepts only agented submissions. She advises writers to find a good agent. "Authors need an agent, Latino or not, that loves their work. A good agent has experience placing works with publishers and knows which editors to contact at the various houses. What’s more, they can lead you through the publishing process and help you develop your career, over many books.”

When asked, Who is the Latino Audience?, Toni replied that there is no set profile for a Latino Reader. Latinos read Latino authors and they read non-Latino authors. They read across all genres. When Toni acquires a book by a Latino author, she is hoping to reach a Latino audience. But she also hopes to reach any crossover audiences. For example, if the book is a mystery, that book is marketed to mystery readers.

Toni's Latino authors include M. Padilla (Mike), author of THE GIRLS FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY CANTINA, a novel about a circle of friends in Los Angeles; A.E. Roman, author of THE SUPERMAN PROJECT, the second in the Chico Santana series about a Puerto Rican P.I. in New York City; RITA Award winner Caridad Ferrer (no relation to myself), a young adult author whose upcoming November book WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE is a re-interpretation of the opera Carmen; Irete Lazo, author of THE ACCIDENTAL SANTERA, a funny and moving tale about a woman’s entrance into the world of Santeria; California Book Award winner Michael Jaime-Becerra, whose first novel THIS TIME TOMORROW examines the conflicts between love and responsibility among working-class Mexican-Americans; and Bronx Council on the Arts Award winner Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa, author of DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE, an inspirational family saga about five generations of women, beginning in colonial Puerto Rico.

Toni shared some of the interesting ways she met a few of her authors. She met Dahlma at a small book making class in East Harlem. They got to talking and Toni invited Dahlma to submit her work. Dahlma did, and got an agent at about the same time. Toni had picked up Michael Jaime-Becerra’s short story collection EVERY NIGHT IS LADIES’ NIGHT (Rayo) because the stories were set in El Monte, California. Her hometown is South El Monte! She knew some of her friends knew Michael, though she’d never met him. Her friend contacted Michael’s mother, who in turn left him a note saying an editor in New York was interested in his work. Michael had just finished his novel. The rest was history.

And guess what? It turns out that Yours Truly and Toni met a few years ago at Alisa Valdes- Rodriguez's (THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB) Chica Lit Club Fiesta in Miami. Is this a small world or what?

Read Latino. ---mcf



COMMENTS WELCOME:    
Do leave a comment and let us know how many of Toni’s authors have you read.

BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL, SEPTEMBER 12

  

   

                                                          5th ANNUAL


Mark your calendars....Sunday, September 12, 2010.

It's the 5th Annual Brooklyn Book Festival. 

The Festival is sponsored by Brooklyn Tourism and the Brooklyn Literary Council.  Our friend Marcela Landres is a member of the Council and editor of Latinidad, a newsletter for Latino authors.

The Festival will have 200 authors, 175 bookstores, hundreds of vendors and delicious food in one of New York's most beautiful boroughs....Brooklyn.   Join us!



Here's their press release....

This is the fifth anniversary of the renowned Brooklyn Book Festival, a free, literary celebration that showcases more than 200 national and international authors in readings and panel discussions as well as 175 booksellers, publishers, presses and organizations in an outdoor literary marketplace. The festival is a premier literary event in New York City, with more than 30,000 attendees from around the world. The all-star literary lineup, including Salman Rushdie, Naomi Klein, Colson Whitehead, Mary Gaitskill, Paul Auster, Rosanne Cash, Paul Krugman, Amy Goodman, John Ashbery, Gary Shteyngart, Francine Prose, Dennis Lehane, Pete Hamill, Jennifer Egan, Russell Banks, Michael Connelly, John Hodgman, Kristen Schaal, Thurston Moore, Sam Lipsyte, Sloane Crosley, Paul Harding, Maaza Mengiste, Marlon James, Jean Valentine, Elizabeth Nunez and many, many more, as well as children’s and young adult Lit stars like Rebecca Stead, Sara Shepard, Jacqueline Woodson, Jon Scieszka, Francisco X. Stork, Jenny Han, Mac Barnett, Tad Hills, Chris Raschka, Lauren Oliver, E. Lockhart, Michael Rex and Matthew Reinhart.

This year it will expand to include three days of special themed events “bookending” the Festival from September 10-12 in partnership with cultural organizations like BAM, Bell House, The Brooklyn Kitchen, Brooklyn Public Library, Greenlight Bookstore, Littlefield, St. Ann’s Warehouse, PEN American Center, Irondale Center, Brooklyn Public Library, powerHOUSE, Debut Lit, WORD, Light Industry, Triple Canopy, Mainspring Collective and more!

The Brooklyn Book Festival is presented by Brooklyn Tourism and the Brooklyn Literary Council, initiatives of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. Sponsors include the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation; the NYC & Company Foundation; Astoria Federal Savings; Citi; Boar’s Head Provisions; St. Francis College; Brooklyn Community Foundation; Downtown Brooklyn Partnership; the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge; Skylight One Hanson; Target; Con Edison; and media sponsors Time Out New York Kids and WABC-TV. Cultural and programming partners are BAM; the Brooklyn Historical Society; Brooklyn Public Library; Cave Canem; Housing Works Bookstore Café; LIVE from the NYPL; The Nation; the National Book Foundation; The New York Review of Books; PEN American Center; Poetry Society of America; and St. Francis College.

For more information visit http://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/ or check out the official Facebook page at http://bk.ly/sZO. On Twitter, follow the Brooklyn Book Festival @BKBF.

BOOK REVIEW: THE SLIPPERY ART OF BOOK REVIEWING

  
   

“The reviewer’s duty is to the reader first."

From THE SLIPPERY ART OF BOOK REVIEWING

  

THE SLIPPERY ART OF BOOK REVIEWING
By Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards
Twilight Times Books

I have been a book reviewer for 15+ years. I have reviewed books for Publisher’s Weekly, the Author’s Guild, Dorchester Publishing and Somos Padres/We are Parents (a now defunct local Queens bilingual newspaper). I still review for Romantic Times and now The Latina Book Club.

When I started reviewing, all I had was a love of reading, a need to share my opinion of books and a hot pen. There were no reference guides like THE SLIPPERY ART OF BOOK REVIEWING. Often, the editor would just hand me an old review and ask me to duplicate the format. After a few years, a couple of the publications settled on a preferred style and I got a notice asking me to change to the new format. I learned by trial and error.

Book reviewers today can be better prepared if they study THE SLIPPERY ART OF BOOK REVIEWING by Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards before they enter the business. Both ladies are professional reviewers, editors and authors. Their book is easy-to-read and easy-to-follow, and it is overflowing with information, resources and excellent advice. It’s no wonder it won the 2008 Book of the Year Award from ForeWord Magazine in the category of writing.

 THE SLIPPERY ART OF REVIEWING covers every topic imaginable:

• How to read critically
• How to write a book review
• How to review audio books, graphic novels and works in translations
• The different types of reviews
• How to deal with authors, editors, publicists
• What to do with the books afterwards
• The Reviewers vs. Bloggers controversy
• Plus, pages and pages of resources on where to get started, review publications, genre review magazines, etc.

Reading this book is like a taking a course at the Learning Annex from the comfort of your arm chair, or in my case, a hammock. Please note that THE SLIPPERY ART OF BOOK REVIEWING is not just for newbies; established reviewers – like me – can definitely pick up a few tips from these ladies.♥



ABOUT THE AUTHORS

 Mayra Calvani is a reviewer, freelance journalist and the author of 10 books for children and adults. She is a regular contributor to several magazines, including the Latino Books Examiner for Examiner.com. Mayra and Anne Edwards also co-edit the ezine, Voice in the Dark. For more information on Mayra, visit her at http://www.mayracalvani.com/ and http://www.mayrassecretbookcase.com/

Anne E. Edwards writes mysteries. Her second book DEATH ON DELIVERY is the first in the Hannah Clare series. Anne and Mayra co-edit the ezine, Voice in the Dark. For more information on Anne, visit her at http://www.mysteryfiction.net/.



This book was provided by the authors.


COMMENT:   Do leave a comment and let us know if you've ever purchased a book based on the book review and why.  ---mcf
 

Q&A WITH AUTHOR…DAHLMA LLANOS-FIGUEROA

   
   

“You can’t get anywhere unless you can engage the reader with a

compelling character in a recognizable situation.”

--- Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa

Q:   Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? About your "day job"?

I was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and raised in New York City, mostly the Bronx. But I go back to the island often as my roots are firmly planted there, although my daily reality is still in the Bronx. Luckily for me, I am a full time fiction writer now. But before I retired in 2004, I was a NYC English teacher and Young Adult librarian.


Q:   Tell us about the book. How did you get the idea for DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE? Why a saga? Where did the stone come from? Did your story begin with a character or a theme?

The novel is based on the oral storytelling traditions of rural Puerto Rican women. I wanted to pay homage to the women who have held our families together and show the larger picture of the journey of one Puerto Rican family from capture in West Africa through colonial Puerto Rico to immigration to urban America. Given the scope of the story, it had to become a multigenerational tale. The stone is the symbol of the African roots, the strength, and the spirituality and mysticism that sustained the women throughout their journey.

When I began writing, I didn’t really know that what was emerging would be a novel. It grew organically until it presented me with what it was becoming. However, I would say that for me, character and story come first. You can’t get anywhere unless you can engage the reader with a compelling character in a recognizable situation.


Q:   What awards has DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE won? Any other awards you've receive for writing?

I’ve received various awards for my work from the following: The John Oliver Killens Writers’ Workshop, the Bronx Council for the Arts and full and/or partial fellowships from The Caribbean Writers Workshop (University of Miami) and from The Summer Literary Seminars (St. Petersburg, Russia and Montreal, Canada).

Q:   I understand you met your editor Toni Plummer, Thomas Dunne, at a book making craft class. What's the story behind the sale of your novel?

My meeting and collaboration with Toni Plummer was totally unplanned and absolutely serendipitous. Some people would say it was coincidental. I don’t believe in happenstance. We met at the right time for both of us. We were both in a bookbinding workshop sponsored by the Association of Hispanic Artists. She asked me to send her some of my work and the rest is history.


Q:   What is your writing routine?

When I am actively writing, I get up at the crack of dawn, sometimes before. I need the solitude and silence of 4 or 5am to center myself. I light a candle, some incense and sit in meditation for about half and hour. Then I write whatever images come to me in my journal. Often, I don’t know how these images or scenes will connect with my work until much later, but I’ve learned to trust my creative force that way. I let the work evolve on its own and later used my skills to hone and rework scenes. That’s where the real work comes in. Then I get up a little later, and work from 6-12 noon. By then my brain is fried and I need to get up and do something else.


Q:   Who are the authors / books that have inspired you?

I love women writers who see what we all see and go beyond and beneath the surface. Toni Morrison’s earlier novels gave me permission to delve into my African heritage and portray it as a living force in today’s world. Her honesty in SULA and THE BLUEST EYES was an inspiration. Her latest novel A MERCY is a masterpiece in my opinion. Isabel Allende’s work, especially THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, gave me permission to use magic realism and mysticism in my work. Reading LA ISLA BAJO EL MAR brought me back to appreciation of literature in Spanish and the ways in which language lends an authenticity that no amount of translation can provide. Cristina Garcia’s work opened the door to Caribbean modes of expression, folklore and ritual. She is a master of spreading a veneer of comedy over the most painful situations. DREAMING IN CUBAN, THE AGUERO SISTERS and MONKEY HUNTING are wonderful examples of these. And, I love the non-traditional storytelling of Susan Minot’s EVENING.


Q:   What are you writing now? What is that story about?

I’m working on a collection of short pieces, a travel/memoir book called WRITING ON THE ROAD, and the characters in DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE aren’t quite done with me so I guess down the road there will be a re-visitation of that world.


Q:   Are you on the internet? Facebook? Twitter?

I am on Facebook but I’m not a techy and prefer email. My web site address is http://www.llanosfigueroa.com/ and this is the best way to contact me or check up on updates and my events schedule. I try to send out a quarterly newsletter for people who sign up on my web site. I had to cut about 250 pages from the original DOS manuscript and I’ve been doing monthly postings of some of these chapters on my web site for readers who want a richer understanding of the story.♥


COMMENT:   Have you read the DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE?  What did you think?   What other books have you read that are multigenerational?  Let us know.  ---mcf

FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY FROM LA CASA AZUL BOOKSTORE

   
    

Website: http://www.lacasaazulbookstore.com/
E-mail: lacasaazulbookstore@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lacasaazulbookstore

Owner:  Aurora Anaya-Cerda
Phone: 646-413-5251




Q:    What is the history of the Casa Azul? How and when did you get the idea?

I have always been surrounded by books, as a child I practically LIVED at the local library and also had a mini library at home – in college I worked at an independent bookstore, so the idea of owning my own bookstore seemed like the natural next step. I contemplated the idea after college, but did other things before making the decision to open La Casa Azul Bookstore. When I moved to East Harlem from East Los Angeles I decided to make the dream a reality. I enrolled in a business course and immersed myself in the book industry world; soon I was so motivated and determined to open the bookstore that there was no going back.

I launched La Casa Azul Bookstore as an online store in the Spring of 2008, providing a platform for Latino authors via the bookstore e-newsletter. I also began having readings with local authors after the launch of lacasaazulbookstore.com.


Q:    Do you only sell books by Latino authors or all books? Is there a catalog from which to choose from?

Customers can purchase any and all books (including audio books) online via the website link www.lacasaazulbookstore.com. They can also sign up for the bookstore newsletter on the home page.


Q:     What books are your bestsellers? What authors are your bestsellers?

Bestsellers include authors like Junot Diaz, Isabel Allende, and authors that I feature in the “Author Spotlight” of the newsletter. Children’s books are also popular.


Q:    You partner with El Museo Del Barrio for a bookclub. How do you choose the books? How is the bookclub going?

La Casa Azul Bookstore partnered with El Museo del Barrio in 2008 to form the Barrio Book Club. The monthly event has become a gathering place for lovers of Latino literature and a platform for emerging writers. The Barrio Book Club is unique because readers and fans of local Latino writers can meet and dialogue with a different author each month.

Anyone can join and attend the book club meetings, whether you’ve finished the book or not. I choose the books but the themes vary so much from month to month that members get to read books they might not normally read. We’ve had writers who write mystery, young adult, chic lit, poetry, memoirs, short stories … it’s great to have that variety!

Next two book club meetings and books are:

September 14, 6:30pm
WHEN A TREE FALLS by Beatriz Rivera

October 12, 6:30pm
BOOGIE DOWN by Daniel Serrano

More information, including the location is listed on the bookstore website, http://www.lacasaazulbookstore.com/


Q:    What are you reading now?

I recently picked up MADONNA’S OF ECHO PARK by Brando Skyhorse – highly recommend it! I also have a few books on my night stand that I can’t wait to get to: GOLONDRINA WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME? by Barbara Renaud Gonzalez, DEL AMOR Y OTROS DEMONIOS by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and LOS DETECTIVES SALVAJES by Roberto Bolaño.


Q:    How can readers support La Casa Azul?

Here are 7 ways to support La Casa Azul Bookstore:

* Sign up for the store e-newsletter
* Be a part of the Founding Familia as a bookstore investor
* Purchase books for your school library or classroom from La Casa Azul Bookstore
* Host a book reading at your school, organization, or club
* Invite La Casa Azul Bookstore to your school book fair or parent/teacher night
* Attend the Barrio Book Club at El Museo del Barrio
* Tell everyone you know about La Casa Azul Bookstore!

Aurora Anaya-Cerda is the owner of La Casa Azul Bookstore. La Casa Azul Bookstore is the only New York based bookstore that exclusively features Latino authors. Since the launch of the virtual bookstore, Aurora has established the Barrio Book Club, in collaboration with El Museo del Barrio; making the Barrio Book Club a gathering place for lovers of Latino literature and a platform for emerging writers. La Casa Azul Bookstore also travels with local writers and hosts reading and book talks at cultural venues in New York.

This Fall, Hispanigentsia will feature Aurora and La Casa Azul Bookstore in the Upwardly Mobile Road Tour, a documentary that features some of the country’s Hispanic-American academic, artistic and professional talent. Aurora and La Casa Azul Bookstore have been interviewed for blogs, such as LaBloga, PR Sun, and MiLatinoVoice. In the summer of 2009, she was featured in the New York Daily News as an innovative entrepreneur who promotes literature and Latino writers in local East Harlem venues, including El Museo del Barrio. American Latino TV also featured Aurora and La Casa Azul Bookstore in 2009; the award winning show interviews Latinos doing extraordinary and inspirational things.

Ms. Aurora Anaya- Cerda is an active member of El Barrio’s community as a participant and supporter of Latino cultural and educational events. A graduate of UCLA, Ms. Anaya-Cerda has a double Bachelor’s degree in History and Chicana/o Studies. She was awarded the Juanita Centeno Leadership Award and the UCLA Women for Change Leadership Award, both for outstanding dedication and service to her community. Aurora received a scholarship from the New Start Fund, awarded to women entrepreneurs in New York City and was recently accepted as a member of the Young Hispanic Leaders Program.

COMMENT:   I've had the pleasure of meeting Aurora at a few of the Comadrazo Meetings in NYC.  She is a dynamo, and I am always in awe of her creativity and energy.  Have you met Aurora?  Share your meeting of her with us.  And let us know what you've ordered from La Casa Azul Bookstore recently.   

FREE BOOK:   all commentators will be entered to win a free copy of TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE by Leila Cobo.  Winner will be announced on Friday, August 13.  --mcf

BOOK REVIEW: VIGIL by Cecilia Samartin

   
    
   

“Beyond the convent walls there was the madness of a violent world, but there was also dancing,

and there were parties where women dressed lavishly while elegant men escorted them through

this dangerous labyrinth...and there was the erotic pleasure of physical love….

I wondered about this sometimes even as I prayed.” --Ana

 

VIGIL
by Cecilia Samartin
Washington Square Press


"The Sound of Music” is one of my favorite musicals. Julie Andrews will always be Maria – that young, innocent novata, novice, who leaves the convent to become a nanny and ends up married to the “master of the house.”

My favorite Samartin book is still BROKEN PARADISE, but VIGIL is another emotional success. VIGIL’s Ana is like Maria. She is a Carmelite novice, who is sent to work as a nanny for six months and ends up staying forever. But there the similarities end. VIGIL is not a romance. It’s more a story about the bonds of family and the healing power of love.

The story is written in a circular rather than a linear journey; moving from present to past and back again, adding depth and texture to the novel. Samartin grabs the readers from the first and doesn’t let go until the surprising but satisfying conclusion.


SUMMARY: While holding vigil at her lover’s deathbed, Ana remembers her past. As a child, she fled war-torn El Salvador and the atrocities of war and took shelter at a convent in the California. She is ready to take her vows of chastity, even though she has an insatiable curiosity about life outside the convent walls. Recognizing her interest for what it is, Mother Superior insists that Ana accept a position as a nanny to the wealthy, influential Trellis family. What begins as a six month assignment lasts a lifetime. Ana becomes indispensible to the Trellis’ and to the surprise of everyone, most of all herself, very much a member of the family.♥

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cecilia Samartin won the prestigious Mariposa Award for her debut novel BROKEN PARADISE. VIGIL is her third novel. Visit her at http://www.ceciliasamartin.com/.



COMMENT: Please leave a comment and share with us your thoughts on VIGIL. What did you think of Ana? of the surprise ending? What is your favorite Samartin novel? ---mcf

Q&A WITH AUTHOR ... MARGO CANDELA

     

  

"When I’m writing a book, I work off of an outline and set word count goals

for myself so I always know where I’m supposed to be."

--Margo Candela

   

   

   

Q:   Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? What is it like to grow up in "Hollywood"? What is your "day job"?

I was born and raised in Northeast Los Angeles and come from a family of seven, not including the two dogs we grew up with. We first lived in Lincoln Heights, where I remember watching Richard Dreyfuss shoot scenes for a movie on the corner. In the 80s, we moved to Cypress Park, where they filmed "Secretary" and "Chasing Amy", a block down, just to name two of the projects that took over the neighborhood. Even with such exposure, the idea of Hollywood was not a constant in our lives. My parents expected us to finish high school and get jobs. I was lucky and stubborn enough to continue onto Glendale Community College, where I joined the campus paper and then transferred to San Francisco State University to earn a degree in journalism. I’ve pretty much structured my life since then to involve some type of writing. I wrote for magazines or websites after college, and fiction has become my sole focus these last few years. I’m proud to say I’m a full-time writer, but I’m smart enough to admit I wish I had a steady day job.


Q:  Tell us about the book. Did your story begin with a character or a theme? What was it about Hollywood, office politics and family dramas that compelled you to write this story?

I started and ended GOOD-BYE TO ALL THAT with weather knowing it was kind of risky. (There’s that cliché of “It was a dark and stormy night…”) But it fit the mood of the novel and I like to bookend things which is a quirk I picked up in journalism school. I wanted to write a novel about work and how a young woman lets her job take over her life. Setting GOOD-BYE TO ALL THAT in Hollywood opened up lots of opportunities for me to put a different spin on her situation. Raquel Azorian, the main character, knows she’s just a cog in a shiny movie production machine, but she’s determined to shine the brightest. All my books have delved into family relationships, but the Azorians are a less than ideal family. They’re a high maintenance bunch and it falls on Raquel to try to manage them and her career at the same time. I wanted to figure out how she would deal with two important competing interests and have some fun with it as a writer.

Q.  Your books have been called chick lit. Do you agree with that label? Is there a new label?

I read chick lit so I have no problem with the label. I do refer to what I write as mainstream commercial women’s fiction when I’m feeling fancy, but I leave it up to my editor and the marketing department to decide what to call my books. What influences what to label a book as is not only the subject matter, but the tone. I use a lot of humor in my books, but I can be serious, too. What I write stays essentially the same, though. I write about women (and men) who are looking to establish their own place in the world, who are trying to balance their families expectations and their own need to be themselves and live their own lives.


Q:  Your books are set in L.A. and San Francisco. Is it because it's your "backyard" and what you know best?

I would never attempt to write a book set in Minneapolis without actually living there; it would come off as fake. I’ve been lucky enough to split my years between two great cities and they’ve become like characters in my books. I really miss San Francisco and would love to go back, but Los Angeles is my hometown and where my family is. That being said, I wouldn’t mind writing a book set in Paris or Marrakesh. I’m more than willing to put in the resident time to be able to write about those places convincingly.


Q:  What is your writing routine?

I treat what I do as a job. I put my in hours and then turn my computer off when I know I’ve done what I need to do. When I’m writing a book, I work off of an outline and set word count goals for myself so I always know where I’m supposed to be. Some might think it a constrained way to write, but it works for me. I need to think things through first, plan out chapters so I know where I’m going and haven an end date or I’d go crazy. I’m very logical and pragmatic about the process of writing a novel and this allows me to have fun with what I’m actually doing. My characters are the ones who have the crazy lives and get themselves involved in dicey situations. In the end, I have a completed manuscript with minimal time spent at a therapist’s office.


Q:   Who are the authors/books that have inspired you?

I’m a huge fan of anything Anne Tyler. I admire her as a reader and writer. I discovered her books as a teen and knew from the first pages that I was reading something special. I also admire Delia Ephron and Steve Martin, who both have such crisp, sly styles. I can only hope to one day mature into that kind of writer. It might never happen, but I can try.


Q:   What are you writing now? What is that story about?

Currently, I’m in limbo between two ideas. Both are set in Los Angeles and deal with women on the periphery of the entertainment business, but are completely different in tone—one’s more chick lit and the other women’s fiction. I’m going to give myself a few weeks to noodle on which to go with. Whichever I do end up committing to, I know it’s going to be a fun journey and I look forward to getting it started.


Q:   Are you on the internet? Facebook? Twitter? 
I’m all over the internet. You can friend me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/margocandela, follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/margo_candela and keep up with what I’m reading at Goodreads, http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/497784.Margo_Candela. I also have a blog, My Brain. My Blog, that I post to regularly to, http://margocandela.blogspot.com// and I have a contact page on my site, http://www.margocandela.com//, for anyone who wants to get in touch with me. Hearing from readers is a real treat because I know people lead busy lives and I appreciate their support. ♥


COMMENT:   Do leave a comment and let us know which of Margo's books have you read and liked best.  And visit her blog and follow her on Facebook and Twitter; links are above.

Read Latino---mcf