THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

      Mayra Calvani is a prolific writer. This author-journalist-book reviewer writes everything from paranormals to romances to women’s fiction to children’s books.  She has two books out now that are complete opposites. One is dark; one is light. One is supernatural; one is normal. Both are page turners and will keep you on the edge of your seat! And, both are available now at amazon.com.  Download them today and get started on your summer reading! DARK LULLABY By Mayra Calvani Amazon Digital Services At a trendy Turkish tavern one Friday night, astrophysicist Gabriel Diaz meets a mysterious young woman. Captivated by her beauty as well as her views on good and evil, he spends the next several days with her. Soon, however, he begins to notice a strangeness in her–her skin’s abnormally high temperature, her obsession with milk products, her child-like and bizarre behavior as she seems to take pleasure in toying with his conscience. The young woman, Kamilah, invites him to

The Latina Book Club congratulates Annette Sandoval on the publication of her new novel, SPITFIRE.     Join us as we "chat" with Annette about sassy heroines, time management, backpacking around the globe and the difficulties of publishing.  Read below, and as always, Read Latino! SPITFIRE by Annette Sandoval Thomas & Mercer, July 2012 Tomi is sassy, savvy and scandalous! --The Latina Book Club Book Summary: Twenty-eight-year-old Tomi Reyes is a documentary filmmaker who moonlights as a receptionist to pay the bills. It’s a pretty easy gig—until she receives an unexpected promotion, and her somewhat interesting life goes totally insane.  For starters, her new boss, Scott Martin, morphs from nice guy into creepy dictator in the space of, like, five seconds. Then Justin Thyme, Tomi’s occasional boyfriend, is found murdered and stuffed inside his refrigerator. Before Tomi can get over the shock, her friend Whim meets the same gruesome fate. Tomi has a sneaki

The Enigma of the Cemetery of Lost Books Continues “Bursting with intrigue and excitement” “Masterful novel” THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN Carlos Ruiz Zafón Harper, 2012 SYNOPSIS:   Barcelona, 1957. It is Christmas, and Daniel Sempere and his wife, Bea, have much to celebrate. They have a beautiful new baby son named Julian, and their close friend Fermin Romero de Torres is about to be wed. But their joy is eclipsed when a mysterious stranger visits the Sempere bookshop and threatens to divulge a terrible secret that has been buried for two decades in the city's dark past. His appearance plunges Fermin and Daniel into a dangerous adventure that will take them back to the 1940s and the early days of Franco's dictatorship. The terrifying events of that time launch them on a search for the truth that will put into peril everything they love and ultimately transform their lives. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:    Carlos Ruiz Zafón is one of the best-read and most famous authors in the w

   La Casa Azul Bookstore opened it's doors on Friday, June 1 for a weekend celebration.  Authors, neighbors, friends and contributors were all treated to a weekend of readings, signings and fun. The Latina Book Club has been a long-time supporter of Aurora and La Casa Azul Bookstore, and we are glad to finally be able to "sit" with her for a chat.   Welcome, Aurora!    Our goal is to create a community center in East Harlem for both readers and writers, to create a place where reading, writing and creative expression is encouraged, and a place where ideas, curiosity and community spirit are celebrated. --Aurora Anaya-Cerda  How does it feel to finally have your dream come true of a physical bookstore? Photo by Laura Booth, 2012 A feeling of gratitude for being fortunate enough to do what I love, mixed with a sense of accomplishment, topped with happiness & sprinkled with pride. Telemundo was filming you as you got the bookstore ready. Did that make

Winner of The Mariposa Award for Best First Book at the 2012 International Latino Book Awards OCOTILLO DREAMS by Melinda Palacio Bilingual Review Press, 2011 Set in Chandler, Arizona, during the city's infamous 1997 migrant sweeps, OCOTILLO DREAMS resonates with today's immigration policies.   But this book is not only about politics and immigration.  This book is about mothers and daughters, love and hate, trust and betrayal, life and death.   ABOUT THE AUTHOR:   M elinda Palacio is an award-winning poet and author from South-Central Los Angeles.   She is a former journalist turned writer -- fiction and poetry.   Melinda studied Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley and earned a graduate degree in the same field at UC Santa Cruz. She is a 2007 PEN USA Emerging Voices Rosenthal Fellow and an alum of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. In 2009, she won Kulupi Press' Sense of Place 2009 competition for her poetry chapbook, Folsom Lockdown . Tia Chucha Press w