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Showing posts from June, 2013

REVIEW: MISSING IN MACHU PICCHU by Cecilia Velastegui (FREE kindle download)

Libros Publishing, 2013 "Never forget our ceremonies and hide the rest of our icons and our precious ancestors, for they alone will speak the truth to use." -- Inca Emperor Manco Capac   “They were here on this spot trying to find love. This was their last shot, and none of the women was prepared to lie down in defeat like the famed woman of the Dead Woman’s Pass. Each was struck as if by a lightning bolt, and understood that if there were such a thing as a soul mate, he had to be here on this Inca Trail—or no such thing existed at all.” -- MISSING IN MACHU PICCHU I love Cecilia Velastegui’s books! They are always an adventure. Velastegui is a master at weaving anthropological history and modern tales in such a way that the reader doesn’t realize she/he has been given a history lesson. The narrative is rich and detailed; her characters are realistic and appealing; and her plot lines are gold. MISSING IN MACHU PICCHU is her best novel to date, which is probab

OCT 5: 2nd Annual Latino Writers Conference in NYC

It's official!   Las Comadres Para las America , the national Latina organization, will present a day-long conference on October 5, 2013, for Latino writers seeking book publication. This year's keynote speaker is Reyna Grande , a National Book Circle Critics Award finalist and winner of the American Book Award and International Latino Book Award. The Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference will be held at Medgar Evers College , CUNY, Brooklyn. Joining La Comadres as collaborators are AT&T, Scholastic, the National Black Writers Conference, the Center for Black Literature, the Foreign Language Department and the Latino American Association, Adriana Dominguez, and Marcela Landres, with support from the Association of American Publishers. The conference will help attendees navigate the challenges and opportunities specific to Latino writers. Scheduled panels will focus on poetry, marketing/publicity, children's/young adult writing, self-publishing, fiction

BLOG TOUR: Q&A WITH MS. JUANA BORDAS

   The Latina Book Club is proud to be part of Ms. Juana Bordas’ Condor Book Tour.  Ms. Bordas is the founding President and CEO of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, the only program in America that prepares Latinas for national leadership.  Ms. Bordas has made it her mission in life to train the next generation of Latina leaders, and to date, over 500 women have completed her program.  Ms. Bordas has written a new book -- THE POWER OF LATINO LEADERSHIP: CULTURE, INCLUSION AND CONTRIBUTION -- that complements her program.  The Latina Book Club had some questions for Ms. Bordas on the program, her Latinidad, and how she trains our future Latina leaders. Q: Given your vast experience in Corporate America, have you ever felt like the "token Latina?" A: My role in working with corporations is to assist them be more inclusive and to value the assets differences bring to the table. I support businesses in tapping the potential of their diverse talent. Becau

REVIEW: THE OVERNIGHT FAMILY MAN by Paul Guzzo

"I jumped into the shallow end headfirst. I was not sure I was ready for children. But I knew I loved Amy and could not lose her. I would find a way to change the man I was if that is what I needed to do for her children." "The hardest thing about being a parent is remembering to do the small things that tell your kids that you love them and that they are each special. Children love presents, but toys and clothes are only temporary. Affection lasts forever." "My moments of regret revolving around my family life will never manifest in me attempting to run back to the single life as many stupid and selfish family men have done. I will always have my grass is greener moments, but deep down inside I know that the grass will never be any greener than it is when I am with my family." From THE OVERNIGHT FAMILY MAN  Aignos Publishing, 2013 Paul Guzzo is happy living the single life right until his 35th birthday when he finally meets the woman who

REVIEW: THE DEATH OF FIDEL PEREZ by Elizabeth Huergo

"Camilo could see how the calm assertiveness with which he had told his compatriots they were free had opened the invisible sluice gates, giving this enormous human mass its direction and thrust." Unbridled Books, 2013 What would happen in Cuba if Fidel Castro and his brother fell? "Fidel cayo.   Fidel Callo.   Fidel silenced.   Fidel fell." Such is the premise of Elizabeth Huergo's book.   It all begins with a -- hopeful? -- error. Fidel Perez is drunk and heartbroken; he's shouting for his ex-lover when the balcony gives way.   His brother rushes to his rescue, but unfortunately, both fall to their deaths on the anniversary of the Moncada Army Barracks Riad of 1953.   A fitting day to die, some say.   As one neighbor yells to the other that Fidel and his brother are dead.   Others hear the shouts and confuse one set of brothers for another. Readers will see the island's past and present through the sad, hurting eyes of the protagonist

WRITERS WEDNESDAY: JONATHAN MARCANTONI

   The Latina Book Club's mission is to promote Latina / Latino authors, which we do through book reviews, author interviews, publicity announcements, book of the month selections, etc. A new feature we are adding is "Writers Wednesdays." The first Wednesday of each month we will feature a writer talking about .....writing. Happy Reading! MY PROCESS by Jonathan Marcantoni I have always felt intimidated when sitting in a writing class or even just a group of writers and they begin to talk about process. What I hear time and again from these writers, sometimes more seasoned than me, sometimes less so, is the amount of discipline they have. I hear stories of people waking up the same hour every day and getting two hours of writing done before the kids wake up, or they stay up late at night, or they write throughout the day on notepads or sticky pads. They always have a pen and paper handy in case inspiration hits them. I listen to all of this and feel quite nerv

WHITE HOUSE CHAMPION: AURORA ANAYA-CERDA

      The Latina Book Club congratulates our friend Aurora Anaya-Cerda , founder and owner of La Casa Azul Bookstore , whom the White House today recognized as a Crowdfunding “Champion of Change.” This is an honor well deserved! “The Champions of Change that the White House is honoring today are using crowdfunding to create jobs for our Nation’s veterans, accelerate the deployment of solar energy, revitalize our cities, and expand the frontiers of citizen science,” said Thomas Kalil, Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “Crowdfunding is the 21st century equivalent of barn-raising. We can use it to help our neighbors and fellow citizens start a business, enrich our culture, and apply grassroots creativity and imagination to challenges big and small.” Aurora is the founder of La Casa Azul Bookstore, East Harlem’s only independent bookstore and the only bookstore in New York that features art and writin