The artist must possess the courageous soul…The brave soul. The soul that dares and defies. – from THE AWAKENING by Kate Chopin
LATINA AUTHORS & THEIR MUSES is a celebration of creativity, the writer’s life, the passionate quest for spiritual and artistic freedom. – Mayra Calvani
 |
| Twilight Times Books |
I admit it. I like to write in my books. I add notes on the margins. I underline, and if the quote is too long I
fold the page for future reference. Some
of my family and friends cringe when I do, but I love it. It’s a very definite way of knowing which
books are “keepers” and LATINA AUTHORS & THEIR MUSES is a Keeper!
This book is a treasure
trove of information. It’s like a
literary marketplace and who’s who rolled into one. Mayra Calvani is to be commended for her hard
work and vision in bringing 40 of everyone’s favorite Latina authors together
for this marvelous collection; see list of participating authors at the end. You have established authors and debut authors; some that write in English while others write in English and Spanish; some that only write fiction and others who write romances, vampires and thrillers.
The best part is that this book will be
loved by writers and readers alike.
Writers will love the “candor and insight” into these authors’ backgrounds, routines and writing style. They’ll have more how-to books to add to their TBR piles, and most importantly, will realize that writers are never truly alone. There are other writers just like them.
Readers will love the
wealth of information on their favorite Latina authors from where they were born
to their past books to “their” favorite authors to how to connect with them on
the web. Plus, they will be able to discover new authors.
Another good thing about
this book is that you can start anywhere.
Pick any chapter. Start at the end and work forward or jump around as
you choose your favorites or just start at the beginning. You will meet an amazing woman and writer in
each chapter.
I won’t name names – you’ll
have to read the book to learn who I mean! – but did you know some authors have
unusual quirks? For example, some can
only write their books in longhand; others write in windowless rooms; others
can only write in busy hotspots; others only write at a specific time and place;
and some cast their characters and make photo collages from photos taken from
magazines.
Here are some of my
favorite quotes from the book:
On writers block: There is no such thing as writer’s block…
Writers who succeed, slog (through it); they don’t think they’re precious. They
know better. – Alisa Lynn Valdes
On playing God: I had the lives of my characters at the tip
of my fingers. I knew some of them had
to go for the sake of the story. – Zoraida Cordova
On obsession: Novels demand so much from writers that you’d
have to be crazy to give that much of your time and life to something you’re
not obsessed with. – Carolina de
Robertis
On writing: The story
makes its own rules. Disappear and let the characters live. – Sandra Ramos O’Briant
On writing mottos: Author Toni Margarita Plummer’s favorite is: Write what should not be forgotten from Isabel
Allende.
On doing something
different: Writers write. Never be
afraid to spread your wings and try something different. – Caridad Piñeiro.
On writing in
solitude: Solitude forces you to
confront yourself. This can be terrifying.
–Esmeralda Santiago
LATINA AUTHORS & AND
THEIR MUSES is a Keeper! I encourage all
readers to let Mayra know which next group of 40 Latina authors she should look
at for her new collection. Happy Reading
and Happy Writing! ---mcf
For an excerpt from the
book, click here.
Participating
Authors:
Marta Acosta
Lisa Alvarado
Julia Amante
Margo Candela
Kathy Cano-Murillo
Mary Castillo
Jennifer Cervantes
Leila Cobo
Zoraida Córdova
Lucha Corpi
Sarah Cortez
Angie Cruz
Liz DeJesus
Anjanette Delgado
Carolina De Robertis
Lyn Di Iorio
Teresa Dovalpage
Carolina Garcia-Aguilera
Iris Gomez
Reyna Grande
Rose Guilbault
Graciela Limón
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
Diana López
Josefina López
Dora Machado
Maria Gabriela Madrid
Michele Martinez
Sandra Ramos O'Briant
Melinda Palacio
Caridad Piñeiro
Berta Platas
Toni Margarita Plummer
Thelma T. Reyna
Lupe Ruiz-Flores
Esmeralda Santiago
Eleanor Parker Sapia
Alisa Lynn Valdes
Diana Rodriguez Wallach
Gwendolyn Zepeda
Lisa Alvarado
Julia Amante
Margo Candela
Kathy Cano-Murillo
Mary Castillo
Jennifer Cervantes
Leila Cobo
Zoraida Córdova
Lucha Corpi
Sarah Cortez
Angie Cruz
Liz DeJesus
Anjanette Delgado
Carolina De Robertis
Lyn Di Iorio
Teresa Dovalpage
Carolina Garcia-Aguilera
Iris Gomez
Reyna Grande
Rose Guilbault
Graciela Limón
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
Diana López
Josefina López
Dora Machado
Maria Gabriela Madrid
Michele Martinez
Sandra Ramos O'Briant
Melinda Palacio
Caridad Piñeiro
Berta Platas
Toni Margarita Plummer
Thelma T. Reyna
Lupe Ruiz-Flores
Esmeralda Santiago
Eleanor Parker Sapia
Alisa Lynn Valdes
Diana Rodriguez Wallach
Gwendolyn Zepeda
ABOUT
THE EDITOR: Award-winning author Mayra Calvani has penned
over ten books for children and adults in genres ranging from picture books to
nonfiction to paranormal fantasy novels. She’s had over 300 articles, short
stories, interviews and reviews published in magazines such as The
Writer, Writer's Journal and Bloomsbury Review,
among others. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, she now resides in Brussels,
Belgium. Connect with Mayra on the Web:
READ LATINO