Happy
Valentine’s Week!
The
Latina Book Club is doing mini interviews with Latino / Latinx authors about
Latin Lovers, favorite couples, and best presents to give this week.
We are
pleased to welcome USA Today Bestselling Author Priscilla Oliveras. She is a double RITA Finalist. The RITA is the Oscar for the romance
industry. (Congrats, Congrats,
Priscilla!!) Her novel, THEIR PERFECT
MELODY, is book three in her Matched to Perfection series, about three sexy,
sassy Puerto Rican sisters. And we are looking forward to her new series from Kensington in 2020.
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| Photo by Michael A. Eaddy |
LBC: Welcome, Priscilla. Valentine’s Day is upon us, and nothing says romance more than a
Latin Lover, or does it? What do you think of the Latin Lover— is he a
Macho Man, Eye Candy or other?
PRISCILLA: Honestly, I tend to shy away from the idea of
the “Latin Lover” because often it becomes more of a caricature. For me, the
ideal Latino is a guy who speaks my language in many ways. Meaning, sure, our
Spanglish conversations run the gamut from fun and games to serious and neither
one of us is confused by the mix of words, but he also understands my
commitment to familia and has just a touch of machismo evidenced by his
dedication and desire to protect his loved ones without egoism involved. He
knows how to make me feel special, cherished, and respected. Ooooh, and he can
definitely hang with me on the dance floor. ;-)
LBC:
Describe the ideal Lover— Latino or otherwise.
PRISCILLA: Wait, I think I jumped ahead in my response
to question #1 and started answering this one, too. Like I said, my ideal lover
understands and values the importance of knowing how to make me feel special,
cherished, and respected. In and out of the bedroom. Of course, I’d expect the
same from myself when it comes to how I treat him.
LBC: Who’s your favorite couple and why?
PRISCILLA: Real life couple? Michelle and Barack Obama, I
love seeing them together. How they beautifully they interact with each other.
To me, they epitomize how two individuals can achieve personal and professional
success while maintaining a healthy, loving relationship and raising a family
together, even while being under such an intense spotlight. They’re like a
living romance novel: Conflict and bad things happen in life (in the story),
but with the right partner beside you, you get through it and find your HEA or
HFN. J
LBC: What’s the
best present to give your Valentine?
PRISCILLA: Something that they’d
like, which doesn’t necessarily mean something I’d want to receive. Gift giving
involves thinking about the other person. Trying to please them. So, I look at
it from their perspective, maybe even consider their love language, and see if
I can figure out something they’d love to receive.
LBC: Describe your
novel, THE PERFECT MELODY, in 5 words.
PRISCILLA: Rather than toot my own
horn, I figured I’d share some of the descriptors used by reviewers when
describing my novels: emotion-packed, culturally-rich, moving, welcoming,
compelling. (The Latina Book Club would
like to add lovely.)
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| Zebra Books |
The
Latina Book Club thanks author Priscilla Oliveras for participating in our
Valentine’s Week Special.
BIO: Priscilla Oliveras is a USA Today bestselling
author and 2018 RWA® RITA® double finalist who writes contemporary romance with
a Latinx flavor. Proud of her Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, she strives to
bring authenticity to her novels by sharing her Latinx culture with readers.
She and her work have earned praise from the Washington Post, New York Times,
Entertainment Weekly, Redbook, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, amongst others.
Priscilla earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University
and currently teaches the online class “Romance Writing” for ed2go. While she’s
a devotee of the written word, Priscilla also considers herself a sports fan,
beach lover, and Zumba aficionado, who often practices the art of napping in
her backyard hammock. To follow along on her fun-filled and hectic life, visit
her on the web at www.prisoliveras.com, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/prisoliveras or on Twitter and Instagram via @prisoliveras.
#HappyValentinesDay
#HappyReading
#ReadLatinoLit