THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

    Our Book of the Month is one that will make you laugh, cry and scream.  And why shouldn't it? It's Halloween!!  Here's an excerpt.  Happy Reading!! “Gypsy Moon” WICKED REMNANTS By Manuel A. Meléndez Book cover by Carlos Aleman Illustrations by Henry Simon EXCERPT He rose from the black bushes like a solid shadow from death. His nightmarish yellow eyes stared at me with hatred. His enlarged pointed nostril flared as mucous dripped from its depth. His muscled hairy torso expanded to proportions of unbelievable massiveness. His arms were like tree trunks that ended into sharp huge claws. From behind me I heard Deanna scream and my own fears were increased for the safety of us. With foolishness or machismo bravado overcoming my anguish I clenched my hands into fist and prepared if not to save my life, to at least save Deanna’s. The wolf-like creature ripped through the shrubs, his almost human hoofs inching closer ...

       The Latina Book Club wishes all our readers a Happy New Year! We want to start 2017 by looking “beyond” what is normal.  Hence, our Book of the Month is IMAGINING: BEYOND PURPOSE & CREATIVITY by Carlos Aleman.  A book for everyone who wants to let their imagination take flight and to guide them to greater achievements in the New Year.  We have an excerpt from Carlos’ book , but first let’s meet the man, the writer, the artist. Q:  I love the song, The Girl From Ipanema . Sexiest elevator music ever! You and your wife like to travel. Is Brazil on your bucket list? CARLOS ALEMAN:  Very funny! Happy that you liked my selection for the intermission music in the book. I might go to Brazil one day. I have an uncle that lives there. I've also had an interest in the Amazon rain forest for a long time.  Q:  Let's sit at The Imaginary Cafe. What three artists would you like to chat with over wine and ch...

We lose ourselves in books; We find ourselves there too. We don’t know who said it, but we truly believe in the saying above. We have lost ourselves in numerous books this year. Books are our happy place; our escape; sometimes our refuge. It’s always a pleasure to discover a “new” author and to reconnect with favorite ones. We were super excited as The Latina Book Club started putting together its 4th Annual List of Books of the Year for 2016. Readers will love these exciting, daring, gripping books by Latino authors and about Latinos in all genres, and some in two languages. We encourage everyone to support our authors by buying their books and telling all their friends and neighbors about the books. Remember that books make great gifts year round, and do consider giving books to your local library. For this new year, explore a new author, a new genre. All learning is good. And, who knows? Maybe you’ll find yourself in one of these books too.  Happy ...

    Fans of Carlos Aleman are in for a Holiday Treat!   We are giving away autographed copies of NUNO to three lucky readers.   Just leave a comment below or Retweet our social post.   Good luck!--mcf         Aignos Publishing, Dec 2014      Woman is the only hope for this world, a world that is long-suffering, patient, kind, forgiving, peaceful and loving. What a gift a woman is, absolute proof that God loves us.   But foolish man can't appreciate this because of the ego.--Bernando Bolocco       An ancient river of fallen tears and solitude brings my soul to you. Our two lips touch like fresh and salt water meeting. There is a deep and mysterious power in you. In our dreams or in the spirit world, somewhere between the manifested and unmanifested, there is something that is woven. It is our story. Brief but perfect, it devours all of existence. My love, my love, my love for you. -...

   I like you when you’re silent Because it’s as if you were absent Far away and hurting As if you had died One word then one smile is enough And I am happy Happy that it’s not true.   – Pablo Neruda I first read this book in 2011 when it was titled, AS HAPPY AS LING.   Even then the genius of this book shone through.   The new title, HAPPY THAT IT’S NOT TRUE, is taken from a Pablo Neruda poem.   In the author’s own words: “this is a story about human sorrow, inspired by the war in Afghanistan and the spiritual war that tears at every heart.” But, believe it or not, this novel is also a love story; unfortunately, not one with a happy ending.   The husband finds a love letter from his wife to another man.   He contemplates killing the other man, but he can’t take the man from his children who remind him so much of his own.   So the heartbroken husband decides to leave his family and Cuba, and travel to America on a raft. He...

     Our April Book of the Month is AS HAPPY AS LING by Carlos Aleman. The characters, some real, others mere illusions, have all made the same blunder. They have chosen to judge their lives. And in judging and labeling, they have eaten from the tree of good and bad, unaware that tragedy is often the greatest teacher of compassion and love. ----Unknown balsero A benediction: May you be as happy as Ling, rolling in the cool morning sand, shouting to the one you love, ‘te amo!’ ----Carlos Aleman, author AS HAPPY AS LING is surreal, passionate, disturbing and irresistible. It’s like Dante’s INFERNO and Garcia Marquez’ 100 YEARS OF SOLITUDE. I whole heartedly recommend it. AS HAPPY AS LING is about war, compassion, abuse, truth, faith, depression and most of all, about love -- Love of family, of lovers, of friends, of God… love of self. It’s the story of Adrianna and Octavio, whose marriage is torn asunder by war. He is deployed yet again and she enters into ...

                                          Q: You are a writer and a painter. Do you prefer one medium over the other or do the two feed of each other within you? A: I like to think of painting as taking a snapshot, and writing as directing a full length motion picture. Other than that, it's hard to draw parallels. I'm a great admirer of other painters, and a bit of an art history buff. Since my work hasn't been exhibited, I don't take my own work too seriously, and do it purely for enjoyment. I started writing only a few years ago. I never thought I had the literary background to write fiction, but over time, I transitioned from journaling to an attempt at a memoir (a very bad one I might add). Eventually, I wrote nine drafts of AS HAPPY AS LING, polishing to the point t...