THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

  The Latina Book Club is doing something different for Valentine’s Day .  We bring you an interview with Juana Velasco  the Heroine of MELT WITH YOU by S.E. Lewinski. We wanted some friendly romance advice.     Juana is a tough, sassy, street-smart, food truck loving, proud Mexican woman. She has a great sense of humor and doesn’t let anything get her down, not being poor, not being fired again!, and not finding Mr. Right. It takes work and “huge fricking cojones,” but Juana makes her dreams come true and opens her own nail salon. Her success brings prosperity to her family, gives her brothers new purpose, and makes Taco, her furry partner, an overnight sensation. The search for Mr. Right might be over if Antoine gives her a second chance.  Our fingers are crossed for Juana!  Read Chapter 1 by clicking here .     Q&A WITH JUANA Latina Book Club: Have you heard from Antoine? How is the long distance romance with your undercov...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY ! 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 International Latino Book Awards winner Theresa Varela.    She’s a Puerto Rican author from Brooklyn, NY.   Photo by Patricia Dorelles   LBC:   Welcome, Theresa.   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?   THERESA:   The terms Latin lover, Eye Candy, and Macho Man bring forth the vision of grainy black and white cinema. A rose between a swashbuckler’s teeth or the heaving cleavage of a voluptuous barmaid evoke fantasy and passion.   Rudolph Valentino did much in his day for the construction of the female ideology that escape of the doldrums of a dull life could only b...

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 award-winning author, model, poet, editor, and teacher Chris Campanioni. LBC:   Welcome, Chris.   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?   CHRIS:   I feel uncomfortable about prescribing to or even reproducing that cultural stereotype; however, when I think about romance, and about my background and experience, I tend to often equate love with food--the way to your loved one's heart, then, is through their mouth, the tongue, and into the belly.  LBC:       Describe the ideal Lover— Latino or otherwise.   CHRIS:   Someone curious and willing; someone...

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. 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 b...

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 start with author Jasminne Mendez .   Her book, NIGHT-BLOOMING JASMIN(N)E: PERSONAL ESSAYS & POEMS, was released by Arte Publico Press last Spring, but it’s worth reading in every season. LBC:   Welcome, Jasminne.   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?   Jasminne:   I think the "Latin Lover" is kind of a myth and a stereotype. I think that Latin men have been shown on TV and the media as a passionate "lover" who can woo any woman and often has several lovers himself. I think that Latin men CAN be this but they can also be so much more or not this at all and still be wonderful, caring partne...

The Latina Book Club has been celebrating Valentine’s and Galentine’s Days all week long. Each day we featured a new Latina romance author for your reading pleasure. We’ve come to the end of our celebration. We know that there are other numerous Latina romance authors out there and we are on a mission to discover them all. Meanwhile, w e wish you much joy in the New Year and remind you to always Read Latino Lit and Read Romance. DID YOU KNOW?! Romance Readers are loyal. 61% of them are reading the same amount of romance novels as they were a year ago.  In fact, 23% of romance readers are reading more! MEET LIANA DE LA ROSA Liana De La Rosa writes historical romance with a touch of spice.  Her stories are set in the Georgian and late Regency periods. She is a longtime fan of the romance genre, and can remember sneaking Harlequins into her bedroom to read on the sly. After her second child was born, her husband challenged her to write her own ...

The Latina Book Club is celebrating Valentine’s and Galentine’s Days all week long. Each day we will feature a new Latina romance author for your reading pleasure. Enjoy and remember to Read Latino Lit and Read Romance. DID YOU KNOW?! 64% of R omance Readers read more than one romance a month.   MEET MIA SOSA A former D.C. First Ammendment and media lawyer, Mia traded in her suits for lounge wear (aka sweatpants!). She strives to write fun and flirty stories about imperfect characters finding their perfect match. Her Suits Undone series, which launched her romance writing career, were all about mixing business with pleasure. Oh la la!  Mia began reading romances in middle school. She remembers hiding them behind the covers of her Menudo magazines. Neither college nor law school deterred her from reading romances. In fact, for years, she thought the phrase “talk softly and carry a big stick” was dating advice.  LOL.  Today Mia is ...

The Latina Book Club is celebrating Valentine’s and Galentine’s Days all week long. Each day we will feature a new Latina romance author for your reading pleasure. Enjoy and remember to Read Latino Lit and Read Romance. DID YOU KNOW?! Romance buyers also read mystery, general fiction, cooking/food books, young adult, and erotic fiction. MEET CARIDAD PINEIRO. Caridad was born in Havana, Cuba, and settled in the New York Metropolitan area. She attended Villanova University and got her juris doctor from St. John’s University.  She is the first female partner at an intellectual property firm in mid-Manhattan. That’s her day job.  Caridad is also a multi-published and award-winning author whose love of the written word developed when her fifth grade teacher assigned a project – to write a book that would be placed in the school library. She has been hooked on writing ever since. In 1999, she was published by Kensington’s Encanto line, ...