THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

BOOK OF THE MONTH "I had good intentions. But all I did was bring misery to our people. My days as a king are over. -- King Robin   Seductive. Erotic. Thrilling.  Robin Hood meets Game of Thrones  SUMMARY: In this bold retelling of the Robin Hood legend, the beloved rogue of Sherwood Forest triumphs over the ruthless Prince John and takes the throne – only to become a tyrant himself. In a saga spanning a half-century, this action packed and erotic Medieval thriller vividly explores the seductive undertow of power as it transforms a hero into a despot. Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, Little John, King Richard and the legend’s other characters are complex figures alive with raw passions, dark impulses and ribald humor.  We stayed up all night reading KING ROBIN, and we loved it. It’s a very different telling of the legend & very realistic. We kept picturing Kevin Costner in the role. KING ROBIN is the story after the Happy Ever After. It’s not very pretty, but harsh and d...

The Latina Book Club welcomes Philip D. Rivera.  With an electric blue luchador mask wrapped tightly around his head, accenting his fierce eyes and flashing smile, and shrouding the rest of his face, this Suburban Luchador shares hilarious anecdotes about his wife’s pregnant cravings, the kids’ potty training, and puppy love at the local school where he teaches. We are eager for the sequel!  What lessons did the Suburban Luchador learn from 2020?  Philip : 2020 taught me what is really important in life: my Christian faith, my family, my friends and my health. Many other things vied for my attention, but the pandemic really made me reflect on what brings me true happiness. Spending so much time with my wife and kids was a blessing (sometimes in disguise), and the memories we made will last a lifetime. You are also a High School teacher. How are you surviving remote learning? How did you help your students get over not having a senior trip or prom or even graduation?...

  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...

    The Latina Book Club congratulates Linda LaRoche on her first book.   DUST UNTO SHADOW is the story of immigrants returning to their homeland and not being as welcomed as they thought they’d be.   Linda has gracious shared an excerpt with us via video.  Enjoy! EXCERPT!   To hear an excerpt read by the author, click here . Q: Congratulations on your first book. We understand your grandmother and mom inspired the book. Tell us how? What is the book about? LINDA LAROCHE:  My mother inspired the book and her immediate family. From the time I was a child I had an interest in genealogy and would ask my parents and grandmothers questions about their growing up years. In the early 1990's while living in Berlin, I had the opportunity to explore my creativity- I trained as a method actor and made a living from having a small part on a television series and commercials, A friend suggested that we do our genealogy throu...

The Latina Book Club welcomes author, musician and counselor Ed  C á rdenas .    We admire his fortitude, his productivity and his love for his family and 16 grandchildren.  It is for them that he writes and composes. Buenos Dias! Yo soy Ed C á rdenas. I was born in Taos, New Mexico, and raised on a small farm by my maternal grandparents. Growing up in a traditional home - where the only language spoken was Spanish - my grandparents taught me old traditional virtues, like respect and cari ñ o, which set the foundation for my chosen field of social work. I am blessed to have roots in Taos. The land has presented a serene and wholesome milieu from nature; and its amable gente, that still practices cultural virtues like respect. LOVITO Inspiration for LOVITO began in 1999, when I developed heart disease. My cardiologist told me, “only love can save you.” I asked myself, where I could find such love? The answer came from my 16 grandchildre...

The Latina Book Club welcomes author Carlos Harrison , whose new book TRAINED TO KILL has been compared to the Jason Bourne movies.  He is a Pulitzer winning journalist, author of 15 books and even a cookbook with Gloria and Emilio Estefan. We just had to meet him.---mcf Skyhorse Publishing Q:  Your first book, The Ghosts of Hero Street , was all about heroes. Your new one, Trained to Kill: The Inside Story of CIA plots against Castro, Kennedy & Che , is about a killer. Is this new book a true story as well? CARLOS HARRISON:  Yes. This is the unlikely true story of an asthmatic Cuban accountant recruited and trained by the CIA to kill Fidel Castro and, later, directed to form one of the most notorious -- and active -- anti-Castro paramilitary organizations, Alpha 66. Antonio Veciana, a rising and respected young banker at the time of Fidel's revolution, masterminded three separate assassination attempts. Two came at the direction of his CIA hand...

The Latina Book Club congratulates Jonathan Marcantoni on the launch of La Casita Grande,  a new publishing house specializing in Latino and Caribbean literature. WRITING TIP :  If you want to stand out as an artist, be true to your visions and push yourself creatively, without worrying about the marketability of your stories. --- Jonathan Marcantoni Jonathan Marcantoni , Publisher LA CASITA GRANDE An imprint of Black Rose Writing Q: For years, we've been hearing the lament of editors and agents that they can't find any Latino authors.  And when one attends Book Expo America (BEA), all the editors keep asking for more diverse books, more Latino works.  Yet, the majority of the publishing booths at BEA this year had little to no diversity. It seems we have the editors' ears, but not the sales and marketing staff.  Did you see this too?  Where do you think Latinos are in publishing? JONATHAN MARCANTONI :  T...