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Soledad O'Brien... The Next Big Story

   The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities By Soledad O’Brien Celebra Books "Story is our medium. It's how we connect emotionally with our viewers. And it's how we make sense of our world...When we talk about a 'big story,' we're really talking about what resonates with people, what matters to them...And I think when it comes to our national narrative, what we need to realize is that we're all contributing to the story, that we can affect where this country is going." ….Soledad O’Brien Soledad O’Brien is a top anchor and special correspondent for CNN. This book follows Soledad as she reports on the biggest stories of the times – Hurricane Katrina, the devastating Haiti earthquake, historic elections and high profile interviews. And, as she hosts the acclaimed series Black in America and Latino in America . This is her story, “an inspiring message of hope and a glimpse into [her] heart and soul.”  Happy Reading. ...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Q&A WITH AUTHOR.....CHIQUIS BARRON

   The Latina Book Club is proud to welcome author Chiquis Barron to our site. Whether celebrating a new friendship or love, mourning lost innocence or simply reflecting on the mystifying intricacies of life, there is nothing like the soothing experience of a properly sowed, picked, roasted, ground and brewed cup of coffee to warm the coldest of hearts and invigorate the most jaded of spirits.   That is the power of CAFÉ DULCET. Q: Given your book title, CAFE DULCET, I have to ask, do you like coffee? How many cups a day? How many does Ximena drink a day? Having grown up in a family of hardcore coffee lovers and drinkers, from the youngest to the oldest member, it would have been difficult not to fall in love with it myself. The one thing that I love most about coffee, however, is the fact that it appeals not only to our sense of taste but to all our other senses as well, thus making the coffee-drinking experience truly dulcet all the way around. Admitte...

FEBRUARY BOOK OF THE MONTH: ME by Ricky Martin

   ME by Ricky Martin Celebra Books (this book is also available in Spanish) February is the month of Love, of Romance. I thought to pick a love story for our Book of the Month but that seemed so…ordinary.  Instead, I’ve chosen to shine the spotlight on a man, but no ordinary man – this one is a hunk, a superstar, an icon, a father.  He is…. RICKY MARTIN. The International Superstar, ex Menudo boy-toy opens up about his life, his loves and his sexuality. This memoir spans his years as a child sensation to his wild ride “Livin’ the Vida Loca” to his devotion to helping children around the world to becoming a father himself. ME by Ricky Martin is honest, intimate, touching, funny and revealing. All the things a real man should be, no matter his sexual orientation. Don’t you agree? Visit Ricky at his website:   http://www.rickymartinmusic.com/ .  He is also on Facebook and Twitter. To see his new video, click here . And do check out hi...

HOUSE DIVIDED .... LAUNCH PARTY & DOUBLE GIVEAWAY

      HOUSE DIVIDED By Raul Ramos y Sanchez Grand Central Publishing Release date January 28, 2011 DOUBLE GIVEAWAY!! Details and links at bottom. “Honor doesn’t come cheap.” “Dead from hungry? Dead from bullet?... Dead is dead.” A son may have taken the same path as his father, but he is not following in his footsteps. Powerful. Realistic. Terrifying. Thrilling. Spellbinding. Raul Ramos y Sanchez must be congratulated on writing such a realistic and gripping saga. I could not put either of these books down until I had read the endings. The stories are so real that it feels like I should be able to turn on my TV and watch the updates on CNN or, better yet, on You-Tube. If you’ve read AMERICA LIBRE, you know it was the story of Manolo Suarez, a man struggling to provide and protect his family amid smoldering ethnic tensions that give rise to a Hispanic liberation movement that ignites a new civil war upon American soil. HOUSE DIVIDED, b...

REVIEW: STAY WITH ME by Sandra Rodriguez Barron (includes book club questions)

   STAY WITH ME by Sandra Rodriguez Barron HarperCollins Passionate. Suspenseful. Poignant. Well-written. Fast-paced. A must for everyone’s to-be-read pile. Rodriguez Barron has created six great characters that readers will grow to care about and to cheer for. From the author of THE HEIRESS OF WATER, comes a new book about family – the joy, the fights, the sacrifices and the bonds that keep one together--, because sometimes it’s not the family you are born into that nurtures your soul but the family you gather around you. SUMMARY: In 1979, five toddlers wash upon the shores of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, during the aftermath of Hurricane David, all alone on a luxury yacht with a mysterious starfish “tattoo” on their hands. No one comes forth to claim them and speculation runs wild. Even though the kids are ultimately adopted into different families in the US and PR, the kids grow up considering themselves siblings. Now adults, David, the oldest, calls them together...

SPOTLIGHT ON AUTHOR MARTA ACOSTA

     I only intended to write the one novel as a romantic comedy spoofing vampire clichés. -- author Marta Acosta She may have thought she was going to write one book, but Marta Acosta has written four in her popular—The Casa Dracula Books—series. Marta has even been featured in Latina magazine a couple of times; the latest this January. The Latina Book Club invites you to join us as we chat with Marta about vampires, family, writing and social networking. Read on. Q: Why vampires? A: I’m a humorist and one of my techniques is to take a theme to its extreme. I think I was watching some sci-fi movie and there were no Latinos. I said, where are the Latinos in outer space? Why don’t we see Latinos in vampire movies? I started the first novel on a whim and the vampires became an analogy for “other” and being outside mainstream culture. Q: Where did Milagros de los Santos come from? I love her name. Did you always know she was going to be a series? ...