THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!      As you know, May 5 th is the Anniversary of the Mexican Army’s surprise victory over the French forces in the tiny town of Puebla. The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.   (Viva Mexico!)  Our guest today is author Annette Sandoval , a Mexican American, who is happy to share her story with us.  This is our second interview with Annette and we are happy to welcome her back. Q:     Was getting published difficult? Heck yeah! My last book, SPITFIRE , was rejected by all of the big six publishing ​​houses. They claimed it had "No mass-market appeal."   ​That perplexed me. I could not believe that a novel about a Latina office drone who suspects her Dockers-wearing, Hootie and the Blowfish loving boss of being a serial killer, wasn't worth a read. ​Why wouldn't a female protagonist with an acid wit not have mass market appeal? ...

by Maria Ferrer Founder, The Latina Book Club   It’s been all over the news this week how Dartmouth College’s “Phiesta” charity fund raiser by two of the school’s Greek organizations was cancelled because one Mexican-American student was offended by the party’s theme and she made her displeasure widely known. Has Cinco de Mayo become another day and excuse to drink and party?   Can the same not be said of St. Patrick’s Day and Puerto Rico’s Independence Day? Whether you think the “Phiesta” is offensive or not, let’s use this incident to get away from the Mexican stereotypes.    Mexicans are more than sombreros, fat mustaches, tequila shots and guacamole. Mexicans are a proud people.   Their culture dates back way before the Pilgrims ever settled in Jamestown.   Mexicans had already tamed the Wild West before Texas was Texas.     Their aqueducts rivaled those of Rome; their alphabet and mathematical skills were equal to t...

      The Latina Book Club is proud to be part of C.Michelle’s Blog Tour.   We congratulate her on her debut novel.   Brava! I enjoy being a pin-up model as a side gig.   I love to indulge myself in wearing kick ass wiggle dresses, bustiers, and some awesome “fuck me shoes.”   What can I say; sometimes I have over the top girly moments. ---Nina Funny, outrageous and over-the-top sexy!    Fans of chick-lit will enjoy C.Michelle’s debut novel, PINNED UP, with its snappy dialogue, edgy humor and flamboyant characters. We love the book cover too.   It’s colorful and sensual just like our heroine Nina, and the San Francisco skyline adds a brilliant sparkle that’s present throughout the book.   We hear this is the first in a Pinned-Up Trilogy.   If so, we can’t wait for the other two books! SUMMARY:   Valentina Moretti aka Nina is a crime victims’ social worker by day and a pin-up model by night. ...

  "The kids who play Ripper are a select group of freaks and geeks from around the world who meet online to hunt down and destroy the mysterious Jack the Ripper."       RIPPER is not the type of novel fans expect from Isabel Allende.   This is a totally new genre for her, and instead of keeping to the "norms" of a typical suspense novel, Allende creates her own.   And, while this may be a novel about young-adults, the graphic and sexual nature of the killings call for a more mature audience.   RIPPER is about revenge, obsession, betrayal and loyalty.   The premise is very interesting -- gamers in search of a real killer--, but Allende over populates this novel to the point where the reader loses sight of the story.   Instead of the focus being the murders and the gamers, the focus becomes the never ending list of who's who of secondary characters -- the psychic, the neighbors, the lovers, the exes, the policemen, the clien...

      The trick to surviving this country, mi amor , is to look at your own face in the mirror every morning and resist the temptation to hate yourself for turning into the person you swore you’d never become. – Valentina Goldman       As I read this book, I pictured Valentina as Sofia Vergara’s comic character in “Modern Family”   -- the same effervescent energy, the same passionate nature--, but, whereas Sofia’s character is proud to be Latina, Valentina is sort-of not.   The book is in turns funny and sad, wonderful and silly, just like our protagonist.   Readers will alternatively admire and then shake-their-heads at Valentina’s antics, as she sits down to share her life’s story with her step-daughter.    Written in the first person, this book is like a long, chatty brunch conversation with your wild aunt, or in this case your eccentric step-mother.   SUMMARY:       Valentina V...

         Forgive me, Father, if such forgiveness is still an option for my salvation.   Tomorrow will be another day.   Maybe this time the better me will learn to fight back and the demon within will be gone.    –Your humble son… Your fallen angel       WOW!   From the first page – the first murder! – I was hooked.   I almost missed by train stop because I couldn’t stop reading.     Manuel Meléndez has written an engrossing, fast-paced, suspenseful, pulse-quickening, goose-bump raising thriller, which would certainly gain the approval of the author’s literary heroes – Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King and Alfred Hitchcock!   WHEN ANGELS FALL ( Aignos Publishing ) is about the eternal battle between good and evil.   It’s about the duality of man’s soul, about the atonement of sins.   It’s about isolation, obsession, revenge and justice.   It’s about friends and l...

   The Latina Book Club welcomes Dominican writer and illustrator Genia I. Nunez.   For her, it all began with a poster over a decade ago.   Today, she enjoys writing poetry, photography, crafts and keeping her inner child alive! I believe that education is very important for our children. Being bilingual is more relevant than ever before. – Genia I. Nunez Q:   We know you are a Civil Engineer and a college professor. Where did the desire to write children's books come from? A: I've always enjoyed helping children learn. I also taught catechism classes and tutored elementary aged children during my free time. I've always had a creative inclination, and writing and drawing were always ways to express myself. The interest of writing children’s books came because I wanted to help my own children and their friends in school. I always have enjoyed children’s books and their illustrations. I think it’s important to keep your inner child alive! ...