2022 Latinx Romance & Women’s Fiction to Add to Your TBR

It’s February, which means amor is in the air. For me, love and romance is an intricate part of Latinidad. We are romantic people. It’s in our music, telenovelas, epic novels. Here are some adult romance & women’s fiction novels to look forward to this year.  Happy reading and make sure to support Latinx Romance!

THE WEDDING CRASHER by Mia Sosa (Avon - April 5, 2022)

Mia Sosa’s follow up to The Worst Best Man has been highly anticipated by fans (it me). The Wedding Crasher follows two strangers who get trapped in a lie and have to fake date their way out of it. Solange Pereira is a romantic at heart, and gets roped into helping her wedding planner cousin on a stranger’s big day. Dean Chapman’s big day, to be exact. Dean’s life is about to be perfect–make partner, start a family, and all that. But when the wedding goes up in smoke, thanks to Solange, the pair end up entangled in a fake-dating lie. But what started off as self-preservation is becoming so much more. Mia Sosa writes with the perfect mix of humor, and won’t disappoint the rom-com lovers.

A PROPOSAL THEY CAN'T REFUSE by Natalie Caña (Mira - May 24 , 2022)

This is a debut I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced. This rom-com follows a Puerto Rican chef and an Irish American whiskey distiller forced into a fake engagement by their scheming octogenarian grandfathers. In order to uphold their family businesses, and legacies, Kamilah and Liam agree to an engagement. One that will end once they outwit their families. But the more time they spend together, and work toward winning big at the Fall Foodie Tour in Chicago, they start to realize maybe they’ve bought into their own bargain.

WEST SIDE LOVE STORY by Priscilla Oliveras (Montlake - June 1, 2022)

USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras brings us a tale of two families, rival mariachi bands, and swoony romance. Mariana Capuleta and her sisters are determined to win the Battle of the Mariachi Bands. Unfortunately, that means competing against the Monteros, her father’s arch-nemesis. The families, both alike in dignity and all that good stuff, have had an escalating decades-old feud that sees no end. Angelo Montero and Mariana Capuleta know that nothing can happen between them, but love isn’t rational and their attraction is undeniable. As their secret affair intensifies, so does the mariachi competition. Can their romance heal old wounds and make beautiful music together?

RUNNING FROM THE BLAZE by Ofelia Martinez (Reading Cactus Press, January 11, 2022)

If you’re looking for a super steamy romance with unapologetically Mexican-American women at the forefront, then Ofelia Martinez is your girl. Book one in the series follows a bar owner and a rock-star. In Running From the Blaze, the companion novel, we keep getting to know the members of the band, Industrial November. Here we meet Lola, a young woman who cleans mansions for a living. That’s how she meets Karl Sommer, a notorious heavy metal guitarist who is trying to prove he’s more than a party boy. Falling for the lead singer's sister-in-law was not on the plan, but they strike an indecent proposal that shakes up both their lives and views of love. *All the chili pepper emojis*

TWICE A QUINCEAÑERA by Yamile Saied Méndez (Kensington - July 26, 2022)

I’m so excited for Yamile Saied Méndez’s adult debut. If you’ve followed her kidlit career, then you know to expect fierce heroines and big family dynamics. In Twice a Quinceañera, a jilted bride decides to throw herself a quinceañera (times two) for her 30th birthday. When Nadia Palacio’s dream wedding is called off, no thanks to her cheating ex, instead of losing the deposit on her venue she decides to throw the biggest bash imaginable to celebrate herself. After all, her family is already flying over from Argentina. Everything is scheduled to go according to plan until she discovers that the man in charge of the venue is none other than a college fling who might just be her second chance at first love.

OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA by Chanel Cleeton (May 24, 2022)

I got to read an early copy of this book and it was a beautiful journey. Chanel Cleeton has been writing about the women of the Perez family since her smash hit and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year In Havana, which was inspired by her Cuban roots. In Our Last Days in Barcelona, straight-laced Isabel Perez travels to Barcelona to save her rebellious and independent sister Beatriz from political dangers. Alternating between 1964 and 1936, we see the aftermath of the Cuban revolution, and toggle back to the rising fascist threat in Spain. The more Isabel digs, she discovers a shocking family secret that sheds light to her elusive mother. There's mystery, romance, and political intrigue. It is a perfect read.

THE REBEL'S RETURN by Nadine Gonzalez (Harlequin Desire - February 22, 2022)

I know sometimes it’s hard to make the time to read. But these bite sized novels by Nadine Gonzales are like delicious little bon bons. In this installment of the Texas Cattleman’s Club, a hotshot hotelier returns home to discover whether or not love at first sight really is for suckers. This world is luxe, lavish, and sexy. Eve Martin’s one night stand with Rafael Wentworth turns into something more as they’re unable to deny their chemistry. But is Eva an asset to his business or a danger to his heart?

RAMÓN AND JULIETA by Alana Quintana Albertson (Berkley Books - February 1, 2022)

Alana Quintana Albertson is no stranger to romance. She’s penned over thirty spicy novels as Alana Albertson. In Ramón and Julieta she loosely retells Romeo and Juliet with the Day of the Dead and rival food empires as the backdrop. When fate and tacos bring them together, the titular star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them.

A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS by Adriana Herrera (Hqn - May 31, 2022)

This is the historical romance I’ve always wanted to read, and Adriana Herrera constantly delivers what I want. There’s a sexy Scottish Duke, fierce rum heiress, La Belle Époque in Paris, and a marriage of convenience. The novel follows Luz Alana, who hails from the Dominican Republic. She’s on her way to find partnerships to expand Caña Brava, the rum business her family built over three generations. Her father’s untimely death has made this expansion top priority, since she discovers she can’t access her trust fund until she marries. But when she lands in France, she finds that the buyers and shippers dismiss her, and won’t do business with a woman, let alone an Afro-Latina from the Caribbean. Enter James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, an infuriatingly handsome Scot with secrets of his own, who makes her an offer she can’t refuse. Luz Alana went in search of new beginnings, but she might have found love along the way.

BIG CHICAS DON’T CRY by Annette Chavez Macias (Montlake - August 9, 2022)

You might already know her contemporary romance as Sabrina Sol, but with Big Chicas Don’t Cry Annette Chavez Macias pens a family saga that pulls at the heartstrings. Four cousins, Mari, Erica, Selena, and Gracie, navigate love, loss, and family bonds. As kids they were inseparable. But when Mari’s parents divorced, she got shipped away to another part of the country. Fifteen years later, their lives intersect once again when tragedy strikes and they have to deal with the heartbreaking loss of a loved one. Can they pick up where things left off, or has time pulled them too far to bring back together? I can’t wait to read this and become part of this beautiful family.

AFTER HOURS ON MILAGRO STREET by Angelina M. Lopez (Carina Trade - July 12, 2022)

Professor Jeremiah Post loves the quirky town of Freedom, Kansas that has been his home for five years. But for Alex Torres, returning to the place where her sprawling Mexican-American family has lived for generations isn’t quite the homecoming she imagined. She’s got plans to revamp her grandmother’s bar and actually save the business, but the hot brainiac who rents the room next door is getting in the way. When an old enemy threatens the town, Alex and Jeremiah must combine forces. It will take her might and his mind to save the home they both desperately need.

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Zoraida Córdova is the acclaimed author of more than two dozen novels and short stories, including the Brooklyn Brujas series, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate, and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.  In addition to writing novels, she's the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old, as well as the cohost of the writing podcast, Deadline City. She writes romance novels as Zoey Castile. Zoraida was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and calls New York City home. When she’s not working, she’s roaming the world in search of magical stories. For more information, visit her at zoraidacordova.com.

Causas, Cultura, y Baile: Lupe Wong no baila por Donna Barba Higuera

¡Jonrón! La autora Donna Barba Higuera ha sacado la pelota de béisbol fuera del estadio (al estilo literario), con su libro infantil ¡Lupe Wong no baila! Protagonizada por Guadalupe Wong, una estudiante de séptimo grado y Mexicana-china (o China-mexicana), la joven hará todo lo posible para involucrar a todos en lo que ella cree que es correcto, como ponerle fin a la música country, square dancing en particular, en su clase de educación física. Este es un libro de ficción contemporánea que ofrece conversaciones difíciles entre los personajes, junto con un humor memorable y necesario.

Desde un principio, los lectores se enteraran de que Lupe debe obtener excelentes calificaciones en todas sus clases para que le presenten a su lanzador favorito, Fu Li Hernández, que resulta ser mitad mexicano y mitad chino como ella. Lupe lo es todo, desde una activista hasta una atleta competitiva, excepto una bailarina. Mientras la profesora Solden pisa fuerte y aplaude al ritmo de la canción de country, "Cotton Eyed-Joe", Lupe dice que es igual de incomodo como la vez que su mamá insistió en enseñarle a todos sus amigos a bailar la Macarena en su fiesta de cumpleaños. La historia ofrece una descripción gráfica de las reacciones de los estudiantes al baile de la profesora Solden, poniendo la cereza al pastel para complementar esta introducción tan chistosa. Lupe comenta como su boca y la boca de los demás se abren en estado de shock cuando la profesora Solden les dice “¡bienvenidos al plan de estudios de este trimestre!". Lupe nunca había asociado el interior de un gimnasio con tanto horror.

Imagen del editorial.

Lupe acepta el desafío de baile de la major manera que ella cree posible—encontrando formas de deshacerse de él. Con la historia narrada en primera persona, Higuera transporta a los lectores a muchas travesuras posibles en la secundaria. Claro, un estreno estelar no es posible sin los brillantes personajes secundarios, Gordon Schnelly; Andalucía (Andy) Washington; Niles Foster; Paolo Wong; la abuela Wong; Abuela Salgado; Papa Wong; la madre de Lupe; y la profesora Solden.

Mientras Lupe descubre el oscuro origen de la canción "Cotton-Eyed Joe", también debe manejar los "peligros mortales de los pasillos” de su escuela del que su hermano mayor, Paolo, le advirtió, con la amenaza humorística de regresarla al zoológico donde sus padres la encontraron. Lupe empieza a tener más nervios cuando Paolo afirma que la escuela secundaria Issaquah solo permite la norma de “chico-invita-a-bailar-a-una-chica” en el baile, y esto solo fortalece el objetivo de Lupe de ponerle fin a la tradición. Este es uno de esos libros no comunes que presenta las (posibles) perspectivas de los niños sobre un baile de una manera muy auténtica. Higuera no solo presenta a una joven de secundaria que no quiere ni tiene ritmo, sino que también presenta a un hermano mayor al que graciosamente no le gusta la idea de invitar a bailar a una chica. Lupe es un personaje joven muy franco y valiente, que está dispuesto a hablar en contra de cualquier cosa que considere injusta, sirviendo como un ejemplo fuerte.

Entre los momentos más notables está cuando Lupe le pregunta a su madre: ¿Quién implementó square dancing en educación física? Su madre le responde que tuvo que hacerlo cuando ella tenia la edad de Lupe. Lupe no se queda con los brazos cruzados e investiga más. Este momento es una joya que refleja cómo la sociedad ha sido condicionada a seguir varias tradiciones sin cuestionarlas por mucho tiempo, e Higuera ofrece maravillosamente un ángulo diferente de square dancing, con el que se identificaran todos los que alguna vez cuestionaron una norma social.

Gordon Schnelly es un catalizador excelente, y muy necesario, en la vida de Lupe. Desde el punto de vista de Lupe, es un chico geek que cecea, piensa con humor que el hecho de que su abuela tenga novio es un desastre y, de hecho, espera con ansias para bailar al ritmo de square dancing. Los eventos que se desarrollan durante la rutina del baile cambian el carácter de Lupe y su relación con todos.

Disponible en inglés como Lupe Wong Won’t Dance. Credito: Yvonne Tapia

Lupe demuestra su conexión con su multicultura de diferentes maneras, ya que hay agradables referencias culturales mexicanas y chinas; chicharrones, una mención del Día de Los Muertos, conchas y más. Lupe menciona que su baño se parece a un restaurante azteca, mientras su madre lleva un calendario maya para ayudar a conservar su cultura mexicana. Lupe extraña a su padre, quien falleció hace años, y le explica a los lectores que hay una versión china del Día de los Muertos, llamado Qingming. Su abuela paterna, la abuela Wong, lleva a su familia al cementerio para quemar cosas que representan lo que ella cree que el padre de Lupe necesitará en el más allá. Esto se relaciona con la aspiración de Lupe de conocer a Fu Li Hernández, porque él le recuerda a la emoción que su padre tenia por el béisbol.

Tanto la abuela Salgado como la abuela Wong esperan mucho de Lupe, con el objetivo bien intencionado de ayudar a mantener viva la herencia mexicana y china de Lupe. Los lectores disfrutarán de entretenidas travesuras en la cena familiar entre los abuelos paternos y abuelos maternos. For ejemplo, Abuela Salgado afirma, “Pozole es mágico. Curará cualquier enfermedad o problema que tengas”. Más aun, los fanáticos del béisbol disfrutarán de algo de acción deportiva mientras Lupe continúa practicando sus habilidades deportivas.

Lupe Wong no baila ofrece una voz que representa a cualquiera que sienta que las cosas son injustas en su infancia (o que alguna vez se sintieron así). Es una lectura muy recomendada y necesaria para todas las escuelas y bibliotecas. Este libro mantendrá a estudiantes leyendo vorazmente, solo para querer más una vez que hayan pasado a la última página. También se le ha otorgado merecidamente el premio Libro de Honor Pura Belpré 2021. Lupe Wong no baila los entretendrá a todos.

Para obtener más actualizaciones sobre sus trabajos recientes, sigan a la autora Donna Barba Higuera en:

Twitter: @dbhiguera

Instagram: @donnabarbahiguera

Pagina web: https://www.dbhiguera.com/

Pueden usar el hashtag #lupewongnobaila, y también pueden comunicarse con la autora Donna Barba Higuera para visitas escolares, visitas a clubs de lectura y más a través de su sitio web. Happy reading!

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Yvonne Tapia is a Mexican-American professional from East Harlem, New York. She earned a BA in Media Studies and Psychology from Hunter College. Additionally, she has worked in the educational and media fields through various outlets. With a long-term enthusiasm for children’s media, she has been involved at Housing Works Bookstore and Latinx in Publishing. She currently works on the Marketing and Publicity team at Levine Querido. Yvonne is excited about the power of storytelling, and to engage content awareness in underrepresented communities.

Perseverance, Heritage, and Celebration in Sing with Me: The Story of Selena Quintanilla

Sing with Me: The Story of Selena Quintanilla distributes the determination, culture, and joys that encompassed Selena Quintanilla’s life and career. Written by Diana López and illustrated by Teresa Martinez, this is a fantastic picture book that carries out Selena’s beautiful and longstanding dedication to gift fans with her music, fashion, and heritage. This picture book is also available in Spanish as Canta conmigo: La historia de Selena Quintanilla.

Photo credit: Yvonne Tapia

Born in Lake Jacksonville, Texas, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was a Mexican-American singer, fashion designer, and businesswoman who grew up with a hard-working family, that instilled in her a love for music and a pride of her Mexican-American roots. In her story, Selena started chanting at a very young age—her father discovered her gifted singing pipes when she was just six years old.

Illustrator Teresa Martinez created a visibly representative and appealing narrative of Selena discovering her special singing voice at home rehearsals, Papagayos restaurant, and big venues that eventually helped her gain worldwide recognition and awards. Readers will be able to take in all the culturally symbolic illustrated details in the book’s captivating double-page spreads such as the papel picado and the magnificently made book case. Moreover, Spanish words, like “dejame volar” and “baila” are gracefully layered in the artwork as Selena’s narrative transitions to her teenage years, when she begins to sing at weddings, quinceañeras, and more.

Photo credit: Yvonne Tapia

Author Diana López wonderfully transports readers to Selena’s well-meaning effort to learn Spanish, as Selena realizes that this is the one major way she would be able to connect with her existing and soon-to-be audiences. Additionally, López doesn’t veer off from acknowledging the first “no’s” Selena received when she began paving her way into Tejano music, which seamlessly serves as an important example of real-life to youngsters—if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Selena demonstrated how hard work pays off as she continued to learn Spanish and to make room for herself in the male-dominated world of Tejano music.

While readers—both young and old—turn the pages, they may find themselves inspired by Selena’s tenacity, courage, and willingness to become better than she already was at what she did, particularly with singing. Selena’s undeniable passion for design and fashion can also teach young readers that it is possible to have more than one career path if you work diligently enough to make it happen.

Photo credit: Yvonne Tapia

López’s and Martinez’s children’s book is a fantastic addition for classrooms and libraries, with many inspirational moments from Selena’s life that can further motivate students to keep going forward in their aspiring career path. The lustrous use of colors across the page, from the beautiful blues of her room; the eye-catching peaches of concert banners; and, symbolic white roses, are sure to captivate readers into studying each illustrated detail.

Not only is this heart-warming picture book a unique addition to classrooms and libraries, it is also a jewel for families and friends who continue to celebrate Selena Quintanilla’s music by singing and dancing to it. Selena’s constant inclusion of her Latin roots in her music, fashion, and dancing will continue to resonate with old and new audiences from all corners of the world. Like the lyrics of a composition, this story is a ballad to Selena Quintanilla through words on a page.

For more updates on their latest works, follow author Diana López and illustrator Teresa Martinez on:

Twitter: @dianalopezbooks, @teresamtz

Instagram: @dianalopezbooks

Website: http://www.dianalopezbooks.com/ , https://www.behance.net/teresamtz

Remember to use the hashtag #SingWithMe and/or #SelenaQuintanillaPictureBook!

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Yvonne Tapia is a Mexican-American professional from East Harlem, New York. She earned a BA in Media Studies and Psychology from Hunter College. Additionally, she has worked in the educational and media fields through various outlets. With a long-term enthusiasm for children’s media, she has been involved at Housing Works Bookstore and Latinx in Publishing. She currently works on the Marketing and Publicity team at Levine Querido. Yvonne is excited about the power of storytelling, and to engage content awareness in underrepresented communities.

Fabian Flores Publishing: U.S. Latinx-focused Press

Every company usually stands for something. To reach audiences, especially its intended one, it takes time and persistence. Fabian Flores Publishing, a new Latinx-focused publisher, is a company that centers the Latinx community. The founder, Norma Fabian Newton, a former attorney and New York Times published writer, chatted with Latinx in Publishing recently to discuss all things Fabian Flores.

YVONNE TAPIA: Thank you for speaking with me today, Norma! It’s exciting to see the roots of your company begin to flourish.   

NORMA FABIAN NEWTON: Thanks Yvonne, I really appreciate it!

YT: What inspired you to start Fabian Flores Publishing (FFP)?

NFN: The roots of Fabian Flores go back a long time. As a child, growing up as a first-generation Indigenous Latina immigrant, I never saw my experience reflected in books. It was very rare to see anything close to my story, or to see my community, represented in books. This reality remained constant over the years. After I had my children and began looking for Latinx books to read to them, I realized that nothing much had changed: there was still a [lack] of Latinx books. I really wanted to do something to help change the future for them, and for our community. I wanted to create something different. I wanted to shift the way the industry does business with regard to our community.

YT: What’s the company mission?

NFN: The main company mission is to center and amplify the U.S. Latinx experience. We seek to publish work that reflects our community’s beautiful and nuanced existence in this country. The hope is to change the publishing infrastructure. Our goal is to be in relationship with community organizations and allies to help bring more Latinx stories to readers.

YT: When did you become aware of your love for literature?

Norma Fabian Newton, image from the Publisher.

NFN: I have loved words and books since before I culd actually read! I started reading when I was four and I’ve been reading since. Even to this day, often times I’m all ‘Hmm do I stay home and read a book or do I go out?’ haha.

YT: Haha, it’s true and it’s the difference between watching a movie and reading a book, or similar. Speaking about having to decide, are you focusing more on Latinx writers, illustrators, etc.?

NFN: Fabian Flores aims to amplify the work of Latinx writers, illustrators, photographers, and publishing professionals. I’m interested in publishing children’s books, adult books, and everything in between. The list will be varied, and the goal is to publish in different formats and genres.

YT: What does success look like for the company?

NFN: Success means that we are able to publish a number of compelling, dynamic, and moving stories. That we are able to help center and really advocate for Latinx writers and creatives. Success means that we are contributing to the industry pipeline in a significant way, that we are partnering with organizations and businesses that to help advance the mission. Success means that there is more access to Latinx stories.

Un cafecito, delicious concha, and a great book. Image from the Publisher.

YT: What do you hope readers will get out of FFP books?

NFN: I hope readers are inspired and moved by our books. I hope readers get to see themselves in these stories.

YT: For younger audiences that may not know; could you please elaborate on what “hope to change the publishing infrastructure” means?   

NFN: We plan to include Latinx stakeholders at every stage of the book publishing process. The way the publishing industry currently functions leaves a lot of room to include Latinx people. We aim to shift the way business is done by consciously hiring community members and partnering with organizations that value diversity.

YT: What’s next for Fabian Flores Publishing?

NFN: Our next window to submit will open in Fall of 2021, so make sure to follow us on social media for more details. As we continue to build, we’re also actively looking to collaborate with individuals and organizations interested in advancing Latinx books.

YT: Is there anything else that you’d love audiences to know about FFP?

NFN: We are just so excited to help amplify Latinx books and reimagine the publishing landscape.

YT: I really appreciate your time with us Norma, I’m excited for everyone to know about Fabian Flores Publishing even more, and for your upcoming works.

NFN: Thank you so much, Yvonne!

For more information about Fabian Flores Publishing visit their website and follow them on Instagram @fabianflorespublishing and Twitter: @fabianfloresbks. Discover more on social via #FabianFlores and/or #FabianFloresPublishing!

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Yvonne Tapia is a Mexican-American professional from East Harlem, New York. She earned a BA in Media Studies and Psychology from Hunter College. Additionally, she has worked in the educational and media fields through various outlets. With a long-term enthusiasm for children’s media, she has been involved at Housing Works Bookstore and Latinx in Publishing. She currently works on the Marketing and Publicity team at Levine Querido. Yvonne is excited about the power of storytelling, and to engage content awareness in underrepresented communities.

Family, Futuristic Adventure, and Cuentos: The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Author Donna Barba Higuera’s science fiction fantasy novel, The Last Cuentista (Levine Querido, 2021), delivers a fierce, authentic, and kind protagonist named Petra Peña, who must face the end of the world and do the unimaginable. Set years from now, it leaves you wondering about the present and future of storytelling, and more.

YVONNE TAPIA: Donna, it’s so great to interview you again, and this time for your second novel, The Last Cuentista! Que gusto. The female protagonist, Petra Peña, is a very strong contrast to Lupe Wong (Lupe Wong Won’t Dance, 2020). Who inspired Petra Peña?

DONNA BARBA HIGUERA: Thank you, Yvonne! I want to pay homage to the folktales that my grandmother told me when I was little and show how a child in the future would tell these stories. For Petra, the way she was asking things while her grandmother told her folktales is how I would feel sometimes. I think that my generation was constantly told that we had to be lawyers, doctors, or work in the sciences, and the same thing happens to Petra where she is constantly told that she should follow a specific career path, when she is a storyteller at heart. There is a sort of therapeutic aspect when it comes to writing, you can’t help but bring parts of themselves that need to grow and heal. I believe everyone else does so too most of the time. It also goes back to the topic of how stories are told.

Image from the Publisher.

Many cultures tell universal stories of very similar topics, etc. For instance, the ancient folklore on the flood has been told among many cultures, including the Aztecs in Mexico and Maasai and others in Africa, and they are two completely different continents. Even La Llorona was based on truth at some point, until it began to be changed by the storytellers. The story belongs to the storyteller, and Petra responds to her environment—in this case the bad being, The Chancellor—to shape her own stories. I had the opportunity to include [a story I heard when I was little], like Blancaflor, and change it.

YT: This really resonates with how I grew up listening to and reading stories as well. It also gives a nod to what author Daniel Nayeri references in his own debut novel about who owns the truth. What are the reasons you decided to write a science fiction fantasy novel?

DBH: The story came from a short story writing prompt. “Take a traditional fairytale and make it sci-fi.” I immediately thought about The Princess and the Pea, where we see that the princess is tested through sleep. I wanted to place value in the girl’s mind rather than how the original story is set up. Soon after, I decided the short story I’d written should be a novel. I am also a huge fan of sci-fi, such as Star Trek, I can talk about it extensively. But I also chose to incorporate traditional folklore, like Blancaflor, but in my version I made Blancaflor the hero who returns and rules the kingdom, rather than the prince.

YT: The new planet, Sagan, is so different from Earth. How did you envision your world building? Is there anything on Sagan that was influenced by Earth?

DBH: Oh it was wonderful building Sagan as a planet. I want readers to be as excited and yet a bit scared of the unfamiliar on Sagan because that’s how it really is in real life on Earth. There are things that are so beautiful and others that are dangerous. In The Last Cuentista, there are atmospheric conditions that the characters don’t expect. The Collective performed a genetic alteration that has made certain conditions dangerous. Sagan is also a tidal locked planet (which means it doesn’t rotate as Earth and other planets do). When Petra lands with the others, I wanted it to be magical but still incorporate a lot of pieces of what I’ve seen and loved in sci-fi but tried to give it my own perspective. The bioluminescence trope can be overused so I thought, “how can Sagan have its own unique creatures which glow?”. Magical places can be alluring and certain things came to me as a wrote it out—what if along the shore with a lake, there were specific beings that have the beauty of Earth’s butterflies but live within the lake, something that is fascinating, but not exactly reachable.

YT: One of the most enchanting aspects of the story is the way Petra holds her heritage so close to her heart. Among what stands out most about Petra is her extensive knowledge of cuentos (folktales). Did you also grow up with the exact folktales that are in your novel?

DBH: I did grow up with some of the folktales mentioned, but I was worried about changing them from exactly how I’d read them or heard them. I’ve studied folklore and mythology from lots of different cultures and that knowledge allowed me to think, during my writing process, “Okay is this still what I want to do? Do I want change it up a bit?” I was worried about the character, Petra, altering them from their “pure” form. Petra is a storyteller and makes them her own by changing how they are told. I did bring this up during edits and was able to get a little help and advice from other writers. I’m paraphrasing, but David Bowles gave me important feedback. He spoke to how once you decide to write on something like folklore, the story becomes the storyteller’s depending on what elements I keep and decide to add. This is how oral tradition has worked throughout history and how stories evolve and change.

YT: How did you select the folklore that was incorporated in The Last Cuentista? I remember growing up hearing Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl’s story among others, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it in the novel.

DBH: Oh yes, I think Iztaccihuatl’s and Popocatepetl’s story is among the most popular and well-known in Mexico. For their specific story, I remember seeing a black velvet canvas at my aunt’s house and it was the most beautiful art I had seen, that depicted the mountains. When I was older, I read the story behind the painting and understood the ache of lost love it told, almost like the Romeo and Juliet narrative we are taught in school, but I decided I needed Popo and Itza’s love story in my book somehow. There are so many different versions though of this one story. Same with other folklore like The Fox and the Crow. I grew up reading Ray Bradbury and Ursula Le Guin, watching The Twilight Zone, and am a total Star Trek nerd, so that helped shape how I included the folklore too. There were a lot of other tales that I wanted to incorporate but just had to leave out due to the length of the book. haha.

YT: You’re absolutely right that stories change depending on who says it. How does the conversation of family ties and culture take shape in your literature?

DBH: I love oral tradition and storytelling, and also fear that it’s dying and I don’t want that to happen. I feel people now just turn on their television or computer and select something they want, individually. When I think of [a streaming service] like Netflix, I’m like “hey, why not instead let’s sit here together and just talk and share our own stories and slow down”. I love to watch the mannerisms, facial expressions, and similar of storytellers. For thousands of years, humans have said, “let’s sit by the fire, and pass on stories to our children”, which I want to continue to do.

In The Last Cuentista when you layer in a cataclysmic event like a comet hitting Earth, it forces us to consider the value of those who remember our stories. We have so many rich stories to tell and even the hint of losing them is a reminder to us as humans to keep telling them.

YT: Very powerful and that resonates with how I also believe there’s so much importance in past stories and heritage. I also remember those days when it was more common to tell a story verbally. There usually tends to be an element of surprise or of great value within narratives and in real life. What’s the significance behind the obsidian in the story?

DBH: I’m so glad you asked, I actually bought it for my daughter when I went to Chichén Itzá, Mexico a while back. There was a street vendor that showed me how the obsidian can be used to see through it and to the sun, so the obsidian is a doorway. It’s very important to me because the obsidian will always connect me to my daughter. This is relatable to Petra’s connection to her grandmother. The obsidian is very important in Mayan and Aztec culture because they believed it was a mirror into the future. Additionally, it was thought that when you can see the sun through it, there are magical powers to connect people.

YT: I love that you shared that, and it is responsive of how essential it is to maintain the connection between people through storytelling. Do you have plans for a sequel?

DBH: Haha, well, I am thinking and writing about something unique that may or may not be involved in The Last Cuentista’s universe. I will say that before I submitted The Last Cuentista’s finalized manuscript, I already had about two more chapters worth of further narrative in my mind, so anything is possible!

For more updates on her latest works, follow author Donna Barba Higuera on:

Twitter: @dbhiguera

Instagram: @donnabarbahiguera

Website: https://www.dbhiguera.com/

Remember to use the hashtag #TheLastCuentista, and you may also contact author Donna Barba Higuera for school visits, book club visits, and more via her website. ¡Que tengan una excelente lectura!

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Yvonne Tapia is a Mexican-American professional from East Harlem, New York. She earned a BA in Media Studies and Psychology from Hunter College. Additionally, she has worked in the educational and media fields through various outlets. With a long-term enthusiasm for children’s media, she has been involved at Housing Works Bookstore and Latinx in Publishing. She currently works on the Marketing and Publicity team at Levine Querido. Yvonne is excited about the power of storytelling, and to engage content awareness in underrepresented communities.

Robust Perspectives, Mental Health, and Delightful Seasoning: ‘Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet’ by Laekan Zea Kemp

Success should (ideally) come down to what we want for ourselves. There are many factors that help shape what success looks like for us—cultural norms, socio-economic status, outside influences, and more—as female protagonist Penelope Prado shows us in Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp. I had the pleasure of chatting with debut author, Laekan Zea Kemp, about her new young adult novel.

Credit: Laekan Zea Kemp

It’s common knowledge that mental health is not always addressed during our road to success. In this story, there are many pieces of Laekan Zea Kemp. Pen’s mental health struggles mirror the mental health journey Laekan has been on since her late teens / early college years when her father was sick, her mother and Laekan weren’t getting along, and, “it felt like [her] entire world was falling apart.” The book’s male protagonist, Alejandro “Xander” Amaro, was inspired by the author’s former students. Laekan was an ESL teacher and most of her students were immigrants from Central and South America. The author states: “I’ve gotten to see up close what it’s like for them and their families to navigate our ridiculous immigration system. And yet through it all they are so resilient and so hopeful. I wanted to capture that in Xander’s character.” Not only do parents figures influence one’s success, educators are also on the frontlines of students’ professional well-being.

Adding to the importance of mental health in this read is how the conversation of family ties and culture take shape in literature. It’s widely known that multi-generational homes are very common among BIPOC communities in general. Kemp says, “it’s western culture that prizes individualism but in a Latinx household, [usually], the family works as a unit to reach common goals and one person’s success is shared among everyone.” The author adds that family is thus essential and everything else sort of orbits around that, so there is no separating Pen or Xander from those influences. Those bonds have a huge impact on the way Pen and Xander see themselves, because Latinx parents are not inconsequential—the family structure and the way it’s set up makes it almost impossible, Laekan declares. Pen indeed has her own point-of-view of what success looks like, even when her parents try to tell her otherwise and at the same time, it is precisely because of them that she has a specific career path in mind.

Parents figures play a key role to shape us as grow older, and it is typical for that parent-figure-child relationship “to evolve and be redefined.” Both protagonists experience this in the novel. Pen learns that “the part of her identity that attributes to her father, isn’t lost once he fires her” as soon as she reveals her secret to her family. Pen learns that “being removed from her father’s orbit doesn’t remove her from his heart.” Xander goes through a similar lesson where “he’s had a lot of years to make up stories about why his father left and never came back. In that time, over and over again, he blames himself. Until he learns that across miles, time and space, his father still loved him. Even when he couldn’t see it.” Ultimately, the writing process for Laekan Zea Kemp involved “writing authentically about [her] community and the things [they] believe and value like family, tradition, and legacy.” It’s crucial to keep in mind that the author is speaking about her own family values and the type of community she grew up in. Furthermore, Laekan states that, “the family members in this story are naturally helping to illuminate and develop the identities of both characters.” This applies to everyone worldwide, where a part of our identity is influenced by people we interact with.  

Photo credit: Yvonne Tapia; Bookmark and headband gift credit: Laekan Zea Kemp

This brings us to another great detail about this novel—it is written in dual perspectives, which many readers love. Laekan confesses that she has always been drawn to dual points of view, especially in the Romance genre. For her, it’s “so much fun to know what both characters are thinking and feeling as they’re falling in love.” She also states that this novel has given her the opportunity to show multiple versions of the Latinx experience and specifically within the Mexican and Mexican-American communities. Through Pen, the author sheds light into the experience of a family member several generations removed from her family’s immigrant background; someone struggling with mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression; and, someone who uses food to show love to both herself and others.

On another note, Xander symbolizes a completely difference aspect of a possible experience as a Latinx individual. Laekan further tells us, “he’s an undocumented immigrant who spent half his life in Mexico and half his life in the U.S. He lives with his Abuelo, which is representative of so many multi-generational households.” As readers follow Xander, they will learn how he sees everyone else as connected to something, while he isn’t connected to anything (in his point-of-view). He observes the close-knit bond that the employees at the Nacho’s Tacos restaurant have, which helps emphasize the resilience of the people in their neighborhood. Laekan did not have an exact agenda writing two distinct protagonists, and she is hopeful that

“Their intersectional identities and distinct details that really ground them in their humanity will help readers from all kinds of backgrounds to be able to connect with them in some way. Especially young people who might be struggling with redefining those parent-child relationships or with that initial launch into adulthood when the world seems incredibly big and scary.”

Adding to the mental health theme is how speaking about mental health applies to the Latinx community. Kemp states, “I remember reading an article a few years ago that said that Latinas have the highest attempted suicide rates of any demographic. Those numbers may have changed since then, [and] they’re still incredibly jarring.” This is why “it’s so important for [her] to consistently explore mental health in [her] own work.” She knows what a difference it can make when you feel like someone else understands what you’re going through.

There are significant occurrences where language is proven to have so much power than is usually given credit for. When Pen faces her parents with her true professional goals, she is led towards a specific path. According to the author, even though Pen’s decision to say her truth separates her form the family restaurant, “she comes out the other side of that experience so much stronger.” Laekan eloquently states that, “ultimately, our souls crave honesty. All of us want to be able to tell the truth of who we are and to have that truth honored and celebrated.” 

Language is also proven essential through other characters and food. A good friend of Pen’s tells her that “to feed someone who’s hungry, it’s a gift.” Food helps reflect our cultural roots, and also helps us connect in many atmospheres—whether it’s a family gathering or professional matter. The Latinx community will also see itself reflected in mentions of roasted pepitas, el comal, cilantro, and other key nourishment items. As Laekan insightfully states, “for those of us who are Chicane and exist on the peripheries of our own culture, not born in our ancestral home, food is one of the ways that we stay connected to that power source.”

Credit: Yvonne Tapia

It is up to present and future generations to maintain the cultural foods our parents, grandparents, or guardians have given us. There are many ways to further feed people, aside from food. “You can feed the people you love through all sorts of things. Your time. Your encouragement. Your creativity. I’d love for readers to see how Pen uses her skills in the kitchen to care for her community and to be inspired to use their own gifts the same way,” Laekan tells me.

As we learn more about Pen’s family restaurant, we eventually get a very humorous and wild teenage hangout in the middle of the story. In the midst of that, Pen decides to cover up specific details about her best friend’s (Chloe), love life. There is fierce loyalty between them, that is also reflected in the other characters. Laekan further notes that “Pen choosing to stay [quiet] about Chloe’s private life is just another way [of showing] that she has Chloe’s back.” Laekan adds that, in her point-of-view, Latinx people love some good chisme but it’s never more important than protecting the people we care about. This YA novel does an excellent job in showing a side of the Latinx community where everyone is loyal to each other and always tries to help each other out rather than gossiping. Thus, this is another form of success for Pen, where she controls her grounds when facing outside influences.

There is an ultimate message that author Laekan Zea Kemp wants young readers to get out of Pen and Xander’s story. She hopes that people “see that the Mexican and Chicane community is beautiful”. Laekan additionally says,

“We are resilient, creative, powerful, loving, and proud. We take care of each other, fight for each other. We will keep fighting together whether those battles are internal & require us to break down stigmas and talk about our heartbreak, trauma, or those battles [that] are coming from the outside world & require us to stand tall, to raise our voices, to lock & march.” 

The author speaks with conviction as she shares that we deserve to take up space and follow our dreams. And with that, Laekan Zea Kemp is on her way to continue writing more unique stories featuring the Mexican, Mexican-American / Chicane experience.

For more updates on her latest works, follow author Laekan Zea Kemp on:

Twitter: @LaekanZeaKemp

Instagram: @LaekanZeaKemp

Website: http://www.laekanzeakemp.com/

You may use the hashtags #SomewhereBetweenBitterandSweet and #RedforPen. Enjoy!

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Yvonne Tapia is a Mexican-American professional from East Harlem, New York. She earned a BA in Media Studies and Psychology from Hunter College. Additionally, she has worked in the educational and media fields through various outlets. With a long-term enthusiasm for children’s media, she has been involved at Housing Works Bookstore and Latinx in Publishing. She currently works on the Marketing and Publicity team at Levine Querido. Yvonne is excited about the power of storytelling, and to engage content awareness in underrepresented communities.

Dancing in Life’s Stages: ‘Merci Suárez Can’t Dance’ by Meg Medina

Growing up requires constant change, as author Meg Medina demonstrates it in Merci Suárez Can’t Dance. This middle-grade book is the second installment in the Merci Suárez verse, following Cuban-American Merci Suárez as she cruises through the seventh grade. Mercedes “Merci” Suárez is a young girl who is trying to keep everything as it’s always been within her family and friends—from tía Inés’s routine at the bakery to her friendship trio with Hannah and Lena. This moving middle-grade novel is not only about life’s inevitable change; it invites young readers to explore business smarts, love, selflessness, cultural education, socio-economic status, confidence, and standing up for oneself. Everything changes for Merci Suárez and she must learn to dance to the changing beat of growth.

Taking place in South Florida, Merci begins seventh grade assigned as a business manager to the school store, The Ram Depot, with new student, Wilson Bellevue. They’re expected to work together as a team to “hone their business and math skills and get real-world experience”, according to Miss McDaniels. Merci immediately demonstrates superb sales and critical-thinking skills, necessary in business. Merci’s abilities have the potential to motivate young readers to learn more about the professional world at a deeper level, outside of their regular classes. “Fix your mistakes in style. Two-for-one erasers! Wile supplies last! (See? An eraser would have helped!),” Merci writes on a sign for the store with the commerce goal to sell erasers for her school.

Credit: Yvonne Tapia

Initially, Merci is hesitant to work alongside a seventh grade boy, considering her distasteful experience with “annoying jokes about farting” and similar shenanigans from other male peers. However, when she starts feeling shy and embarrassed about anything that has to do with Wilson Bellevue, Merci begins to wonder why that is so. While her reactions to people’s comments on their relationship may not show her best character, young readers will be satisfied with this (possible) realistic context about discovering young love.

Mercedes may be family-dedicated and a hard-working student, but sometimes that can be overwhelming for her when her family members pull her in different directions simultaneously. Besides her schoolwork, Merci is expected to help take care of her twin cousins, Axel and Tomás, who are as energetic as kids can be, while emotionally affected by her grandfather’s Alzheimer’s, and, processing her tía Inés’s new love life. But when Merci tries to find out more about her tía’s personal life, they tell her not to get involved. To this, Merci thinks, “People ask me private stuff all the time. What I want to be. If I have a boyfriend. Nobody seems to mind their invasion of my privacy.” Moreover, when she sees that her older brother, Roli, is different to how she remembers him before he went to college, Merci says, “Nobody is the way they’re supposed to be.” Medina offers a deep and pragmatic view about what many emerging young adults are anticipated to handle, that may often be overlooked.

Credit: Candlewick Press

The author expertly encourages themes of self-confidence through Merci’s school rival, Edna Santos, and dancing. In Merci’s point-of-view, Edna is her total opposite; Edna knows French and attends ballet lessons, while Merci helps her father figure out job bids and write ad copy, and certainly can’t dance. She also makes Merci feel as if her best friend, Hannah, would rather hang out with Edna with each passing day. Edna does her fair share of verbal bullying as she tries to boss Merci around. As young readers rotate pages, they’ll encounter a poignant scenario—Edna and Merci are paired as science lab partners, and when Edna tries to verbally put her down, Merci must be willing to use the power within her to stand up for herself.

Merci’s determined attempts to avoid dancing are humorously engaging. Dancing is first tied to Merci’s lifestyle when the school’s famous Valentine’s Day Heart Ball takes place, and Merci is not having it, she says, “It’s like smearing cod liver oil all over my favorite candy bar. I can’t get past it.” Yet, she is ironically invited by Edna to participate in an unexpected way. Later on, her tía Inés decides to open up her own Latin dance school, and Merci is challenged to help it be a success. Merci’s narration, filled with humor and sass, will make the journey enjoyable and illuminating for young readers.

Meg Medina delivers an authentic middle-grade experience on every level—from school’s demands to family events—that young readers can relate to. Merci Suárez Can’t Dance is a stellar sequel that welcomes readers to embrace change, and shows them how to find their own dancing beat. This is an essential read for young students and their families, and should have a place in each classroom, library, bookstore, and personal shelf.

For more updates on her latest works, follow author Meg Medina on:

Twitter: @Meg_Medina

Instagram: @megmedinabooks

Website: http://www.megmedina.com/

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Yvonne Tapia is a Mexican-American professional from East Harlem, New York. She earned a BA in Media Studies and Psychology from Hunter College. Additionally, she has worked in the educational and media fields through various outlets. With a long-term enthusiasm for children’s media, she has been involved at Housing Works Bookstore and Latinx in Publishing. She currently works on the Marketing and Publicity team at Levine Querido. Yvonne is excited about the power of storytelling, and to engage content awareness in underrepresented communities.