Friday, July 31, 2009

Sneak Peek of Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz



My home newspaper, the Austin Chronicle, has graciously run a sneak peek of Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz! Click here to read the opening prologue.

The book is available for pre-order now online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon, as well as your local independent bookstore. Damas, officially goes on sale Aug. 11.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

New review from Teresa Carbajal Ravet

Teresa is an Austin-based blogger, a mother, a writer, a translator, a reader, and one of Austin's local coordinators of the Las Comadres Book Club. I've spent many lovely evenings chatting with Teresa and other comadres about books written by Latin@ writers, and I so appreciate her enthusiasm and passion for the written word. Read her generous review of Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz here.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Flores!!!

My dear friend Michal is one of the "hormigas" making small, Mexican paper flowers for the book release party! Here is his first batch. They look even more lovely in person. You can't see the green stems, but we will be attaching bookmarks from Grand Central Publishing (featuring all their Latino-themed titles) and giving them away as party favors to attendees. Makes you want to come, right?

The book release party for Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz is August 18, from 6pm to 8pm at Cuba Libre in Austin, Texas.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Quince or Sweet 16?


Latinitas, the first and only digital magazine by and for Latina girls and youth wants to know: Quince or Sweet 16? They are currently collecting thoughts on the subject here.

I'm so pleased to say that Latinitas was born and raised in Austin, Tejas, by two, very dynamic Latinas, Laura Donnelly (a new mami!) and Alicia Rascon. In a few short years, they have expanded their reach and now have an office in El Paso, where Alicia now lives with her family.

A print version of Latinitas came out earlier this year, with plans to roll out a regular publication later in the year. Click here to read a lovely, first person account of Anna-Alizette Ruiz's quinceañera and what it meant to her. Eso!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Who says Latinos aren't connected?

San Antonio's Jo Ann Yolanda Hernández is working it at her blog and website BronzeWord Latino Writers. And her links list is prodigious! Check it out here.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Joy Castro reviews DAMAS

Joy Castro is a writer (The Truth Book), a professor, the bloggera behind joycastro.com, and an esteemed colleague through our membership in Macondo, the writers' collective created by Sandra Cisneros. I'm proud to call Joy a home girl—she lives in my home town of Lincoln, Nebraska, where she's a professor of English at the University of Nebraska.

Joy has totally blown me away with her enormously thoughtful critique of Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz. Click here to read what she has to say about the book, Latina Letters, and where Damas falls in the spectrum of popular women's literature.

Q&A With LATINIDAD's Marcela Landres now online.

I first met Marcela Landres at a seminar she conducted at San Antonio's Gemini Ink. My goodness—that was at least ten years ago! I'm delighted that Marcela and I were able to reconnect after all these years. Please read the Q & A she so graciously posted in her Latinidad website by clicking here.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Posting on the fly

Belinda has sampled cupcakes from Four Pink Dragonflies, the official baker for the book release party August 18. (See Events Calendar post). I don't know how Maritza Lujan, the wizard behind Four Pink Dragonflies does it. All I know is that one bite = heaven.

Love the name of Maritza's business—named for her four daughters. Sweet!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Posting on the fly

Belinda is taste testing the "Quince Cocktail" for the book release party Aug. 18. YUM!

Check the Events Calendar Post for more information on the book release party and upcoming readings.