New Year's Surprise!

The Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio has included DAMAS, DRAMAS, AND ANA RUIZ among their Top Ten Hispanic Books of 2009! And in the company of Carolina De Robertis (THE INVISIBLE MOUNTAIN), Oscar Casares (AMIGOLAND), and Benjamin Saenz (LAST NIGHT I SANG TO THE MONSTER)? Pinch me.

Check out the entire SLHW list here: http://ping.fm/kIAAl

Nice issue of Austin Woman Magazine

And I'm not just saying that because I'm included! The cover story is about the women of the Austin Theater scene and JoAnn Carreon Reyes of Teatro Vivo is among those profiled. Finally, JoAnn gets some attention after all these years of working behind the scenes.

My thanks to Claudia Álarcon for the lovely write up about DAMAS in Austin Woman Magazine. If you click here, you will be taken straight to the piece, which was published as a web extra to the magazine. Enjoy!

New Review from Rigoberto Gonzalez

My Latino Book Review: Belinda Acosta's "Drama, Damas and Ana Ruiz" http://ping.fm/KOji4

Scenes from the Texas Book Festival, 2009

Although I met many awesome writers (Lucha Corpi, Carolina De Robertis, C.M. Mayo, y el mero, mero, Luis Alberto Urrea) and had the pleasure of sitting in on a dynamic panel, the highlight of the Texas Book Festival for me was meeting these chicanitas from South Texas.

After our panel, "Mama Dramas," my colleagues and I went to the Author's Tent to greet our adoring fans. Okay, our lines weren't as long as they were for Richard Russo across the tent from us, but it was a lovely morning, and we were surrounded by books and readers! As our time was up, we began to say our goodbyes when this group of chicanitas came up. The leader of the group, Yanellie (pictured holding the book) stepped forward and asked sweetly, "Excuse me Miss. Do you know where we can find Belinda Acosta?" When I responded that I was she, her eyes widened. She had read Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz and loved it. She had checked it out from her high school library (librarians rule!) and was looking forward to getting her own autographed copy at the festival. She seemed crestfallen that my autograph time was up. So, what else was there to do but walk with Yanellie and the girls to the booksellers tent so she could get her book? After which, I signed it and we took this picture. The girls were delightful, eager young women, and readers! I wish you could see their T-shirts which read: "I [heart] reading." Eso!

Pictured from left to right: Nohemi, me, Yanellie, and Melissa from Palm View High in Palm View, Texas.

For more photos from this year's Texas Book Festival, please visit my FaceBook Fan page.