#Latina Authors

[leyllethecreator]

Writing Tip #1: never underestimate the power of ugliness

Never underestimate the power of ugliness.

Uglying up your prose can be just as powerful as prettying it up.

Using words like bleeding, vomiting, to describe basic actions like water running out of a faucet can add a sense of violence or agony to a scene:

"Plunging his hands into the ice cold water vomiting from the sink..."

"Plunging his hands into the ice cold water bleeding from the sink..."

Using very ugly imagery to describe normal things can also work well in tandem with using prettied up (especially when it's exaggeratedly so) imagery for ugly things.

"Plunging his hands into the ice cold water vomiting from the sink, he wipes the last delicate dribbles of golden bile from his lower lip"

[tomewardbound]

"The night had no mistress but her." — Isabel Cañas, "Vampires of El Norte"

[haveacupofjohanny]

Reyna Grande: Championing Immigrant Narratives with Emotional Power

Reyna Grande’s powerful immigrant narratives inspire me to write with emotional depth and authenticity. Her stories show the beauty of vulnerability in storytelling. 🌍📖 #ReynaGrande #ImmigrantNarratives #LatinaAuthors #HaveACupOfJohanny

For this week’s Friday Feature, I’m highlighting a writer who continues to leave a profound mark on the literary world—Reyna Grande. Known for her emotionally resonant stories about the immigrant experience, Reyna gives voice to those whose stories often go untold. Her work is a masterclass in vulnerability, resilience, and the power of sharing personal truths, particularly in books like The…

[sincerelyveronica]

Gods of Jade & Shadow Review:

I finished this book a few weeks ago. I had to let this book sink in the 2nd time around. My thoughts towards this book are quite different from when I first heard this book back in 2020. Before I do my deep dive, let's give you a summary per usual.

Summary:

The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore.

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

3/5 Stars

I will start off with saying that I still enjoyed all the Mayan folklore. Everything that had to do with Xibalba and Hun-Kamé were my favorite bits of the book. I actually paid more attention to the dialogue and was surprised by the romance that bloomed between Casiopea and Hun-Kamé. I honestly forgot that bit and really relished in the softness and tenderness that formed around them. I was actually very sad when their love could not be. Silvia Moreno-Garcia wrote that romance in such a subtle way, it really snuck on me. I appreciated that. The adventure was a lot of fun! Really enjoyed the journey to Xibalba.

BUT, my problem was that the book had so much inner dialogue. It became a little dense. I struggled at times to keep up with which character was talking. Another thing I was surprised with was that I didn't realize how petulant Casiopea and her cousin Martin were in this book. It really got on my nerves. There was a lot of complaining that I could have gone without. This book left longer to finish and I found myself struggling to get through. At one point, I wanted to stop reading it. I just really wanted the end not to drag on as it did. I think when you have too many points of view and you add a lot of description, the writing can get a little lost. That's what happened to me this time. I think I need to give it another few years and try again. I still do recommend it, mostly for the adventure, the romance, and all the Mayan folklore.

Has anyone read this one? I'm curious to hear your thoughts!

Sincerely,

Veronica

[thebunnednun]

me everything my baby Val posts

ℙ𝕀𝕊𝕋𝕆𝕃𝔸 -Part three

Warnings: Use of alcoholic beverages, Mentions of a man wanting a lady in a sexual way, vulgar language,

Credits to oc: MEEEEEE <3

Previous Parts: pt.1, pt.2 ---->Next Part

Tags: @skauni, @2econd-of-1sts, @rainyrambles-overcod, @thebunnednun, @karlachismylife (you seemed interested last time i spoke of this series) <333333

Maria hummed softly as she did her eyeliner. When was the last time she had let anyone taker her out? She couldn't recall. But that's fine because here she was, about to get picked up by Alejandro Vargas. The Alejandro Vargas...Her fucking Boss. What was she doing? This was her boss and all her New rookies would be right...but she liked him. A lot more than she should've for someone like herself.

Ay, dios mio, who cares? She thought as did her hair, just a simple ponytail...or should she leave it down? Let him see the curls? She hummed, took her hair out and, for a moment, saw her mother. She gulped and quickly put it back up. There, Maria...now you look like your Tia Sarita. And she's pretty enough.

She walked out of her bathroom and heard a car pull into the driveway. Alejandro. She threw on some black heels and giggled. Why was she giggling? Fuck. She was happy...couldn't let him know that. A knock on her door. She opened it and saw Alejandro in a tuxedo. She quirked a brow up "Y que es esto?" she asked, grabbing the poorly tied tie. She quickly redid it for him and saw how it made him smile.

"You said somewhere fancy...Si o no?" "Hmm, Si...I did, but-" "No buts, vamos! I even got out the good car." Maria blinked. He had other cars? "Well. The one car i don't use for work. Sports car," he rambled. And she listened. They walked out to the car and Maria blurted out, "Camaro, two thousand and eighteen, right?" Alejandro quirked a brow up. "You know about cars?" Maria blushed and looked down at her heels. "Not a lot...just, some models and standard facts."

Alejandro chuckled and opened the passanger seat's door for her. "Well, hop in if you want." And she did. She got in, sat down, buckled up and hummed. Clean...new air freshener...soft music playing when he turned on the engine. Okay...she had to give it to him. This was looking to be a very good impression on her. She smiled and asked, "So where'd you buy this?" Alejandro hummed and said, "Off of Rudy's uncle. He was going to scrap it, but i told him i'd take it and fix it up. Wasn't really all that bad, but still."

Maria nodded, "Why was he gonna scrap it?" "Someone brought it to his junkyard." "Ah..." Maria nodded again. Alejandro hummed and smoothly turned the wheel-wait. What? Why was she looking at the way he palm was laying on the steering wheel? The way his fingers let go of it and the way he moved said palm with the wheel as it turned.

Get your head together, Maria.

She hummed softly and looked out the window. Fuck, say something or this will be one hell of an awkward drive. "So, where are we going, anyways?" she asked, Alejandro chuckled and said, "You said not to tell. So I'm not." and Maria fake pouted. Alejandro snuck a glace over to her and sighed, he was such a weak man when it came to her. "It's a good place, trust me...they have pretty good food...nothing on my cooking, but edible enough." Maria laughed. "Says el hombre who can't even bake cookies." Alejandro groaned.

"Will you ever let me live that down, Mi Amor?" Maria shook her head, "No." Alejandro sighed again and parked the car. Wow. Fast driver. Wonder what else he's fast at? Wait-no. Fuck no-"Maria...Essstaaas biieno orr?" Alejandro dragged out uncertainly, she nodded and said, "Si, si, just uhm..." she looked down at her heels. Alejandro took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "You don't have to say. Vamos."

He took her hand gently and she let him. Alejandro felt like he was walking on eggshells the whole time he was holding her hand...he didn't know why though. Well, maybe it's because you've seen what she can do, Estupido, he scolded himself. He checked in for his reservation and got lead to a private table. Alejandro pulled out her chair for her. "Well?" Maria smirked and sat down.

"Well what?" "Tu sabes, Alejandro..."

And he did indeed know what she wanted. He smiled down at her and murmured, "Ay, Mi Amor..."

Yeah, like Rudy had said....He was hopeless. And In love.

[sonknuxadow]

not to have two complaining posts back to back but i can't be the only person who finds the shadow loves latinas joke extremely unfunny right

[bacchanal-if]

I wish you all a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year 💜

Felices Fiestas y Feliz Año Nuevo. 🥰

[lonewolfffie]

[leyllethecreator]

Well, Alicia and Kattar ("Damsel in the Red Dress") are out of school now, so I'll just say what they carry in their bags now (because yes, Kattar carries a "satchel" you could call it a purse and it wouldn't really bug him.)

Kattar:

Keys

medication

Hand cream

sunscreen

a comb and hairbrush

lip balm

his cellphone

wallet

sunglasses

pens

hand sanitizer

Probably way more stuff but I'll leave it there lol.

Alicia would carry:

wallet

keys

phone

That's basically it. If she thinks about it lip balm. She always forgets to carry makeup or a compact mirror with him, as well as the feminine products she should probably have for emergency.

OC Bag Game!

Thank you @leahnardo-da-veggie for the tag! There's a lot of unique game lately, haha!

Rules: Name five things your OC would have in a backpack or any bag at school.

Hmmm, let's use Go Min U. Just in case you wander, Does he go to college for study or just date around.

Inside his laptop bag (he's not using a common bag like others, he use his big laptop bag) :

1. Financial calculator

2. Management or marketing textbook

3. Laptop with business management software

4. Planner or agenda to organize business schedules

5. Binder

6. Economics or accounting textbook

7. Flash drive or external hard drive to store important data

8. ID Card, Wallet, Wired earphones

Can you guess what major he's study?

Tagging @wylloblr @lexywrite @leyllethecreator @cowboybrunch @rivenantiqnerd @ramwritblr @rynswritingames @shockingly-green-chicken and you!

[leyllethecreator]

Rigamarole: Section 3: Confluence

I know he’s not interested in talking, but turning the radio on would still feel like telling him to shut up.

I could think of a thousand things to say if left to my own devices - but my body has felt like one big system error for the last five years. 

I have a thousand things I want to say and I don’t feel like saying any of them, staring at the back of his curly head as he studies his scrawny arm resting on the windowsill, with something like stubborn pride that unsettles me.

“How do you calculate the length of the hypotenuse?” I blurt brusquely, like it’s a dare.

“I don’t need you to quiz me, Lady Licorice,” He doesn’t turn his gaze from his arm, rolling down his sleeve until it hides his bloodless hands.

“Excuse me for trying to keep you out of summer school,” I sniff with more than genuine vehemence. “Remind me who got a ‘D’ on their last test?”

“I didn’t study for that one. I studied for this one,” he says in an exasperated monotone, crossing his arms over his chest - leaning forward against the seat belt like he’s a ragdoll just barely being kept upright.

I purse my lips at that, but he can’t see me, my eyebrows furrowing into a migraine. I try to push it back with one hand, keeping the other on the steering wheel.

I shouldn’t have left without my coffee this morning…

“So what’s this ‘plan?’”

“Don’t want to go into it.”

I can barely feel my numb fingers resting on the faux leather wheel cover - watching the red light grow from a speck and bleed into color. I shift - reminding myself of the feeling of cotton on my skin. Weight. That I can feel my hair on my neck. If I stop to think about it.

“I thought we said we were going to tell each other what was going on?”

He looks over at me slowly as I stare at him, my jaw set, and his eyes dare me back.

“Is Kevin still texting you?”

“Not enough to be jealous of.”

I manage to keep my uncomfortable heartbeat from showing - but I feel cold on the outside - wondering if the only reason my heart isn’t pounding against my ribs is because it’s shrinking.

Riley glares at me rancorously.

“What did he say?”

Shifting uncomfortably against my seat belt as the car pauses at the street corner, I wriggle my phone from my jean’s pocket and toss it onto his lap with as much un-phase-ed-ness as I can muster, and turn the radio up to a murmur to drown out this feeling under my skin.

“An albino- a mosquito-!”

Riley scrolls back and forth between the two most recent texts as I glance over his shoulder.

That’s what you said last year, Kevin.

Sorry, Lei. I know. I’ve been dying to come see you again but I’ve got no time. My mom’s been on my back about grades all year like a drill sergeant because of graduation. But maybe this summer if she doesn’t make me go with her to visit her family again.

Riley looks at me in abject indignation. I just shrug a little.

“Don’t tell me you’re buying this.”

“I’m not buying anything,” I say a little too shortly, defensively. “I just let him talk. If he comes he comes. If he doesn't, who cares?

Riley looks like there’s something else he wants to say to that, but he just puts the phone on the dashboard to sunbathe in the little light eking its way through the foggy morning haze and lifts his ghost-like hand to his mouth to check his sour breath.

A thousand thoughts spiral in my brain. Shake themselves up and rearrange into new phrases - nonsense and blabber - like a bag of scrabble pieces - but-

“You smell like barf.”

-Is what comes out.

He just scowls at me, but I scowl back, bitterly.

“After all this time, you still haven’t learned how to cover your tracks?”

[atopvisenyashill]

i was tagged by @allyriadayne. i will tag @transdimensional-void @maegorsbignaturals @hello--jaime @chena-h @whitegownsandflowercrowns @g0lightly

books you want to read in the new year. three categories here

non fiction i an interested in reading & have been for awhile but haven’t gotten around too. p sure there’s been second editions published since i put them on my lists 🤧

stuff i’m reading bc it has to do with my areas of interest re: writing. i’ve been interested in horror & building suspense, who Doesn’t turn to ursula le guin when they’re trying to write fantasy, 2-3 of the main characters are inuit in my own writing so i just read (and watch) random shit so i don’t sound like im talking out of my ass.

stuff i want to read but it’s been hard to find them. i’ve checked every legal channel i know to not have to pay for we shall be no more & it is Nawt available for less than $50. im like 70% sure i’ll be able to get a request filled for the other two but it’s a lil hit or miss sometimes when you’re requesting from a university library.

[ennn]

Love the A-A-A fandom but as a Afro-Latina one thing that ain't it aside from how fandom predictably treats Jen as an angry black women stereotype 🙄🤦🏿‍♀️, is how often I've seen people assert Aubrey as white and in the process basically copy right wing racism into a progressive font or whitewash Rio's appearance. She is mixed and has spoken at length about how important it is to her. The Puerto Rican side of her family aren't white, and she's got documented Taíno heritage from that side. Other WOC in the industry have mentioned her as a peer, and she has played multiple canonically mixed race Latina characters. She isn't white, Rio isn't white.

Hi Anon, thanks for sharing for thoughts and embracing the AAA fandom!

I (fortunately) spend most of my time interacting regularly with like 5 people in the Tumblr fandom so I can't comment on how prevalent this thinking is in the wider fandom. I can only say that if AAA fanfic is any indicator this thinking isn't that common... although there's probably... other issues to unpack 😅

[haveacupofjohanny]

Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Breaking Genre Barriers and Inspiring Multi-Genre Writers

Silvia Moreno-Garcia proves you don’t need to stick to one genre to be successful. She’s my inspiration for writing stories that defy the mold. 🖤✨ #MultiGenreWriting #SilviaMorenoGarcia #LatinaAuthors #HaveACupOfJohanny #MexicanGothic

In this week’s Friday Feature, I want to shine a light on the brilliant Silvia Moreno-Garcia—an author who continues to defy expectations and break genre boundaries with each new book. From gothic horror in Mexican Gothic to the noir vibe of Velvet Was the Night and the speculative fiction in Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia’s work refuses to be put into a box. And for me, she’s been nothing short…

[ashleybenlove]

[gnaws tree bark about whether I wanna finish the book I'm reading or not]

[lonewolfffie]

[leyllethecreator]

Rigamarole: Section 1: Aite

I feel like Adam and Eve must have - trying to ignore the sound of our parents downstairs in the living room asking where we are - if we’ve come home from school yet-

I almost shut the bathroom door, leaving my foot in the space between the door and its frame - whispering harshly for all my panic-

“Wash your face.”

Riley obeys. Plunging his hands into the ice cold water vomiting from the sink, he wipes the last delicate dribbles of golden bile from his lower lip, and I shove the door open again with a violence that makes it slam against the wall behind it - leaving a dent like a pitted scar-

“Now hurry up and get to your room and your homework before they come up here.” 

This he does too, without a word, and I pretend not to notice the smudging in his eyeliner - hoping mom and dad won’t notice either.

I should get to my own work, but instead I follow him to his room - help him pull out textbooks, and pencils - flip to the assignment page - like we’re 9 years old again and I’m helping him get ready for bed before mom and dad find out he was doing anything but that-

Picking up his phone I pull up Spotify - start and then pause a random playlist, as I plop down in the office chair beside him-

My butt has barely hit the cushion when mom’s blond head peeks through the door frame like a jack-in-the-box. I resist the urge to flinch - or shiver.

“Leia? Riley? Everything okay in here?”

She pretends she’s looking at us but I can see her gaze assessing the room with palpable wariness - that concerned crease in the middle of her forehead.

“We’re just studying,” I lie sweetly, “Riley needed a little help.”

She looks at me vaguely, her blue eyes seeming to swim in her face, but just nods, like she believes me.

Probably because that part isn’t a lie.