Zoraida Córdova's Blog: Zoraida Says, page 5
April 14, 2023
Deadlines and Rejections: A short story
A Note from your author: New location, same ramblings. As you can see, I have moved from Mailchimp to Substack. If you signed up for one of my newsletters, that is why you’re here. I hope you stay with me.
A Perfect Circle Four months into 2023 and I have hit two deadlines. The first was the final, final proofs for Kiss the Girl, book three in Disney’s series of standalone contemporary romance novels. I’ll be talking more about it closer to publication (August 1st!). I have a special pre-order gift in the works. But that’s not what this newsletter is about.
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It’s about deadlines and rejections.
I sold my first book twelve years and a month ago. March 16, 2011. The book was The Vicious Deep, a novel that is now out of print. It is still my heart child, the book that was my first step into the ~ahem~ tempestuous seas of publishing. When I think of this book, I remember the 23-year-old I was. Big dreams. A little naive. Loud and happy. I was paid a four-figure advance, but it didn’t matter because I had a full-time job, which I didn’t quit for another six-ish years. It was also a book that was rejected all over town. I was lucky enough to find an editor that loved my voice and wanted to work with me. She left Sourcebooks around when Book 2 was in edits, but she taught me so much about how to edit a book.
Bookmaking is a cyclical process. Though every publisher has different protocols, the process generally goes as follows: Draft 1, Edit 1, Edit 2, Line edit, Copyedit, 1st pass/proofs, final pass, 2P (second pass).
When you think of how long it takes to make something, you can’t help but marvel at the fact that someone is going to read a book in a day, a week, a single feverous sitting.
Though what happens when the book is printed is largely out of my control, I still think of that reader. I think about who my audience is. I think about who my audience isn’t. I write with myself as my first audience. But this is my job. I am an artist and the corporate boss all at once, to a certain extent.
Twelve years in this industry makes me feel out of place. I had more ideas now that when I first started, but as I struggle to meet my deadlines, I also feel like. I am running out of time. This is, of course, bananapants. There is no time limit to success. But there’s something about creative industries that want to reward the new, the shiny. As someone who loves shiny things, I get it. Our industry is going through a lot of changes. There’s uncertainty about what will sell big, what the next trend is, what is the book. It is enough to feel discouraged as hell.
But. Here’s the but… I remember being an 18-year-old intern, once upon a time, and this exact same thing happened then! Seventeen years ago! (Sorry, I am having a moment about my grizzled old age.)
So this is me giving myself some grace when it comes to writing. To deadlines. To quiet books releases. To books that last, long after the buzz dies down. The thing I control is the shape that my books take. Everything else is external and dependent on the business partners I’ve chosen.
The second deadline I met this year is the first draft of my follow-up to The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina. What is this mystery book? Well, not such a mystery. See the announcement below from almost a year ago.
The Fall of Rebel Angels is no longer set for fall 2023. Sorry, I tried. I am so beyond burned out, I might as well disintegrate into ash like an incense stick. Or snapped like Thanos is in charge of my life. I wrote the first version of a book that has been living in my head for seven years, spinning, percolating, morphing into a story-shaped thing. It’s still not ready, but I will be working on it this year.
Small confession: I’m also realizing that my difficulty in writing lately comes from wanting to be better. Sharper sentences. Unique imagery. Wity dialogue. I strive to get better with every book, which means approaching my 21st novel comes with a lot of self-inflicted pressure.
Thanks to you, incredible readers and friends, Orquídea Divina is my best-selling book. None of my books have had this much support from a publisher, and I felt it for the first time. I’ve had writer friends text and email me as they read, which always feels great when your colleagues and people you admire compliment your work. It is almost paralyzing to think of writing when all I want it for the lucid dreams of angels and demons and witches needs to be better than anything I’ve written in the past.
With the highs come the lows. I had a publisher (kidlit) reject a book I really wanted to write. My Stripped adaption is canceled in development. I got another pass on a project I’ve been chipping away at for literal years. These will not be my last rejections, and I’m okay with that. I have learned things work out on their own. Success looks different at several stages, but I will keep feeding my ambition. Feel, then move on is my motto this season.
In some ways, not a lot has changed in my decade-plus of being a writer. Some successes feel big. Some rejections feel brutal. It is a cycle. The only way to stop it is to get off the track and I’m not ready to do that (despite the many many threats of quitting and running away to the woods).
Until next time.
Write on like,
Zoraida
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December 6, 2022
A very spicy Christmas & other updates 🎁
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Dear Reader,
It’s that time of year again. For me, it doesn’t quite feel like it yet. When I was a kid, first having immigrated to New York City from Ecuador, my winters were full of snow. I know I was shorter back then, but the snow was piled up to my knees. We made giant snowmen on our Jamaica Queens street corner. When there was so much snow that they closed a street, we weren’t sledding on orange plastic sleds from the hardware store on Hillside Ave. Trees were encrusted with ice, glistening during the day. So yes, I love the holidays in New York. It hasn’t snowed yet, and decades later, I don’t think it will. But, this year we’re heating things up with an anthology very dear to my heart.
Together with other Latina romance writers, we came up with Amor Actually. Published last year, the collection follows nine couples getting their HEA. We were inspired by the modern classic, Love Actually but made the stories all out own.
I have two stories: “Love in Spanglish” about a heartbroken romance writer who gets snowed in with a handsome Chilean man. Despite the language barrier, sparks fly.
The second story is called “The Great (Holiday) Escape” about an exhausted woman who gets a vacation to Miami and meets, not one, but two men, who have been waiting for their love to be complete.
You can read them in order or our of order. You can read one at a time or binge them. Buddy read with a couple of friends! Just don’t miss it!
Amor Actually is a holiday romance anthology.
Nochebuena. One Party. Nine Happily Ever Afters.
It’s Christmas Eve in New York City, when anything is possible. For these couples, it’s the season to find true love. From second chances, big leaps, missed connections, and reconnections, this charming collection celebrates the spirit of the holidays and delivers nine perfect HEAs.
From seven acclaimed and bestselling Latina authors—Zoey Castile, Alexis Daria, Adriana Herrera, Diana Muñoz Stewart, Priscilla Oliveras, Sabrina Sol, and Mia Sosa—comes a holiday romance collection that will warm your heart.
For the Star Wars fan, my novel Convergence has been out for one week! This novel was an effort of love to the finish line. If you haven’t been following Star Wars publishing, then here’s your crash course. The High Republic started with Phase I. New stories. New Jedi. New baddies. Same galaxy far far away.
My novel is the first one in Phase II, 350 years before the events we know in the Star Wars we grew up with. Convergence is a book about two planets at war, love, hope, betrayal, and finding your place in the greater galaxy. There’s a B&N special edition hardcover, a regular hardcover, a Goldsboro special edition with sprayed edges. And the companion novel wraps things up with Lydia Kang’s Cataclysm.
The next adventure in the High Republic begins expanding the new era of Star Wars, with a story set generations before Light of the Jedi.
It is an age of exploration. Jedi travel the galaxy, expanding their understanding of the Force and all the worlds and beings connected by it. Meanwhile, the Republic, led by its two chancellors, works to unite worlds in an ever-growing community among near and distant stars.
On the close orbiting planets of Eiram and E’ronoh, the growing pains of a galaxy with limited resources but unlimited ambition are felt keenly. Their hatred for each other has fueled half a decade of escalating conflict and now threatens to consume surrounding systems. The last hope for peace emerges when heirs from the two planets’ royal families plan to marry.
Before lasting peace can be established, an assassination attempt targeting the couple tilts Eiram and E’ronoh back into all-out war. To save both worlds, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai volunteers to uncover the culprit, while Chancellor Kyong appoints her son, Axel Greylark, to represent the Republic’s interests in the investigation.
But Axel’s deep distrust of the Jedi sparks against Gella’s faith in the Force. She’s never met such a puffed-up, privileged party boy, and he’s never met a more self-serious, relentless do-gooder. The more they work to untangle the shadowy web of the investigation, the more complicated the conspiracy appears to be. With accusations flying and potential enemies in every shadow, the pair will have to work together to have any hope of bringing the truth to light and saving both worlds.
Above: Here’s a photo from my book launch, where I was in conversation with the fabulous mystery writer Alex Segura at the B&N in Union Square, NYC.
Below: Star Wars artist Jake Bartok did a fan art mock-up of the four main characters in Convergence. Reader, I love them.
BUY STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC: CONVERGENCE
Because it’s the season for giving gifts and thanks, I wanted to thank everyone who reads these sporadic newsletters. New and long-time subscribers and readers. Truly, thank you!
Here’s a song I’ve been listening to. My brother’s band THE DREAMLAND FIRE and their song “Sapphire.” Hope you love it!
Feliz Navidad, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas.I hope your holidays are full of joy and family, and that you get good rest in preparation for 2023.
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November 3, 2022
✨ What comes next?
What comes next...
Hello friends!
Halloween is over, which means that the rest f the year will slip away before we know it. I don't know why this happens, or if it's something people from snow-less locations feel as much as I do. But here we go. Let's end the year with a bang. Even if it's a pajama party with take-out and Netflix.
Like many years before, I am (surprise) on deadline through the end of the year. I know. I am also tired of telling people this, as much as friends are tired of listening to me say this. I am excited about the book I have to finish though. It is the book I sold this (last?) year FALL OF THE REBEL ANGELS. It's shaping up the way I envisioned it, which almost never happens to me.
This year really broke me. And I mean broke me in a way I haven't really felt in since past years I feel like I'm back where I was in 2017 when I wanted to quit writing. It isn't one thing exactly, but an amalgamation of things like: the publishing industry is in flux, I don't have any more YA contracts, my middle-grade launch was disappointing, my old publishers are holding my books sequestered and won't give me my rights back, I got covid and still had to edit a book or the schedule would implode.
This year was also great. I released an anthology, a middle-grade novel, Orquídea was a book club pick at Target, and I'm about to launch a Star Wars novel this month.
There's good with the bad, always.
As a writer, it's hard to not assign value to myself depending on how well my books do. So if a book "underperforms" does that mean it's my fault? Is it my publisher? Is it both of us who let our book-child down? Is it just something that happens? Do I keep going? How far is far enough? How many stories do I have left?
I'm almost embarrassed to say that after 10 years, I don't have the answers.
So what happens next?
I am full of uncertainty. I don't know what comes next. I feel like I'm suspended in the liminal space between exhaustion and success. Or is that place just called the midlist? All I know is that I've been doing a few interviews and I keep getting asked "What comes next?" I have my canned answer. More books! More things! But the truth is that I don't know. I don't know. I just don't know.
Well, I can always take a looooooong nap like Marimar in The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.
I know that I need a break. From publishing. From writing. From events. From blurbs. The only people I don't want a break from is book-people. I love readers and talking to book lovers. Everything else can wait. I know that I have some great books that I've poured myself into. I can be proud of each one of them. It is a privilege to be able to write for a living, and leave behind stories long after I'm gone.
I hope that this coming year brings every one of us a better understanding of what comes next. In the meantime, the only way to get through it is to take it day by day.
Top left: With my fabulous agent Suzie. On our way to drinks, we each bought each other a copy of MARVEL: COMUNIDADES which includes my second every one shot.
Rop right: Book signing with one of the authors from Reclaim the Stars, Linda Raquel Nieves Pérez in Puerto Rico.
Bottom left: Signing copies of the ORQUÍDEA paperback at B&N
Bottom right: At Books of Wonder on the launch day for my middle grade Valentina Salazar is Not a Monster Hunter.
NYC friends! Come and celebrate my Star Wars launch! I'll be with my friend and writer Alex Segura. It's going to be my last signing for a while so please join us! Entry costs one book, which you can buy at the store, or register for here!
Christmas is right around the corner! Get this anthology of 9 holiday short stories by 7 Latina authors! I wrote under Zoey Castile for it and you can get it here.
A song I listened to on repeat when writing Axel Greylark from Convergence!
If you want a holiday postcard from me, reply to this email with your mailing address!
Click here to listen to Vampires Never Get Old
October 10, 2022
KISS THE GIRL 🐠 COVER REVEAL!
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Dearest reader,
I’m writing to you just one day after New York Comic Con. I had an absolute blast. There were so many people there in costumes, buying art, watching panels. It was the recharging day I needed to remember why I do this. For my readers. For the nerds. For the bookworms. For the dreamers. That’s what we all are, in the end. I fangirled as I saw MR. JAMIE FRASER himself walking around the floor. I kept my eyes peeled for Oscar Isaac but I wasn’t that lucky twice in once day. Here are some pictures of the weekend:
Now for the cover reveal!If you didn’t know, I’m writing the third book in the Meant to Be series line from Disney Hyperion Avenue! I’m doing the Little Mermaid retelling. Part of my origin story is that I learned how to speak English by watching The Little Mermaid on repeat when I lived in Ecuador. She’s my mermaid. My princess. Being able to reimagine her is a dream. I hate using that term when it comes to writing, because you know that I think of writing as my job first. But it’s the only way I can truly describe it.
A modern tale of unexpectedly falling in love, and finding your voice―the highly anticipated third installment of in the acclaimed and best-selling Meant to Be collection.
Ariel del Mar is one of the most famous singers in the world. She and her sisters―together, known as the band Siren Seven―have been a pop culture phenomenon since they were kids. On stage, wearing her iconic red wig and sequined costumes, staring out at a sea of fans, is where she shines. Anyone would think she’s the girl who has everything.
But lately, she wants more. Siren Seven is wrapping up their farewell tour, and Ariel can’t wait to spend the summer just living a normal life―part of a world she’s only ever seen from the outside. But her father, the head of Atlantica Records, has other plans: begin her breakout solo career immediately, starting with a splashy announcement on a morning talk show.
The night before, Ariel and her sisters sneak out of their Manhattan penthouse for a night of incognito fun at a rock concert in Brooklyn. It’s there that Ariel crosses paths with Eric Reyes, dreamy lead singer of an up-and-coming band. Unaware of her true identity, Eric spontaneously invites her on the road for the summer. And for the first time in her life, Ariel disobeys her father―and goes with him.
Caught between the world she longs for and the one she’s left behind, can Ariel follow her dreams, fall in love, and, somehow, find her own voice?
Out August 1, 2023 in paperback and e-book! Pre-order from your local indie, B&N, Amazon, or wherever books are sold.
This is my brother’s song! He is so talented, and I listened to this song a LOT while drafting KISS THE GIRL. Here’s the rest of my Spotify playlist!
OPEN.SPOTIFY.COM
Zoraida Solo · Playlist · 212 songs · 1 likes
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July 19, 2022
If you love monster romances, open this letter! 💙
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Last year, I started working on a project. Now, it’s taking a ~monstrous~ life of its own over on Kickstarter.
First, let’s back up. What is this secret project?
Months ago, the ladies at Bonkers Romance podcast put together a series called PECULIAR TASTES. We got on a zoom and threw out ideas of what this world would look like. Monsters? Mermen? Fae? And of course, streamy, steamy romance. I will be writing as Zoey Castile for this one.
You’ve been warned! The rest is NSFW-ish. If romance with magical beings is something you’re into, keep scrolling! I’ll go into the project and share some of the fun art we’ve got in store for this kickstarter.
More updates on other projects on the next one.
Welcome to the Shadow MarketIt's that time of year, friends. The moon is full and Samhain approaches. Your invitation to the Shadow Market is here. Three days of magic, drama, seduction, and maybe just a dash of human sacrifice! Come through the portal and meet witches, demons, gorgons, mermaids, the fae, and even the odd human who's gotten turned around and ended up somewhere they shouldn't.
Introducing the Peculiar Tastes series, brought to you in partnership with the Bonkers Romance Podcast, which will have six brand new books for your reading pleasure!
The Death God's Sacrifice by Jenny Nordbak, where a Gorgon assassin sets out to slay a death god and instead becomes his sacrifice...
The Demon's Bargain by Katee Robert, where a witch summons a demon and gets a little more than she bargained for...
The Hellmouth Guardian's Lover by Adriana Herrera, where a hellmouth guardian is visited by the serpent demon who broke her heart...
The Vixen's Deceit by Nikki Sloane, where a skeptical reporter visits an immersive haunted house and falls for a sexy cast member. But is her seduction real...or part of the act?
The Captive Merman's Promise by Zoey Castile, where a captive merman meets a bruja who will change his life...
The Fae Queen's Captive by Sierra Simone, where a grad student sets out to find a missing castle and is kidnapped for the pleasure of a fae queen instead...
Join us in the Shadow Market...if you dare.
The Captive Merman’s PromiseYes, I’m back to writing mermen and brujas! Only this time every time I’ve talked about mermaid anatomy, I won’t hold back.
This story follows Amada Palacios, a bruja who is cursed to never be able to hold on to her love. On the other side of the Shadow Market is Rónán, the last merman of a deceased kingdom under the oceans, now trapped in a magical sideshow. Together, they spend some amazing nights together, while from the shadows lurks a force hell bent on keeping them apart.
It’s a bite sized romance full of mermaid anatomy and answers the questions, “How do they bang?”
They do bang.
Here is my beautiful couple…
Where’s the cover?There’s a cover, I swear! Mine and Sierra Simone’s are coming next week, so stay tuned on my Instagram. For now, here are the covers for the other four stories by Adriana Herrera, Nikki Sloane, Jenny Nordbak, and Katee Robert.
I hope you can back the kickstarter and support this wild endeavor.
‘Til next time!
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June 7, 2022
My 10 Year Author Anniversary 🌙
A DECADE LATERThe hardest lessons since publishing my debut novel in 2012
This is the only thing you’ve ever wanted, and you aren’t sure if it’s because of the primal urge to understand your place in the world, or if it’s ego. Perhaps a little bit of both.
Every writing journey is unique. What works for you won’t work for others. But this is what you’ve learned. The good, the bad, and the yet to come. Here is how your story goes.
“SO WRITE IT” Or, no one is going to write your book for you.
It’s 2008 and you’re going to school full time, working night shifts at a seedy nightclub, interning in publishing, and nursing this tender dream of being an author. The junior agent that works for the self-absorbed and, at times, delusional boss asks if you’ve ever considered writing. You say yes.
She tells you to finish something and she’d take it out.
You finish the book, and she does just that, knocking on the doors of New York’s publishing houses.
You both try your best but get the same rejections. Some are about voice. Others are about the subject. “We already have a Latino book for the season.” Others say “It’s not a question of the novel so much as of the market climate for a Latina/Quinceanera YA from a small publisher.” You still search your email for these responses every now and then because you're nothing if not petty.
You wonder why there are several coming of age and sweet 16 novels, but that’s a different essay.
You don’t write for a year.
Instead, there are books to read, bills to pay, degrees to attempt, and more bills to pay.
You know you have to keep writing because the only other option is complaining, and you can complain while still writing. You don’t know this now, but rejections won’t stop coming so you either have to learn how to get back up or get a stable 9-5 job and write stories that are for just yourself. Whatever hurt you’re nursing, you have to get over it and keep writing because no one is going to do it for you.
You keep writing.
It’s 2009 and you’re browsing at a now-closed Barnes & Noble in Chelsea. Your editor friend patiently listens to you complain about the kind of book you are in the mood to read but couldn’t find. He says, “So write it.”
So you write it. In between work shifts and classes. At the back of lecture halls for classes you’ll get failing grades for. You write on the subway. You take your things to Coney Island, for inspiration, sit on a beach towel and write. You write because the only other option is being present at work and in school, and those aren’t the places you want to be.
It’s 2010, and you’ve finally gotten your manuscript ready for submission. It’s a book you’ve always wanted as a reader—a YA urban fantasy about mermaids.
It’s 2011 and a publisher wants to take a chance on you! Sourcebooks Fire is the new imprint of Sourcebooks, a publisher that has been around literally as long as you’ve been alive. Founded in 1987, you share a birth year. They are small, but excited. The editor understands your voice. The advance is $6,000 and it is a start. You don’t know anything about advances, and you have another job, so you are still over the moon. You are going to be published and it’s a start.
“So write it” feels like an obvious thing, but sometimes you need a push, a nod of approval, a kick (gentle or not) out of the nest. Not everyone needs this smoke signal from the universe that says “go forth and do the thing you want.” But for many of us, we stay with feet planted firmly at the starting line because we don’t hear the cry “ready, set, go.” It’s not always going to be a sprint or a race. In fact, it shouldn’t be those things because when you run, you’re only running against yourself.
If you’re waiting from your signal from the universe, this is it.
So write it.
MEDIUM EXPECTATIONS, Or what happens after the book is published.
Here’s the thing—you want the same thing as many authors. Write a book, publish a book, have people who aren’t related to you buy the book, sell another book. Success means different things to different people, but in the beginning, it is hard to know what success looks like for you.
To be honest, you still don’t know what success looks like or when it will be enough.
There is no sense in looking back, but you will do it and do it often. “Why didn’t I ask more questions?” “Why didn’t I have the gall to walk away from a deal I didn’t feel comfortable with?” Why, why, why. It is a constant refrain, your own personal haunting raven. There is no sense in blaming yourself because one day you will realize you made the decisions you had to make at the time.
You will meet authors who have great expectations from the day they sign with their agent. Some will have every advantage in the world and they will take off, literal literary stars overnight. You will wonder when it will be your turn.
You will know authors who toil for five, ten, fifteen, twenty years and are still called overnight sensations. You will hear the things people say about you, and you will realize that only your closest friends, your family, really know you.
You will realize that even though you know the ins and outs of this industry you chose, you still don’t quite fit. You don’t know how to peddle your identity. You don’t know how to cry for the internet. You know everything and you know nothing because you are in the business of personality, and even though these words are your heart, these books are a business. You have to learn how to be both. Somehow, be both.
You keep writing, managing expectations.
You sell more books to try to make ends meet. You forget that you are a living, breathing bag of bones instead of a machine. You forget yourself. You forget that your value is not your Amazon rank or a marketing campaign.
You remember there are people finding your words, here and there like fireflies in the pitch dark.
You keep writing, and you hate it because you are no longer shiny and new, and perhaps you never were. But even when you hate it you love it because your heart is made of words, a run-on sentence that will never be quite finished.
You have moments where everything tastes like chewing on ground coffee beans. But you swallow the grit and the bitter taste and you keep writing.
You have periods where you cannot believe, you cannot believe that you have made a difference. Maybe you didn’t sell a hundred thousand copies, but the one that you sold changed someone’s life. That life matters.
With every book, you think “Maybe this is it. Maybe this is the one that will take off.” But there is always something wrong: your editor leaves, your publicist leaves the week of your launch, a truly hideous cover you cannot even attach your pen name to, a disagreement with your publisher that leaves you wanting to burn your manuscript, shipping delays, a predatory company who snuffs out your spirit, a god damned pandemic, a canceled tour. There is always something so you just learn to laugh, to expect it, to brace for the worst, to move on.
You don’t sweat it anymore because the only certainty is that there will always be something wrong. You don’t believe in horoscopes or star signs anymore, so the only thing you can blame is yourself because the only certainty in your life is your own angst.
You will be pleasantly surprised when you meet editors and publishers that really truly make you feel wanted.
No matter what, you remember to always always always say thank you. Always be grateful.
You keep writing, and rewriting.
You realize you can be tough on the business but gentle with yourself.
You quit. Every six months you have had it. The nights are too long. Most publishers treat you like you’re expendable.
Your body is a rag doll coming undone at the seams.
You get it together because when you quit, they win. Whoever "they" are isn’t even reading this, doesn’t even know you.
You know who knows you? The friends who reach out and tell you they loved your work. The readers who choose your book. The strangers who know nothing about the last ten years of your life, they only know this bound stack of pages called your heart.
You have more good than you know. Remember that.
Your expectations are not in your control. Your expectations are not the same thing as hope.
You must always have hope.
Keep writing.
“SO WHAT ARE THE LESSONS, ZORAIDA?” OR, don’t do what I do.
Here’s the thing. I started writing this essay in March, thinking that I was going to post it on my blog and my newsletter on May 3rd, 2022, my 10-year publishing anniversary. Then May 3rd came and went, and so did my deadlines. I did not celebrate it publicly. I had a very nice wine, ordered some take out, and counted the things that mattered, the good things since: friendships, colleagues, readers, experiences.
The last few years have been a struggle on whether or not I have any more words left in me. Then I remember that I do, the only problem has been that I did not slow down during a global pandemic. Even before that, I just didn't slow down. I kept going and didn’t stop to refill my soul with all the good.
Every year on January 1st, I write down a list of professional goals. Things that I hope to gain for myself—sell a book, hit the list, sell another book, publish said book, lose the quarantine 19, travel here and there. This year was no different. But a few months ago, during one of my “quitting” fits, I just completely scratched out everything on that list I wrote at the top of 2022. I decided that this year, I’m going to free myself of the pressure of expectations. I’m going to have hope that good things will come my way (they always do). There is nothing wrong with wanting things. But the only thing is remembering that when expectations rise, so should your gratitude.
And I am so grateful. I really am. I might bitch and moan about the tough stuff, the ugly stuff, the things that we leave off Instagram and such. But at the end of the day, I am here and I have left something behind. Some of my books are out of print. Some have gone onto multiple printings. I need to remind myself not to lose sight of that hopeful 23-year-old in these pictures who felt so lucky, so lucky that I just get to do this. And every good thing that has happened to me is because I am surrounded by friends, family, and a team who believes in me.
WHAT NOW?
When I turned 32, I wrote down a list called “Notes to Self on Your 32nd Birthday…” I transcribed them. Some are publishing-related. Most are not. Plus an addendum now that I’m about to be 35.
Be thankful for even the smallest things.
One day you will fall in love, like for real for real.
Never settle for anyone who treats you as ordinary. Thank u next.
Call your mother, she misses you.
Let go of your hate, because, uh, you know where it leads.
Think about why you overindulge in things.
Your book is not for everyone.
Keep your friends close.
Block bad vibes
If you have a bad feeling about someone, TRUST IT.
Take a walk every day. Even five minutes if you can.
If you only cover what others have, you will never have things of your own.
Losing weight will not make you a better person. Eat the donut.
Ask for help.
The deadline can be pushed. It isn’t worth your health.
Be happy and joyous for others.
Give back to the communities that give to you.
Indulgence =/= self-care if you are coping for something that hurts.
…so talk about it.
You’ll probably never stop using dangling modifiers.
Crying is okay.
Feel your sadness.
Let it go.
Sing.
You deserve it all.
HUSTLE NEVER STOPS
But… it’s okay to take a day off without feeling guilty.
Drink more water.
While you’re at it, go to the dentist.
Pitch your wildest dreams to the universe.
You don’t believe in a lot of things but at least believe in you.
Keep going.
Social media isn’t real life. You never know what is really going on with someone so give them, and yourself grace.
People are not stepping stones.
You will never be anyone but you, so know that is enough, and that is a beautiful thing.
I love you. Thank you for 10 years of support. For indulging me when I'm in my feels. I don’t know what comes next, but I hope to share it with you when I do. The work continues!
My next book is ANGELS. My Supernatural, Lucifer, Constantine love has come to this. It is the last book I'm contracted for. After that....who knows. The world is mine.
We are getting the paperback treatment. I know, it's an entirely different direction. There are many reasons why covers get changed. I'd use a lot of buzzwords like "new markets" and "target audiences" and such. But I think when a book has done as much as possible in one format, it's time to try something new. It comes out July 5th, 2022.
My next middle grade novel comes out in three weeks June 28th! If you're in NYC, I will update soon about an in-person event. It'll be my first solo event in a while. Save the date: June 30th! For now, pre-order the book from your local independent bookstore! They will be available in ebook, audio, and hardcover wherever books are sold. For signed copies, they will be available at Books of Wonder!
What am I loving?
My Star Wars trash feelings are at an all time high. This series is so good. It's sad, overwhelming, and just truly beautiful. I can't wait to see where they take it.
If you love historical romance with many chili peppers, THEN READ THIS BOOK. It is so so good and that is not even an exaggeration because I love the author.
That's all for now. I have more updates soon, but if you've been in this newsletter for a while you know that I'm terrible at updating. So it goes. Here is to another 10 years of magic and mayhem.
Click here to listen to Vampires Never Get Old
December 26, 2021
📚The Price of Art and a Year in Pictures
The Price of Art...
Lately I've been thinking a lot about the price of art. I write books. That is my art. I write books. That is my business. Can there be a true separation of the two? It's something I've worked toward, but nine+ years into this career, I have not quite struck the balance. I don't even know if it exists. And I'm not saying this in a glass-half-empty way. I'm saying this as someone who is living the "dream" of sorts.
I quit my "day" job in 2016. I worked in the nightclub world, so I never actually saw the sunlight. I took the advice "don't quit your job" to heart. It was something that was said to me, and something that I saw to emerging writers, too. Keep your first job as long as possible, especially if it comes with health insurance. I know. I know why being a full-time writer alone is appealing. You make your own hours. Your boss can't yell at you because you are your own boss, so you'd really just be yelling at yourself, which I do quite often. You can show up to work in your pajamas.
But there's this thing that happens when writing is your only source of income: the pressure is on the words, the art, the creativity that has to arrive live clockwork because deadlines wait for no one.
When I quit my job in 2016, I had about 10 months of savings, 12 if I budgeted (but I didn't budget). The pressure was on. Sell books (Incendiary). Sell another book (Orquidea Divina). Then another (Stripped). And another (Star Wars). But wait, one more (The Way to Rio Luna). It was 2017 and I took every deal I could, even though my creativity was a dirty sponge on a drying rack, a used condom (ew I know. Dhonielle was very mad at me when I used this metaphor), a bar rag that never gets washed but bartenders use it every day (I worked at a bar so I've seen it). All these years later, I've made it work by the skin of my teeth.
The reason I always always go back to this year of my career is that it was a diversion, an intersection with many paths for me to follow. Sometimes I went the wrong way... Sometimes I went the right way (Orquidea, Rio Luna, Star Wars).
So what was the price for me, for my art?
I have learned my value. I have learned how to say no to deals that are not worth my time.
I have learned to walk away from business relationships that are toxic.
I have learned that only I can dig myself out of a rut.
I have learned that I can't have a dream job. Dreams are great. But dreams don't pay the bills and dreams don't come true if I'm not putting in the work. I have to do, I have to write. (This is a lesson I have taken from Shonda Rhymes's The Year of Yes and Master Yoda.)
I have learned that this industry will break my heart every single time, with every single book, but as long as I write the best book I possibly can at that moment, I can be proud of my work.
Look, this industry isn't a slog struggle bus journey for everyone. Some people drive to the top right away. But I'm never going to be happy if I don't concentrate on my own journey and the only thing I have control over: the words.
I have learned that. in some ways, I'm the one who determines the price of my art. Trying to stay afloat in an ever-changing business that I still can't fully understand costs a lot to my mental and physical health. I have crippling anxiety that I didn't have pre-2016, and my frayed tendon on my shoulder can't fully heal because I can't take enough time off to give it a rest. And yet, I'm not quite done telling stories. Maybe one day the price won't be worth it to me and I'll go live in a quiet forest cabin with no forwarding address. But that will be my choice because I determine the cost of my art.
For now, I'm looking forward to a new year, new books, and new worlds.
A snippet of me reading from The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
NEWS
We sold Italian translation rights to Mondadori! It's my first time having my work in Italian and I am so excited.
We are getting the paperback treatment. I know, it's an entirely different direction. There are many reasons why covers get changed. I'd use a lot of buzzwords like "new markets" and "target audiences" and such. But I think when a book has done as much as possible in one format, it's time to try something new. It comes out July 5th, 2022.
A YEAR IN REVIEW
JANUARY: I kicked off the year in New Orleans. Dhonielle and I worked on our podcast, Deadline City, and quarantined in this house to meet our deadlines. I did edits to Valentina Salazar is Not a Monster Hunter, pass pages for The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina, and final proofs for Illusionary.
FEBRUARY: I moved down to Puerto Rico to get some work done.
MARCH: I got ARCs for the SFF anthology I edited: Reclaim the Stars is coming out on February 15, 2022!
APRIL: Labyrinth Lost was released in Spanish translation, and the paperback of Incendiary came out!
MAY: Illusionary was released, completing the Hollow Crown duology. If you love high fantasy, romance, and court intrigue, this one is for you.
JUNE: I went back to New York to see my family and celebrate my 34th birthday!
JULY: I went to the Celsius Festival in Spain. Got to see my friends. It had been a year since I saw my co-editor Natalie Parker and Tessa Gratton. I stayed in Spain for three weeks exploring the south. It was ~incredible~
AUGUST: The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina was selected by Book of the Month Club! It was definitely a career first for me.
SEPTEMBER: After I sold it in 2017, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina was finally published. I also moved to Los Angeles for two months. Here I am in Target waiting for my book to show up on the big screens. Here (right) is a picture my agency took of Orquídea on an Amazon billboard in Times Fucking Square.
B&N is currently having a 50% sale off hardcovers so if you've been waiting for a price drop to get it, now is your chance!
OCTOBER - NOVEMBER: I went on a writing retreat in Mexico. It was the definition of "refill the well" for me.
DECEMBER: Finally, the year comes to an end with a project very close to my heart. It's an anthology by all Latina romance authors. Nine stories that celebrate Latinidad, love, and Christmas Eve. I have two stories as Zoey Castile here and writing these were a joy for me throughout the year. One day I'll write about how many doors closed in our faces while we were trying to make this anthology happen, but that's a story for the future. For now, I just want to celebrate an anthology that is just pure holiday joy. Christmas is over, but if you're still in the mood you can get your copy here.
We even got a brilliant review in the New York Freaking Times, an interview in NBC Latino, and a mention in EW!
And! If you missed the launch party, you can watch it here as well.
That's all, folks. I truly hope your 2022 is easier on your head and heart, and that you are finding small joys in a chaotic world. Thank you for all your support, for reading my words, and for simply being here. Happy New Year.
Click here to listen to Vampires Never Get Old
December 7, 2021
I have the perfect holiday romance for you 🎁
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I love Christmas. Ever since I was a little girl, it was my favorite time of the year. Things were a little different when I lived in Ecuador. I didn’t wait for Santa Claus, because Santa wasn’t popular (at least not in my house). I waited for Los Reyes Magos (The Three Wise Men). I left out carrots and a bowl of water for their camels. We had neighborhood nativity pageants where the kids all dressed up.
When we immigrated to New York when I was six, I remember we always had a tree. We always had stockings and presents, and it was the only time I was allowed to stay up until midnight to put Latino Baby Jesus in the nativity scene. I learned about American Christmas, and even though I didn’t believe in Santa, I still looked forward to Nochebuena. AKA Christmas Eve.
Nochebuena means “the good night” which is different than “good night” which is buenas noches. Language, right?
Over the years, I’ve read about how Christmas has evolved in the United States. How the festivities and traditions of the pagan festival of Saturnalia eventually became absorbed into the newly created celebration of the birth of Christ. Santa Claus is a strange amalgamation and composite of Odin and a 3rd/4th century saint, Nicholas of Myra, and his image has evolved over the years. I love learning about this stuff. As a fantasy author, I live for this stuff. The History Channel doc is great.
But at the end of the day, I guess I just love the lights, thinking of others, the music, the food and booze, and the magic of it all.
Right now, I’m in San Juan, Puerto Rico and I do miss the New York snow. I’m 34, and this is the second Christmas I have spent away from my family. The first time was a Christmas I spent in Speyer, Germany with a college friend and her family. The second is now. I’m on deadline, plus it’s still a pandemic and I don’t want to travel back and forth right now. Christmas is going to be a little different, and yet, I still have my tree (it’s white with pink lights this year).
FOR LITERAL YEARS I have been talking about writing holiday romance. One of my favorite movies back in high school was Love Actually. Now that I’m older I realize how many of those stories didn’t actually have happy endings. So for those of you who love holiday romances with HEAs, movies like Love Actually and Valentine’s Day, I have something special for you.
Amor Actually is a holiday romance anthology.
Nochebuena. One Party. Nine Happily Ever Afters.
It’s Christmas Eve in New York City, when anything is possible. For these couples, it’s the season to find true love. From second chances, big leaps, missed connections, and reconnections, this charming collection celebrates the spirit of the holidays and delivers nine perfect HEAs.
From seven acclaimed and bestselling Latina authors—Zoey Castile, Alexis Daria, Adriana Herrera, Diana Muñoz Stewart, Priscilla Oliveras, Sabrina Sol, and Mia Sosa—comes a holiday romance collection that will warm your heart.
“Alone again, naturally.”
I wrote two stories for Amor Actually. LOVE IN SPANGLISH is about a heartbroken romance writer who gets snowed in with a novel-worthy hero who may just make her believe in love again.
I took inspiration from my own life and, uh, a tiny bit of Pedro Pascal. I almost never think about an actor when I’m writing a main character, but this hero just had Pedro vibes.
I started thinking about language, and how do people who don’t speak each other’s languages actually fall in love? I spent a lot of time thinking about translation and the way language works because I’m bilingual, but my vocabulary is stronger in one though I am fluent in both. Sometimes I feel like I forget how to speak both, too. Sometimes I search for a word and it just won’t come. This story was an ultimate challenge, but I loved it.
Plus, this hero is my dreamboat. It’s force proximity, snowed in, cinnamon roll hero, and here’s a snippet from the story….
Story #2! THE GREAT HOLIDAY ESCAPE is about Gigi, a young woman who is always on the hustle, making sure her little sister has everything she needs including a big Christmas Eve fiesta with all their friends and family. That night, Gigi receives an all-expenses-paid trip to a luxe South Beach weekend where not one, but two beautiful strangers steal her heart. It’s a whirlwind romance, MFM, Latino daddy, and the big Nochebuena finale. Slightly steamier excerpt ahead…
Collaborating on an anthology that celebrates Latinidad, love, and Nochebuena has been the highlight of my year. We have all worked so hard, in between our normal deadlines, and now it’s here. I hope you love it. Share it. Gift it to a friend. Mostly, I hope one of these stories speaks to you and brightens your holiday.
Feliz Navidad, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas.
(I had this song on a loop while writing most of my Amor Actually stories.)
I hope your holidays are wonderful and I’m thinking of you for all the good things 2022 will hold. Love, love, love.
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August 19, 2021
🌺 Sweepstakes for The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina!
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Hello!
It has been a minute. And it’s also been a long summer. I’m currently on a break from physically writing and have moved on to thinking about writing, which is honestly very liberating. I think everyone should try it ;) Over the last few months I’ve been in the incredible island of Puerto Rico. I’m currently sun burned but happy. I’m also incredibly thrilled to be able to share that my ~phenomenal~ publisher, Atria, has put together a beautiful prize pack and pre-order gift for The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.
How does it work?
Submit your receipt and receive some gorgeous swag.
“The Inheritance” includes
One (1) custom bookmark
One (1) signed bookplate
One (1) postcard with a note from ME
One (1) custom sticker sheet of beautiful @erickdvila cover art
But that’s not all……
One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive a custom gift box containing the following goodies:
One (1) Brujita Skincare Mask and Mist Set
One (1) Purple Mulberry Scented Votive Candle
And all of the above.
All rules and fine print can be found here. Please understand that it’s hosted by my US publisher, so the giveaway is only available in the US. But, I’m working on a small gift for international readers. More on that later.
For now, if you qualify, be sure to claim your ~inheritance~ and yes, #bookofthemonth members, this includes you!
I borrowed the title of this song for Part IV of the book. “Hasta la raiz” means “down to the root.” It’s a perfect capsule of Orquídea.
I hope that you and yours are finding joy even in the smallest moments. You have all my love and appreciation.
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