At the Island’s Edge: A Novel

At the Island’s Edge by C.I. Jerez

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any Author Interviews! Click the link here.At The Island’s Edge

An Iraq War veteran returns to Puerto Rico to reconnect with―and confront―the past in a heart-wrenching novel about duty, motherhood, and the healing power of home.

As a combat medic, Lina LaSalle went to Iraq to save the lives of fellow soldiers. But when her convoy is attacked, she must set aside her identity as a healer and take a life herself.

Although she is honored as a hero when she returns to the US, Lina cannot find her footing. She is stricken with PTSD and unsure of how to support her young son, Teó, a little boy with Tourette’s. As her attempts to self-medicate become harder to hide, Lina realizes she must do the toughest thing yet: ask for help.

She retreats to her parents’ house in Puerto Rico, where Teó thrives under her family’s care. Lina finds kinship, too―with a cousin whose dreams were also shattered by the war and with a handsome and caring veteran who sought refuge on the island and runs a neighborhood bar.

But amid the magic of the island are secrets and years of misunderstandings that could erode the very stability she’s fighting for. Hope lies on the horizon, but can she keep her gaze steady?

To purchase, At the Island’s Edge, click the following link: Amazon, Barnes and Noble & IndieBoundAt the Island’s Edge Author InterviewAt the Island’s Edge centers on combat medic Lina LaSalle. You were in the US Army for three years, before transitioning to the army reserves. How did your own experiences in the military impact writing this book?

They were definitely helpful in making sure I captured the acronyms and “lingo” correctly!

I signed up to serve in the Army in 2005, so as a nation we were heavily engaged in both the Iraq (OIF) and Afghanistan (OEF) efforts. I think the tone of the times is consistent in the novel because I had a firsthand view of what it was like to be in uniform during that time.

While on active duty, I served as both a platoon leader and an executive officer (2nd in command) for a communication company that was attached to an air defense artillery brigade, which allowed me direct access and exposure to many different demographic categories of soldiers and the differing mental health struggles many of them faced. I combined these inputs with my own experiences while serving on the army installation in Puerto Rico to feed some of the military specifics in the story.

I also served at a time when I had two and then three young daughters at home, so many of Lina’s internal struggles with balancing her commitment to her country and her dreams with her commitment to her child were very personal experiences that I understood intimately.

 

At the Island’s Edge includes a young boy with Tourette’s. What drew you to incorporate this complicated and often stigmatized neurological condition?

I wholeheartedly believe that sometimes part of the magic of storytelling occurs when the characters tell you things about themselves you didn’t know beforehand.

That may sound a bit “New-Agey,” but Teó and his medical condition are a perfect example. I did not have an intimate understanding of this condition, and I didn’t initially plan on it being a part of Teó’s character. Yet, there was a moment at my desk when I was imagining him in the first scene with his mother that the tics presented themselves within my imagination. I had a vague understanding that children with Tourette’s Syndrome presented with different types of tics. So, I knew that to commit to what the character was revealing to me about himself, I would need to do extensive research about the condition and watch videos of children managing their diagnosis to get it right.

Deep inside, I felt there was an underlying purpose to elevating awareness for a condition that is so often misunderstood, and once I made the decision, I stuck with my instincts and began to thoroughly research the topic to honor the children managing this condition and highlight their strength. 

 

Tell us about your road to publication for At the Island’s Edge:

The first draft of the manuscript poured out of me in about nine months. It’s symbolic, I think, that my debut took almost the exact amount of time as a human pregnancy.

I then was very fortunate to win a raffle for a free manuscript critique Lee Ann Ward, former editor of Champagne Books and the founder of an organization named the Writing Away Refuge (WAR). This raffle was two months before I was scheduled to participate in the WAR’s virtual pitch retreat, where I’d registered to pitch my story to three agents.

The feedback from Lee Ann was so encouraging, and her recommendations were minor. She put in a good word for me with the agents, and two months after the pitch retreat in March 2023, I signed with my top choice—Katie Reed at Andrea Hurst & Associates. Katie had some heavier editing suggestions, and I worked on them for the next couple of months. We knew we didn’t want to go on submission over the summer. So we waited until September of 2023, and once she sent out the pitch, there was strong initial interest from multiple publishers.

Lake Union, the Book Club Fiction House under the Amazon Publishing umbrella made an offer rather quickly, and everything about it felt right. I met with my acquisition’s editor, Melissa Valentine, within ten days of going on submission. We signed an agreement shortly thereafter. I knew when we signed the contract in early October 2023 that my book would be released in Spring of 2025. It’s been an amazing journey ever since.

 

At the Island’s Edge is set in Puerto Rico. Tell us about that location, what it means to you personally, and why you set your debut there:

I’d heard a lot about Puerto Rico growing up, even though most of my childhood was spent in El Paso, Texas, a border town. My mother is originally from The Bronx, New York, and my grandmother was first generation U.S.-born from two Puerto Rican parents. So I grew up eating Puerto Rican dishes and in a home that was always filled with Spanish music and dancing.

I didn’t visit the island until I was twenty-nine, but once I did, I was immediately enchanted. The kindness of the citizens, the colorful and historic architecture, the amazing meals. I loved every moment of the few hours we spent in Old San Juan as part of our cruise itinerary. I kept telling my husband, “I could live here.”

Serendipitously, nearly nine months later, I moved there to accept my first job as a manufacturing manager in a medical device facility after completing three years on active duty. I also signed up to serve in the army reserves at Fort Buchanan. This was the first of three different times that I’ve returned to the island for work. Every time I think it’s my last, but something in my heart also knows I’m deeply tied to the island and will somehow find my way back. 

My experiences in Puerto Rico had a profound impact on my life. I was genuinely taken aback by how comfortable I felt there and how moved I was by the culture, the lifestyle, the care and compassion people show one another. Living in Puerto Rico, I felt inspired by so many things, and yet for most of my life I had such misconceptions about the island. I had wrongly assumed it was like a third world country, lacking education and centered only on tourism and a severely separated class structure.

Realizing how wrong I’d been, I thought incorporating this beautiful place and the uniquely distinct cultural elements in my book would provide me with a great opportunity. First, I knew the passion would flow on the page naturally. As a lifelong reader, I know the power of a book written from an author’s passion. The words come alive. But I also new it would educate and intrigue readers that, like me, had incorrect preconceived notions about the island and what life there was like. 

My website boasts the tagline: Storytelling that Makes an Impact. 

Writing about Puerto Rico and her magic aligned with my goals as a writer, a descendant of Puerto Ricans, and a proud member of the Latina community.

 

Part of your goal as a writer is to promote positive depictions of Latino(a) characters and the representation of people of color or with disabilities. What is your take on it?

Up until recently, I don’t think there were many Latino characters leading the story in mainstream commercial fiction. At least not that I’m aware of, and I grew up reading a lot. I am proud to see how much this has changed in the last ten years and continues to evolve still. You have wide growing audiences for book bloggers like @TomesandTextiles or @Lupita Reads that are doing their part to provide exposure and challenging readers to read and support a different kind of book.

This has a trickle down effect. Now more Latino authors are incorporating the rich authenticity of their culture into story in a way that enhances the setting with unique places or creates characters with viewpoints readers may not have been as familiar with as before. 

Within the Latino community, the cultural variations from one Latin American country to another are immense and full of storytelling opportunities, so as Latino authors—we need to keep writing the true, authentic stories. Then my advice to readers is, don’t be afraid to take a risk and delve into the lives and stories of a culture you may not be familiar with.

Diana Gabaldon—a brilliant author of Mexican descent—brought the culture and history of the Scottish Highlands into millions of American homes with the Outlander Series, and we are all better for it. We can do the same. There are so many opportunities to see the beauty and intricacy of Latin American cultures, but it means we, as readers, have a responsibility to insist on the books being available. Publishers are in the business of books. They will continue to support the kinds of books that demonstrate market demand. So, we need to demand more.

 

What are you working on now?

After writing At The Island’s Edge, I feel like I’ve uncapped a freshly shaken two-liter bottle of soda. I’m flooded with so many ideas! I am in the final edits of an FBI Tech Thriller with a strong Latina Protagonist, and I’m diving into the next book club novel that will follow my debut about the familial struggles between a mother and daughter having recently emigrated from Cuba.  

 

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

Writing is a craft and a discipline, just like any other. It’s meant to be studied and learned. It also takes years of practice. When I first embarked on this journey, I assumed my love for reading and my multiple college degrees automatically qualified me to write fiction.

Spoiler alert—it didn’t.

I had to study the craft and I had to put in the practice hours. Like a pilot logging flight hours or a surgeon tallying the number of procedures, you become a stronger writer with continued practice.

Great advice!Author Pet Corner!

 

This is Snoopy (The bigger, terrified on the right in the first pic, on the left in the 2nd pic.) He was born in Ohio in June of 2017, and he’s been my faithful friend since we brought him home in February of 2018. He is calm, loyal and loves to lay at your feet.

 

Minnie (the obvious Alpha) is full of spunk. She runs around like a puppy and is obsessed with belly rubs, despite nearing her 12th birthday this year. She was born in Florida in 2013, although I don’t know exactly when. My younger brother owned her first and she was his dog until 2022 when his wife began struggling with some health issues and we brought her home to live with us. No one can believe she’s almost 12, she zips around the house with unstoppable energy.

 

At the Island’s Edge Author C.I. Jerez

Cherisa I. Jerez is a proud Latina originally from Miami, Florida. Her mother, a native New Yorker, blessed her with both Irish & Puerto Rican roots, while her father—a Cuban immigrant, inspired her to embrace the culture of the Caribbean. These multi-cultural influences, including growing up on the West Texas border in El Paso, have shaped her desire to bring Latino & Latina characters to life in her stories.

She commissioned as a 2LT in the US Army Signal Corps in 2005 and after completing three years on active duty she transitioned to the US Army Reserves earning the rank of Major in 2017.​

She holds an BS in Accounting from University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), an MBA from Webster University, and a Doctorate in International Business from Liberty University.

​When not writing, she currently serves as Co-founder and Vice President for Ashire Technologies & Services, Inc. She lives in St. Cloud, FL with her husband, youngest daughter and beloved Shih Tzus. 

To find out more about C.I. click any of the following links: Website, Threads, Instagram, Facebook.Elena Hartwell/Elena Taylor

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