Sharing a Teaser from The Family She Never Met

I can’t wait to share more with you about The Family She Never Met, my upcoming February release from Casablanca Sourcebooks. As I’ve mentioned before, this book is especially close to my heart because I’ve weaved many of my family’s real-life stories into this novel about three generations of women whose lives are separated by the past and who must find a way to come together for the future. The matriarch in the book, Carmen, is named after my mom (and my sis). So are a number of other characters in the book and I’ll be sharing more about those characters and their real histories soon! For now, here’s a teaser and excerpt for you!

Teaser

Between two worlds, between love and loss, she finally finds her way home.

Jessica Russo knows nothing about her mother’s family or her Cuban culture. Every time she’s asked about it, her mother has shut down. But when the Cuban grandmother she’s never met sends her right-hand man, Luis, to offer Jessica the chance to come to Miami and meet her estranged family, she can’t help but say yes, even as she knows it will pain her mother.

The woman that Jessica meets is nothing like what she expected. Her grandmother is successful, intelligent, determined, and all too willing to take blame for what has happened to cause the estrangement, and, more importantly, to try and set things right. As Jessica spends time with her grandmother in her beautiful island home, she learns about her family’s history and what caused the schism between her mother and grandmother.

As days with her grandmother turn to weeks, Jessica is determined to find a way to heal her fractured family. And in the end, Jessica might just learn something about herself and what it means to embrace the many facets of her identity.

Excerpt

Chapter One

“I know you think I’m crazy to ask this of you, Mi’jo.”

Luis Torres examined the features of the elegant woman seated across from him in the shade of the large market umbrella. While outwardly calm, he couldn’t fail to see the slight lines of tension on skin that was surprisingly smooth for an eighty-three-year-old. He also knew that she was anything but crazy. Stubborn, intelligent, determined, and loving: But never ever crazy.

“I appreciate how important this is for you, Carmen,” he began, but she cut him off with an imperious slash of a bejeweled hand. Gold bangles danced musically on her thin wrist with the movement.

“I don’t think you do, Luis,” she said with a determined tilt of her head, her green-eyed gaze pure steel as it locked with his.

In the years that he had known the older woman, he had carried out many assignments for her, but he sensed none were as important as this one. Sadly, he also recognized that whether he succeeded or failed, there was the possibility that Carmen would pay for it with incredible pain. He loved her too much to allow that to occur.

Viejita,” he began with affection and covered her hand with his as it rested on the wrought iron table before him. “Have you thought about what will happen if she comes and it turns into–”

“A hot mess? Is that what you would call it?” she said with an indulgent smile and playfully smacked his hand to try and alleviate his concern. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” she added in a tone which brooked no disagreement.

But am I willing to take that risk? Luis thought. He remained silent as Carmen’s majordomo approached the patio table, wheeling a tray with covered dishes, crystal wine glasses, and a pitcher of white sangria swimming with slices of citrus and berries.

“I hope you don’t mind that I asked Manny to prepare lunch for us. Gracias, Manny,” Carmen said and peered at Luis, almost daring him to refuse with a pointed lift of a perfectly shaped brow. He was beyond tempted to refuse. Lunch was just a ploy for Carmen to continue pressing him to undertake what he thought was a fool’s errand.

He wasn’t wrong. As soon as Manny had finished serving them a delicately prepared lobster salad and filled their glasses to the brim with sangria, Carmen resumed their earlier discussion.

“I’m asking you to do this as a personal favor. I have my reasons,” she began as she speared some of the lobster.

“You’re okay, verdad?” he asked, worried she was keeping something important from him, like a health scare.

“I’m fine. No te preocupes,” she said and met his gaze directly, relieving some of his worry.

Luis stared past her and the carefully manicured lawn to the waters beyond Star Island and the skyline of South Beach in the distance. Sun shimmered on the calm waters of Biscayne Bay while a soft breeze teased the fronds of the palm trees along the edges of the multi-million-dollar property, a testament to Carmen’s fortitude and her belief in the American Dream. A dream she had selflessly shared with others like him and his family. It was what made it so hard for him to reject her request.

Peering back in her direction, he couldn’t deny that as vibrant and dynamic as she still was, Carmen was no longer the woman he remembered meeting as a young boy. Her luscious thick black hair was now a shock of carefully coiffed white. What had once been voluptuous Cuban curves had thinned with age, and that indomitable energy that had so captured his attention had ebbed somewhat. It was part of the reason why over the years she had turned over more and more of her duties to her daughters, grandchildren, and him, of course. As president of Guerreiro Enterprises, she had come to rely on him for so much, but this request….

“What if I go and she says no?” It was a very real possibility considering that they’d had no contact with that part of the family in over thirty years.

Carmen chided him with a shake of her head and chuckled softly. “Mi’jo, por favor. I know how persuasive you can be.”

He couldn’t refute that. But his logical side told him to rebuff Carmen’s request. If it did become an epic fail it could only bring her a world of hurt. His emotional side, however, understood only too well what it was like to be missing a piece of yourself. Since the day his family had fled Cuba during the Mariel boatlift, they’d longed for the island they’d left behind. Like so many exiled Cubans, they’d passed that yearning onto their children, but it was a hopeless dream, unlike Carmen’s very real wish. A wish that he could help fulfill for a woman who’d given so many so much.

Picking up his glass of white sangria, he raised it in a toast and said, “Here’s to being persuasive.”

Carmen smiled, raised her glass, and clinked it against his. “I knew you would do it.”

A sharp laugh burst from him, and he dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Of course you did, Viejita. You were the one who taught me, after all.”

Order

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3tPQ7Xx
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3bonSZN
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-family-she-never-met/id1568775092
BN Nook: http://bit.ly/BarnesandNobleFamily
BN Paperback: http://bit.ly/BarnesandNovelPaperback
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-family-she-never-met
Additional Retailers: https://books2read.com/FamilySheNeverMet
caridad romance novel

Caridad’s Guacamole on #FoodieFriday

Long before hipsters and others discovered avocado, Latinos were eating them in droves (when you could find them if you didn’t live in an ethnic enclave). Now avocados are ubiquitous, although I still find it hard to find Florida avocados. What’s the difference? Florida avocados are bigger and have smoother skin. They also have significantly less fat, but the fat in avocados is a healthy fat in the form of oleic acid. In general, avocados have lots of fiber, vitamins, can help reduce inflammation, improve good cholesterol . . . I could go on and on, but you get it. Avocados are good in moderation.

So when are avocados ripe? For the Hass ones which are more common (they are the small bumpy skin ones), don’t rely on color! If they’re brownish they are probably way far gone. Just gently press at the top near where the avocado connected to the tree. If it’s a little soft, that’s good and give it another day or so for it to be ripe. If it is ripe and you’re not ready to eat it, put it in the fridge! It will keep for a week or more in the fridge until you’re ready for it.

We always have a simple avocado salad on Christmas Eve, but one of my fav things to do is to make a nice guacamole with them!

Caridad’s Guacomole

Ingredients

    3 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped into big chunks
    1 clove garlic, chopped
    1 10 oz can ROTEL diced tomatoes and green chiles (drained)
    2 tbsp Olive Oil
    2 tbsp apple or white vinegar
    Juice of either 1/2 a lemon or if you have 1 lime
    1 ripe tomato chopped
    1/2 tsp salt
    Pepper to taste
    A few good shots of Cholula hot sauce

Directions

Place your salt and garlic in a mixing bowl. Mash together with a fork until close to a paste. Then add the oil and vinegar and mix. Add the avocado chunks and mash with a fork, but leave some nice chunks in there. You may want to put in half and mash it well, and then add the second half and only partially mash it. Add the Rotel tomatoes and chiles plus and mix. Add the ripe tomatoes and mix. Finish with adding the lemon or lime juice and Cholula. If you like it spicier, add more Cholula or a shot of Tabasco.

#WriteWed Always a Bridesmaid Series Inspiration

I am so so excited to say that I’ve accepted an offer from Sourcebooks for a new contemporary romance series – ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID. The series is about the last three unmarried friends and what happens as one by one, they possibly find the man who might provide the Happily-Ever-After.

The series was inspired by my daughter and her friends since they are all in various stages of dating, getting engaged, and getting married. I thought it might be fun to explore that moment in time and what happens as friends’ relationships change.

Another fun thing – the stories have a hometown feel even though they are set in different parts of New York City. I really love sharing the unique neighborhoods in New York so the stories will move from upscale places like Chelsea and Gramercy Park to more blue collar neighborhoods in Spanish Harlem and Brooklyn.

The stories will also show the diversity of New York City with the first story being about very wealthy old money families to the second story about an up-and-coming Latino family and finally, the third story highlights a big boisterous Italian family!

I am so excited about this series and about being part of the Sourcebooks family. If you’d like to know more about them, visit the Sourcebooks website and also, the fabulous Casablanca Authors website with so many wonderful Sourcebooks authors.

I’m having a little fun with the announcement this morning, so here’s a banner for you! Nope, this isn’t the cover! We haven’t even gotten to that stage yet! I will let you know as soon as we’ve decided on a release date for the series.
always

#ManCandyMonday Mario Lopez

It’s the dimples. Okay, and the rocking hot bod! Mario has appeared on numerous television shows and commercials. He’s probably best known for his role as A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell. Mario has also written a fitness book, cookbook and a children’s book about himself and his baby daughter.

He’s just so totally cute and a worthy choice to heat up this very cold and miserable first day of spring.

Mario Lopez at 2014 ALMA Awards
By Richard Sandoval [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Fun Friday – Contest Winner!

I want to thank all of you who dropped by on Wednesday to wish Rene Colato good luck with his wonderful children’s book! It was much appreciated.

Also – many many thanks for all the b’day wishes! I had a great day that weekend as well as last weekend when we had our first ever Liberty States Fiction Writers conference. I had a wonderful time and met so many nice people.

As for the b’day wishes, I’d like to announce the winner of my b’day contest!

Sherry is the lucky winner of a $25 Godiva Gift Card, copy of FURY CALLS and a SINS OF THE FLESH lunch bag. Congratulations, Sherry. Please e-mail your postal address to cpsromance at att dot net .

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Here in the NY/NJ Metro area we are getting a glimpse of our first taste of Spring! Bulbs are coming up, crocuses are in bloom and we’re supposed to have weather in the 60s. I so can’t wait!!

A Very Special Guest Blogger – Rene Colato

Today we have with us a very special guest – Rene Colato – a writer of books for children! It’s a change of pace, I know, but nothing is more important than getting your children to read.

I was an avid reader as a child and some of my fondest memories are of walking to the library with my grandmother or eagerly waiting for the bookmobile to stop at the corner so I could pick up my latest horde of books to read. My parents also provided lots of books for us and to this day I have a box filled with my favorites that I read to my daughter as a child.

So please give a big welcome to Rene and learn a little about him and his latest release, MY SHOES AND I.

From the Author

How I Became the Teacher Full of Stories
and a Children’s Book Author

I always wanted to write a book. In high school and college, I wrote seven novels for my family and friends. All of them are on their first drafts and have potential to become novels in the future. Also in college my short stories “Blood Tears” and “White Sheep Among White Lambs” became plays. I was confident that I could write a book and be an author.

Then I became a teacher and when I opened the door of room 11 at Fernangeles Elementary School, I discovered wonderful, colorful, excellent picture books. It was an instant love and soon I was writing my books for my students.

In my classroom, I loved to tell funny, scary, sad, happy and adventurous stories.

One day, one of my students asked me, “Can you write that story and draw the pictures?”

“What a wonderful idea!” I told him.

That night, I wrote and illustrated my first picture book- “El número 1/ The Number 1.” I finished the book at 1:00 A.M. and I was thrilled. I used watercolors to illustrate the book. The story is about Big Number One visiting a Number One Island. In the island lived little number ones and they were scared of Big Number One. Years later, I published this story in the Spanish magazine for children Revista Iguana.

After “El número 1” , I wrote and illustrated more books. Soon, I had a box labeled “Mr. Colato’s Books”. I discovered that during independent and silent reading, this box was empty. All around the classroom, my students were reading my books. I was so excited and decided to write more and more books.

After presenting a new book, Elvis told me, “You are the teacher full of stories.”

“Sí, yes! He is the teacher full of stories,” all the children said at the same time.

And I became the teacher full of stories at Fernangeles Elementary. Teachers began to borrow my books. I created poems and songs for the school. One time, I even illustrated a flyer title “Wash Your Hands”.

Soon, “Mr. Colato’s box” included books such as: Fabiola, Fabiola , The Three Delicious Pies, In Search of a Baby, I Am, Dear Journal, A Year Full of Adventures, Teacher What I need to do?, A Story Full of Color, My House is a Castle and many more.

One morning, children’s book authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy visited my school and told me, “You have to send this wonderful books to publishers.” Then, I joined their workshops “Teachers in the Classroom” that Project M.O.R.E. was offering for LAUSD teachers. Both Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy inspired me to create more books and to begin to send manuscripts to publishers.

The journey to publication was hard but in my way, I found many learning opportunities to craft my writing with UCLA, SCBWI, Highlights Foundation, the Institute of Children’s Literature and finally I obtained a MFA in writing for Children and Young Adult at Vermont College.

In November 2004, I published my first picture book Waiting for Papá/ Esperando a Papá. The following year, I published I Am René, the Boy and Playing Lotería. In September, my book number 7th is coming out, From North to South (Children’s Book Press).

Yeah! I am still The Teacher Full of Stories and there are many books coming soon.

My goal as a writer is to produce good multicultural children’s literature; stories where minority children are portrayed in a positive way, where they can see themselves as heroes, and where they can dream and have hopes for the future. I want to write authentic stories of Latin American children living in the United States.

Purchasing the Book:

You can purchase this book at the Dulce Bread and Book Shop by clicking on this link:

Dulce Bread & Book Shop

About the Author:

René Colato Laínez is the Salvadoran award winning author of I Am René, the Boy, Waiting for Papá, Playing Lotería, René Has Two Last Names and The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez. His picture books have been honored by the Latino Book Award, the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, the California Collection for Elementary Readers, the Tejas Star Book Award Selection and the New Mexico Book Award. Rene was named “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com. Rene is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults.

Visit Rene at these other guest blogs on his tour!

March 08 Mayra Calvani
http://www.examiner.com/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner

March 09 Lori Calabrese
http://www.examiner.com/x-7597-Childrens-Books-Examiner
http://loricalabrese.com/blog/

March 10 Christina Rodriguez
http://www.christinarodriguez.com/

March 11 Silvia
http://www.mamalatinatips.com/

March 12 Monica Olivera Hazelton
http://www.latinbabybookclub.com/

March 15 Tina Nichols Coury
http://www.tinanicholscouryblog.com/

March 16 Michael Sedano
http://www.labloga.blogspot.com/

March 18 Sandra Lopez
http://sandrasbookclub.blogspot.com/

March 19 Sheila DeChantal
http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/

Her name was Lola . . .

She was a show girl . . . LOL!

Our Lola today is anything but a show girl. She’s a smart and sexy sleuth in Misa Ramirez’s Lola Cruz Mystery series! I hope you’ll enjoy today’s guest blog with my friend and fellow author as Misa tells us a little more about the creation of her character and series.

*****

You don’t know me, but I’m a mystery writer. I’m the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery Series. Living the Vida Lola came out last January, and Hasta la Vista, Lola!, comes out on February 2nd. I’m gearing up for the release, in full celebratory mode, and thrilled to be here dishing with Caridad!

When you aren’t a regular on a blog, it can be hard to know what to write, and how to present it to a brand new audience. Should I be funny, like in my books? Serious, because murder is serious business? Or some combination of the two, perhaps? The truth is, I’m no stand up comedian (not by a long shot), but I am funny–in my books. Like any fleshed out character, I’m a combination of things. I love a good mystery (cutting my teeth on Nancy Drew, graduating to Agatha Christie, and branching out from there), read the occasional romance (Julia Quinn makes me laugh), but stick mostly with women’s and/or literary fiction (The Help is my new favorite book).

How, then, did I come to write mysteries, and why aren’t my mysteries serious instead of sexy and sassy?

The short answer is, I like the mystery device. What better way to propel a plot forward than to have a crime to solve?

The little-bit-longer answer is that crafting a puzzle that the sleuth and readers need to piece together is challenging–and fun; watching characters you love to spend time with grow and discover themselves–and each other–is rewarding. Having humor and wit in a book is icing on the cake.

For me, then, the mystery is only half the story. Lola Cruz came about long before the framework of Living the Vida Lola. She came to me as a character who was at once sassy, smart, sexy, determined, strong, feminine, Latina, black belt in kung fu, idealistic, American, sister, daughter, friend, and so much more. When it was time to figure out how I was going to tell her story, it made perfect sense to put her into an investigative role. Elements of the mystery, I knew, could pit Lola against external conflicts, as well as internal conflicts, of which she has many. It would force her to evaluate her life, her choices, her dreams, her desires, and her future (all in a funny, light way). Balancing her drive to be a detective, her traditional Mexican family, cultural expectations, her American sensibilities, and her love life is no easy task. Add in a mystery, and it’s a wild ride!

Lola Cruz Mysteries are character driven more than anything, but the mysteries really interest me. They’re ‘ripped from the headlines’, twisted, redefined, and Lola-fied. The mysteries shape, form, and/or enlighten Lola in her personal life or with her decision-making. They are equal, then, to Lola’s own story, which spans the arc of the series (we’re only on book 2, so have a ways to go yet).

I’m always curious to find out i readers like their mysteries straight up, or with the zany, romantic elements which are in many series. How do you like yours?

Visit Misa and learn more about Lola Cruz Mysteries at http://misaramirez.com, at Chasing Heroes, http://chasingheroes.com, and at The Stiletto Gang, http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com.

Want to find out more about Misa and Lola! Then take a moment to stop at one of these other blog tour stops:

Mon Jan 18 BronzeWord Latino Authors
Tues Jan 19 Book-Lover Carol
Wed Jan 20 Latino Book Examiner
Thur Jan 21 Julia Amante
Mon Jan 25 Murder By 4
Tues Jan 26 Book Journey
Wed Jan 27 Mama Latina Tips
Fri Jan 29 Literary Feline

Thanks Misa for dropping by and thanks to all of you for leaving comments and questions for Misa!