Hispanic Heritage Month and an Anniversary

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month but also a happy anniversary for me! This September it’s been 24 — yes 24 — years since my first novel was released for the Encanto Latino Romance line. That first novel was set in Miami much like my current South Beach Security series. Miami for me was the replacement for the country I couldn’t visit — Cuba. I also was raised in a very non-Latino neighborhood – Levittown, Long Island. For those reasons, I use a Miami location to share my Cuban culture. But you’ll notice that the image I created says something else in Spanish: Latin Heritage, American Heart. Very true for me. Although I value and honor my Cuban (and Spanish) background, my heart is very much American also and I honor the Nation that has given me so much. It’s not a perfect Nation, but I truly believe it is an amazing country that has provided so many opportunities for so many. It’s a nation that’s let me not only keep my culture but also share it with others, the way that I do in so many of my novels. But not all of my novels as some of you might know. Why? I love exploring all aspects of different cultures and people. The key for me is to always do it accurately and respectfully. My two cents on this Monday!