On September 8, Variety reported that a film adaptation for Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s multi-award-winning LGBTQ+ novel is set to be screened and premiered at Toronto International Film Festival this Friday.
An exclusive clip spotlighting the characters’ first meeting was also revealed, highlighting Ari and Dante bonding over their names.
Aitch Alberto is the screenwriter and director behind the project with Max Pelayo (Ari) and Reese Gonzales (Dante) starring. Kyra Sedgwick and Eugenio Derbez (Ari’s father in the film and well-known Mexican actor), and Lin-Manuel Miranda are high-profile producers attached. Additional cast includes Eva Longoria, Luna Blaise and Kevin Alejandro.
This film marks Alberto’s “feature debut” stated in TIFF’s official film page for Ari & Dante. Financing and production for the adaptation came from Limelight, 3Pas Studios and Big Swing Productions, associated with Boies Schiller Entertainment, as reported by Deadline in 2021 when initial casting was announced.
According to a Publishers Weekly interview from 2021, it was over a 5-year process getting the novel adapted to screen. An exclusive first look still was initially revealed through Twitter during August.
Dante can swim. Ari can’t. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari’s features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself.
But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives, and help define the people they want to be. But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other―and the power of their friendship―can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side.
Are you looking forward to the Ari and Dante film adaptation?
On March 30, Tor.com revealed the sequel cover to Ortiz’s 2020 debut Blazewrath Games which will be titled,Dragonblood Ring, releasing October 2021!
Blazewrath Games is a YA Contemporary Fantasy novel where dragons and their riders compete in an international sports tournament. The series follows Lana Torres who longs to represent her native Puerto Rico in their first World Cup appearance. When she’s given the chance to compete, Lana realizes the safety of the cup is jeopardized and soon she’s navigating an international conspiracy.
Dragonblood Ring will continue Lana’s adventures established in Amparo’s first novel. With a blue backdrop, the sequel cover even shows a couple new dragons front and center.
Alongside the cover reveal was also an excerpt of the first chapter. Cover artist is Setor Fiadzigbey and designer is Melia Parsloe.
Lana Torres has always preferred dragons to people. In a few weeks, sixteen countries will compete in the Blazewrath World Cup, a tournament where dragons and their riders fight for glory in a dangerous relay.
Lana longs to represent her native Puerto Rico in their first ever World Cup appearance, and when Puerto Rico’s Runner—the only player without a dragon steed—is kicked off the team, she’s given the chance.
But when she discovers that a former Blazewrath superstar has teamed up with the Sire—a legendary dragon who’s cursed into human form—the safety of the Cup is jeopardized. The pair are burning down dragon sanctuaries around the world and refuse to stop unless the Cup gets cancelled. All Lana wanted was to represent her country. Now, to do that, she’ll have to navigate an international conspiracy that’s deadlier than her beloved sport.
Dragonblood Ring by Amparo Ortiz is set to be released October 12, 2021!
On October 1, Goldy Moldavsky revealed through Twitter, the cover to her 2021 YA Thriller titled The Mary Shelley Club!
The novel follows Rachel Chavez who has a fresh start at Manchester Prep, but after a prank gone wrong she attracts the attention of a mysterious club with an obsession for horror.
According to the author via her original tweet, the book features, “A secret society, masks, scary movie talk, teens behaving very badly, a game they probably shouldn’t be playing.”
Moldavsky is a Contemporary author and this is her third full-length novel. The creative director for the cover is Rich Deas.
New girl Rachel Chavez is eager to make a fresh start at Manchester Prep. But as one of the few scholarship kids, Rachel struggles to fit in, and when she gets caught up in a prank gone awry, she ends up with more enemies than friends.
To her surprise, however, the prank attracts the attention of the Mary Shelley Club, a secret club of students with one objective: come up with the scariest prank to orchestrate real fear. But as the pranks escalate, the competition turns cutthroat and takes on a life of its own.
When the tables are turned and someone targets the club itself, Rachel must track down the real-life monster in their midst . . . even if it means finally confronting the dark secrets from her past.
The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky is set to be released April 13, 2021!
On September 4, Romina Garber revealed through her Twitter the sequel cover to Lobizona which is titled, Cazadora!
Lobizona follows Manuela Azul (or Manu) is undocumented and when her mother is arrested by ICE, she finds herself stepping into a magical world out of Argentine folklore where she learns more about herself and her family’s past.
Garber, when delving into more what draws the eyes, mentioned this about the cover, “I love how our eye is first drawn to the wolf that hybridizes Manu, creating a symmetrical first impression—then as our gaze rises to the asymmetrical title treatment & falls to the enigmatically patterned foliage, we’re broken out of that illusion of symmetry & order & borders…”
The cover artist is Daria Hlazatova and designer is Kerri Resnick.
As she praised Hlazatova’s art, Garber stated “I especially love how the illustration shows us that this is a sequel by splitting Manu & exposing her dualities . . .”
Cazadora will wrap up Garber’s Wolves Of No World duology.
Some people ARE illegal.
Lobizonas do NOT exist.
Both of these statements are false.
Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who’s on the run from her father’s Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.
Until Manu’s protective bubble is shattered.
Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past–a mysterious “Z” emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.
As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it’s not just her U.S. residency that’s illegal. . . .it’s her entire existence.
As of August 6, BookPage revealed the cover to Margarita Engle’s upcoming Contemporary novel written in verse, titled Your Heart My Sky.
According to the article, the book follows “two teens who fall in love while struggling to survive during one of the darkest periods in Cuban history” during a point often titled “the special period.”
Engle mentioned that she was drawn to writing a novel set during this time because she “returned to Cuba in 1991, after a 31-year absence” and seeing “drastic hunger shocked and saddened” her. Wanting to write about it again after realizing that “most adult readers in the U.S. weren’t interested or didn’t believe,” she hopes younger readers are more “empathetic and compassionate.”
Alongside the cover reveal was also an excerpt. The cover illustrator is Gaby D’Alessandro and designer is Rebecca Syracuse.
The people of Cuba are living in el periodo especial en tiempos de paz—the special period in times of peace. That’s what the government insists that this era must be called, but the reality behind these words is starvation.
Liana is struggling to find enough to eat. Yet hunger has also made her brave: she finds the courage to skip a summer of so-called volunteer farm labor, even though she risks government retribution. Nearby, a quiet, handsome boy named Amado also refuses to comply, so he wanders alone, trying to discover rare sources of food.
A chance encounter with an enigmatic dog brings Liana and Amado together. United in hope and hunger, they soon discover that their feelings for each other run deep. Love can feed their souls and hearts—but is it enough to withstand el periodo especial?
Your Heart, My Sky by Margarita Engle is set to be released on March 23, 2021!
This 2021 contemporary is pitched as a “stunning story of first love, familial expectations, and the power of food.” Here is the cover and summary:
As an aspiring pastry chef, Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans — leaving Pen to choose between disappointing her traditional Mexican-American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret she’s been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho’s who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she’s been too afraid to ask herself.
Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho’s is an opportunity for just that — a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo’s, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his new found family and himself.
Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong — both within their families and their fiercely loyal Chicanx community — in order to save the place they all call home.
The cover artist is Poppy Magda. Zea Kemp has also officially launched her pre-order campaign featuring digital swag, bookmarks and more:
Hey 24hr.YABookBlog here, creator of The Booked Shelf! Its my goal on the blog to not only highlight YA Book news, but also the fantastic creators in the bookish community!
Image Credit:Alejandro Ortiz
I had the opportunity to interview Adriana from Boricua Reads, she’s a wonderful book blogger friend who continuously boosts and supports Latinx books!
Today’s post is the first in a new series I hope will be a staple here alongside all the bookish news, enjoy our interview!
Thanks for being a guest on the blog today Adriana, I’m honored to have you here! What inspired you to start your blog and what has your journey been like so far?
Adriana:I originally was blogging on Tumblr about the occasional book, and book lists as a way to turn my brain off from college assignments. However, I felt I wasn’t getting traction on there and I talked to Cam (justabookeater) since we know each other since high school and they were more experienced in the online book community. I started a twitter account to start following my favorite writers and be updated about new releases and not be so behind reading (in late 2010’s I was reading early 2010 YAs like Beautiful Music for Ugly People and Ari and Dante). In early 2018, I got mad at tumblr because it kept messing up my posts (and the fact that it was just a bad website) and I migrated all my posts to WordPress, where I knew some folks were posting like Sylvia (serialbibliophile, whom I miss) and Marianne (she’s mostly deactivated publicly now, but she used to be bookishboricua). That May I posted the first #ReadLatinx list, or what would become the #ReadLatinx list.
That leads right into my next question! According to your blog, you created #ReadLatinx in June of 2018 to promote and uplift Latinx authors (that often don’t get as much exposure as they should). What were your expectations/hope with this hashtag? Also, what’s your reaction to how its been received & utilized by the book community? Lastly, in general what does #ReadLatinx mean to you?
Adriana:I started using the hashtag as a way to call attention to books being published by Latinx writers. I felt like I kept seeing books by white authors be promoted to the point of annoyance and I wanted to tell the world that we’re here, telling stories and moving people with words. So I started promoting each new release in threads and calling attention to them, hoping that someone in the Twitter void would listen, and people did! At first it was mostly Latinx promoting within our community of readers (folks like Latinx in Kid Lit have been both sources of knowledge and encouragement), but then more people started feeling motivated to self-promote and nudge me saying “hey I have a book coming out” and more book bloggers began to take interest in these books.
Whenever I see someone using my hashtag it fills me with so much joy! It’s just such a straightforward way of telling people “hey, read Latinx books! However, I’ve also seen the downside of it, which is people using the hashtag to promote books by harassers like Junot Diaz and books by non-Latinx folks (mostly, white authors) who write racist Latinx caricatures and are praised as the epitome of representation. It’s frustrating but I also can’t control everything happening on the internet.
#ReadLatinx means a celebration, una bulla for all the Latinx writers who’ve been passed over, silenced, ignored, and show that we’re proud of our works. The publishing industry rewards white supremacy by publishing more books by white writers than any BIPOC (attach numbers), and we see that in bookstores and famous bookstagrams. Publishing doesn’t exist in a vacuum and I’m glad something like a hashtag has helped me feel better of what I put out in the universe.
How do you discover new reads? Any go-to places for book recommendations?
Adriana: For my seasonal Latinx book lists, I rely on book announcements from Publisher’s Weekly, Edelweiss (since they have publishers’ catalogs of upcoming releases), librarians like Sujei Lugo and booksellers like Cecilia Cackley, the Latinx author collective Las Musas, Goodreads, online book content creators, and word of mouth.
I discover new reads in the same way, but also through what’s on sale on my mobile book seller (I usually use Apple Books) and review copies.
If I want a book rec I go to my friends who have sort of the same taste as I do, like Cande, Caro, and Marianne. Other great resources: the LGBTQ Reads website (thank God for Dahlia Adler), Rachel Strolle’s (@recitrachel) posts, Fadwa’s social media (wordwoonders), The Quiet Pond (a blog run by CW, Joce, and Skye, all Asian book bloggers), Black book content creators like Jesse (Bowties and Books) and The Artisan Geek, and other Latinx book reviewers like Adriana (perpetualpages), Andrea (alifebydreaming on twitter, bookramble on YouTube), Jocelyn (yogi with a book/joceraptor), Alicia (booknonsense) and Paola (@Guerrerawr on twitter, Paola Mancera on YT). And, of course, you!
I noticed there’s a lot of variety to your posts where you alternate between reviews, lists, tags, etc. How do you decide what to post and what’s your process for writing one?
Adriana:The variety is due to my inconsistency as a book blogger because I post when I feel inspired and have time. I’ve been slacking on the review side of my blog, mostly because I feel like the speed with which I’m reading these days is too fast for me to catch up with my reviews. So I’ll do book tags and collabs with friends instead of doing… actual original content.
When I decide to write something, I give myself breaks if I need them. After all, this is free labor so I try not to pressure myself to have a consistent schedule and I’m not that hard on myself. I post when I deem something is finished, as in all the links are in, the formatting looks good, the header design is good and I don’t notice a glaring typo. Sometimes I’ll ask a friend to look at it with fresh eyes because everyone needs editing.
I know that there’s a particular duology you LOVE to tweet about: WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE! What do you love about Mejia’s books so much and what sets this series apart from other’s you’ve read?
Adriana:I first read Tehlor’s short story in All Out, the Queer YA anthology edited by Saundra Mitchell, and I fell in love with her lush writing and setting. Already being familiar with Tehlor’s writing from there, the expectations for WSTDOF were quite high for me. I like the fact that WSTDOF poses questions that it’s prepared to answer, and that it makes the audience ask questions as well. It explores different kinds of radical activism, from militancy to consciousness raising, from asylum to just strangers’ kindness, and how all of these must be used in a balanced way to overthrow a fascist government; hope for change to circumstances must be the core tenet of any revolutionary movement. I don’t know that I can compare this duology with any other series, but in my original WSTDOF review, I compared it to Sabaa Tahir’s Ember Quartet’s Laia (her experiences and the way she hopes for better and is steadfast in her beliefs) mixed with The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen (especially in her experiences with trauma and the realities of a revolution). And yet it has the gentleness and prose you might find in a Roshani Chokshi book and the queerness of an Anna-Marie McLemore story. The way Mejia can meld all these things together and make an amazing story is incredible and unique.
Bonus: Give 3 reasons why people should read this duology
Thinly veiled metaphors for border life and Latin American (particularly Mexican) immigration, a quiet slow-burn (pun intended) queer romance, and villains who deserve the guillotine.
List your most anticipated Latinx book releases in 2020:
You’ve also published poetry for inQluded & Boricua en la Luna anthology! What has been your favorite part of the writing process and any advice you have for book bloggers looking to write/publish too?
Adriana: My favorite part is stretching the limits of what I can do with my writing. I didn’t think I’d be publishing poetry even five years ago, but I’ve been writing poetry since I was a teen. I try not to box myself into a certain category of writer, as I write fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. The versatility has opened many doors for me, even if it is writing a review for Tor.com or an op-ed for Bustle. So, my favorite part of the writing process has been to be kind with myself and be open to different kinds of writing. An advice I’d give to fellow book bloggers is to not put yourself down before you’re able to experience something new. Sometimes a publication will ask for book reviewers and I’ll have friends saying they’re not good enough for it, but the worst thing someone can say is no, and if they say no, it should be taken as an opportunity to grow and keep polishing your work. Also, to not be afraid to ask a friend to read over your posts; you’ll never know who might be reading.
Any media you’re currently enjoying? (Interview date was early April 2020)
Adriana:As I write this, I’m listening to THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ as narrated by Tituss Burgess, which is fun (even if the author of the book had anti-Indigenous sentiments). I don’t really listen to audiobooks but Apple Books has a handful of free audiobooks narrated by theater and film actors (in January, I listened to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE narrated by Kate Beckinsale, which was incredible).
In terms of physical books, I’ve absolutely loved: CEMETERY BOYS by Aiden Thomas, SAL AND GABI FIX THE UNIVERSE by Carlos Hernandez, AMERICAN SWEETHEARTS by Adriana Herrera, and MY RAINBOW by Trinity and Deshanna Neal and illustrated by Art Twink.
Recently, I watched High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which is incredibly self-aware in its silliness and kind of tongue-in-cheek about its humor, and I absolutely adore that. It also deals with complex feelings of belonging and family and made me cry.
I’m also obsessed with Portrait of a Lady on Fire, directed by Céline Sciamma. The way the film talks about love and muse/artist relationships, and caring for someone purposefully, it left me feeling tender and raw.
I used to listen to more music while in college but recently I’ve loved Dua Lipa’s new album Carly Rae Jepsen’s Dedicated album, Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG, and Orville Peck’s debut album Pony.
What’s your favorite part about being a book blogger?
Adriana:I love being able to do whatever I want on my blog and be unapologetic about my love for books. Being a book blogger also allows me to connect with other like-minded individuals. It’s also a unique position where you’re constantly learning, since others might have different perspectives on what you’re enjoying (or not).
Any books you’ve been planning to read, but haven’t yet?
Adriana:I’m gonna call myself out and admit I have over 100 unread books (including ARCs) and I’ve been trying to get into NOCTURNA by Maya Motayne but I’m such a mood reader that I read a few pages and desire to read something else. I also have so many books I’ve started but left halfway, like TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY by Kwame Mbalia and WICKED FOX by Kat Cho, due to my bad ADHD.
When it comes to writing book reviews, what do you always plan on including or discussing? OR does it depend on the book?
Adriana:I try to treat each review as if they were a college paper or a college book review. I start out with a short summary of the relevant plot, and then tie it together to a specific topic I wish to tackle about the book. I sometimes outline the points I want to hit, like in the review I did for We Set the Dark on Fire, where I broke down the metaphors the book used for real world issues like immigration, code switching, class differences, machismo, and sapphic love in a Latinx setting. I also try to acknowledge my weaknesses in my reviews, such as the fact that my readings are done from the perspective of a light-skinned queer Puerto Rican, and therefore if I’m reviewing a book by a Black author where the story revolves around the experiences of being Black my voice shouldn’t be the one a reader should be listening to. I did that in my review of A Phoenix First Must Burn, and instead focused on the impact of each story and whether the author managed to convey the story they were telling in a successful way in such a short format.
As for reading, what are your favorite kinds of books and tropes?
Picture Books: I enjoy reading about new cultures by authors within that culture (like THE OCEAN CALLS by Tina Cho, MY RAINBOW and WHERE ARE YOU FROM? by Yamile Saied Méndez) and silly books like LLAMA DESTROYS THE WORLD by Jonathan Stutzman.
Middle Grade:Books that deal with identity. be it a queer character and/or a character of color, (like THE MOON WITHIN by Aida Salazar, A DASH OF TROUBLE by Anna Meriano, and MERCI SUÁREZ CHANGES GEARS by Meg Medina). Books by authors of color that are genre books (fantasy, mysteryn or sci-fi) are also big for me.
YA:: I really do love any kind of fantasy (whether high, paranormal, or urban fantasy) by authors of color. However, these days it takes me longer to settle into high fantasy with complicated worldbuilding. I enjoy sci-fi that takes the science part of the genre seriously and therefore their fiction is well informed by science, but I rarely pick it up. The last few YAs I’ve read and loved have been: CEMETERY BOYS by Aiden Thomas, COLOR ME IN by Natasha Diaz, and WANT by Cindy Pon. All of these books directly critique something about their culture, such as: Cemetery Boys’ defiance of gender norms in a magical Latinx family from the perspective of a trans boy; Color Me In’s critique of the mixed family (Black and white in this case) and how a white family can’t ignore someone’s Blackness and a biracial girl must come to terms with her privileges as a white-passing Black girl; and, Want’s takedown of the technological monopoly of billionaires and how they’re destroying poor people and the environment for profit. So, you could say I love stories with a social justice theme.
Adult:I’m not really into literary fiction, but I’ll read some adult fantasy (like books by N.K. Jemisin) and sci-fi and romance. I’m much more into adult romance by authors of color (what a shocker) like Adriana Herrera, Zoey Castile, and Alexis Daria, and erotica by Katrina Jackson. I’ll read contemporary and historical romance, and not much else.
As for tropes, I love well-written enemies-to-lovers, unrequited love that turns into something more, road trips, found families, fake dating, when a character has amnesia and slowly has to relearn everything or figure out what’s happened, when external circumstances have to keep two characters/parties apart… there are so many!
Any bookish content your looking forward to posting/creating on BoricuaReads in the future?
Adriana:I’m looking forward to my next #ReadLatinx list for the summer, which should be out in late May, and I’m planning to write a mega review of Adriana Herrera’s Dreamers series. I also have a mini series for picture book reviews that might be on the pipeline. Other than that, I don’t plan a lot of posts ahead.
Favorite book review you’ve written & Why?
Adriana:I loved the review I wrote of FIVE MIDNIGHTS for Tor.com just because it was my first paid book review, and my review of Lima :: Limón by Natalie Scenters-Zapico was a favorite one, just because the poetry collection was incredible and the fact that I found a way to talk about it and did it justice was a high point for me.
Any book blog goals for the rest of 2020?
Adriana:I’m trying to post more reviews and book lists. I want to keep bringing some of my interests outside of books into the book blogging realm, like Dungeons and Dragons and my favorite TV Shows. I would also like to spend more time reading my friends’ blog posts so I can keep learning and finding new reads.
Thank you so much to Adriana for highlighting your content and work in the bookish community!
Adriana M. Martínez Figueroa (she/they) is a bisexual Puerto Rican writer. She holds a B.A. from Iowa State University in Women and Gender Studies with a minor in US Latinx Studies. Her words can be found on her WordPress blog (Boricua Reads) as well as Bustle, Tor.com, InQluded, and Boricua en la Luna (e.d. Elena M. Aponte). She lives in Vega Baja, PR. Follow her social media @boricuareads.
Revealed through Tor.com on April 3, was the cover for Amparo Ortiz’s upcoming fantasy debut titled Blazewrath Games, which is pitched as How To Train Your Dragon meets Quidditch Through The Ages!
Set in an alternate contemporary world, Tor stated “dragons and their riders compete in a spectacular (and spectacularly dangerous) international sports tournament.”
Ortiz also shared a fact about the dragons featured on the cover via Twitter stating: “That blue dragon is called the Scottish Golden Horn. Scotland is 1 of the countries fighting for the Blazewrath World Cup! The black dragon protecting my MC is a Sol de Noche. It hails from Puerto Rico, and can light its body on fire!”
The cover art was done by Carolina Rodríguez Fuenmayor.
Alongside the cover reveal, was also an excerpt of the first chapter!
Lana Torres has always preferred dragons to people. In a few weeks, sixteen countries will compete in the Blazewrath World Cup, a tournament where dragons and their riders fight for glory in a dangerous relay. Lana longs to represent her native Puerto Rico in their first ever World Cup appearance, and when Puerto Rico’s Runner—the only player without a dragon steed—is kicked off the team, she’s given the chance.
But when she discovers that a former Blazewrath superstar has teamed up with the Sire—a legendary dragon who’s cursed into human form—the safety of the Cup is jeopardized. The pair are burning down dragon sanctuaries around the world and refuse to stop unless the Cup gets cancelled. All Lana wanted was to represent her country. Now, to do that, she’ll have to navigate an international conspiracy that’s deadlier than her beloved sport.
Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz is set to be released October 6, 2020!
On April 7,Publishers Weekly announced that Zoraida Córdova would be the editor for an upcoming YA science fiction fantasy anthology featuring stories from Latinx authors.
Authors will include: Elizabeth Acevedo, Vita Ayala, David Bowles, Zoraida Córdova, Sara Faring, Romina Garber, Isabel Ibañez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Yamile Saied Méndez, Nina Moreno, Maya Motayne, Daniel José Older, Claribel Ortega, Mark Oshiro, and Lilliam Rivera.
As of April 15, Córdova also shared via her website that she’s looking for an Afro-Latinx author to include and submissions will run until July 15, 2020.
“[This collection] will feature speculative fiction exploring the Latinx diaspora…it’s one of the first of its kind, bringing much needed representation to the world of science fiction & fantasy…” mentioned on Córdova’s Reclaim The Stars page.
While not many details are known as to what each story will be about, one author has already shared some hints via Twitter. Nina Moreno tweeted on April 7, “Southern gothic latinx monster boyfriend.”
Its planned for a Winter 2022 release date with Wednesday Books.
” I’m honored to be working with these rockstar authors and editors…The stories we have lined up explore the Latinx diaspora through the lens of science fiction & fantasy. And we have some secret things brewing so stay tuned”
Here at The Booked Shelf, there’s so much excitement and anticipation for this upcoming book! As a Latina reader myself, I’m so overjoyed to see this anthology with a stellar line-up and focused on SFF! You can expect more coverage of this upcoming book as it gets closer to release year!
Reclaim The Stars edited by Zoraida Córdova will be released in 2022!
On July 18, Nina Moreno announced through her twitter that she would be writing another book set in Port Coral, the fictional coastal town she created in her contemporary debut, Don’t Date Rosa Santos.
Though it isn’t set to be released until 2021, Moreno shared that its always been her dream to “write soft Latinx romcoms in a Cute Seaside Town…”
” The book has my number one fave trope of childhood BFFs to enemies to more meets the rat-a-tat-tat of all that is said (and unsaid) in rom-com conversations plus Latinx family dynamics and Port Coral hijinks over a whole year, I just love it so much…”
According to the Publishers Weekly Rights Report from July 15, Our Way Back To Always is pitched as ” Pitched as When Harry Met Sally by way of Sarah Dessen, the contemporary YA romance follows two next-door neighbors and ex-best friends—gamer, fanfic-writer Luisa and drummer, golden boy Sam—whose paths collide during senior year of high school when they rediscover their childhood bucket list and set out to complete it before graduation…”
Moreno also shared that this novel takes place after Don’t Date Rosa Santos and readers “will be able to see what everyone is up to” while revisiting Port Coral.
Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that’s what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you’re a boy with a boat.
But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.
As her college decision looms, Rosa collides – literally – with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?
Don’t Date Rosa Santos is out now & Our Way Back To Always is set to be released in Spring of 2021!
The Booked Shelf 