author guest post: belinda acosta

I'm delighted to have a guest post from the author of Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz. Here Belinda Acosta discusses her writing process:

People seem to have very particular ideas about what a “writing process” is, so I hope I’m approaching your version of it. My writing process is really quite pedestrian. I wake up, drink coffee, fire up the computer, answer e-mail (I still have a day job and work from home), deal with annoying details; then I start writing. Depending on what I’m working on, I may wake up as early as 3am. I’m not sure why that’s the magical hour except maybe it’s because that’s when the last Cap Metro bus passes my house and everyone is finally where they need to be for the night. The phone doesn’t ring and no one comes to my door. It’s sublimely quiet. I’ve marveled at other writers who say they write to music. I could never do that! I’m pretty good at tuning the world out, having written in newsrooms, but writing in the wee hours of the morning when the rest of the world has gone to sleep is luscious.

When I was contacted about writing a series on quinceañeras I had just reviewed Julia Alvarez’s nonfiction book, Once Upon a Quinceañera for The Austin Chronicle. So, the subject was in high on my radar. What intrigued me about the subject was similar to what intrigued Alvarez: What does it mean to be a woman today? Is there something about the Latina experience that is unique? Why have a ritual to mark this “passage”? Where did the tradition stem from? And on and on and on. I find it amusing that I did not have a quinceañera, I had never been to one prior to writing this book, and I don’t have any children. I do know, from first hand experience, how complicated the relationship between mothers and daughters can be. Part of what makes Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz stand out is that it focuses on that relationship—the good and the bad, hopefully, with honesty and candor. In short, I drafted an outline for the book and once it was approved, I began writing.

Belinda Acosta works as a journalist in Austin, Texas, writing reviews and features on books, film, and the arts, in addition to a weekly column on television (TV Eye) for the Austin Chronicle. Her work has appeared in Poets & Writers, Latino USA, Latino Magazine, AlterNet and other publications. She was a Michener Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin where she received her MFA in Writing in 1997. Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz (Grand Central Publishing, August 2009) is her first novel.

review and tour: damas, dramas, and ana ruiz by belinda acosta

Ana Ruiz has two teenagers with her soon-to-be-ex-husband. Their son Diego has been fairly accepting of the new circumstances, but daughter Carmen is another story. She’s always been daddy’s little girl and believes her mother is the sole cause of her parents’ problems. Since Carmen’s fifteenth birthday is approaching, Ana suggests holding a quinceañera as a way for them to bond. Of course, things don’t go exactly as Ana plans; her niece Bianca (who has parental problems of her own) is far more into the quinceañera and bonding experience than Carmen is. Ana struggles to keep her family together while also trying to find a life for herself without her husband.

I enjoyed the story quite a bit, especially the twist at the end regarding Ana’s husband. It was clear straightaway he’d been unfaithful and Ana just wasn’t saying because she didn’t want the children to think poorly of him, but the bombshell he drops was completely unexpected. The part I didn’t enjoy was the narrator. I felt this external narrator took me out of the story too much, especially with all the “how do you says” both in English and Spanish. Those drove me crazy!

And one last thing: Get out your Spanish dictionary! I took Spanish for two years, but apparently most of it has fallen out of my head. I spent quite a bit of time looking up words and phrases as I read Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz. I do believe one could understand what was going on without knowing any of the Spanish words, but I’m someone who has to know. I also looked up information about quinceañeras because I wanted to know more about the event that is at the center of this book; though again, you can get through with only the information given in the book.
3/5

Here are the other participating blogs. You can also read the guest post from Belinda Acosta.

startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com
foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com
latinitasmagazine.org
authorslatino.com/wordpress
yougottareadguest.blogspot.com
peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com
booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com
bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com
molcotw.blogspot.com
bridget3420.blogspot.com
reviewfromhere.com
fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com
brimfulcuriosities.com
iheartmonster.com
halfdesertedstreets.com
bookjourney.wordpress.com
booksiesblog.blogspot.com
cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com
books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com
frommipov.blogspot.com
brainlair.blogspot.com
dreyslibrary.blogspot.com
ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com
locacrazywriter.blogspot.com
jennsbookshelf.blogspot.com
thisbookforfree.com
abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com
bethsbookreviewblog.blogspot.com
aparkavenueprincess.blogspot.com
bookmagic418.blogspot.com

review: prime time by hank phillippi ryan

This post contains affiliate links.

Forty-six year old investigative reporter Charlie McNally knows her time at Channel 3 is dependent upon getting a great story for November sweeps, but she doesn't have much to work with. That is until she starts piecing together a corporation's corruption, two suspicious deaths, and what initially looked to be spam emails. Now Charlie must figure out who's behind the conspiracy not just to impress the station brass but to save her life!

Prime Time's excellent murder mystery is made all the more enjoyable with Hank Phillippi Ryan's accurate portrayal of TV news. The author has years of experience of in TV news (including an impressive number of Emmys and Murrows) and her knowledge of the industry is clear. From the very first chapter I knew I was going to love everything about this book. So much of what's shown here about TV news has happened in my life (though thankfully no one has ever tried to kill me!). I sincerely hope enough people read Prime Time that the misconceptions about TV news are eliminated. I, for one, am very much looking forward to the next Charlie McNally book, Face Time.
5/5
Review copy provided by the author.

review: if the witness lied by caroline b. cooney

In a short period of time, the four Fountain children lost both of their parents. Before their father died, the former stepsister of the children’s mother had come forward to live with the family claiming she wanted to help. Now that their father is dead too, Cheryl has set up the house how she wants it and alienated the children to the point that one lives with her godparents while the other sister has enrolled in boarding school. Only Jack and toddler Tris remain in the unhappy house. As their father’s birthday passes and the anniversaries of their parents’ deaths approach, the children feel a need to come together. That’s when they discover Cheryl has been lying to them; the three teens haven’t agreed to be involved in the TV show Cheryl has planned, but that’s what she tells them knowing they haven’t had much communication in the last year. Now the question is, if Cheryl is lying about this, what else has she lied about?

This is a good story, but it requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. It’s just a little too much to believe that everything would happen as written. I don’t want to do spoilers, but I can say that I sincerely doubt the media would’ve been interested in the story (that is, until the protesters showed up at the house, but they could’ve only known to protest if the story had been picked up. I also doubt anyone would actually protest what they are said to protest; if anything, people protest the exact opposite!). Cheryl’s motivation is more than a little sketchy. In the end, things just don’t quite add up.
3/5
ARC Review

giveaway: the hope of refuge

I have one copy of The Hope of Refuge to giveaway.

My review is here and an author interview is available here, but here's the information from the publisher to give you a little more:
"Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?"

The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on August 29. Winners will be selected at random. Open to all US residents; PO Boxes are just fine this time.

review and tour: the hope of refuge by cindy woodsmall

This post contains affiliate links.

When it is clear that her stalker has become even more dangerous, Cara flees with her daughter to Dry Lake, Pennsylvania—a place she’d been once before with her mother. Cara doesn’t realize her connection to the Amish who live there, but they know exactly who she is. Only one man, Ephraim, dares to betray the community and help her and her young daughter. Although Cara and Lori try to hide, they are eventually revealed and Ephraim suffers a harsh punishment. And that’s not the only turmoil for Ephraim’s family—his father is sick and his sister has relationship problems of her own.

Not only was this book well-written with a great plot that includes a bit of romance and mystery, it also taught me a few things. I had no idea that Englischers (that would be anyone who isn’t Amish) do interact freely with Amish people; I thought they were much more isolated. I was also quite surprised (as was Cara) to learn that they can have phones for business, but they are typically not kept in the living quarters. The Hope of Refuge definitely inspired me to learn more. The profile that ABC did reveals some more information (about the author as well who is interviewed), but I think I'm going to check out some books from the library.

Cindy Woodsmall isn’t touring the northwest, which makes me sad, but here are the dates.
Tuesday, August 11, 7 pm
Norcross, GA -- Barnes & Noble

Wednesday, August 12, 7pm
Nashville, TN -- Barnes & Noble Opry Mills

Thursday, August 13, 6pm
Plainfield, IN -- Barnes & Noble

Friday, August 14, 6pm
Downers Grove, IL -- Barnes & Noble

Saturday, August 15, 1pm
Grand Rapids, MI -- Baker Books

Sunday, August 16, 2pm
Grandville, MI -- Barnes & Noble

Monday, August 17, 7pm
Columbus, OH -- Barnes & Noble

Tuesday, August 18, 7pm
Pittsburgh, PA -- Joseph Beth Booksellers

Wednesday, August 19, 6pm
Whitehall, PA -- Hackman’s Bible Book Store

Thursday, August 20, 1pm
Newburg, PN -- Rachel’s Country Store (Amish dry goods store)

I have one copy of this book to giveaway so be sure to check that out!
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, WaterBrook Press.

giveaway winners: my name is will

Congratulations to Grad School Mommy, Amy, ChristyJan, Upper West Side Writer, and Angela who each win a copy of My Name Is Will. If you haven't already, please email me your address.