Faqs

The easiest way is to sign up for my newsletter by filling out the form below. You’ll note that it asks for a snail mail address. You only have to fill this out if you want to receive a [...]

This is like asking which is my favorite child! Impossible to answer. Often my favorite is the one I’m reading in the moment. But here’s an attempt at writing about books that moved [...]

I created one for LOVE IN ENGLISH. You can find it here.

I have stories and poems dating all the way back to when my mom taught me to read and write in Spanish when I was four. I also have a diary from when I was about thirteen in which I reported that [...]

I have a diary entry I wrote when I was twelve years old. It said, “Most of all, I want to be a writer.” I was an avid reader, and it stands to reason that a kid who loved books [...]

As a former undocumented immigrant, and someone who speaks at schools and events about the immigrant experience, one of the questions I get most commonly is “How can I help?” It is [...]

Love in English is a book about finding one’s voice, about what it feels like to be new in the U.S. (as I once was) and how to navigate things like dating and friendships with that as a [...]

Love in English is a story near and dear to my heart. It is about Ana, who moves to the U.S. and doesn’t speak much English, just like I once didn’t. While she’s trying to learn [...]

I do! Sometimes I update it all the time. Other times, like when I’m on deadline, not so much. You can find it here.

I sometimes hear from readers who have questions about my cultural identity. My family’s immigration story is complicated, and I always try to be as clear and specific as possible, so you [...]

It broke my heart when I started to do appearances to promote THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY and I began to get this question. Readers had really connected with the characters, and were worried for [...]

Nope! But I’d love to live in a town named Willow Falls… wouldn’t you? Willows and waterfalls, two of my favorite things. The town is intended to be in suburban New Jersey, and [...]

Ummm… kinda sorta, yeah. Many details changed to protect the innocent, but I had a wonderful first love, and he was a lot like Nate. And that’s all I’m telling! Meet the [...]

I’ve been lucky to have great, lifelong friends in my life, so I definitely drew from those experiences to write a trusted, loyal, true friend. But Chelsea isn’t really like any of my [...]

They have their own page! Click here to see it.

Alas, no. I’m sorry if you have a paper due tomorrow. (I really mean that!). You can find out about the main characters and other things here. But I’m told it’s a fast read. So [...]

I wrote a piece about it. Click here to read it.

No! Well, not really. Not exactly. It’s true that, like M.T., I was undocumented as a teenager. Some other details fit, too. But M.T. is a teenager now (you know… as far as fictional [...]

Hello there! Happy you’re here. You can find all you need on my Media page. There you’ll find high-resolution book covers, author photos, an official bio, and more. Still didn’t [...]

If it fits in my schedule, I’d love to! You can see where I’ll be appearing on my Events and Appearances page. You can also get in touch with my Events agent. Find their contact [...]