Faqs

There are several tango-dancing scenes in Julieta and the Romeos. While Jules and her childhood friend Lucas are trying to figure out ways to bring more customers to her parents’ [...]

Julieta and the Romeos is a book about finding one’s way and figuring out the right path when there are many open. It’s about the push and pull between being the child of immigrant [...]

Like Jules, I know what it’s like to be from an immigrant family but also have the “impractical” dream of wanting a career in the arts. Jules in JULIETA AND THE ROMEOS wants to [...]

I’ve always looked for “writing adjacent” roles. I did marketing for various companies, which involves writing webpages and email copy, among other things. In my twenties, I [...]

I have a diary from when I was twelve years old that says, “…most of all, I want to be a writer.” But I had no idea how to make that happen! I didn’t start selling my [...]

I love going new places and trying new things. I like eating any kind of new food. I’ve missed travel a lot during the pandemic. I love painting and drawing, although I wish I did it more. [...]

My first nationally published piece was a piece in Newsweek in which I talked about my undocumented status. I’d never shared that publicly before and I was so scared. But it set me on a [...]

Confidence in one’s writing is a funny thing. Sometimes I love something I write but nobody wants to publish it. Other times I think something I’ve written is just fine but it gets [...]

I have an extensive “parking lot” of ideas. Some are fully-drafted novels that need a good edit so they can (hopefully) find their readers. Others are just quick notes in my phone, [...]

I just turned in a draft of my next book to my editor this week! I’m really excited about that. Once I’m allowed to give details, I will update the site with information about it, [...]

Like Ana, I also did not speak English when I first moved to the U.S. I mined a lot of those memories for the scenes in which Ana is confused in class, or in conversation with new friends. I have [...]

I appreciate characters, especially female ones, who let themselves feel their anger. I think girls in our society are taught to be pleasing, to smile, to not be angry. But sometimes things [...]

I don’t know that any social isolation I experienced was due to my immigration status, since my family kept it hidden and never talked about it. I sometimes felt isolated because, without a [...]

I came to the U.S. twice. My immigration story is complicated, as so many are. The first time I was a newborn and my mom and I came on a plane and overstayed a visitors’ visa. The second [...]

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. There’s also one with lots of Romeo and Juliet-inspired tracks for JULIETA AND THE ROMEOS. 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 [...]