Books

Finding outrageous lies are getting her in trouble at her new school in the barrio, at home, and on the soccer field, eleven-year-old Maricela busts out one creative prank after another until she decides to outdo her arch-nemesis, Carmen, by acting even tougher. These attempts backfire as she loses friends and alienates her family until she discovers what it means to be in your own skin and really let go.

To write this book, I studied old photos, looked online, and sketched important sites from my old barrio haunts that have remained much the same. I also had to learn a lot about soccer beyond being a soccer mom.

Bored and neglected by her parents, thirteen-year-old Chavela discovers her secret power to fly. She’s convinced by the Inics—a Pre-human, Pre-Columbian tribe, who believe she is the girl in their prophecy—to leave New Mexico and join them on a quest to rescue their shaman heir. Weighted by the knowledge that the entire existence of the Inic’s realm depends on finding him, they enter the Aztec Underworld where Chavela confronts the kidnapper, El Cucuyi, but finds the Aztec Fire God even more treacherous and ready to set the Underworld—maybe even the entire world—on fire.

In preparation for this book, I not only outlined the entire plot scene by scene with internal/external sketches for all characters, but I embarked in deep research of the Aztec and Mayan folklore, languages, and cultural traditions. Having traveled through Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, I also drew on my experiences and memories of the people and the land. Diving head first into the Nahuatl language via dictionary, I plan to work with a native speaker in the future.