Today on the blog, we've got an interview between Musa Terry Catasus Jennings and Musa Rebecca Balcárcel, author of Shine On, Luz Véliz!

Terry Catasus Jennings: Hi Rebecca, I am so happy to be here with you talking about your newest book, Shine On Luz Véliz! I was able to read an early copy of this, and my hat is off to you.  What a complex, layered story about a girl who, because of an accident, becomes, in her own words, a “bran muffin girl, instead of blueberry cinnamon.” Can you tell us about your story and what inspired you to write it?

 Rebecca Balcárcel: Thanks, Terry! The spark for this book was meeting my real-life half-sister. We didn’t know about each other until adulthood, but when I started imagining what it would have been like to meet as kids, I knew I had to write about it! For Luz’s internal struggle, I turned to one of my own. As a kid, my parents praised me a lot and celebrated every accomplishment. This was mostly great, but at some point it occurred to me that maybe I was doing some things just for the kudos. I lost track of the inherent value in activities, and I lost track of my inherent value. This is exactly Luz’s problem. She’s so invested making her parents cheer that she forgets her worth as a person when she loses her soccer star status.
 
TCJ: I saw that. Her self-worth was tied to the cheers she got from her mom and dad, particularly her dad. And there are so many layers in the book, Rebecca.  Let’s first take the layer of Luz’s accident. The loss that Luz feels is so well developed. When she is cleaning out the closet of her life and ridding it of all things soccer, with nothing to replace that love, the reader feels that angst.  Readers understand that Luz’s identity is wrapped up in soccer and now she is lost. What was that idea based on? Did you ever have a moment like that?
 
RB: I did! I was a choir kid in school, and I sang at home with my parents and the guitar. I was chosen for a special group, and I did well at solo contests. I didn’t expect it to end, but it did. A particular choir director chose to embarrass me in class at a time when I was struggling emotionally already. I cried in front of everyone. The director made it clear that I wouldn’t be in her good graces anymore. I just couldn’t go back. I took up the flute and made a new home for myself in band. It turned out to be for the best, but I had to reinvent myself.
 
TCJ: Oh man. I was embarrassed by a choir teacher.  That was in fifth grade for me. It was devastating! You’re right, I couldn’t go back to choir. And I see you really dug deep. Luz at one point says that she’s “basically okay, except she isn’t.”  Her relationship to her father is so central to her identity. And her relationship to her father is primarily through soccer. Now she feels invisible. She feels like she has no worth. Then here he comes and brings a new sister for her — a person on whom he is showering all the attention he’s not showering on Luz.  Tell us about how Luz feels about her dad.
 
RB: Luz is sad that she and her dad aren’t connecting the way they used to. Soccer gave them an automatic talk topic and an easy way to spend time together. With that gone, Luz isn’t sure what to offer. She thinks it’s on her to impress him. Worse, Dad is pulling away because he feels responsible for Luz’s injury. He doesn’t want to cause any new hurt, so he’s kind of ghosting her. Ironically, that hurts her. Until Luz calls him on it, her dad doesn’t even realize what he’s been doing. With his “new” daughter, it’s easier. He knows what to do -- show her around and make her feel welcome. With Luz, he’s a little lost until the end.
 
TCJ: Why don’t you tell us all about that new sister, Solana? What did you want to this new sister to do for Luz? On top of this girl coming, she is gregarious, even though she doesn’t know the language. It’s a very compelling situation in which Luz is placed. Tell us more.
 
RB: It was fun to write Solana because I admire her. She’s based on my real-life half-sister and also my immigrant cousins. Solana manages to move to a new place, please her new parents, adapt to a new school, and become a sister to Luz – all with a smile and a flare for making people happy. She’s pretty, too! Luz feels outshone, of course, and we eventually learn why Solana is trying especially hard. Luz learns a lot from Solana, the main thing being to appreciate people for who they are, including herself.
 
TCJ: An unsung hero in this story is the mother. She all of a sudden has to take in another woman’s daughter and sees everything that is going on with the family. Tell us how you came to this character.
 
RB: You’re so right! The mom is quietly, reliably making everything run smoothly, despite change and challenges. I guess this is most women I know! Especially, though, it’s a lot like my own mom. She has a big heart, but she isn’t one for self-pity. She faces things and gets to work solving the problem. She makes the best of things. Several times we opened our home to my father’s siblings and their families when they first arrived in the USA. Both my parents helped them start their life here, but mom was the paperwork do-er and the one to nail down the details, all with positivity and generosity. I try to be like her.
 
TCJ: So right. The moms are the ones who make things work. What a wonderful role model. I loved the character of Mr. Mac, who lives across the street. If you think of the hero’s journey, he is the mentor. He is the one who tells Luz the truth without varnish in a way that she can accept it. He guides her to accept what she has to accept. He does so much for Luz, yet, he has problems of his own, which his actions all the more admirable.  What can you tell us about him?
 
RB: Yes, he really is that Gandalf-Dumbldore-Yoda mentor! My grandfather was the inspiration for Mr. Mac. Not only was he gently honest, funny, and wise, but his basement woodshop was magical. It was filled with saws, chisels, mallets, and hammers of different sizes, plus dowels, boards, blocks, and planks. The sense of creative possibilities and the smell of sawdust in the air never left me. Luz and Mr. Mac’s intergenerational friendship propelled this story for me. My grandfather’s knowing smile and his maker space in the basement provided continual touchstones. As you mention, though, the character Mr, Mac has his own challenges. He has an autistic grandson, and we learn that his hand tremors and occasional mood swings are caused by early-stage Parkinson’s. I took both of these situations from my own life: my dad had Parkinson’s, and I’m an au-some mom, with twin sons who are autistic.
 
TCJ: Rebecca, those two relationships come through so clearly, I knew there must be some very deep connections that helped you draw that character. There is one more layer, and that is her relationship with Skyler, her soccer buddy.  Once Luz is no longer on the soccer team, Skyler becomes distant.  Luz is jealous of the life that Skyler has because Skyler is still on the soccer team, she still has the same old friends. (All that Luz has lost due to her accident.) But there is a point in the book where Luz realizes that Skyler doesn’t have it all. That is one more opportunity for growth for Luz. Was that always part of the plan? 
 
As I was writing the ending few chapters, I realized that I wanted to close the loop with Skyler. The girls separate, as you say, and I thought it would be cool to brings them back together after Luz grows into her new self. Luz wasn’t able to see Skyler clearly until after regaining some confidence. Then Luz can be a better friend. She can appreciate Skyler as a person, not only as a teammate who helped her win. This is when Luz finds out that Skyler doesn’t have a perfect life, and she’s now at a point where she can be empathetic. Luz is learning that people are deeper than they appear and that everyone is dealing with something.
 
TCJ: That is absolutely her growth pattern. She realizes that everyone is dealing with something. In the book Luz takes up computer coding, making robots. It is a drastic turn in her life.  When you were a young wife and three months pregnant, you rode 1300 miles on a bicycle from Houston to Santa Fe.  Your description about your move is you “climbed out of our former lives determined to see who we were.”  Looking at Luz and her move to robotics made me think about that. Any connection?
 
I see what you mean! Yes, that bike trip was a real quest for identity, a literal journey that had a psychological goal. It’s scary to give up who you thought you were, but it’s also scary to look up and wonder if your life doesn’t match your true self. So, yes, Luz and I both made a drastic change. There’s a poem by Elizabeth Bishop called, “The Art of Losing.” Both Luz and I had to learn that losing makes space for something new. And neither of us knew what that “new” would look like. We had to let Life bring something, and we had to be open to it. You could also say, as Mr. Mac, does, that we had to build the new self deliberately – to select what we wanted to include in our lives and to select who we wanted to be there.
 
TCJ: You are very deliberate in your exposition of the gang problems which forced Solana to come to the United States. That also took courage. What can you tell us about that?
 
RB: For the storyline, I needed Solana to have a reason to leave Guatemala, but the two main reasons I made Solana’s mother a victim of gang violence are 1) real families are fleeing violence right now, and their appeals for asylum in the US have been handled in cruel ways 2) my own family was touched by violence when my aunt’s brother was shot for reasons and by people we’ll never know. While my book emphasizes the beauty of Guatemala and its people, I wanted to show these realities as well in hopes of raising readers’ awareness and empathy.
 
TCJ: It is a very difficult topic, but it helps Luz Veliz shine even more. You show very clearly the fear that many immigrants, even legal immigrants have of ICE.  Another very courageous position. Thank you for doing that. Why was it important for you to broach that subject?
 
RB: Kids are living with this fear, and I didn’t want to ignore that. Lots of immigrant families have members with a variety of legal statuses — citizen, green card holder, legal resident, etc. Complications can arise that put a mother or grandfather or a cousin in jeopardy of being deported, even when trying to do things the legal way. Also, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers aren’t always treating people with dignity. And they make mistakes. I’ve heard of citizens running away during a raid just because they were afraid that they wouldn’t be believed, meaning a delay in being treated like the citizen they are. Kids with undocumented family members are suffering even more because they know their caregiver might be gone when they get home from school. It’s heartbreaking. I want to add that US policies in Central America have shaped that region’s economy and government. My mother served in Guatemala in the Peace Corps, but not every action by our country has been as positive in its consequences.
 
TCJ: Well, that’s something that all of have in common, “not every action by our country has been as positive in its consequences.” Cuban history is rife with that, as well, unfortunately. Let’s talk about book one vs. two. How different was writing Luz from writing The Other Half of Happy?
 
RB: So different! I wrote Happy over six years, with the leisure of creating something in isolation, just sharing with my critique group with no deadlines and no knowledge of the publishing industry. Happy started as a book of prose poems! When I got an agent, I turned it into a novel and revised a lot. When it sold, I still didn’t have a clear plot. I added the main plot in the last big rewrite. Can you believe it? With Luz, I knew I wanted to write a novel. I wrote a synopsis and an outline. The book sold with that and ten chapters. I wrote it in about nine months total (only five months after the contract was signed), doing the bulk of the drafting in spring 2020 during lock-down. A deadline from the publisher helped!
 
TCJ: And let’s end by talking about craft.  You have written essays and poetry. Tell me about your writing journey.
 
RB: I trained as a poet, getting an MFA and having a small university press publish my first book, but I love all the genres. Non-fiction has the power of “this really happened!” plus a sense of one-on-one with the reader. Fiction gives me room to follow a character across time and meet all the people in their world. Poetry-writing created a rich soil for me, though, because it taught my ears music, and it gave me permission to play with figurative language. I set myself free in poetry in ways that would have been hard had I started in fiction. Now I can bring that experience to my novels. I hope it makes them interesting, sentence by sentence, as well as interesting at a story level. My goal is to harness all the powers of language to touch heads and hearts.
 
RB: I love those words, harnessing all the powers of language to touch heads and hearts. Thank you.  Now, can you tell us what is in the future for you?  What can you share with us?
 
TCJ: I'm excited to share that Inkyard Press will release Boundless, an anthology of short stories written about and by multi-racial/cultural authors, in summer 2023! I co-edited the collection with YA author, Ismée Williams, and also contributed a story. I hope the book will give multi-culturals representation and give everyone an insider's look at the experience. It's been an honor to work with the contributors, which include some of my idols like Jasmine Warga and Erin Entrada Kelly. I'm also drafting a new novel that uses magical realism and takes place in Guatemala!
 
TCJ: That sounds like an all-star cast.  I am very excited to see that book that you co-edited with Ismée and which features Latina powerhouses. Wonderful.  And I can’t wait to see what you do with magical realism in Guatemala.  It was delightful to talk with you and I wish you the very best in the future.

Order Shine On, Luz Véliz today!

Terry Catasús Jennings is a Cuban-American writer who immigrated to the United States after her father was jailed in Cuba by Fidel Castro’s government. She was twelve at the time and knew no English. The Little House of Hope/La casita de esperanza is a semi-autobiographical story in which immigrants give each other a helping hand in a new country. Her goal in life is to lead us to embrace our common humanity, as well as sing the praises of Cuban food. Terry is represented by Natalie Lakosil of Irene Goodman Literary Agency.​

Today we are celebrating the book birthday of Lupe Lopez: Rock Star Rules, a rockin’ new picture book co-created by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo and Pat Zietlow Miller, with illustrations by Joe Cepeda. Before we jump in to an interview between e.E. and Musa Anika Denise, here’s a blurb about the book:

AD: So, you were not a rule follower growing up?
 
e.E.: Absolutely not! But, in time, I did learn the balance between my rock star aspirations and respecting the rules of school. And I genuinely believe it’s important for kids to be able to honor who they are and know the importance of co-existing in their community.
 
AD: What about Lupe’s music taste? Which bands/ songs would be on her playlist?
 
e.E.: Oooo. I’d say bands such as The Warning, Foo Fighters, and La Perla. Of course, the goddess Selena (because, you know, it’s Selena), Yoyoka, anything Nandi Bushell does, Hannah Ford-Welton and Olivia Rodrigo. Plus, Bomba Estereo’s Soy Yo video would be on regular repeat.
 
AD: Nice. Who doesn’t love a playlist with both Selena and the Foos?! This book was co-written by bestselling picture book author Pat Zietlow Miller. Can you talk a little bit about how the project came about and what your collaborative writing process was like?
 
e.E.: So, I wrote the original draft but hadn’t really studied the picture book form in a way that felt necessary. Because Pat and I had been friends for years and she was skilled at the craft, I asked her for a minimum of 20 picture books to read. Books where I could study structure, character, tonality, and overall approaches to narrative. She was surprised by how fast I checked them out the library, and the analysis I was willing to do. But it mattered to me.
 
As we talked about those picture books and then other ones, I felt we needed to write Lupe together. But neither of us had collaborated as writers before. Plus, could we collaborate and still be friends? And there was no question that Pat would be up to the task, but privately, I wondered if I could I hold up my end of the partnership.
 
We began passing the draft back and forth. Soon our collective strengths emerged. Our love of picture books and story buoyed our process. In the end, it has been one of the best creative partnerships of my life. And it has given me the opportunity to connect with a completely different level of reader which I’m so excited about! 
 
AD: Sounds like an amazing experience. Do y’all have more co-authored projects planned? 
 
e.E.: With Candlewick Press, we have Lupe Lopez: Reading Rock Star also illustrated by Joe Cepeda. At Viking Press, we have A Girl Can Build Anything, illustrated by Keisha Morris and a to-be-announced sequel also with Keisha as illustrator.
 
AD: Wow! How exciting! That’s great that you’ve teamed up again for a second Lupe book. Joe Cepeda’s illustrations are perfect for the story. How did you feel when you first saw his artwork?
 
e.E.: I had dreams of an iconic, confident, music-loving Latinx character that could rival someone such as Junie B. Jones but in picture book form. Joe has embodied Lupe with all of that and so much more. The illustrations are rich, textured, and culturally authentic. Paying homage to his mother’s image in Lupe, he’s created a girl that almost leaps from the page. It’s not hard to imagine her on television. With Netflix producing Ada Twist, Scientist and Silvergate Media producing Raul the Third’s ¡Vamos! Series, I’m hopeful that we can transition her story. Because Lupe Lopez has a lot of story in her. Just wait!
 
AD: A Lupe Lopez animated series would totally rock! Joe Cepeda’s illustrations are so fun and vibrant. How much input did you have into the illustration process? Are you someone who gives art notes?
 
e.E.: It’s really important to respect and honor what happens on both sides of the picture book process. Historically, artists work independently from the author(s) to visually elevate the narrative. Often creating something the author never may have envisioned. With that, if an art note can assist the illustrator toward a nuance that they might otherwise miss, then a note might be helpful.
 
AD: In what ways was the process of writing a picture book different from your novel-writing?
 
e.E.: Coming from a background in poetry and flash fiction, compression of language isn’t foreign to me. But writing middle grade and young adult novels kind of spoiled me because there’s the freedom of subplots, multiple character arcs, settings – movements in time. Picture book writing challenged me to make every word be a conscious decision in revision. To know what story I was telling and not stray. I would read the story aloud over and over. Listening for the musicality or lack thereof. There is no doubt in my mind that picture book writing has made me a stronger novelist and filmmaker.
 
AD: I love that. Okay, shifting gears… if Lupe Lopez could rock out with three other picture book characters, who would they be? 
 
e.E.: This is such a hard question because there are many good picture books! But if I’m picking three (did I mention this is hard), I’d say: the community in Boogie, Boogie, Y’all written and illustrated by C. G. Esperanza, Millo who inspired Drum Dream Girl: How One Girls Courage Changed Music written by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael Lopez and Aretha in RESPECT: Aretha Franklin The Queen of Soul written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison.
 
AD: The next question is for young readers. What would you say to kids who might not aspire to be in the spotlight?
 
e.E.: I’d say that there are so many ways to shine. In the classroom, during recess, after school. See, being a rock star isn’t always about being in the spotlight. Often, it’s about being comfortable with who you are. Whether a kid is outgoing or shy. Tall, not so tall, or somewhere in between. Whether they play music, watch Paw Patrol, finger paint, build Lego cities, snap photos, tell oral stories, the rock star component is in the celebration of that passion and all that makes up who they are. Lupe isn’t a rock star just because she wears sunglasses and is confident. What makes her a rock star is her willingness to listen, learn, and grow. May we all achieve that.

AD: Well said. Now, a question for writers. Do you have any advice for novelists who want to jump into picture books—or vice versa? 
 
e.E.: Know the kind of picture book you’re writing. Is it lyrical, rhyme, character-based, or dialogue-driven? Is it nonfiction, realistic, or wildly whimsical? Knowing this creates structure. And if you’re new to the form: read. Here’s a quick starter list of books. And always remember. Books for the youngest readers ask us to change our perspective in such a special way. Celebrate that in your story if you can.
 
AD: That’s great advice. So, what's next? What are you currently working on? 
 
e.E.: I’m currently writing a YA and a middle grade novel, co-authoring a YA mystery novel with a brilliant human, a duology with another brilliant human and a fifth picture book. It’s a lot, and with the state of the world, it’s hard somedays. Truly. But I keep thinking about all the hope that comes from writing for young people. With Lupe Lopez: Rock Star Rules rolling onto shelves and into kid’s hearts, I can’t wait to be in schools and libraries celebrating Lupe’s and their own stories!
 
AD: Last question. Did you ever become a rock star?
 
e.E.: Every time I speak or workshop with kids, that’s how I shine. So yeah, I guess, I did. Just not in the way I expected.

We are wishing a huge happy book birthday to S.A. Rodriguez for her debut novel Treasure Tracks.

Today, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo interviews S.A. about Treasure Tracks which is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Kirkus Reviews writes that Treasure Tracks is, “Lighthearted yet solid prose and quirky, delightful characters round out this swell tale of plucky fun under (and above) the sea.”
 
In Treasure Tracks, finding a long-lost treasure in the Florida Keys becomes the anchor for twelve-year-old Cuban and Puerto Rican American Fernando “Fin” Román in this under the sea and inside the heart family adventure.
 
e.E. Charlton-Trujillo:  S.A., I have so many questions about Treasure Tracks. From Fin’s love of the ocean and his abuelo, to his relationship with his father, and of course, the race to find the treasure. But first, how does it feel to see your book come into publication?
 
S.A. Rodriguez: Thank you! It’s an amazing feeling. As you know, it’s no easy feat to get traditionally published, and perhaps even more challenging as a Latina creator. I have three sons, but this kind of feels like I’m bringing the fourth one into the world. I can’t wait for everyone to meet Fin! And of no coincidence, he has the same cultural background my sons' share—Cuban and Puerto Rican.
 
e.E.: From the first chapter, we are swept up into Fin’s thirst for adventure, love for Abuelo Kiki, and hint at the storms that are both outside and inside Fin’s world. Can you share more about juxtaposing the hurricane approaching the Florida Keys and the conflict between Fin and his father?
 
S.A.R: As a young teen, Fin is grappling to find his place in the world. He reveres Abuelo Kiki as a great adventurer and hero, and he can’t yet form a meaningful connection with his dad who he feels is the complete opposite. Indeed, there is turmoil and conflict brewing. Family drama and the anxiety it stirs up within us can overwhelm with the force of a hurricane, and it’s something many children contend with.
 
e.E.: You’ve created a nuanced excitement in Fin’s thrill-seeking character. Did your real-life experience as a certified diver spark Fin’s character and his passion for the sea and quest for treasure?
 
S.A.R: Absolutely! I am obsessed with the ocean and share an insatiable thirst for adventure. I grew up on an island surrounded by an endless sea and remember scouring the beach for treasure ever since I was a little girl. Diving offered a chance to explore the ocean from an intimate vantage point. There’s a sense of freedom and pure glee you get when you visit the underwater world. I hope this comes through in the story and encourages children to dive in, explore, and become stewards of the sea.
 
e.E.: While a thrilling story of adventure, Treasure Tracks explores the dynamics of three generations of Román men. What do you hope for young readers to glean from the human story of your book?
 
S.A.R: Beyond delivering an exciting adventure story, I wanted it to be full of heart. The interplay within the extended family, and often even a multigenerational home environment, is a central part of Latino culture. Back to your question, the answer is simple. I invite young readers to discover their true treasure. Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper to appreciate what’s worth more than gold to you.
 
e.E.: I love that! Digging “deeper to appreciate what’s worth more than gold” can resonate with young readers on so many levels. Can I ask you what was one of the most exciting parts in writing Treasure Tracks, and one of the most challenging?
 
S.A.R:  Writing the action and dive scenes was the easy part. I wrote them in the Florida Keys and was living the inspiration. I think the most challenging part was diving into the heart of the story and delivering an emotional punch. I wrote most of the book during the quarantine period of the pandemic when I was trying to repress my anxiety to manage my household. Perhaps the writing helped me escape the hurricane of emotions building inside.
 
e.E.: If Treasure Tracks were to be adapted into a film, what would be the three things you’d absolutely need to see in the final movie.
 
S.A.R: This would certainly be a dream! I think beyond delivering exciting action scenes, the film would need to capture the undercurrents of the family dynamics and get to the heart of the story. From a cinematographic standpoint and because there are few movies filmed in the Florida Keys, it would be important to capture the natural and truly majestic beauty our underwater treasures offer, to share them with the world on the big screen. And finally, it would be important for me to ensure authentic Latino representation.
 
e.E.: Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I cannot wait for middle grade readers to explore the physical and emotional depths of Treasure Tracks. In the meantime, are you working on something new? Maybe something on land?
 
S.A.R: Thank you for diving in deep (no pun intended) with your questions! Hmm ... I’ve always got a few adventures cooking, and the ocean seems to be a common thread in all of them. However, I am working on another middle grade novel that is more land dominant. I’m happy to share this one is based in Puerto Rico!
 
e.E. I can’t wait (but I get that I have to for now)! Can you share where people can find you online?
 
S.A.R.: You can visit my site: sarodriguezbooks.com and check out the Discussion and Activity Guide for Treasure Tracks.    
                       
Buy Treasure Tracks today!