Las Musas Book Birthday: Ways Papi Says I Love You

Welcome to Las Musas Book blog Delia and congratulations on this gorgeous book. We are excited to have you here today. 

Let's start by talking about Ways Papi Says I Love You. 
When Papi, who is always busy working at el rancho, asks Maricruz to jump in the truck with him to go get groceries for Mami, she grabs the list and sprints! During the drive, they wave to the people in their community and enjoy quality time. Ways Papi Says I Love you / Las maneras en que papi dice te quiero is a book that shows all the love languages.

That is very sweet! What 3 words would you use to describe your book?
​Joyous, authentic, and tender.

Where did you get the idea to write this particular story?
I drafted this story in 2022. I remember thinking of memories that brought me joy from my childhood and one that stood out was the rides on my dad’s pickup truck. I took that moment of quality time and played with adding all the other love languages in to create the first draft of my story.

Can you share your path to publication for this book?
This is the book that landed me my agent in 2023. I took an in-person class with my agent the year prior but did not pitch it to her because she was closed to submissions ( I had no clue conference attendees could submit). I waited until she was open and sent a revised edition which got me “the call.” It was sold within one month of signing in an auction to Charlesbridge.

While many editors had different visions, I went with one that resonated the most with the story. I’m so happy it landed at a wonderful publishing house where the team has rooted for the story since day one.

What was your favorite part of the publication process with this story?
I loved seeing the sketches come in. Carlos (illustrator) had lots of creative freedom and since his dad also comes from a rural place in Mexico, he illustrated it in a way that matched the story visually. Many of the places looked like my own ranch and even the father resembled my own. It was as if my vision of the story came to life when I saw the artwork.
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GET YOUR COPY OF WAYS PAPI SAYS I LOVE YOU

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About Delia Ruiz
Delia Ruiz is a first generation Latina author from San Antonio, Texas. Her published works include the ¡123 BAILA! board book series, WAYS PAPI SAYS I LOVE YOU, MOON CHEF, and the International Latino Book award-winning story ROQUI’S PANDERO BEAT.

She currently resides in Puerto Rico with her husband, toddler, and pug. Delia hopes to inspire the next generation of writers who also come from immigrant households.

Connect with Delia:
◦ Instagram: @aventuras.en.esl
◦ TikTok: @aventuras.en.esl
◦ Bluesky: @aventurasenesl.bsky.social
◦ Substack: @aventurasenesl