LAS MUSAS BOOK BIRTHDAY - Lola

Today we celebrate the book birthday of Lola, a magical realist middle grade adventure by Karla Arenas Valenti. The beautiful cover and interior art is by Islenia Mil. We sat down with Musa Karla to learn more about the inspiration behind this book.

Tell us a little bit about Lola:
This is a story about fear and healing. More precisely, how fear can get in the way of necessary change. This topic is explored through a simmering Narnia-esque tale of magic, adventure, and the extraordinary bond between a brother and sister who’d journey to the ends of the Earth to save each other. 

Ten-year-old Lola’s life has always been touched by magic. Her Mexico City home is built around a towering tree with seasonal blooms that seem almost enchanted, a backyard sandbox reveals the most unusual treasures, and mischievous chaneques scuttle about her house unseen by all but her. Lola has always thought of this kind of magic as an ordinary part of her life, but now she must embrace its extraordinary quality as never before.

Ever since The Thing That Happened, Lola’s brother, Alex, has been sick. Lately, however, his condition seems to be getting worse as a growing force ("the Darkness") seems to be closing in on him. At the same time, something has begun eating away at the tree, causing its bright leaves and colorful blossoms to crumble like ash. Lola is sure the two events are related, but how? Seeking a cure, she visits a grocery store oracle who tells her to follow the chaneques down one of their secret passages . . . into a hidden kingdom.
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Floresta is a land of myths and monsters and marvels untold. And there lies the key to healing Alex. But to save him, Lola must use every bit of her wits and face her deepest fears as she uncovers the devastating truth that lies at the heart of this story.
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Wow, sounds intriguing!

Read more after the link...

Tell us about the inspiration for this particular story?
The seed for this story dates back to a terrifying event that took place when I was a very young girl. However, I didn't start writing this story until I was an adult and it has taken me about 10 years to complete it.

Lola has been a challenging tale to tell because it deals with some pretty complex ideas and rather nuanced emotions. To get it right, the manuscript went through at least five full re-writes (from beginning to end) with dozens of revisions to each version. In the end, the way the story came together is not at all how it began. I changed my entire cast of characters, the setting, even the plot! The only thing I did not change was the heart of the story (the main inspiration that drew me to tell it in the first place): the relationship between fear and healing. 

What 3 words would you use to describe your book?
Unexpected
Thought-provoking
Magical

Alex and the chaneques (art by Islenia Mil)

Lola discovering a magical passageway (art by Islenia Mil)

What was the most difficult scene to write in this story?
You'll know when you read it. :)

What 3 recommendations would you give writers who are starting out?
Actually, the main recommendation I have is to be patient with yourself and the process. It can sometimes take a very, very, very long time to find the story you want to tell and tell it in the way it wants to be shared. And this is immensely frustrating.

Know that this is the process and give yourself grace. It's okay to be frustrated, but if there's a story in you that needs to be told, don't give up on it. You will eventually find a way to tell it! (PS - Lola was the very first book I wrote, but I ended up publishing 8 books before this one will be hitting the shelves!). ​

Purchase Lola

Get a signed copy of Lola

Karla Arenas Valenti grew up in Mexico City in a house built around a tree. Her life was always filled with elements of the fantastical which she readily incorporates into her storytelling, taking readers on journeys steeped in magical realism. 

Karla writes middle grade novels (including the best-selling and highly-acclaimed Lotería), and  the upcoming magical realist adventure Lola. Karla is also the author of the exciting Legendarios  series and writes for the Hispanic Stars biography series. She also writes various picture books.

Karla’s stories are heavily influenced by her Mexican heritage and layered with ideas and concepts she’s picked up in her many travels  around the world.

Karla currently resides in the Chicagoland area with her husband and three kids, two cats, and hundreds of books. To book an author visit or learn more about Karla, visit www.KarlaValenti.com.

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