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Mexican Gothic, A Book Review

The House of Usher Meets The Last of Us I just finished Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This book has been on my TBR (to be read) for a little over a year and I am SO glad I was able to finally give it the time it deserved. In this beautifully written spooky story, […]

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Bruja Book Review

In a previous post, I mentioned the author Laura Davila and I wanted to talk a bit more about her work as she really helped to springboard me into this journey. As a proud academic (i.e., a nerd) and highly distractible being, I’ve performed hours of research for the two different fantasy worlds I’m building

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Midsummer Scream 2023!

Another Con In the early morning, my husband and I loaded up our grey car with snacks and steaming cups of coffee, beginning our two hour journey into the north. Our destination, the Long Beach convention center for the Midsummer Scream festivities. As a chairperson for Horror Writers Association San Diego Chapter, I had signed

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Our Weekend at ComicCon!

Day 1 of ComicCon A sunny morning greeted us as my husband and I hopped in a Lyft, bound for the San Diego convention center with four days of beautiful, diverse, nerdy-goodness ahead.   The first day, we spent acclimating to the CC vibe, spending some time perusing the main hall where hundreds of vendors

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The Magic of Eggs Part 2

A basket of steaming chips sat in the middle of our table. My family and I hungrily reached for the fresh crispy chips, leading the warm, salted triangles into our mouths, and down into our grumbling bellies. Meeting over margaritas and Mexican food is a sacred practice for my family. Nearly all of our family

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Magical Eggs Part 1

Sitting at a round table in a street side cafe, I asked my best friend over our coffees, “Did your grandma ever knock eggs on your or you sister’s heads?”   My bestie took a sip of her steaming tea, considered the question a moment before saying, “Yeah, yeah she did.”   I’ve personally never

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What is a Bruja?

If you are thinking to yourself, “…So what is a bruja?”   You are not alone. To answer simply, it means “witch.” But there’s so much more to the term than that. It’s a fascinating word and world with many meanings and we’re going to just barely skim the surface of those meanings now.  

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Is Grandma a Bruja

“My abuelita thought I was possessed,” one of the students in my 9th/10th grade English class declared. “She used to crack eggs on my head while saying prayers in Spanish. At least, I think that’s what she was doing.”   I looked up from the stack of papers I was grading and said, “I know what that is.”  

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