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California Fires

It’s a bit scary out here today. The Santa Ana winds whip fiercely through the trees and you can see ash flakes and leaves tumbling in the air. The air is stripped dry and it hurts your eyes and throat to breathe outdoors. We’re supposed to have these winds till tomorrow.

Would you mind if ask you for a favor? My dad has been sent out on a strike team today to fight the fires in Southern California (we don’t know exactly where he’ll be deployed). Would you take a moment to think or pray or send blessings to the fire fighters out there, as well as the people whose lives, homes andbusinesses are in danger?

Thanks so much!

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Outting Myself

If J.K. Rowling outted Dumbledore, than I’ll out the fact that I’ve signed up for NaNoWriMo. I even have a profile! So for the next two weeks, I’m focusing on a short story for the blog, my adaptation of Switchcraft and all the pre-writing for my NaNoMo book.
If you want to join me, become my buddy here.
Truthfully, I’m a little nervous. I’ve never committed to 50,000 words in one month and with a nanny-less two year-old and Thanksgiving looming ahead, it’ll be a real challenge. (Not to mention a real kick in the ego if I don’t make it!)
But for the last three weeks or so, I’ve been in promo mode for Switchcraft, which has been a life of writing press releases, stalking bloggers and reviewers and setting up events. It’s been great but I miss writing and I’m starting to crack up. For example, in my non-writing interests I initially wrote “booking” when I meant “cooking!”
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Crafting with the Chica: Fabric Collage Dream Journal

My friend, Kathy Cano-Murillo taped some webisodes for Lifetime and in this segment, she demonstrates how to create a fabric collage dream journal. For every book that I’ve written, I’ve also kept a notebook. In them, I jot down lines of dialogue or those little spurts of inspiration that pop in my head when I’m no where near my computer, or when I need to be away from my computer and refocus on thoughts.

Today, I’m baking and preparing for my event tonight at Calacas but on Saturday, I’m going to create a journal that will accompany me as I write my new book!

Thanks Kathy!

Also, check out Kathy’s book!

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Taking Note

This Saturday I went to my first Orange County Chapter of RWA meeting in a looong, looong time. Best selling author, Robert Crais spoke about his childhood – he grew up behind a drive-in theatre reading comics – and his adventures in Hollywood and publishing. He did a good job, signed a ton of books and in all, I think everyone was happy.
As a member of OCC RWA, I’ve seen quite a few big-name NYT best-selling authors take our stage and realized that the only difference between a little fish like me and a guy like Mr. Crais is that he makes a lot more money than I do. So perhaps the true secret to success in publishing is to wait for the big fish to die or retire.
However, here’s my list of what I have in common with a New York Times best-selling author:
  1. No matter how many copies of books in print and sold, authors still count and remember their rejection letters.
  2. Even if their latest book debuts high up on the NYT list, best-selling authors still envy writers whom they think are (a) more talented than they are or (b) get more money and attention from their publishers.
  3. Best-selling authors always talk about how during their childhood, they were the family mutant. Only when we succeed do our families look at us in a different light. (Usually to see if we used them as a character in the book, or if we’ve made enough money to spring for lunch.)
  4. Best-selling authors always walk into the room looking a bit bewildered by everyone’s awe and reverance. Wait, that’s not true. Jackie Collins once paid a visit to OCC RWA and she made an entrance. Then again, Nora Roberts struts around RWA National like she doesn’t notice everyone staring at her so maybe it’s a guy versus girl thing.
    Moving on…
  5. Most best-selling authors – actually I should say that the ones who are still good and aren’t paying other writers to write their stuff – never lose that sense of awe that they get paid to make stuff up.
  6. No matter how many millions they’ve acquired (and that their publisher will fly them first-class and not put them up in a haunted hotel), best-selling authors still want us to feel sorry for them when they tell us how they struggled in the early years.
Hey man, I feel your pain. So when are you thinking about doing something else?
(Me, bitter? Nah!)
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Oh What A Night

This Thursday, Oct. 18th, I’m having a Ladies Night at Calacas Inc. in Santa Ana from 7 to 8:30 p.m. There will be treats, prizes and copies of all my books including, Switchcraft!

If you have copies of my books already and would like them signed, come on by! No book – unless it is written by someone else because that would be rude – will be turned away!

All the details are here.
P.S. I have no idea why the flier has that block of gray.
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On The Radio: Hot 92.3

Early this week, I taped an interview with Hot 92.3’s Josefa Salinas as part of her celebration of powerful Latinas. The fun part is that I forgot that we were doing an interview so it’s a very personal, fun talk about my books and what it means to me to be a Latina.
So if you’re interested – there’s a pretty cool contest that I wouldn’t miss if I were you! – tune into Hot 92.3 FM, Sunday, Oct. 14th at 7 a.m. Pacific Time. You can also listen on your PC.
Thanks for your support!
Best,

Mary
Image from Art. Com
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In the Kitchen with Chef Daisy Martinez

Last month I was happily flipping through my copy of Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine when I happened upon a new column by Chef Daisy Martinez. My first thought was: that recipe sounds good! My second: I have to have her on the blog!

Seven years ago, Daisy’s husband told her over dinner that he was sending her to the French Culinary Institute as a birthday gift. Litte did they know that she would transform from a full-time wife and mother to host her popular PBS show, Daisy Cooks!, publish a best-selling cookbook and this year pen “Mucho Gusto,” a regular column in Rachael Ray’s hugely successful magazine.

After Daisy agreed to a Chica Lit interview and I sent off my questions, I decided to try her recipe for cazuela baked apples; a rich dessert made of butternut squash, sweet potato and apple served in the shells of red Rome apples.

However for me, it was a harrowing lesson in proper prior preperation prevents piss-poor results. I had forgotten to buy heavy cream and then realized that I had run out of cinnamon. But I’m a Capricorn and true to my nature, I presevered. I used Chinese Five Spice and then added just a touch of cream cheese with some low fat milk. Triumph!

But then my baked Rome apples fell apart because in my zeal, I forgot to let them cool down. In the end, when I served it on a graham cracker crust, my husband pointed to it and said, “I can get seconds because this has vegetables in it, right?”

¡Que rico! We each had seconds and then the rest for lunch!

First, read the interview with Daisy and then check out the recipe!
Chica Lit: You’ve had a really interesting path to becoming a chef. What inspired your husband to sign you up for the French Culinary Institute (which is one of the most romantic stories I’ve read!)?

Daisy: My husband knew the pleasure that I gained from entertaining friends and family, and he would often see me, wistfully looking through the ads in the back of the cooking magazines. In appreciation for all the energy that I had devoted to raising my family, he wanted to reciprocate, and offered me the opportunity to be totally selfish and immerse myself in an intense culinary program at the French Culinary Institute.

Chica Lit: Were you intimidated? I ask because I’ve considered culinary school and with my humble cooking background, it’s a bit scary!

Daisy: Intimidated? I don’t think so. I was SO eager to learn the classic technique that I never gave thought to my ineptness…I was there to learn, and the faculty at the FCI always rose to that challenge, so I felt very supported.

Chica Lit: Are your kids cooking, too?

Daisy: All of my children cook. I am the very proud mother of four incredibly fantastic kids, which range in age from 25-12 years old. They can all carry their weight in the kitchen, which has made the boys very popular on campus!

Chica Lit: How did you meet Rachael Ray and what is it like to work with her?

Daisy: I met Rachael at a New York Times event which was hosted by Amander Hesser, and which featured Rachael, Dave Leiberman and myself, on a panel discussing food and the direction it’s going. One would think that all that energy would be too much for one room, but Rachael and I share a very similar sense of humor, so it worked really well together. We stayed in close touch and became fast friends very quickly. It is always fun to work with Rachael because of her thirst to learn about Latino ingredients and cooking.

Chica Lit: What misconceptions about Latin cooking do you want to dispell?

Daisy: Latin food is NOT Tex-Mex, as great as Tex- Mex is! There is incredible diversity within the cuisine of any Latin country (think Spain, Mexico, Chile, Peru, etc), not to mention the diversity with the Caribbean, Atlantic South America, Pacific South America, Andean South America, Incan South America, Spain, etc. We are an exercise in diversity, passion, flavor, heat, and spice!

Chica Lit: My great grandma was the cook in my family and unfortunately, many of her recipes were lost to us because she refused to share her secrets! Do you share all of your family recipes or are there some that you keep for sentimental reasons?

Daisy: YES!! I share my secrets, because this is the inheritance and legacy I leave to my children. I am a firm believer in the “you don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you came from school”. When I teach my recipe, you can be sure that they are completely and genuinely reproducible…what kind of a teacher would I be, if they weren’t?

To read Daisy’s column, check out Mucho Gusto.

To learn more about Daisy, her show and her book, please visit her website.

Or heck, order Daisy Cooks!

Thanks Daisy!
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Someone Has Juicy Mangos!

Phyllis L. of Victor, ID was drawn from the hat and will recieve her copy of Juicy Mangos! If you’d like to get your hands on a juicy mango (okay, sorry but a dirty mind is too precious to waste!) then order your copy today!

Also, come back later today for a new profile. I’m sorry I didn’t have it posted this morning but someone who shall not be named didn’t take a nap yesterday! But he did help me decorate for Halloween.

If you’re in the Orange County area, I have two book-signing events coming up. This Saturday I’ll be at the birthday bash for Orange County Chapter of RWA and then next Thursday, I’ll be at Calacas serving up signed copies of Switchcraft and the spicy Mexican brownies! All the info is here. Oh and if you already have Switchcraft and would like to have it signed, stop by Calacas where I promise no book will be left unsigned!

See ya later today!
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Still Got It, Baby

I hesitated to post this because I thought that you might think I was getting a bit big for my breeches. Then again after my weekend of gluttony, I’ve got some serious muffin top over the waistband if you know what I mean!

But then I remembered how hard it was to write Switchcraft and how, for so long, I thought I’d failed in capturing my vision. So here’s a really great review from the Parkersburg News and Sentinel and in the spirit of my conversation with Jen as we drove to Glen Ivy last Friday, I’m gonna celebrate a job well done.

And then go right back to work!

Two best friends find themselves switching lives in “Switchcraft” by Mary Castillo.

Aggie is living the single life, running her own clothing store and debating on whether or not to strike up a romance with her friend, Kevin. Nely is the former business manager turned stay-at-home mother who is fighting for supremacy in her marriage and daughter’s life against her meddling mother-in-law who lives right next door. Aggie thinks Nely has the perfect life and Nely envies Aggie’s freedom. A weekend retreat with a spirit guide leads to the two switching bodies. Now Nely is Aggie and Aggie is Nely until the next full moon.

Nely soon finds that Aggie’s business is in trouble, a property manager is stalking her, and Kevin doesn’t want to take no for an answer. Aggie learns Nely is being mowed over by her domineering mother-in-law, taking care of a toddler is not as easy as it looks, the local mommies group is headed by the ultimate mean girl, and her husband is feeling neglected. Sometimes it just takes someone else to sort out your life, which is exactly what Nely and Aggie do, with hilarous results.

Nely and Aggie are both highly relatable characters you can’t help but cheer on. They both are tough in the face of adversity and go for exactly what they believe their friend would want for their life.

This book is a fun love letter to all women and the bond of sisterhood that is best friends.

“Switchcraft” is published by Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins. It is $13.95 and 282 pages long.

Photo from Art.com!
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More Tease Please!

The following is a semi work-safe excerpt from Sofia Quintero’s novella, “Sensually Yours” from Juicy Mangos!
The second Steve appeared on the landing holding of lilies and a bottle of wine, I knew he liked what he saw. I hope the skeezer across the hall saw it, too.
“You are so good!” I said as I reached for the wine and flowers. This goes perfectly with what I have planned tonight. Come in and see.”
I led him into the living room where I had a picnic set up on the carpet. The centerpiece was one of SY’s latest additions. The Lovers’ Throw. It was a blanket that also served as a game board. Steve and I lowered ourselves onto the blanket’s silky center. I fed him strawberries while I explained the game.
“It’s simple,” I said as I handed him the palm-sized red pillow. “You’re red, and I’m white. Start here.” I placed both pillows on the starting square which reads Kiss each other good luck.
Steve gave me a loud smooch that tickled my cheek. After I stop giggling, I said, “We take turns rolling the foam dice and moving our pieces forward. . .”
“Doing whatever the square says,” Steve said as he uncorked the wine.
“And whoever makes it to the end first is the winner.”
“And what do I win?”
I giggled again. “The winner chooses the first position.”
Steve huffed. “Hell, if we’re not in the first position halfway through the game, send the damn thing back.”
I loved it! I was definitely going to use that line in my presentation. I give you my money-back guarantee. I handed Steve the foam dice. “You go first.”
He rolled a four, advanced his piece forward and read the square. “Eager to please. Advance three spaces.”
“My rotten luck,” I teased. I sipped my wine and a little dribbled down over the glass and landed on my thigh.
Steve counted forward three spaces. “Maybe not,” he said as he read the square to himself. Kiss erogenous zone of lover’s choice. “So. . .”
I leaned back on my elbows and bent my knee, sending the wine trickling down my thigh towards my crotch. “Would you mind getting that?”
****CONTEST ALERT****CONTEST ALERT****

Enter to win a signed copy of Juicy Mangos by emailing me with “Juicy Mangos Contest” in the subject line. I’ll announce the winner on Wednesday, Oct. 10th! Enter now.