Friday, October 25, 2024

Festival Nacional del Libro 2024 (3). Escritores de origen latino: J.C. Cervantes

 En pocas palabras: Javier J. Jaspe

Washington D.C.

The 2024 National Book Festival was held in the nation’s capital at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, August 24, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Several programs were livestreamed, and video of all talks can be viewed online after the Festival’s conclusion.

EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival/

Una lista completa de los autores que participaron en el Festival  Nacional del Libro de 2024 (FNL2024) puede verse

EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival/authors/

La serie que iniciamos hoy se refiere a escritores de origen latino que participaron en el FNL2024. Su objeto no consiste en realizar un análisis de su obra, sino el de publicar material encontrado en Internet relacionado con la misma y sus autores. Los textos de Internet se transcribirán en itálicas, en español o inglés, según sea el caso, con indicación de su fuente. Esta primera entrega se refiere a J.C. Cervantes Veamos:

J.C. Cervantes (a.k.a. Jennifer Cervantes)

EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival/authors/item/n2009053703/j-c-cervantes/

J.C. Cervantes is The New York Times bestselling author of the “Storm Runner” series. Her middle grade and young adult books have been published in more than 12 countries as well as appeared on many best of book lists. In 2023, Cervantes received a New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. Her first book, “Tortilla Sun,” received a New Mexico Book Award and Zia Book Award. Her latest middle grade fantasy novel, “The Daggers of Ire,” is featured at the 2024 National Book Festival.

Selected Works at the Library of Congress

EN:  https://www.loc.gov/search/?all=true&sb=date_desc&uf=contributor:cervantes,%20j.c.|contributor:cervantes,%20j.%20c.|contributor:cervantes,%20j.c.%20|contributor:cervantes,%20jennifer

Entrevista en el FNL2024:

J.C. Cervantes and Zetta Elliott: Questing for Peace in Fantasy Worlds

Video EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival/schedule/item/webcast-11487/

Website del autor:

https://jccervantes.com/

Biography in the author’s Website:

EN: https://jccervantes.com/about/

J.C. is a New York Times best-selling author. Her books for children, young adults, and adults have been published in more than twelve countries and have appeared on national lists, including the American Booksellers Association New Voices, Barnes and Noble’s Best Young Reader Books, as well as Amazon’s, Apple’s, and Audible’s Best Books of the Month. She has earned multiple awards and recognitions, including the New Mexico Book Award and the NM Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.

She currently resides in the Land of Enchantment with her family and spoiled pups, but keeps part of her heart in Southern California, where she was born and raised. When she isn’t writing, she is haunting bookstores and searching for magic in all corners of the world.

Her work is represented by Holly Root at Root Literary.

 

Media Kit (Books) in the author’s Website:

EN: https://jccervantes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/JC-Cervantes-Media-Kit-11722.pdf

Reprtajes/Entrevistas

Author J.C. Cervante’s Love Letter to New Mexico

The best selling author draws inspiration from her heritage, magical women and Rocky Balboa

Jan. 06, 2021 Updated Aug. 06, 2024

By Steve Gleydura

EN: https://www.newmexicomagazine.org/blog/post/author-j-c-cervantes-shadow-runner/

Author J.C. Cervantes and her novel, Shadow Crosser. Photograph by Wendy Ewing

J.C. CERVANTES DIDN’T KNOW she was writing a book when she began Tortilla Sun. Her youngest daughter just wanted a story about her teddy bear. The self-proclaimed bibliophile had never written fiction, but her story eventually grew into the enchanting tale of 12-year-old Izzy’s summer with her Nana in a New Mexico village. “Tortilla Sun became a love letter to New Mexico,” says the Las Cruces mother of three girls. Although her first novel received much acclaim, it took eight years before her second, The Storm Runner, was released by Disney Hyperion. The final installment in that Zane Obispo trilogy of Mayan myth, The Shadow Crosser, debuted in September, and Cervantes continues to spin her magic. She has read a script for a Storm Runner pilot on Apple TV, and three novels—Flirting with FateThe Mirror: Fractured Past, and Throne of Sand—are slated for release in 2022.

I feel like I came out of the womb interested in mythology. When I was a kid, I devoured D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths.

My grandmother would tell these stories of the god of death. I think that’s the one she knew best—stories of Xib’alb’a and what the underworld represented to this ancient civilization. 

I was terrified. When you’re a kid, you’re scared, but you want them to keep going. 

They’re ancestral stories that are carried in the blood and bones. 

I remember going to the library in third grade and asking for Mayan and Mesoamerican mythology because my grandmother used to tell me these tales. They said, “We don’t have anything.” I remember thinking, It’s not an important topic, because it’s not in a book.

My family is from northern New Mexico for as many generations as we can go back, but this was all Mexico.

For my grandmother and grandfather, Spanish was their first language. My mom used to tell me that she was embarrassed by that. 

I grew up in southern California, very close to the Mexico border. I was always so proud of my Mexican heritage. But my father’s Anglo. His mother was French. 

I can remember feeling very torn between cultures and not feeling like I belonged anywhere. I think you see that in Izzy’s story.

The rejections made it very difficult to find any peace around writing. I would try to pray away the seed that had been planted in my heart to write, because I wanted to be happy. 

It was even more difficult because we got so close, so often.

I learned a lot about how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. I have stubborn hope.

I have always been a huge Rocky fan.

I feel like I came out of the womb interested in mythology. When I was a kid, I devoured D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths.

My grandmother would tell these stories of the god of death. I think that’s the one she knew best—stories of Xib’alb’a and what the underworld represented to this ancient civilization. 

I was terrified. When you’re a kid, you’re scared, but you want them to keep going. 

They’re ancestral stories that are carried in the blood and bones. 

I remember going to the library in third grade and asking for Mayan and Mesoamerican mythology because my grandmother used to tell me these tales. They said, “We don’t have anything.” I remember thinking, It’s not an important topic, because it’s not in a book.

My family is from northern New Mexico for as many generations as we can go back, but this was all Mexico.

For my grandmother and grandfather, Spanish was their first language. My mom used to tell me that she was embarrassed by that. 

I grew up in southern California, very close to the Mexico border. I was always so proud of my Mexican heritage. But my father’s Anglo. His mother was French. 

I can remember feeling very torn between cultures and not feeling like I belonged anywhere. I think you see that in Izzy’s story.

The rejections made it very difficult to find any peace around writing. I would try to pray away the seed that had been planted in my heart to write, because I wanted to be happy. 

It was even more difficult because we got so close, so often.

I learned a lot about how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. I have stubborn hope.

I have always been a huge Rocky fan.

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At the Heart of It All. How J.C. Cervantes Honored Her Writing Spirit and Became a Bestselling Author

February 28, 2023

By Sangeeta Mehta/

Author Interview

I’m thrilled to share my Q&A with J.C. Cervantes. J.C. and I first crossed paths 10 years ago, when she had already published one middle grade novel and was looking to advance her career. We worked together on a few different partial manuscripts that didn’t quite progress—but then, in 2017, she landed a book deal with Rick Riordan Presents. Today, J.C. is the New York Times bestselling author of several middle grade and young adult novels, and her adult debut is releasing in May. 

You published your first book, a middle grade novel called TORTILLA SUN, back in 2010 with Chronicle Books. Could you tell us a little about this novel and what inspired you to write it?

This book is my love letter to New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment that inspired me in so many ways, from the breathtaking landscape to the beautifully diverse cultures; there really is no place like it. But the truest inspiration came from my youngest daughter who asked me to write her a story while she was at school. That’s exactly what I thought I was doing until the story expanded beyond scope, and I realized that just maybe I was writing a book.

  When we first crossed paths 10 (!) years ago, in 2013, you had several manuscripts in the pipeline. Then, in 2017, an entirely new manuscript you wrote called THE STORM RUNNER was acquired for a new imprint at Disney-Hyperion, Rick Riordan Presents. Could you describe your writing journey during those four years? For example, did you hear about Riordan’s new imprint and try to write a novel that would fit with its mission? Or was it a happy coincidence that THE STORM RUNNER happened to be the kind of story he was looking for?

Oh, those were challenging years filled with rejection but also growth. I learned how to write in a different way. I learned the industry more fully, but mostly I learned that my spirit needed writing and that no matter what, I would continue the artist’s journey. The Rick Riordan imprint was an example of serendipity. When my agent reached out to see if I might have anything to submit as a proposal, I told her I had the beginnings of something, and truly that’s all it was—a few notes jotted down in a Word doc stashed in a “maybe” folder. After some polishing, she submitted the first three chapters and a synopsis. We got a call the next day. It was a dream come true. And I will be forever grateful to my editor, Stephanie Lurie, and Rick for launching my writing career.

When TORTILLA SUN first sold, you had a different literary agent from your current agent. Could you share anything about what it was like to part ways with one agent and then sign with someone new? There was a time when writers stayed with the same agent throughout their writing careers (in the same way workers used to stay with the same company). Would you say that it’s become more common for writers to find new representation at different points in their career?

I think it is so incredibly common to part ways with your agent, and writers do so for myriad reasons. For me, it was a professional decision based on what I wanted my career to look like in five, ten years. But it’s a tough process. First you have to part ways (which I did amicably) and only then can you begin to query other agents, so it can feel like a step back, but you have to trust your gut and just keep moving forward, knowing that your art will find its place.

For several years, you focused on middle grade fiction. Then, in 2022, you released your first young adult novel, FLIRTING WITH FATE, and you have another young adult novel, ALWAYS ISN’T FOREVER, coming out this summer. Your adult novel, THE ENCHANTED HACIENDA, is publishing this spring. And the second book in your middle grade duology, DAWN OF THE JAGUAR, is due out this fall. Is it tricky to now write for three different age groups and audiences? To have so many books release in the same year?

At the heart of it all, I’m a storyteller. Of course, there are conventions within each category, but at the end of the day I want to write a great story. Does that make it easy? Absolutely not, but shifting from MG to YA to adult was never a “strategic” move. When ideas come to me, I begin to peel back the layers organically regardless of genre or age category and then I let them develop as they wish. I think anytime you have more than one book a year it can be emotionally and sometimes physically taxing, but it’s also such a blessing to bring these stories to life with such amazing editors and houses.

 You’ve written both series and stand-alone novels. Is one format more exciting—or challenging—than the other? When you first wrote THE STORM RUNNER did you know it was the first book in a series? Or was it a stand-alone novel that you later developed into a series, once it was clear that your readers couldn’t get enough of Zane and his adventures?

I had NO IDEA it was going to be a series, never mind one that would inspire a spin-off duology. Thank God. Had I known I had all those books to write in front of me I would have panicked. With that said, writing a trilogy was the hardest thing I have done to date.  I was intentional in not writing a single plot with a single villain across the series, so that made it even more challenging to create a throughline across the trilogy. You wouldn’t believe the things I forgot between books. Yes, even character names.  

You’ve also contributed to anthologies, including THE CURSED CARNIVAL, to which several of your fellow Rick Riordan Presents authors contributed as well. Do you communicate with these and other authors often? Do you think it’s important for every writer to be part of a writing community? 

I adore my RRP colleagues. They are some of the brightest, most creative minds I know. I have definitely developed strong friendships with some as well as others in the industry. And while that kind of support is important, it’s also okay if you prefer to go it alone. It’s also important to note that support can also come from people who aren’t in the industry and every journey is different.

Are you working on any new writing projects at the moment? Or do you have your hands full publishing and promoting your current novels?

I have TWO exciting projects that I am working on that I can’t talk about yet, but let’s just say, they are my favorite brands of writing (and magic). I cannot wait to share more!

Can you share any advice to writers in the query trenches who have yet to land an agent or book deal?

When I was in the trenches, when I was facing rejection, I wanted to give up. I wanted to want anything but writing. But here’s the deal. My stubborn spirit wouldn’t let me, and that desire wasn’t only about publishing a book as much as it was my need to create, and to ultimately share my work with an audience. I waited years for the right opportunity and now, looking back, I would have waited longer because this journey has been remarkable and uplifting and challenging in so many ways. My advice would be to focus on you, your heart, and the stories that are planted there. Don’t empower the fear—give it a seat at the table, realizing that it will always be there but that doesn’t mean we have to give it an authoritative voice.

Sangeeta Mehta/

Author Interview

J.C. CervantesNew York Times bestselling authorRick Riordan Presentsmiddle grade fictionyoung adult fiction

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My Writing And Reading Life: J.C. Cervantes, Author of The Storm Runner

By Guest Posts

EN: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/my-writing-and-reading-life-j-c-cervantes-author-of-the-storm-runner/

The Children’s Book Review | September 18, 2018

J.C. CERVANTES is the author of Tortilla Sun, which was called “a beautiful and engaging debut” by Kirkus, an “imaginative, yet grounded novel” by Publishers Weekly, and “lean and lightly spiced with evocative metaphor” by School Library JournalTortilla Sun was a 2010 New Voices pick by the American Booksellers Association and it was named to Bank Street’s 2011 Best Book List. When Jennifer isn’t reading or writing, she is helping her husband with his gubernatorial campaign.

I write because …

There are dragons to slay and hearts to break and journeys to take and because every time I write I peel back another layer of the universe.

I read because …

I love being lost in a million different worlds where anything is possible and magic still exists.

My latest published book is …

The Storm Runner

I wrote this book because …

Zane lived in my head for so long and he needed a space to breathe and to live, and more than that? He needed to defeat the dark.

Best moment …

Oh man, this is tough. But if I limit myself to best publishing moment, I’d have to say when I got the call from my agent that Disney/Rick Riordan Presents wanted The Storm Runner.

My special place to write is …

Near a window where I can see the expansive New Mexico sky

Necessary writing/creativity tool …

Music

The person who has been my greatest writing teacher or inspiration …

There are so many, but my three girls are by far my greatest inspiration.

Currently reading …

Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth, Keeper of Lost Cities: Exile by Shannon Messenger, and Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Favorite bookshop …

SO MANY. Every time I travel, I hit up the local book stores and just breathe in their energy. Growing up, I loved hanging out at Upstart Crow in San Diego. Such a cool place with a peaceful bayside vibe.

All-time favorite children’s book I didn’t write …

Walk Two MoonsHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s StoneThe Graveyard Book…I know…I know, I’m a terrible rule follower. Who could name JUST one?

Favorite illustrator …

There is so much talent out there it blows me away—mostly because I have zero artistic skill and greatly admire those who do. I actually love to peruse the SCBWI online gallery from time to time; it always elevates my own creative spirit. But of course, I love Irvin Rodriguez’s work.

A literary character I would like to vacation with …

Sadie Kane because she’s feisty, has a British accent, and knows a thing or two about magic and spells which would get us out of any predicament we’d likely get into.

When I am not reading or writing I am …

Attempting pilates, hanging with my girls, traveling, or dreaming about reading and writing.

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“The Enchanted Hacienda” Author J.C. Cervantes Teases a Sequel, Talks Magic, Love and Self-Care

EN: https://booktrib.com/2024/02/14/the-enchanted-hacienda-author-j-c-cervantes-teases-a-sequel/

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J. C. Cervantes explores love and grief in Always Isn’t Forever

By Jessica on 

EN: https://www.crackingthecover.com/21656/always-isnt-forever/

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Kirkus Reviews/ Books by J.C. Cervantes

EN: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author/jc-cervantes/

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Videos/Podcasts:

At Home in Santa Fe with J.C. Cervantes

Abigail Davidson

EN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Tx4i3XuPTE8

Author Stories Podcast Episode 953 | J. C. Cervantes Interview

Hank Garner

EN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agqF-Ia4Fg0

J.C.Cervantes Author of THE LORDS OF NIGHT An Exciting Spin Off From The STORM RUNNER Trilogy

KimCarsonNOW

EN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We1v1WKvraA

También puede verse:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16948228.J_C_Cervantes

https://jccervantes.com/middle-grade/

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