What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve been storytelling since I was a little girl and knew I wanted to be a published author from the time I could write. I’d cast my family and friends in productions I’d created and make everyone from family fiestas to block parties and watch all the kids put on my shows. Yes, I was a bit of a showboat, but that passion has carried me through the writing life of rejections and disappointments, deadlines, and poor sales or sunken platforms. I’m still crossing my fingers and writing my heart out every day that I can, despite a chronic illness that sometimes impedes my process but has also allowed me to adapt and transform. More than anything, I write because I’ve felt deep in my heart from a young age that Latinas and Indigenous women have been systemically overlooked and underappreciated in our society, and I’ve wanted to change that and empower other women and femmes of color to share their stories and voices.