1—What is the title of your latest release? VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE 2—What is the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When two childhood sweethearts, separated by a tragedy for nine years, are thrown together on the road to war, they must overcome past hurts and work together to defend their home from threats both human and supernatural. 3—How did you decide where your book was going to take place? VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE takes place in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, which is where my mother’s family has hailed from for generations. When brainstorming this book, I originally had only one character from South Texas, but then my brilliant editor suggested setting the whole book in that region because of my family history. All the pieces fell into place after that! 4—Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Nena is hardworking and the kind of person I’d want to be paired up with for a group project, but for a good time? I’d call Néstor any day of the week! 5—What are three words that describe your protagonist? Nena is determined, sharp-witted, and empathetic. Néstor is decisive, stubborn, and big-hearted. 6—What’s something you learned…

First of all – I love the cover for your book THE HACIENDA. It seems to capture the mood based on the book’s description. Your book is described as “Mexican Gothic” and “supernatural suspense”. What does that mean to you? How would you describe that for readers? THE HACIENDA is a genre-bending novel that combines elements of historical, horror, thriller, paranormal, and fantasy, tying it all together with a dash of romance. I believe the term “supernatural suspense” signals to readers what kind of experience awaits them between the covers: a suspenseful, terrifying tale of ghosts, witchcraft, and things that go bump in the night. Mexican Gothic is both a comp title (as in, THE HACIENDA will appeal to readers of the novel Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia) and, I believe, a genre in and of itself with ample room to grow! So many things about Mexican culture and history lend themselves beautifully to the Gothic as a genre: ghosts, tempestuous colonial histories, long-buried secrets, buildings that are hundreds of years old, the cultural predominance of and tension between Catholicism and traditional religious beliefs, and the skeletal iconography of holidays such as the Day of the Dead. I eagerly await…