Hi Reader,

Thank you so much for voting and helping me choose a name for my newsletter. At the Heart of the Story perfectly captures the content I share with you every month - where I come from, my writing journey, and the inspiration at the heart of my books. I want this newsletter to reflect who I am as a person and as a writer to give you a better insight into my stories.

In the spirit of sharing more of myself, I plan to host a virtual book club meeting for One Tough Cookie, exclusive for my subscribers. It will be a 1-hour event where you can ask me anything about the book - from the inspiration behind it to my writing process to its publication journey. I also want to have an open and honest discussion about what readers like and don't like about it. I know reviews are mixed and I'm happy to listen!

Please let me know below if this is something you'd be interested in attending. I will give more details about the event next month.

Would you like to attend the virtual book club meeting? Yes No Maybe/Not sure

Until then, scroll below for my writing/life updates and my favorite rom-com books to read for Valentine's Day.

Take care,

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Writing Update

Although I'd planned on finishing the first draft of my Christmas novella, One Foreign Christmas, last month, I ended up not finishing it. I've been more focused on updating my website.

Sometimes writing has to take a back seat to other author tasks like marketing and promotion. Plus, since the Christmas season is over, I wasn't in the mood to write a story set during that time. I still plan to finish it by the end of the year.

Next up in my writing plans is the revision of my first novel, Pulling Me Back In, which I'm really excited to get back to.

And I'm still waiting to hear if my publisher would like to acquire Project Husband. Hopefully, they'll make a decision soon. If they decide against it, my agent will submit the book to other publishers, which will make the process take longer and become more uncertain. Keep your fingers crossed!

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Life Update

So far, February has been the month of Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper and mega star. If you don't know who he is, he made history this month. First, by winning Best Album of the Year at the Grammys, the first time ever an album in Spanish has won. And then by performing at the Super Bowl half time show, the first time a solo Latino artist has performed. His show has become the most watched ever in Super Bowl history.

As a fellow Puerto Rican, I'm so proud to see my homeland represented with so much care and love and at such a large scale. I'm so in awe of Bad Bunny and everything he has accomplished while staying true to his roots. I love his message of following your dreams and believing that anything is possible. He has become a true inspiration for me.

I've written a lot about my Puerto Rican culture and heritage on my blog, if you want to learn more.

Meanwhile, in Germany, we're in the middle of Carnival Season. My daughter is part of a carnival dancing group so these last two months have been full of events. This week, starting on Thursday, various parades will be held in our town, where my daughter will also take part. Carnival season also means two days off from school - on Friday and on Monday (Rosenmontag), which is the most important carnival celebration in Germany. Neither I nor my husband are huge carnival fans, so the season and our daughter's events are more of a drag than anything else. Thankfully, it will be over soon!

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Book Recommendations

In honor of Valentine's Day, here are some of my favorite romcom books. I'm sure you've heard of them, maybe even read some, but if you haven't, make sure to check them out! They're all excellent!

• ​The Hating Game by Sally Thorne - this is a perfect haters-to-lovers workplace romance, full of great characters and banter.
• ​The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez - friends-to-lovers, full of angst and so steamy! I fell in love with Abby Jimenez's writing with this book and she has become a must-read author for me.
• ​The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - a gender-bending version of Pretty Woman with an autistic protagonist. Helen Hoang's trilogy is excellent and I hope she publishes more books soon.
• ​Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory - I love the complete Wedding Date series, but this one is my favorite about a lawyer who falls in love with a senator. I found the relationship to be more deeply explored in this book, which also goes deeper into race and politics. If you haven't started this series, now is the perfect time since The Wedding Date will be adapted into a film. Jasmine Guillory is also a must-read author for me. I love her writing style!
• ​A Proposal They Can't Refuse by Natalie Caña - friends-to-lovers, fake dating trope with two hilarious meddling grandpas and great Puerto Rican representation.
• ​You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria - two actors fall in love while filming a telenovela-like series. I love how it shows the scenes the actors are filming so that we can see the contrast between the characters and the roles they're playing. Very unique and perfect for a telenovela fan like me!

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One Tough Cookie is the perfect read for Valentine's Day!

Buy It

If you've already read the book, please help me spread the word by leaving a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or on The Storygraph. Or simply recommend it to someone you know!

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