FROM
MARY CASTILLO,
BERTA PLATAS,
SOFIA QUINTERO,
LYNDA SANDOVAL
AND
AVON A
“Till Death Do Us Part”
Mary Castillo
Under the wedding dress…
Full name?
Mary Castillo.
Do you have a sister?
No, just a little brother whom I can’t beat up anymore. When I left my mom and then newborn brother at the hospital, I was in tears. My grandma asked what was wrong and I allegedly told her, “I don’t want a brother! I want a big sister or a puppy!”
I tried everything to get rid of him. On his first birthday, I informed Mom that he just didn’t fit in and we should return him before his warranty expired. Whenever my brother did something to annoy my parents, I reminded them a puppy would have been so much easier. But now I’m glad we kept him. He’s a good little brother, although he’ll probably kill me when he reads this!
So what true wedding horrors have you experienced?
There was the Wedding Hoochie of 1999. She wore a red knit dress and no underwear—Mom swore that she saw her, uh, hair, if you know what I mean. Wedding Hoochie attacked every man on the dance floor, pushing their wives or girlfriends out of the way to grind against their crotches. By the way, she was not the kind of girl a man would want anywhere near his crotch. At one point I thought she was going to deep throat the beer tap but she was escorted to a cab.
Is it safe to say that people should be on their best behavior when you’re around?
Absolutely not! Where would I get all my best ideas from? Don’t worry, America. I don’t name names, and at the very least, I’ll change your hair color so no one will be able to identify you.
The seating chart…
Are you more like Dori or Sela?
Dori. No, Sela. No, Dori. No—neither. Well, I guess I’m like Dori in that I hide my emotions and I can be terribly competitive. Sela has many of the qualities that I’ve often wished that I’d had. (How’s that for a nonanswer!)
Is there a character type you would like to try (a pirate, for example)?
I had always wanted to write a free spirit, and Sela was my first opportunity. It was a test to see if I could put myself in the shoes of someone who is impulsive, driven by desire, and then completely shocked when it all blows up in her face. I know that sounds like I judge her harshly but I really could see the story through her eyes, and when she gets chummy with El Tigre…heh heh…that was fun!
Where did the idea for, ahem, the, uh, “big revelation” at the end of the story come from?
Not personal experience. The idea was born out of a conversation I overheard at a wedding. This couple had been to a “virgin” wedding, where the bride had saved herself for the big night. Apparently this was a big deal because the priest mentioned it during the mass and then the bride nearly had a nervous breakdown when it was time for her to leave with her husband. I thought to myself, What if she lied? What if there was evidence that she wasn’t what she said she was? The story was born.
Do you have plans for a sequel to “Till Death Do Us Part”?
Not at the moment. Sela and Dori were very strong in my head while I wrote the story and then they left to parts unknown. I imagine Sela went on to complete her CD and then had a torrid affair with her bigwig producer and then left him for someone like Axl Rose. Dori got over Pete and met a hunky, hubba hubba firefighter who volunteers at the San Diego Burn Center reading books to children. But their brother, Robbie…hmm, I wonder.
What other books do you have out there?
There’s Hot Tamara (Catalina magazine’s Best Chick Lit Book of 2005) and In Between Men, which are related. (Isa, who is Tamara’s best friend, is the heroine of In Between Men…get that?) And then there’s my novella, “My Favorite Mistake” in Friday Night Chicas, which is how I met Berta and Sofia. I was a fan of Lynda back when she was writing Latina romances for Kensington, and met her when she spoke at my RWA chapter. We’re buds now.
What’s next, you big tease?
What would happen if you accidentally switched bodies with your best friend? Would you sleep with her man, pretending to be her? Could you stay alive while being Mommy to her one-year-old kid, or finding the right guy for your single friend? Fabulously single Aggie Portrero and her new mommy friend, Nely Mendoza, find out that the grass isn’t greener one way or the other in Switchcraft! Visit my website, www.marycastillo.com to read the excerpt and enter contests.
MARY CASTILLO is the author of Hot Tamara and In Between Men. Both novels were selected as” Chick Lit Book of the Year” by Catalina magazine. Mary loves to connect with readers through her website at www.marycastillo.com.
“What Stays in Vegas”
Berta Platas
Susana’s boy toy is a lot younger than she is. Would you date a younger man?
I would, except that my husband would object! But if I were single…Actually, I’ve always been attracted to older men. That doesn’t mean I’m against older women dating younger guys. Go for it, hermanas! Let’s show Hollywood casting directors that it works both ways, although it’s borderline creepy that all those fiftyish male movie stars get paired with female costars who are barely into their twenties.
Does Susana ever get back with her husband?
Oh, absolutely. But it won’t be easy. She left him, after all. He’s a forgiving guy and he wants her back, but she’s going to have to change, or compromise, and she’s had all the compromise she’ll ever dish out. She’ll expect him to change, too.
You know whose story I’d love to do? Susu’s daughter, Heidi. I’ll bet that little girl has seen a lot. And while her mommy is off with her borrowed hunk, Heidi will think she’s the lady of the house, dealing with the dog and the stinky diapers, even though she’s at her grandmother’s house. When her parents return they’ll be working on their marriage, and Heidi’s going to be a terror to get some attention.
Where does that leave Anita?
Anita gets what she really wants—a new direction in life. She’ll stay in Las Vegas, working a job for which she’s uniquely qualified, and she’ll be surrounded by great men. Chris will probably be in and out of her life. She might even take up boxing. So the question is, tighty whitey or boxer?
Will we ever find out?
I’ve been thinking about Anita’s crazy life. Her new job might be more thrilling (and definitely crazier) than she imagined, and it would be a fun story to write.
What inspired you to write about Las Vegas?
I’ve only been to Las Vegas once, and then it was on business, but I was awed. It’s all about indulgence. Big fun, big food, shows and glitz everywhere, but only at night. By day, unless you’re in a casino, it’s like any city. If you’re in a casino, you don’t know if it’s day or night, and there are so many opportunities to sin! It would be the first place that “big sister” thought of when she wanted to give in to dreams of decadence.
Do you have a sister?
I do. My sister is only twenty-two months younger than me. That means that part of the year she’s one year younger than me, and then she’s two years younger than me. When we were little, I gloated over being older. Now I cringe.
Are you anything like Anita and Susana?
A little bit. But I doubt my sister will ever run off to Vegas. She’s more into cozy cottages, good books, and a nice glass of white wine. She has her wild side, but it comes out on the dance floor, and when she’s not dancing with her husband, she’s dancing with our mother and me at wild and loud Atlanta Cuban Club holiday parties, where the music is live and the beat is irresistible.
What’s next for you?
I just wrapped up a funny romance about a poor girl who wins the biggest lottery jackpot ever in the United States and proceeds to raise hell and spread the cash around with the help of her grandmother and her cousin—all the family she has. She’s not very good at being rich.
Do you write to music?
Absolutely! My son Tony usually burns me a great mix, usually of house music, but for this novella, I had other ideas. I listened to Elvis Presley and Tom Jones, trying to catch that floor show/ glittery décor/all-you-can-eat buffet Vegas vibe. I prefer music that after a while just blends into the background, so that when I turn it on I’m immediately “there,” in my story. But it was hard to ignore Elvis and Tom. I like to sing along.
What’s different about writing a novella, rather than a full-length novel?
You have to jump right into the middle of the action, since you have so little space to tell the story. It requires some thought so that the story starts and ends where you want it to and within the pages you have to cover. Fortunately, I’m into puzzles.
Playlist
Tom Jones
“Help Yourself”
“Love Me Tonight”
“Can’t Stop Loving You”
“Sexbomb”
“It’s Not Unusual”
“Delilah”
“Thunderball”
“Kiss”
Elvis Presley
“Viva Las Vegas”
“A Little Less Conversation”
“Good Luck Charm”
“(You’re the) Devil in Disguise”
“Burning Love”
“All Shook Up”
“Little Egypt”
“Blue Suede Shoes’
Bonus tracks
“Las Vegas” Los Creepers (punk)
“Leaving Las Vegas” Sheryl Crow
“Danke Schoen” Wayne Newton
Best Friend Bootcamp
My sister was my best friend when I was little. Sometimes my only friend. As our parents moved us, trying to better our lives, we found ourselves the new kids in school, the new kids on the block. We hated it. Once, newly arrived in Manhattan, we found ourselves the only kids in the building and weren’t allowed to play outside, either.
Because we were also sisters, it was tough to stay out of each other’s way when we were mad at each other, especially when we shared a bedroom in a little apartment. She thought I was loud, messy, and lazy, and that really got on her nerves. To me, she was a tidy, no-nonsense goody-two-shoes, and that got on mine, but we also had many things in common. We had a shared love of reading, and loved to introduce each other to new authors. We looked a lot alike, and because we were so close in age, for a time people often thought we were twins. That was both fun and annoying. I still have great sympathy for twins. They put up with a lot of inane comments from strangers.
I was jealous of her side of the room, which was always neat. She could cook anything and it always tasted marvelous. She was, and still is, fearless. Once, when someone at a family gathering said something unkind about one of our relatives, I rolled my eyes, mentally calling the person a jerk. My sister jumped up and with jabbing fingers and fierce eyes told them off. I was astonished and proud. She’s always been that way.
My sis married young and moved away, living in several interesting places before returning to Atlanta. Meanwhile, I married, too, and had a busy life filled with children, work, painting, and later, writing. Allergic to moving after all that early travel, I stuck to Atlanta.
We wrote letters (this was before e-mail) and saw each other at holidays, but it was a struggle to remain close. Now we’re lucky to live five miles away from each other.
She’s recently started writing, and she’s really good. The other day I dropped by her house and she was making beaded necklaces, as beautiful as some of the high-end jewelry I’d seen at Nordstrom. So, I can’t be singled out as the artistic sister anymore.
I’m still messy and loud. She’s still tidy and fierce. We’re both artists, writers, and voracious readers. We love each other very much. I think we make a pretty good team.
I love you, Laura. If I ever run off to Vegas, come get me. I’d do the same for you, hermana.
Cuban-American author BERTA PLATAS was born into a family of educators and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, New York City, and Charlotte, North Carolina. It wasn’t until high school that her family settled down in Atlanta, Georgia.
She listened avidly to the stories her friends and family told, enjoying the rich cultural mix of each city she lived in. Summers were spent in Miami and Key West, where she recharged her Cuban batteries.
The mother of three teenaged boys and an eleven-year-old daughter, Berta is crazy in love with her husband, media producer Gary Rowe, and still lives in Atlanta with all her family close by.
Berta writes contemporary women’s fiction with a strong dose of humor.
“Whipped”
Sofia Quintero
Are any of the characters in your story based on real people?
Cuevas is a composite of some of the most outlandish politicians I have met through the years. Yes, some of the nasty things he does and says in the story were actually perpetrated by people we have voted to represent us. As for Jennifer and Michelle, however, they couldn’t be further different from my sister and me.
Tell us a little more about your relationship with your sister.
My sister is nine years older than I am, so growing up, she was either spoiling me with cute shoes and ice cream or terrorizing me. When she and my brother would go at it—which was often, considering they’re only two years apart—they would try and make me choose between them. I should’ve exploited the hell out of that, but instead I would just sit in the middle of the hallway and bawl.
From the time I was eleven until I left for college, I had five foster sisters, which finally gave me a shot at being the older sister. I was pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. One day I’d be giving them hell for going though my stuff, and the next I was issuing threats to whoever was bullying them at school.
What inspired the BSDM storyline? Is your sister a dominatrix? Are you?
No, I’ve never been a dominatrix, and as far as I know, my sister hasn’t been one either. I’d like to think that we’re close enough that she would tell me. Anyway, I can’t remember what made me curious about BSDM, but I, too, used to think, “Oh, those people are sick.” Then I started reading up on it, and once I even interviewed at a dungeon. I was just starting my novel writing career and was really strapped for cash. I might’ve gone through with it if they didn’t require me to put a photo on the Internet. The woman who interviewed me said, “You’ll have so much makeup on, no one will know it’s you.” Like I wanted to take that chance! Instead I started selling sex toys for a pleasure party company, which happens to be part of another story I’ve written.
Do tell!
It’s actually a short story for an anthology of erotica by Latina authors. The heroine in my story is a teacher’s aide who is a “romance consultant” on the weekends. The problem is that she brings her business into the bedroom, and it actually has a negative impact on her marriage. While there are humorous moments, that story is much more of a drama than a comedy.
Besides that, what will we see from you next?
I wrote another short story for another erotica anthology, this one featuring lesbian romances. That one’s about a closeted movie star who is trying to revive her fading career by teaming up with the latest “it” girl. Just as they fall for each other, however, the younger starlet decides she wants to come out. Don’t ask me who inspired that because I’m not telling. I’m also working on my second novel, which is about a woman who enters into an “arrangement” with three men. Each of them claim they want the benefits of a relationship with none of the obligations, but the novel poses the question, “Is there really such a thing as casual sex?” Geez, I’m sensing a pattern here. Anyway, to read excerpts and stay posted, visit me at www.myspace.com/sofiaquintero or www.sofiaquintero.com.
Bondage & Discipline, Domination & Submission, and Sado-Masochism (BDSM)
Myths versus Facts
Myth: People who enjoy BDSM fantasies or activities are mentally ill.
Fact: Psychiatrists once considered BDSM fantasies and activities pathological, but that’s starting to change. Remember, there was a time when the American Psychiatric Association deemed masturbation unnatural and considered homosexuality a mental illness. In order for a particular behavior to be deemed unhealthy, it must interfere with a person’s ability to function normally from day to day. Let’s put it this way: the woman who puts in a hard day’s work and then goes home and ties up her husband (with his consent, of course) doesn’t have a problem, but the guy in the next cubicle downloading porn even though he knows it could get him fired does.
Myth: BDSM is for cruel people who get their sexual kicks out of causing others pain and humiliation. What could possibly be erotic about that?
Fact: This is untrue on at least three counts. First of all, BDSM covers a vast range of sexual behaviors that includes things like light bondage and erotic spanking. Many individuals and couples engage in some form of BDSM. Second, BDSM is consensual. A successful scenario or relationship requires a tremendous amount of trust, and you can’t deny that trust is damned sexy. Three, it’s the submissive who actually sets the limits. No wonder most of them are men!
Myth: Dominant women hate men.
Fact: There are always going to be people who are drawn to particular sexual activities for unhealthy reasons, but the average dominant woman has tremendous compassion for men. Not only does she understand the constant pressure that society places on men to always be in control, she derives her own pleasure from being their escape from those pressures. A hateful or abusive woman would have no regard for a man’s needs, feelings, or boundaries. Because negotiation and consent are the anchors of any BDSM scenario or relationship, however, the lady dominant not only learns and honors the submissive male’s desires and limitations, she actually gets a sexual charge out of pleasing him.
Myth: Any man who wants to be dominated by a woman is unworthy of respect.
Fact: Many men who are sexually submissive in the bedroom are intelligent, assertive, and therefore successful in the board-room. Or on the athletic field. Or on the stage or screen. When we see their accomplishments in the public realm, it would never occur to us to have anything but respect for them. Now, for such a man to then be able to hand over control to a woman in the most intimate arena of his life, he has to have tremendous respect for her. Would you respect this man less than, say, the guy who blows half his paycheck at the strip club?
Myth: All those BDSM fetishists are polygamists.
Fact: People who participate in any kind of BDSM are like any other. Some are monogamous and some are not. They have children and careers. And, no, not all of them wear leather.
SOFIA QUINTERO is also the author of Divas Don’t Yield and the co-founder of Chica Luna Productions in New York City. She also writes hip-hop fiction under the pen name Black Artemis.
“Diss-Connected”
Lynda Sandoval
Cristy Avila’s Ten Tips for Giving Good Phone Sex
Questions for the Author
What’s your full name?
Lynda Sue Sandoval.
Do you have any sisters?
Yes, I have the two best sisters in the world, Elena and Loretta, hence my dedication. We’re very close, a lot alike, and a lot different, too. Before you ask, no, neither of my sisters have ever embarrassed me like Marisol embarrasses Cristy. I’m just not that easy to embarrass, for one, and they aren’t like Marisol. It’s usually me doing the embarrassing. My sister Elena has always told me that I actually say things that the rest of us think about but are either too polite or too afraid to voice aloud. This always cracks me up. And it’s true.
Have you ever done phone sex?
Uh, nope. Sorry to disappoint. I hate the phone, hate talking on the phone unless someone has information to convey (I don’t chat), and I rarely answer my phone at home. In a bit of irony even I don’t understand, I work part-time as a 911 fire/medical dispatcher for the fire department. Can’t really ignore those phone calls. Maybe that’s why I don’t answer the phone at home. Hmmmm. Anyway, I got the phone sex idea because one of my sisters had a college roommate who did phone sex during under-grad. I was a lowly freshman, hanging out at their apartment one night to escape the sardine can that was my dorm room—shared by four girls, mind you. This roommate, in her jammies and studying, was, uh, performing, right there in the living room. I always wanted to put that in a book because it blew my nineteen-year-old mind.
Oh, but I have to share a humorous story. Loretta was in Colorado visiting in July, and we were on www.Amazon.com picking out some yoga DVDs she thought would be good for me (she’s a yogi, too). Anyway, my “recently viewed items” popped up and the list was all stuff about the phone sex industry, how to break in, etc. She looked at me all horrified and said, “Lynda!” I told her, “Book research! That’s all!” It was funny as hell.
What about the whole knitting thing?
My sister Loretta started knitting, like, in the womb. She’s incredible, and she can knit anything. I think she could knit world peace, if given enough time and a decent political climate. Anyway, when she was in Colorado visiting for Elena’s graduation from her Ph.D. program (you go, Elena), she taught me how to knit, and I’ve been addicted to it since. There is a very cool knitting store/coffee shop on old Pearl Street in Denver, and that gave me the germ of an idea for Cristy’s life.
Which are you, Cristy or Marisol?
I’m both. I’m very introverted, like Cristy, although most people don’t believe that because I’m not shy and I have a sharp, smartass wit when I’m around other people. But, trust me, you have to be an introvert to willingly sit in a room alone for months on end, writing a book. And I’ve done fifteen of them so far. Probably more, by the time this hits the shelves. But, as I’ve mentioned, I’m also not afraid to speak out like Marisol. And not always at the most appropriate times. Oops.
What was the best part of writing this novella?
I have incorporated a ton of private, longtime family jokes that will crack my sisters up. My mom, too. I just can’t wait for them to read it. That was the best part, by far.
What other books do you have out there?
Sheesh, a bunch. Too many to list. How about popping over to my website—you can view them all there, and even click on the covers to order.
www.LyndaSandoval.com
LYNDA SANDOVAL, a former police officer-turned-author, has become well known for writing five romance novels for the Encanto line. She has presented workshops all over the country, including at the 1999, 2000, and 2001 RWA Nationals, and has been the recipient of many awards and recognitions, most notably the Golden Heart (finalist) and the Rising Star 2000. In 2000, she was profiled in People en Español. After leaving the police force in 1998, Lynda wrote full-time for four years, and recently joined the fire department as a part-time Emergency Medical Dispatcher/EMT.
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