Las Musas Podcast

Resources galore! You're going to want a pen and paper for this episode as Aixa Pérez-Prado brings fellow debut picture book Musas, Sheila Colón-Bagley, J. de la Vega, Gabriela Orozco Belt, and Delia Ruiz, for a conversation on resources, support groups, mentorships, and all things, groups, best practices that have helped them through the door into traditional publishing, as well as what it&#3...

On this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's were joined by Musas: Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, Ana Siqueira, Jackie Morera, María Dolores Águila, Sheila Colón-Bagley, and Jonny Garza Villa who talked about the Power of Love, Culture and Community in their writing. They talked about how writing about culture and family are not only doors and windows for Latinx children to see themselves, but also serv...

Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, Jonny Garza Villa, and Vanessa Torres join debut Musas Jackie Morera, Aixa Pérez-Prado, and Elle Gonzalez Rose for a Q&A about post-debut life, lessons learned, what our sophomore Musas wish they would've done and known, and a general sharing of wisdom and chisme in this delightful conversation. Links— From Adriana : States Book Awards for Children and Young Ad...

On this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, debut young adult and middle grade Musas Elizabeth Santiago, Lauren Yero, and Angela Montoya discuss debut year jitters and mental health. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Pre-order Elizabeth Santiago 's debut young adult novel, The Moonlight Vine Pre-order Lauren Yero '...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series staring our debut and sophomore picture book Musas, Mónica Mancillas and Alyssa Reynoso-Morris join Aixa Pérez-Prado to talk all about inspiration! What inspires them, what they do with that inspiration, and how they manage the excitement of being inspired is all covered in this delightful conversation! If you enjoyed this episode...

In a new segment of the Las Musas Podcast we're calling Book Talk!, Maria José Fitzgerald joins Monica Mancillas and Angela Montoya to discuss what books they're reading and what authors have their heart, how media inspires and informs them as authors, and delve into all things inspiration, invigoration, and influential. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider buying a book (or a few)...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Ask a Musa host Lulu Delacre joins Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, Gabi Aldeman, and Sallie Anne Rodriguez to answer questions about pitches, querying, being prepared, and never quitting. They started by talking about books they are reading now, such as The Last Beekeeper by Pablo Cartaya, Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa by Julian Randall, Free Water by...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, the Middle Grade and Young Adult Edition, Jessica Parra joins fellow Musas Jonny Garza Villa, Elle Gonzalez Rose, and Angela Montoya for a lively discussion on author brand and social media, their impacts, implications, and necessities (or lack thereof), and marketing and publicity. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider bu...

On this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries: the Picture Book Edition, Musas Gabriella Aldeman, Monica Mancillas, Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, and Judith Valdes join Aixa Pérez-Prado to discuss the idea of author brands, what they hope their author brands translate to from an outside and reader perspective, the author's power—or lack thereof—in marketing and promotion as well as best practi...

After an incredible beginning to our year, Musas Anika Aldamuy Denise joins Andrea Beatriz Arango, Camille Gomera-Tavarez, Karina Nicole González, and Natalia Sylvester to discuss their books, the equally surprising and meaningful phone calls, and what being awarded a Youth Media Award or Honor with the American Library Association means for them. Congrats to all our Musas on your incredible books...

Welcome to Season Three, listeners! In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, 2023 Musas Maria José Fitzgerald is joined by Jessica Parra and Aixa Pérez-Prado to talk about finding agents, important tools for considering agents and partners in your publishing process, finding an editor, and their excitement and words of wisdom for their debut year. (#EatTheCookies!) If you e...

Meet some of the 2022 Musas Hermanas! On this episode of the Las Musas Podcast, Annabelle Estrada joins Jackie Morera, Julia Clauson, Roxsy Lin, Amaris Castillo, Aimé Casillas, and Delia Ruiz to talk about their experiences during the Musas mentorship process. They discuss how and when you know you're ready for a mentor, how a mentorship can help give you the confidence to grow, how to figure out...

In this incredible episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, 2023 Debut Musas Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, Elle Gonzalez Rose, Maria Jose Fitzgerald, and Aixa Pérez-Prado discuss their books, debuting and the journey leading up to their debut year, and learning about the publishing process and marketing and lessons learned. Resources Mentioned to Come! If you enjoyed this episode, please...

In this very special (and scary!) episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Book Talk series, Ana Siqueira, Ann Dávila Cardinal, and Aixa Perez-Prado join Mia García to discuss all things Halloween and scary KidLit to get you in the mood for Spooky Season! If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Purchase the anthology Ou...

Aida Salazar talks with Aya de León about the many layers that are woven into her exciting debut Middle Grade book, Undercover Latina. They discuss what it means for the main character to be a white passing spy infiltrating a white nationalist terrorist organization, how Aya balances action and entertainment with political activism, and the careful craft behind writing her spellbinding action-pack...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast Debut Spotlight series, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom talks with fellow debut Musa Mónica Mancillas about her picture book, Mariana and Her Familia, Mónica's path to publication, how her own childhood growing up between México and San Diego and how language and culture shaped Mariana's story, and what she hopes readers take away from Mariana and Her Familia....

On this episode of the Debut Spotlight series, Ana Siquiera talks with debut author Mariana Ríos Ramírez about the inspiration for her Picture Book, Santiago's Dinosaurios, coming out on October 27th 2022! Mariana talks about her son's experience moving to the United States and starting kindergarten without knowing English, how dinosaurs came to be such a big part of the story, her upcoming book,...

On this incredible episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Spotlights, Juliet Menéndez talks with debut Musa and author, Raquel Donoso, about her picture book, Viva's Voice. Hear Raquel talk about the inspiration for Viva's Voice—her own experience as a child joining her father at a strike—writing little girls with loud voices who get to use that as a superpower to inspire those she loves, and ho...

In this special episode of the Las Musas Podcast in honor of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, Emma Otheguy joins Terry Catasús Jennings, Sara Fajardo, Laekan Zea Kemp, and Cynthia Harmony to pull back the curtain on the publishing industry and the challenges Latinx authors face behind the scenes. Together, they offer a path forward that includes systemic changes to the industry,  public fundin...

On this very exciting episode of the Las Musas Podcast, we spotlight debut middle grade Musa, Andrea Beatriz Arango, in conversation with Karina Gonzalez about her book Iveliz Explains It All, what inspired Andrea to write kidlit, writing characters struggling with mental health—anxiety, depression, and PTSD specifically—writing not just friendships but family and growing up knowing multiple gener...

Join Terry Catasús Jennings as she talks with Emma Otheguy, Andrea Beatriz Arango, and Anika Fajardo about back to school excitement, jitters, and bridging cultures. Together they explore how the characters in their books experienced their own new starts, remember and honor the teachers that inspired them, and discuss the importance of having a wide selection of books available in classrooms and l...

Debut Musa Anna Orenstein-Cardona chats with Ana Siqueira about her picture book, The Tree Of Hope, its inspiration—namely, Hurricane María's impact on Puerto Rico and how that inspired and motivated Ana to write her book as a love letter to Puerto Rico—her multicultural upbringing, and the story of the jagüey blanco, or the banyon tree, its history on the island and how the people of Puerto Rico...

Get out the tissues for this touching and inspiring interview with debut author, Karina Nicole González, about her beautiful new picture book, The Coquies Still Sing. Amparo Ortiz talks with Karina about what went into creating this powerful book about hope, the reality of what it was like in Puerto Rico during and after the 2017 hurricane that inspired the story, the importance of coquíes as a sy...

Join Mia García and debut author/illustrator Musa Adriana Hernández Bergstrom for a lively and humor filled conversation about Adriana's picture book Abuelita and I Make Flan, her incredible journey to becoming a children's book illustrator and author, the differences in publishing a picture as just the illustrator versus taking on both roles, tips for sequential illustration, and all things flan!...

In this episode of Ask a Musa, Rebecca Balcárcel, Nikki Barthelmess, Maria Jose Fitzgerald, Sallie Anne Rodriguez, Juliet Menéndez, e. E. Charlton-Trujillo, and Vanessa Torres share their publishing journey and talk about the growing Latinx representation in publishing.  If you enjoyed this episode, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Buy Rebecca Balcárcel's book, Shine On...