Las Musas Podcast

In the season one finale episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, the Middle Grade and Young Adult edition, Musas Juliet Menéndez, Jonny Garza Villa, and Laekan Zea Kemp discuss important lessons learned throughout the debut publishing experience.  If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Buy J...

In this special edition of our Ask a Musa series we're talking to our Hermanas post-mentorship program to find out how the mentorship program works, how to make the most of your mentorship experience, and valuable lessons learned. Resources Mentioned: Francesca Lia Block Writing Workshops Highlights Foundation Highlights Foundation Latinx Symposium SCBWI Resilient Writers Writing Group Rhonda...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, the Middle Grade and Young Adult edition, Musas Juliet Menéndez, Jonny Garza Villa, and Laekan Zea Kemp discuss Debut Jitters! If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Buy Juliet Menéndez 's children's book debut Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, the Picture Book edition, Musas Ana Siqueira, Mariana Llanos and Gloria Amescua  discuss lessons learned over the course of their debut year. Resources Mentioned: - Full Circle Literary - Texas Book Festival - Kids Need Mentors If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or...

In this very special episode of the Las Musas Podcast, middle grade author Alda P. Dobbs discusses her debut middle grade novel Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, origins of the books, her writing process, Latinx identity, and what comes next. Fellow musa and middle grade author Terry Catasus-Jennings moderates.  Resources Mentioned: Highlights Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna launch party at The Tw...

On this episode of the Las Musas Podcast, debut authors Marcia Argueta Mickelson and Alexandra Katona discuss brainstorming, revisions, and getting to the final product. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Buy Marcia Argueta Mickelson's Young Adult novel Where I Belong Buy Alexandra Katona's picture book Dinner on Domingos Check out the other books...

On this episode of Ask A Musa, we're talking to a few of the founders of LatinxPitch: authors Mariana Llanos, Denise Adusei, and Sandra Proudman, and delving into all things #LatinxPitch , which is just around the corner: September 15! Listen on to learn how you can get involved in this Twitter pitch event for Latinx kidlit writers, what to expect from agents and editors, and a few success stories...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, the Middle Grade and Young Adult edition, Musas Terry Catasús Jennings, Marcia Argueta Mickelson, Jonny Garza Villa, and Laekan Zea Kemp discuss audiobooks! If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Buy Jonny Garza Villa's YA contemporary novel Fifteen...

On this week's episode of Ask A Musa, we're talking all about swapping age categories! Listen on as this week's Musas chat about how they choose the age category and genre for their projects, how those decisions can guide a story's voice, and how they prepare for switching age categories or genres. We end with a few red flags to look out for when talking with agents about projects that span multip...

In this very special episode of the Las Musas Podcast, picture book authors Gloria Amescua and Hilda Eunice Burgos discuss their debut picture books, the inspiration behind the stories, language and Latinx identity, and what comes next for them.  Resources Mentioned: Lee and Low New Voices Award NaNoWriMo If you enjoyed this episode, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Buy...

In the fourth installment of Radio Musas, we get swept away by Amparo Ortiz’s Blazewrath Games where dragons and their riders compete in an international sports tournament in this alternate contemporary world fantasy. Music and sound effects provided by Youtube Studio and FesliyanStudios. If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or a few)...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, the Picture Book edition, Musas Jasminne Mendez, Donna B. Higuera, Gloria Amescua, Hilda Eunice Burgos discuss debut jitters, and avoiding comparison, and having grace with yourself.  Resources Mentioned: - Toastmasters - Night-Blooming Jasmin(n)e: Personal Essays & Poems - Mia Garcia If you enjoyed this episode or plan on u...

In this very special episode of the Las Musas Podcast, Crystal Maldonado joins YA Debut Musa Gabriela Martins, author of Like a Love Song , as she shares her writing journey. Listen as she chats about everything from her many years of querying to finally landing her book deal, the importance of online fandoms, the messages she hopes young readers take from her novel, and more! Resources Mentioned:...

It's Part Two of our Ask A Musa episode all about money! Today, we'll be talking about how the pandemic has affected advance sizes, how advance sizes have changed for marginalized authors in recent years, and resources and support for marginalized authors. Resources Mentioned: Publishing Paid Me SCBWI Las Musas Resources Page Cultural Fairs (Check your local and state Cultural Fairs Department) If...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast's Debut Diaries series, the Middle Grade and Young Adult edition, Musas Terry Catasús Jennings, Alda P. Dobbs, Jonny Garza Villa, and Laekan Zea Kemp discuss ARCs ( A dvanced R eader C opies), Trade Reviews and Publications, and thoughts on navigating, staying away from, and respecting book reviewer spaces as a traditionally published authors. Resources Men...

On this episode of Ask A Musa, we're fulfilling a listener request to have en episode all about money! We'll be talking about advance sizes, financial safety nets, and things we wish we'd known before becoming full-time authors. Resources Mentioned: Hannah Holt's 2017 Author Survey: Young Adult , Middle Grade , Chapter Books , Picture Books Publishing Paid Me Spreadsheet Deadline City Podcast: Sea...

In this very special episode of the Las Musas Podcast, Anika Aldamuy Denise joins Picture Book Debut Musas Ana Siqueira, author of Bella's Recipe for Success and Donna Barba Higuera, author of El Cucuy Is Scared Too , as they share their journeys from critique partners to published picture book authors, what inspires their stories, and what's next. Resources Mentioned: Las Musas Mentorship Program...

In this episode of the Debut Diaries, Picture Book Edition, Musas Alexandra Alessandri, Ana Siqueira, Zara Gonzalez Hoang discuss craft — their writing and illustrating process, developing a story from idea to finished draft, and more.  If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Resources Mentioned: Writing...

In the third Radio Musas, we explore Michelle Ruiz Keil’s second novel, Summer In the City of Roses . Inspired by the Greek myth of Iphigenia and the Grimm fairy tale Brother and Sister, the novel follows two siblings torn apart and struggling to find each other in early '90s Portland. If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or a few) to...

On this episode of Ask A Musa, we take listener and subscriber questions managing writing alongside a full-time job, featuring musas Monica Mancillas, Ana Siqueira, Hilda Eunice Burgos, Vanessa Torres, Carmen Rodrigues. They share how they balance writing and working, strategies that work well (and some that didn't!) for them, and tips and tricks for success. Resources Mentioned: Conferences, Work...

In this episode of the Debut Diaries, Picture Book Edition, Musas Cynthia Harmony, Ana Siqueira, Gloria Amescua, Hilda Eunice Burgos discuss debut groups, writer friends, and making your community. If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Resources Mentioned: The Writing Barn Learn more about Cynthia Harmony ! PreO...

In this episode, Debut Musa and author of the funny, heartfelt YA novel Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun chats with fellow musa and author Anna Meriano. They discuss everything from the inspiration behind the book to how Jonny formed their characters to what comes next and more! Resources mentioned: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Abertalli If you enjoyed this episode, please consider...

In this episode of the Las Musas Podcast Debut Diaries, the Middle Grade and Young Adult edition, Musas Olivia Abdahi, Jonny Garza Villa, and Laekan Zea Kemp discuss debut groups and the benefits and complexities of author communities and friendships. Resources Mentioned: #WIQchat, #QWriters, #QPOCchat, and #DiverseInk chat on Twitter the 21ders Debut Group website If you enjoyed this episode or p...

In our first special Live Ask A Musa episode, we take listener questions on our favorite (and least favorite) parts of the writing process, whether it's more beneficial to use Spanish specific to your particular culture or more general Spanish in your work, the inspiration for and creation of the secondary characters in our books, what we do with story ideas we don't feel ready to write yet,...

In this episode of the Debut Diaries, Picture Book Edition, Musas Lorian Tu, Gloria Amescua, Zara González , and Alexandra Alessandri discuss their experiences surrounding marketing and publicity. If you enjoyed this episode or plan on using the resources provided, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Add Lorian Tu 's picture book Family Song on Goodreads! Preorder Gloria Amescu...