LAS COMADRES & FRIENDS NATIONAL LATINO BOOK CLUB ANNOUNCES MAY 2023 BOOKS OF THE MONTH

 

Today a Reader. Tomorrow a Leader. – Margaret Fuller

 

 

 

Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club is proud to announce its May 2023 book selections. 

   

THE HOUSE IN THE PINES by Ana Reyes (Dutton) – a powerful, eerie thriller about a woman excavating fragments of her past.

CHINGONA: Owning Your Inner Badass for Healing and Justice by Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty (Broadleaf Books) – a raw, honest insight into the multicultural experience.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL by Dora Maria Abreu (Skinny Brown Dog Media) – an inspiring children’s book full of affirmations about self-esteem, courage, inner strength, and self-love.

 

Visit the Book Club website for full descriptions and author bios here:  https://latinolit.com/

   

SAVE THE DATE!  Monday, May 22, 8pm ET, for our monthly Teleconference with live interviews with authors Ana Reyes, Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty and Dora Maria Abreu.

COMING JUNE 21:  Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club's 9th Annual Summer Reading List

#ReadLatinoLit

 

LAS COMADRES CALENDAR OF EVENTS – MAY & JUNE 2023

 

 

All Comadres welcome.  We will update this Calendar the first of each month.  

All events via zoom.  Check your time zones. 

Links will be emailed to all Comadres and registrants. 

 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

 

 MAY 2023

 May 1 (Mon) -- Las Comadres & Friends Book Club announces May books

THE HOUSE IN THE PINES by Ana Reyes

CHINGONA by Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL by Dora Maria Abreu

 May 17 (Wed) – LAUNCH!   Las Comadres Kitchen

                             Hostess Lola Dweck of Lola’s Mercadito

 May 22 (Mon) -- Las Comadres & Friends Book Club Teleconference, 8pm ET

Live interviews with authors Ana Reyes, Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty and Dora Maria Abreu

 

JUNE 2023

 

June 1 (Thur) -- El Club del Libro holds its Summer Book Club meeting, 5pm PT

                             LOS LAZOS QUE NOS UNEN by Marcela Fonseca 

 June 5 (Mon) -- Las Comadres & Friends Book Club announces June books

ERENE WITH WOLF MEDICINE by Irene I. Blea

WHEN TRYING TO RETURN HOME by Jennifer Maritza McCauley

 June 14 (Wed) – LAUNCH!  Las Comadres Presents Mind, Body & Spirit

                             Hostess Jeannie Diaz of Jeannie Diaz Yoga

June 17 (Sat) -- Regional Comadrazo for Eastern & Pacific networks

June 19 (Mon) -- Entrepreneur Club Meeting

June 21 (Wed) -- Regional Comadrazo for Central networks

June 26 (Mon) -- Las Comadres & Friends Book Club Teleconference, 8pm ET

              Live interviews with authors Irene I. Blea and Jennifer Maritza McCauley

 

 For Last month's activities, click here:  https://comadresconnect.blogspot.com/2023/02/las-comadres-calendar-of-events-march.html

   

NOT A COMADRE? 

Join for free here:  https://lascomadres.com/lco/join-las-comadres/

 

 www.lascomadres.com

 

SATURDAY, APRIL 29 -- 2023 WORLDWIDE COMADRAZO WITH SPECIAL GUEST DOLORES HUERTA AND KEYNOTE SPEAKER DR. MONICA MUNOZ MARTINEZ

 

SISTERHOOD & COMMUNITY. HEAR US. SEE US. JOIN US.

Saturday, April 29, 2023

 

 

 

Las Comadres Para Las Americas is holding it's biannual WORLDWIDE COMADRAZO on Saturday, April 29.  This is a gathering of Comadres from all over the world to share and discuss Sisterhood and Community.

 

  

SPECIAL GUEST:   DOLORES HUERTA

 

Dolores Huerta is a celebrated Latina labor leader, activist, and community organizer. She has worked for civil rights and social justice for over 50 years. In 1962, she and Cesar Chavez founded the United Farm Workers Union. Today she is the President and Founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Among her many awards is Mexico's Order of the Aztec Eagle Award - the highest decoration awarded by the Mexican Government to foreign nationals. Dolores was also the first Latina inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

NEW!   KEYNOTE SPEAKER:   DR. MONICA MUŇOZ MARTINEZ

 

Dr. Monica Muñoz Martinez is an Associate Professor of History at The University of Texas at Austin. Her book, THE INJUSTICE NEVER LEAVES YOU: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas received six book awards. Monica co-founded the award-winning project "Refusing to Forget" and helped to secure four state historical markers commemorating the history of anti-Mexican violence. She is a 2021 MacArthur Foundation Fellow and in 2023, Monica was named a national honoree for Woman of the Year by USA Today.

THE NORA AWARDS

We will announce award recipients for Comadre of the Year, Comadre Community Service 

and Friend of Las Comadres.

Art work for Las Comadres and Worldwide Comadrazo logos created by Laura Lopez Cano.

========================================== 

 

SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSOR OF THE 2023 WORLDWIDE COMADRAZO – RUDY RUIZ

 

 

SILVER SPONSORS

EGBI    *    INCLUSION INSTITUTE+   *   LATINX IN PUBLISHING   *   ADRIENNE PULIDO

 

BRONZE SPONSORS

Athena Silversmith * Bilingual Communication Strategies * Josefina Casati * 

Con Todo Press * Creative Alliance Communications * CryptoConexión 

Grace Flores-Hughes * Lucero Photography * Minero 

MOLA Market Research * Deborah Nevarez-Vivolo 

Yleana Martínez Modern Jewelry Design

2023 NORA AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

 

                               

 

Las Comadres Para Las Americas is pleased to announce the Finalists of The Nora Awards.   Winners will be announced on Saturday, April 29, at the virtual Worldwide Comadrazo.   

The Nora Awards, named in honor of our National / International Founder Dr. Nora de Hoyos Comstock, recognize Comadres who exemplify the virtues of Loyalty, Generosity, Community, Sisterhood and Kindness.  The Finalists were nominated by their fellow Comadres.

 

The Comadre of the Year award goes to a Comadre who has helped other Comadres.  The Finalists are:

Gladys Ayala Borjas (NY)

Gloria Chavez Casas (TX)

Dorinda Moreno (CA)

Yolanda Nava (CA)

 

 

The Comadre Community Service award goes to a Comadre who has helped her community.  The Finalists are:

Ysabella Hincapie-Gara (NY)

Venus Piňeyro (TX)

Darlene Tenes (CA)

Judith Torrea (Mexico)

 

The Friend of Las Comadres award goes to a company that continually supports Las Comadres Para Las Americas. This winner is chosen by the Board of Directors.

 

 

Congratulations to all the Finalists.

#WWC23

#WorldwideComadrazo

#NoraAwards

#LasComadres

LAS COMADRES CELEBRATES ITS MEMBERS ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MARCH 2023

 COMADRES!  We celebrate You!

 

Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.

If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.  ---Herman Cain

  

 

 

Congratulations to all!

 

 

Gloria Arguezo (AZ) – Her son and his wife, Luis and Andrea, are expecting the family’s very first grandbaby! They’re keeping the baby’s sex a secret, so in May they’re expecting a wonderful surprise! Let the spoiling begin!!

 

Moni Avila (TX) – Became instructor certified to teach Community Health Workers.  She was selected to participate in a national training on Racial Justice for a Re-imagined World; was selected to take part in the first Phenomenal Woman videography project; and was selected to present at NACCS Tejas on Nontraditional Student Experiences in el Torre del Marfil.  Moni is also presenting at NOLA Teaching Prevention 2023 Leadership for Health Equity. 

 

Norma E. Cantú (TX) – Has been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Senior Specialist Fellowship to Spain. She will be at the Universidad Complutense and the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares in April 2024.

 

Nereida Claudio (GA) – Launched a Spanish Financial Website at www.tumundofinanciero.com to help educate, inform, support, and share with the Spanish speaking community. The website is completely free with documents in Spanish that are downloadable for everyone. Nereida has 30 years of experience in banking, finance, credit, and counseling and created a resource for our under-resourced communities.

 

Nylda Dieppa (FL) – Nylda’s new book, ALBORADA (Dawn): A Memoir in Poetry, will be released on May 3, 2023.  She’s planning a great launch event that evening at the only Hispanic art museum in Florida, Museo de Arte Mundial, to celebrate.  All invited.

 

Olga Fernandez (CA) – Celebrates 25 years in business as Funeral Retail Store owner.  She helps families with low-cost services providing cemetery plots and niche for cremation; designing families monuments-headstones; Funeral Sympathy Flowers, Cremation Urns and Keepsake jewelry.

 

Maria Ferrer (NY) – was named Executive Director of Las Comadres Para Las Americas.  “I am honored and humbled,” says Maria, “at the confidence Nora and the Board of Directors have in me.  This is a labor of love for me, and it keeps me connected to Comadres worldwide.”

 

Estella Gonzalez (AZ) – The Pima County Public Library selected her as the 2023 Spring Writer-in-Residence.

 

Lila Guzman (TX) – Her story, “A Teachable Moment,” was published in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: ADVICE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE, Publication date: March 14, 2023.  This year is also the 20th anniversary of LORENZO’S REVOLUTIONARY QUEST, her young adult novel from Arte Publico Press. The novel tells the story of the first cattle drive in Texas history.

 

Yolanda R. Guzman (TX) – Accepted a new opportunity as the new Physician Liaison for Texas Oncology in the Rio Grande Valley.

 

Candy Ibarra (CA) – Her movie "My Daca Life", about a DACA Program recipient and her journey to reconnect with her heritage, has now been in three film festivals -- San Diego Film Festival, Immigrants Film Festival in Washington D.C. and Panafest (Panamanian Film Fest) in Los Angeles.  Candy is proud to tell the stories of the underrepresented people of color in our society.

 

Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa (NY) – Celebrated the February 11, 2023, launch of INDOMITA, the Spanish-edition of A WOMAN OF ENDURANCE to an SRO (standing room only!) crowd in Puerto Rico at La Esquina, a San Juan bookstore.

 

Imelda Rodriguez (IL) – Is proud to announce that her virtual book launch of LATINAS IN FINANCES was a tremendous success on January 19th, 2023. Published by Fig Factor Media, the book presents 18 Illinois-based authors who share their stories of how they built their careers while facing challenges and achieving success while working in various occupations. Imelda is the founder and main author of the book.  Others include business consultants, insurance brokers, tax professionals, financial coaches and real estate investors, attorneys, and agents. Book is available on Amazon. Learn more about the Latinas in Finance at www.latinasinfinances.com.

 

Tess Tobin (NJ)  –  Tess was promoted to Project Manager of Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club.  She is now in charge of book submissions, book selections and the monthly teleconferences.  "Tess has done a marvelous job on the Book Club and the Teleconferences these past two years," says Maria Ferrer, Director of the Book Club. "This promotion is well deserved!"

 

Maria de Lourdes Victoria (WA) – Published another book! Publiqué otro libro! LA GALLINA CLUECA DE JOSEFINA / JOSIE'S BROODY HEN, published by Daisy Press.  Her children’s book will be available on April 15th en versión Inglés and in Spanish.

 

 

#LasComadres

#Accomplishments

#LatinaPower

LAS COMADRES & FRIENDS NATIONAL LATINO BOOK CLUB ANNOUNCES APRIL 2023 BOOKS OF THE MONTH

 

Keep Reading. It's one of the most marvelous adventures anyone can have.  --Lloyd Alexander

 

Las Comadres & Friends Book Club is proud to announce its April 2023 book selections. 

 

Save the date of Monday, April 24, 8pm ET, for our monthly Book Club Teleconference via zoom.   

FREE BOOK!  Register today for the Teleconference and you may win a free book.  

Register here: https://latinolit.com/join-teleconference/

 

 

 

BOOKS OF THE MONTH

 

CENIZAS: POEMS

By Cynthia Guardado

 

Cenizas offers an arresting portrait of a Salvadoran family whose lives have been shaped by the upheavals of global politics. The speaker of these poems—the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants—questions the meaning of homeland as she navigates life in the United States while remaining tethered to El Salvador by the long shadows cast by personal and public history. Cynthia Guardado’s poems give voice to the grief of family trauma, while capturing moments of beauty and tenderness. Maternal figures preside over the verses, guiding the speaker as she searches the ashes of history to tell her family’s story. The spare, narrative style of the poems are filled with depth as the family’s layers come to light.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Cynthia Guardado (she/her/hers) is a Los Angeles–born Salvadoran poet and professor. She is the author of two collections of poetry, CENIZAS and ENDEAVOR.   Learn more about Cynthia here: https://cynthiaguardado.wordpress.com/about-2/

 

 

VALLEY OF SHADOWS

By Rudy Ruiz

 

Solitario Cisneros thought his life was over long ago. He lost his wife, his family, even his country in the late 1870s when the Rio Grande shifted course, stranding the Mexican town of Olvido on the Texas side of the border. He’d made his brooding peace with retiring his gun and badge, hiding out on his ranch, and communing with horses and ghosts. But when a gruesome string of murders and kidnappings ravages the town, pushing its volatile mix of Anglo, Mexican, and Apache settlers to the brink of self-destruction, he feels reluctantly compelled to confront both life, and the much more likely possibility of death, yet again.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: RUDY RUIZ is an award-winning author. His novel, The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez, received two Gold Medals at the 2021 International Latino Book Awards. It was also a finalist for the Western Writers of America Silver Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel. His short-story collection Seven for the Revolution captured four International Latino Book Awards, including the Mariposa Prize for Best First Book. In 2017, he garnered the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction. A bilingual native of the US-Mexico border, he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Harvard and now resides in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife and children. Visit his website at www.RudyRuiz.com.

 

 

GOD IS JUST LIKE ME

By Karen Valentin

 

God may be hard to describe, but one young Puerto Rican girl in New York City finds examples of God's character all around her. As she goes day-by-day through the week, she talks to God about the delightful ways she and God are similar. From vivid sunrises and colorful paintings, dancing to music in the park, loud thunderstorms, and fishing on a quiet lake, the evidence that she is made in the image of God is everywhere she looks.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Karen Valentin is an award-winning American writer who is proud of her Puerto Rican heritage. She is the author of several books for children, including WHAT DID ABUELA SAY? and BLOCK PARTY. She is also the author of a young adult novel, THE SUMMER SHE CHANGED HER NAME. Karen has also published several books for adults, including a memoir, THE MOTHER GOD MADE ME TO BE, awarded Best Parenting/Family Book in 2016 by The International Latino Book Awards.  Karen is an avid traveler who speaks three languages--English, Spanish, and French.  She taught English as a second language in France after earning a bachelor of arts in English literature from Fordham University.  Learn more about her at www.karenvalentinauthor.com

 

  

Visit the Book Club website for full descriptions and author bios here:  https://latinolit.com/april-2023-cynthia-guardado-rudy-ruiz-karen-valentin/

  

REMEMBER!  Save the date of Monday, April 24, 8pm ET, for our monthly Teleconference with live interviews with  Cynthia Guardado, Rudy Ruiz and Karen Valentin.

 

Until then, Happy Reading and always Read Latino Lit!

 

STARTING A GRATITUDE JOURNAL

By Maria Ferrer

 

There is no right or wrong time to start a Gratitude Journal or just journaling. The start of a new year, a new month, even a new week is a good time to start.

 Comadres are journaling from coast to coast.  From New York to California, from Illinois to Texas.

We did a poll of how long Comadres were journaling and found that more than 65% of you have been journaling for 5 years or more.  10% just started recently, less than a year ago.

 For many, journaling brings clarity, peace, and grounding. 

 For Aida Perez (TX) journaling helps her reflect on her day, her week, her life.

 For Lucy Recio (MD) journaling helps ground and heal her.  It allows her to author her life’s story.

 For Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa (NY) journaling centers her. Puts her experiences into words, cements it in her mind and records it so she can revisit at a later date.

 Others like Julie Aponte (NY) journaling is meditative. She writes down what she is grateful for to reshift her energy and perspective in positive ways. For Lydia Galvan (TX) it  is a cognitive behavioral therapy tool.

 For Elsa Prado (IL) journaling is more spiritual.  She uses it to talk to God. Many Comadres do a Gratitude Journal specifically to list what they are grateful for and to keep track of their many blessings. For example, Comadre Leonor Mendoza (TX) journals regardless of the day she’s had for there is always something to be grateful for. Same with Mirna Merced-Reyes (MA), journaling keeps her hopeful about overcoming Life’s challenges. For Amparo Garcia-Crow (TX) it’s her mindfulness meditation practice.

For some it’s about the positive. Veronica Hawkins (TX) likes to start her day on a positive note. Julie Anna Alvarez Rivera (NY) believes you attract to your life what you focus on and she focuses on the good in her life. She has also read studies that have found gratitude journaling linked to improved mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

 For others like Silvia Patricia Solis (TX) journaling helps preserve memories. Same with Christina Guerra (TX), it helps chronicle her life.  While Hilda Rivas (TX) and Elsie Santana (CT) like to have a record of what was going on in their life so they can go back and read it.

 Journals come in all colors, sizes and shapes. Some have pretty graphics, some are metallic, some are leather bound with clouds and feathers. Their key feature is that they are blank notebooks. Journals are personal so choose one that speaks to you.  And if you can’t find a journal with a cover you like, find a photo, postcard, quote or drawing that you like and paste that to your new journal.

 And sometimes blank notebooks are best. Comadre Jacquelyn Leon (NJ) is a blank notebook kind of journaler, and Bertha Magaňa (IL) uses any blank book to record her life.  

 The Big Question is how to start. Ana Gonzalez (CT) recommends starting slow, just write for 15 or 30 minutes. 

 How often should you write in your journal? 

Again, there is no right or wrong answer.  Amy Cobb (TX) and Anna Reynoso (CA) journal as often as they can.   While others like Mona Chavez (TX) journals once a week, or like Julie Aponte (NY) who journals every other night. You choose a time at your convenience.

 How to keep the momentum of journaling going?

 Many Comadres like Hilda Rivas (TX) recommend starting with  “Today, I am grateful for….” Or “I am ….”  Lydia Galvan (TX) likes to think of something beautiful that held her in awe that day or something someone did for her. Johanna Moya Fabregas (TX) starts with listing the fun things her daughter did that day that made her happy. The top favorite way to start is by listing three things you are thankful/grateful for today. Or try:  “Today, I honor myself by ….”.

Below are some recommended books on journaling.  Good luck and Happy Journaling. #

 

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

●        THE MINDFULNESS JOURNAL by Scott & Davenport

●        THE HAPPINESS PROJECT by Gretchen Rubin

●        CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD by Neale Donald Walsch

●        FIND A QUIET CORNER: INNER PEACE: ANYTIME, ANYWHERE by Nancy O’Hara

●        BULLET JOURNALING by Ryder Caroll

●        GOOD DAYS TO START WITH GRATITUDE by Pretty Simple Press

●        WRITING FOR SELF-DISCOVERY, PERSONAL APPROACH TO CREATIVE WRITING by Mayra Schneider & John Killick

●        THE ARTIST WAY by Julia Cameron

 

**This article first appeared in the Winter/ Spring Comadres Connect Newsletter.**