An Altar of Stories to Liminal Saints

05/23/23 from Broken River Books

The new year is here and I’m very excited for 2023. I’ll have a new book out! An Altar of Stories to Liminal Saints will be out on 05/23/23 from Broken River Books. It contains really weird genre-blending stories that I had a lot of fun writing. The stories deal with birth, motherhood, friendships, strange creatures, and unexplainable phenomena.

I’m also leading some writing workshops (I will share more info soon) and traveling around the US with my son so he can see the forest and the ocean for the first time.

I hope 2023 brings all of you beauty and creative time to make art in all of its forms.

Happy New Year!

Leo Thoughts: LOST edition

Photo of a Portal found on Twitter

My family has been recovering from COVID. I was the last one to get it. I feel as though someone has kicked me down a hill and I rolled all the way to the bottom and slammed into a wall. The aches are no joke. This truly sucks. It’s day 4 and I’m wrapped in my BTS blanket because my chills don’t seem to be going away.

While sick, I’ve been continuing my re-watch of the show LOST. For me, this show came out when I was going through a journey of self-discovery. I was finally fully rejecting Christianity and realizing that I was definitely not straight. I also found out that not everyone you come across will like you. This period in my life was bumpy and weird and complex and I couldn’t help but think of it when I initially started watching.

At this point in my life, I’m watching from the space of being a mother, the space of knowing how to evaluate storytelling better, but also appreciating all the hotties on the show. This isn’t a serious rewatch. It’s for fun. It’s for the memories.

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TBR Pile

I have always been someone who reads five things at the same time. It’s the strategy of someone who wants to absorb multiple writing styles and voices at the same time without necessarily committing to the book in its entirety. I’m the same with TV shows, I will watch a K-drama up until one or two episodes after the kiss scene. It’s not that I don’t like endings, I think I just can’t handle conflict sometimes and want my shows wrapped in a happy ending bow.

The point is, I want to take my time, slow down and finish books. I am making a self-imposed reading challenge because I miss slowness, I miss sitting around just thinking, I’m tired of scrolling and feeling like the world is basura.

The last book I finished was “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong and that was a couple of years ago now. I loved it. I couldn’t put it down. Ocean has a breathtaking writing voice. I will fight anyone who says otherwise.

My TBR List:

Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung

Almond by Won-pyung Sohn

Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

Flowers of Mold by Ha Seong-Nan

The Hurting Kind by Ada Limón

The Lost Dreamer by Liz Huerta

Thrust by Lidia Yuknavitch

I might read three of these at the same time, but my intent is to take my time and sit with these stories. My personal hashtag will be #riosreadingchallenge

To all of you miraculous beauties who read a bunch, I hope you’re reading amazing stories. What are you reading?! What’s your TBR like look like?

Sending love and light from me and my baby who is currently cuddling me. Besos!

Upcoming Events

Hello everyone,

Here’s a quick update on upcoming events I will be a part of starting in June! I have been taking a break since my long trip to Portland in March. I finally feel my energy back in balance so I can focus on my creative pursuits and all the work that goes into self-promotion as an indie author.

I am going to join some incredible writers in June for the LatinX Writers Showcase at Café Mayapan in El Paso, Tx. The event starts at 7pm.
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AWP Reading Schedule

AWP is coming up in March and I am going to be attending the conference this year as well as reading at offsite events. Offsite events are open to the public and most events are free!

Here is my reading schedule:

Witches in the Woods
When
: Thursday, March 28th
Time: 5pm to 7pm
Where: Secret Forest Books,
3561 SE Division St.,
Portland, OR 97202

About the event: “To celebrate AWP Portland 2019, Ayahuasca Publishing presents a very special offsite reading show: Witches in the Woods, hosted by Secret Forest Books! Featuring the talents of Hanna Tawater, Rios de la Luz, Katie Farris, and Lizz Huerta. There will also be tarot card readings available prior to and after the show. Join the coven and prepare for the ritual!” FB EVENT PAGE.

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Photo from event page

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My Fave K-pop Songs of 2018

20. UNB – 감각 (Feeling)

19. SUPER JUNIOR (슈퍼주니어) X REIK ‘One More Time (Otra Vez)’

18. IZ*ONE (아이즈원) – 라비앙로즈 (La Vie en Rose)

17. 빅스(VIXX) – ‘향 (Scentist)’

16. MOMOLAND (모모랜드) _ BBoom BBoom (뿜뿜)

15. GOT7 – Lullaby

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Upcoming Events & Writing Workshops

Happy 2019! I just wanted to make a quick update on the three writing workshops I will be teaching this winter.

On January 19th, I will be teaching in El Paso, TX at the Memorial Park Library. it will be a short and sweet workshop and I will be reading some of my fiction and non-fiction.
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Updates: What I’ve been up to

Happy Halloween to everyone! I dressed as the universe this past Saturday and tonight, I am going to be a witch. There’s thunder and lightning outside. It feels like the perfect weather for today. I want to document what I have done the past three months because I am super grateful for the opportunities and for the outpouring of love from other writers.

In August, I was the opening reader for Amber Tamblyn, who is an activist, a phenomenal author, and an actor. It was wonderful hearing her read and speak about her new book, ANY MAN.

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Rios de la Luz and Amber Tamblyn @ Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ

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