When I sat down to answer the question of why I write multicultural romance, I drew a complete and utter blank. Every reason I theorized, did not ring true for me. The answer came only after I realized that writing in this genre of romance was not my intent.
I have been an avid reader since a young age. One of my most vivid memories is of my
parents taking me to Walden Books and scanning the racks for the perfect book
to take home. Even as a constant reader,
it was not until my late teens that I read a book with Hispanic
characters. I am of Puerto Rican
descent, born and raised in New York, and while urban city life has allowed me
to relate to a great many things, I could not find a story that mirrored my
life. I was at a loss to find a story that
allowed me to make a direct connection to the world I grew up in. Though I have found a great many amazing
Hispanic authors, the stories of second and third generation Hispanics coming
of age in the U.S. are far and few in fiction.
Once I discovered romance, Historical to Erotic and
Chick-Lit to Paranormal, I added in a whole new world of characters and stories
to my voracious appetite for reading. I
couldn’t get enough. My status as
constant reader turned to that of insatiable reader. While I was thoroughly entertained, I was again
unable to find my likeness between the pages.
I longed for stories of strong and confident Latinas with careers, who
are not afraid to push to the next level in both life and love; stories of
interracial romances, where cultures come together, finding passion and love
because, and in spite of, their differences.
So my intent was never to write a multicultural romance, so
much as to write stories set within a frame I could fully relate to, with
characters that reflect me and the people in the world around me. Whether it is in the form of Latinas or interracial
couples, there is a lack of representation within literature. I feel I can make a contribution to altering
that by writing to the changing faces of couples and love in America and
connecting with a growing population that also wants to see itself in books, if
that makes me a writer of multicultural romances, so be it.
