Susan McKinney de Ortega

Big Energies

2012-02-29T06:19:00.000-06:00

When we first got our Zoey, she was so small she fit inside one of Carlos' socks. As a short-haired dog in winter, that's where she spent a lot of her first few weeks with us. Then she grew into a sweet bull terrier who leapt over the grass when it was high and ran around like crazy when we took her to the Presa. She was BFF to Max, our German Shepherd who passed a few months ago. He'd open his mouth and she'd lick his teeth.

Alas, Zoey, as an albino female, had a skin disease that worsened until she was living with large bleeding tumors on her stomach that robbed her energy and then her life. In her last days, a curious thing happened. The washing machine, right next to her box, stopped working. Then the coffee maker. Then the microwave oven. Then my computer. Then Zoey died. Now the clothes washer, coffee machine, microwave and computer work perfectly. My only conclusion would be that we all have powerful energies, I believe. RIP, sweet Zoey!

A Salty New Novel

2012-01-16T10:47:00.000-06:00

Here's a review for Key West Story: A Novel by Rick Skwiot. Look for this new novel on Amazon and other e-book sites.

Having a protagonist who is a writer is not easy to pull off - writers are not known to be action figures after all, but Rick Skwiot does it beautifully in Key West Story: A Novel. It helps that his writer, Constantine not only drinks rum but dodges bullets and domesticating-minded women.
To save him from being a cliché, Con does NOT live on a houseboat - he lives in a rental, trying to stay ahead of the utility bills - and is befriended by an Ernest Hemingway look-alike, who claims to be the real thing, and who helps Con chew over a life and a writing career gone off-course.
"It's all that matters," say Papa Hemingway, who in 2012 is called Nick. "Without it, it's like a bad novel. No matter how fine the writing or how beautiful its moments, it never works if the core isn't solid, if it has no heart."
To stave off writer's block induced panic, and possibly solve the paying-the-rent-problem, Con agrees to go to Cuba with "Nick" on a dubious and ill-explained mission. "A voyage of faith, Conman," his new pal tells Con about traveling and possible sunken treasure, but also about finding his best-selling writer self again.
High seas and low surf adventures lie ahead for the writerly pair. In the end, the appreciative reader will have gotten to know several unique Key West characters, many of whom have lost some rudder power in their own lives, and all of whom find their core, their heart and their destiny, some in unexpected ways, with a salty Atlantic breeze at their backs.

What the Angels Want Me to Know

2012-01-14T07:33:00.000-06:00

I told Carla about the angels I heard singing. (See previous post.)

“Mom, they are definitely trying to reach you. What do you think they are trying to tell you?”

“I don’t know,” I said.

“Just be aware. Don’t try too hard. Let it come. You’ll find out,” my 17-year old said.

So I have some maestros, or teachers, and they are trying to tell me something with supernantural signs. Why me, and what could it be? I am not gifted with extra abilities like my daughter. What am I supposed to be doing with the regular abilities I have? Or learning? Or understanding?

Maybe the answer is in my dreams. They’ve been vivid lately, and full of detail. Like the lady riding a white horse around and around in a circular arena. She had very long hair and was very competent on the horse. She was standing on its back with her arms spread as the horse galloped. She was naked but there was no shame to it. My girls did this – volting - years ago when they were learning to ride. The gal in the dream was very confident and I had the feeling of wanting my kids to see her. Here’s what one dream interpretation site said:

To dream of a white horse signifies purity and good fortune. It indicates the image of a prince charming and his white horse coming to save the princess.

Horses symbolize strength, speed, and endurance. It also indicates having control over things and directing them towards your aim.

To dream of a woman symbolizes love, nurture, caring, and passivity. It may represent your female side or your own mother.

I told my poet friend Fay about the angelic singing I’d heard the day before.

“Angels are all around us,” Fay said. “I spoke to angels once through a medium. They’re very bossy! My angel told me to get a pen and paper and write things down. She said I would work in a store. I thought,’ Me in a store? I don’t think so.’” We spoke in Garrison and Garrison book store in San Miguel. She knew I saw the irony. “And here I am, perfectly at home, surrounded by books.”

“Angels and spirits are trying to reach you because you are open. And because you put a beautiful and honest work into the world,” Fay said. She gestured to my memoir, displayed on a Garrison and Garrison table. Tears formed in my eyes.

Earlier that day a friend who’d lived in San Miguel when our kids were little, came into the spa to buy a second copy of my book for a friend. “Almost finished your book. Wow.” my friend, Carmen, said drolly. “You really put yourself out there.” Her tone was part respect, part repulsion.

I focus on a text I picked up on Facebook earlier in the week that I keep going back to. It was written by a Mayan leader who wants the world to know that 2012 is not the end of the world at all, but a time of great change as our planet moves into the World of the Fifth Sun.

At sunrise on December 21, 2012 for the first time in 26,000 years the Sun rises to conjunct the intersection of the Milky Way and the plane of the ecliptic. This cosmic cross is considered to be an embodiment of the Sacred Tree, The Tree of Life, a tree remembered in all the world's spiritual traditions.

I love thinking that a giant cross will be formed across the galaxy on my youngest daughter’s 16^th birthday. I go back and read a favorite line from the Mayan leader.

The element of the Fifth Sun is celestial.

Angels Singing

2012-01-09T06:04:00.000-06:00

When I first had my ankle pinched, Carlos said maybe it was Mary, since she died of cancer, telling me to get checked for cancer. Getting a cancer check I could do! It would be an hour or two, and then done. OK, I’ll get more than one! I’ll check my breasts, my uterus. Or maybe I’m supposed to be getting to those nine Masses. I’ll pay for 9 Masses! Any task that has a time limit, that doesn’t mean a lifestyle change. Meditation, sheesh. Here I am writing instead. Yes, Resistance is my middle name.

Meantime, a couple of mornings ago, over coffee, I was telling Carlos about a dream I’d had in which a dog, probably our dog, vomited and in the huge mess, several sizes bigger than the dog itself, that came out I realized there were mesh bags containing animals without hair and two kittens who desperately needed to be released from the bags, or born.

I began to hear a sound, and I interrupted the part of my story where I do manage to free the kitties and hairless animals. It was singing. The voices were high and clear and pure like voices from a boys’ choir. All I could think was celestial song. I stood by my kitchen counter, thinking, I am listening to angels. I held my hand in the air for minutes, listening.

“Hear that?” I asked my husband.

“Yeah,” he said, with furrowed brow.

And then the sound changed. Its high pitch lowered, and I realized I was listening to a pack of dogs barking.

Perhaps weirder things have happened in my life but I sure don’t know when. Was I suggestible because I had just read the article about the lady who speaks to angels, and written about her? Do I need my ears cleaned, my head screwed on straight? Or was I hearing a message of love?

Witches, Numbers and Angels

2012-01-06T07:39:00.000-06:00

Is it sychronicity that I pass by an open door on Calle Reloj the day before Christmas and enter a Christmas knick knack and garage sale, and leave with four magazines in Spanish, which made only an 8-peso dent I my Christmas shopping money? And that, on the day after Christmas, after several days of fiestas, I allowed myself to lay down on the couch in the reception area of my spa, and read a magazine. I picked up a December 2010 Marie Claire and it flipped open to the article, Mujeres Encantadores.

It’s about women with dones or gifts, women with powers and perceptions beyond what most of us experience.

Some call themselves brujas, which means witches. Brujas in Latin countries doesn’t mean mean old ugly black magic person. Brujas y brujos are people who have some contact with the supernatural world and who most likely use their gifts for altruistic purposes.

There’s the Wiccan priestess who began following her calling when she noticed in a bookstore one day that she was drawn to the books on the Wicca religion. She cleanses people of bad vibes and to bring out the best in them using a dagger, fire, herbs, egg, a pendulum, or whatever is indicated. To get the year off to a good start and insure that your house is protected and prosperous, she advises to place a broom behind the entrance door and repeat, “I put you here so you can cleanse those who arrive with bad energy, and allow abundance to enter.”

Gabriela, an astrologer, believes your birthday is your new year. During the days leading up to your birthday, you should close cycles, get rid of old resentments, ask for forgiveness. This way, you’ll start your year with new energy, things will flow in your favor and you’ll have the force of the planets on your side.

Maria Esther is a tarot reader who predicted the swine flu and the death of Michael Jackson. She makes yearly predictions on a popular Mexican radio program. To insure a prosperous new year, she advises one to pass a purple candle over the body, imagining a cleansing of whatever bad has accumulated in 2011. Then burn it. Immediately after, write your name on a pink candle and ask that only love and other good things will come your way in 2012.

According to Claudia, a numerologist, we live through nine year cycles, and each one is dominated by a tendency. Adding my numbers, I found that I am presently in level Nine. Nine assures that this is the opportunity to finish things that are pending and consolidate plans. It’s also a very spiritual period, and I am supposed to take advantage of that.

Finally, I read the story of Pilar, a food and beverages manager with a corporate event planning company. She speaks to angels.

It happened for the first time during meditation, Pilar explained. She suddenly felt an immense happiness, as if her heart was expanding. She felt filled with love. She began to speak in an unknown language and blow kisses all around. Her maestro explained that she had finally made contact with her superior self, the one that we all have that is pure light. Her higher self, or her angel of the light had a message of love for mankind. And something else.

“The beings of the light are on Earth so that you can experience the marvelous opportunity to make contact with your internal self, to open your hearts and eliminate judgements and egos. Go inside yourselves to find the divine source. Pay attention to your heart. It will point you to the correct path, and will give you all the answers you seek.”

I closed the magazine and sat staring at the wall for several minutes. According to the article, we are all born with gifts, and if we don’t develop them, they get stuck. I have known my daughter Carla is gifted ever since she pointed with her six year old finger to the pink energy balls that floated above my washing machine that she saw and I didn’t. Shortly after, she held her hand close to my face when I writhed in pain from a deteriorating tooth. Her little hand seemed to have magnets in it, drawing the pain from my cheek to her palm. When we go into the Parroquia, the spirits who are buried in the vaults below the church floor rise to visit with her, sometimes telling more of their stories than she needs to hear, like the lady who was trampled by horses. Carla feels the pain in the back of her knees.

Carla’s extra perceptions are clear. But the idea that I might have gifts is a bit stunning. Am I supposed to wake up to my own gifts? How do I do that?

Here in front of my eyes, right there on the page I so randomly opened to, was the message I have suspected the spirit who pinched my ankle wanted me to understand, the message I’ve been avoiding. The people who work with energy say that to feel the power of our gifts we must cultivate our spirituality.

I think there’s no getting around it any more. It’s time for me to meditate.

Spirits, Elves and Buried Treasure

2012-01-02T07:52:00.004-06:00

New Year’s Day asada in our house yesterday. I told of hearing celestial singing as I drank coffee with my husband early on New Years Eve day.(story to follow in next blog post!) Immediately my mother-in-law had a story.

“I woke up at 3 AM one night, hearing children playing outside the window. I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I just heard children’t voices and laughter. I went outside to tell them it was time to go home and there wasn’t a soul in sight.”

Carmen looked around the table where Carlos’ father Silvano, Carlos, the girls and I sat expectantly with our beef tacos.

“Duendes,” she said.

Elves! I was not surprised. Carla sees or feels them in the trees along the river to the left of the highway to Dolores Hidalgo. During the basketball season, we drive over to Dolores every Saturday for Carlos’ games and Carla scans the treeline for duendes.

I tell my mother- and father-in-law about having my ankle grabbed by an unknown entity at 5:15 a.m.the other morning.

“You know what that means,” Carmen says knowingly.

No, I don’t! Enlighten me!

Carmen held up her hand, her thumb and forefinger separated by several inches, gripping an imaginary stack of bills.

“I’m supposed to find the treasure?” I asked.

Carmen nodded her head. She is not the first to have mentioned this theory. After my first post about being woken by the spirit ankle-squeezer, I got this reply from Mexican blogger Leslie Limon, who is also married to a Mexican man. (http://www.motherhoodinmexico.com/)

If you don't mind me adding my two centavos, Hubby's family believes that if you are visited by a spirit/ghost, it's because there is money or treasure buried somewhere near you and they want you to find it. Next time your visitor is around, ask where the treasure is? :)

OK, Spirit, I’m ready! I'm leaving my ankles at the bottom of the bed for more messages. It would be lovely if you could pinchingly point out where the bag of gold is hidden. It occurs to me though, that there is no bag of money on our land or hidden in our walls because we built our house (it’s half built anyway) from scratch. Shrubs were removed, land was turned over, walls were constructed. Nothing was turned up unless it was and some albanil made off with our rightful treasure! Then it occurs to me too that the treasure is us, the Ortega family, sitting around a table full of food, swapping stories.

Can’t a little elf just show up, whisper in my ear and tell me if I’m right? Or pinch my ankle.

New Reviews!

2011-12-31T10:01:00.000-06:00

A delightful end-of-the-year review! Mexconnect is one of the most widely used sites for Mexican travelers and residents. It's very informative and well-written, and its reviewer has read Flirting in Spanish!

http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3841-flirting-in-spanish-what-mexico-taught-me-about-love-living-and-forgiveness

Flirting in Spanish has also been reviewed lately on these blogs:

http://interestedmindsreviews.blogspot.com/

http://melaniesrandomthoughts-melanie.blogspot.com/

http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/2011/12/review-flirting-in-spanish-by-susan.html

Lucky me! Mil gracias to all who have read and reviewed Flirting in Spanish! And a prosperous 2012 to all!

What the Diplomat Told Me

2011-12-28T08:11:00.001-06:00

Carlos' mantra these days is synchronicity, and here is how it showed up yesterday for me.

An elegant 60-ish woman came in for a massage and facial yesterday. She is a diplomat for Panama, and was once the Panamanian consul in Baltimore. She is soon to publish a book, and we talked writing. I told her about the paranormal tendencies in my family and how someone pinched my ankle while I slept, and that I didn’t know if it was my maestros or Mary.

“It was Mary,” she said.

“How do you know?”

“I just feel strongly that it was your friend. She hasn’t passed on. She needs help.”

“But why would she come to me if she needs help? I would think she would hang around her own house, with her husband. Or at Warren and Tuli’s. Mary and I were very good friends, but Tuli was clearly her BFF.”

“There is a spirituality at your house that is going to help her cross over, isn’t there? Your daughter can detect spirits and your husband meditates at 5 every morning, right?”

“Oh, yeah,” I said.

She went on to tell me of when her then 5-year old son, while vacationing at Disney World in Florida, said suddenly, “A tree has fallen onto our roof, and crashed into my room.” Sure enough, when they returned to Panama, they found their home’s roof crushed by a tree.

“You can help Mary,” my client, Elvira said, as I massaged her neck. “Find a priest to say 9 masses for her, and she will pass on.”

Not an unheard of proposition. My mother has paid for dozens of Masses in her lifetime. Surely there are enough churches in San Miguel for that to be an easy task. But is that the end? Is that all the spirit wanted from me?

The Secret of Christmas

2011-12-25T08:07:00.000-06:00

I just came across this wonderful site. We have two horses and love animals. This is a terrific way to help others that really speaks to us...you too, maybe.

https://secure1.heifer.org/gift-catalog/?msource=kw2792&gclid=CKOThrvuk60CFQcQNAod6GZQoA

Christmas morning and the teenagers are still asleep. Different times. It's all good, the growing up, the growing pains (conflicts with friends, conflicts resolved). I told them Santa was traveling light this year and they are completely cool with that. I think they also see the abundance we enjoy that doesn't come under the tree - lovely get-togethers in friends' homes, cakes and dinners made by friends for their December birthdays, cookie-making hosted by friends, phone calls from faraway family, Christmas afternoon planned in one friend's house then dinner in the home of other long time San Miguel friends.

Merry Christmas to all!

Bring It On, Maestros!

2011-12-16T07:39:00.001-06:00

So my maestros, as Carla says, or Mary - wait, maybe my recently deceased friend, Mary is now one of my maestros! - woke me at 5:15 the other morning by pinching my ankle, and today I paid attention to the message and woke at 5:15. Not that I exactly got out of bed (oh toasty bed!) at tal hora. Still, it’s still dark and starry out and here I am, once again at the task of figuring out what I must wake up from. Or to.

One, I’m literally awake and I think this is half the battle. I paid attention. I got out of bed. I’ve been thinking of getting up earlier to write for days, and here I am finally doing it. IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT, great masters? I’ve been taking the steps that allow me to get up earlier too. Last night, during A Charlie Brown Christmas, I whimpered and put my feet in my husband’s lap, and he gave me reflexology which knocked me into a deep sleep before 8 pm.

My other creeping thought is that I should be meditating. My husband turned off the Christmas lights around the chimney and is meditating in the dark to my left wrapped in the afghan my grandmother knitted about 50 years ago, like he does every morning. But whoa, writing and meditating? I’ve giving myself a big round of applause for sticking to this page and not jumping over to see what 500 of my friends have been posting about during the night. (I just looked – winter flu, tree decorating, college admission.)

Next to me I have The Complete Idiot’s Guide Dream Dictionary. Last night I looked up Tiger for Carlos. He had a dream of some tigers running around his mother’s neighborhood. He didn’t want them to be caught. Tigers: Power, Nonconformity, and standing out from the crowd. Sounds like the opposite of Carlos, although he is an insidious leader – quiet around gringos, but the acerbic joker, the one who makes his buddies laugh. Yet, twist the glass a bit and we see Carlos the artist. If you see a tiger in your dream, you can make a strong impression right now or strike out on your own and do just fine. Carlos is doing some powerful paintings these days, and talking about taking them to a gallery which once displayed his earlier art. Then he hesitates. Grab that Tiger power and go, Big Guy!

Suddenly I am remembering a dream I had frequently as a grade school kid. I was in a car but there was no driver. Driving: Driving symbolizes the direction you are going. Are you in control? Are you lost? Pay attention to how you drive and where you are going for clues about the path you are currently taking in your life. I was ten, eleven, twelve, when I dreamed about having no driver. I was worried about my direction in life then? When are these Maestros going to give me some flippin' answers, I ask you.

It’s clear outside now and my Tae Kwon Do class calls. And the big questions remain: What if I am supposed to be waking up to Enlightment? What is Enlightment? Does Facebook or Charlie Brown bring me closer to Enlightment? And also, when will I get my Christmas shopping done?

How To Keep San Miguel de Allende Crime Free - An Insider's Look

2011-12-13T11:03:00.002-06:00

So Sunday on the homestead found us sharing a couple of caguamas with Carlos' brother, Hector, our sister-in-law Mari and a friend from the parque (that means he plays basketball) known as Toluco. The evening mellowed, I made tacos de pollo, and then at 9:30, Toluco jumped up and raced out of the house. His job is to ring the bells of La Parroquia in the center of San Miguel. Sunday night was one of them most important nights of the year, the eve of the Fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe. Go, Toluco! Get there by ten and ring those bells. Tell people (bong, bong!) to get to bed because the fireworks (bong!) begin at dawn and don't stop all December 12th! At 10 pm, I heard the bells, or conjured I did, imagining Toluco hanging on the end of the thick rope.

Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe is a national holiday in Mexico. Banks and schools were closed. We ate breakfast at Cafe Contento with Hector, Mari and our girls' cousin, Anibal. Mascando (chewing on a topic), Hector and Carlos decide it must be safe to go to the United States.
"Mira, in Miami, you have Horacio."
"Horacio is one smart guey. He always has the answers."
"Plus he has some boss sunglasses."
"In New York, you've got that other dude. What's his name?"
"Nobody knows."
"Wait. They call him, Mac. Sue, has anyone ever called you Mac?"
"No, but they used to call me Skinny McKinney."
"Then, they've got that whole team in Las Vegas.
"Right! Now they've got that dude who used to run that bar."
"There's a guy you can trust right there."
"What about those Criminal Minds guys? What are they covering?"
"Hijole, they're everywhere. What's an unsub anyway?"
"We should do a CSI San Miguel."
"El Dandy, El Waca and El Toluco are not the lottery ticket seller, the drunk with the roses in his lapel and the bell-ringer that everyone thinks. They're investigators!"
"Out to uncover why gringos think they can take their dogs everywhere with them, and how the cops are always asleep in their patrullas at the end of my street!"
"We'd be safer, you know, with a CSI show of our own."
"Yeah, I'm going to contact Telerisa. Manana."

Heel, Heal, Does it have appeal?

2011-12-07T16:05:00.004-06:00

Last night I dined with my favorite author friend (apart from you, Bev) Sandra Gulland at La Brasserie (apologies to Valeria if I butchered the restaurant name - I know no French). Her book, my book - so much to catch up on! Sandra summers in Canada and I haven't seen her since last May. The latest draft of her latest book is in to her editor - whew! I told her about my ankle being pinched by Who Knows Who With What Message. She agrees it's a good topic to pursue.

Today a spa client say, Oh, you were grabbed on your heel. Heal?

Another spa client told about visiting a shaman near Cuernavaca some 20 years ago for the "chicken treatment." I've heard of curanderos using eggs and fire and gladiolas but not live chickens. This New York gal says she was having trouble with a "friend" who owed her money. So another American friend in Cuernevaca took her to see Don Lucio who had her stand over a burning something and let the smoke go up her skirt. Then Don Lucio and the friend, who in fact was apprenticing with the Don, beat her lightly with live chickens. Then the chickens were sacrificed and thrown off the mountain. Ya. Then leaving the mountain the friend's car broke down and the friend accused her of causing the disrepair with the release of all her bad energy.

Were things fixed with your friend at home? I asked.

Not really, the client said. But I had been out of work for quite some time and I DID get a job immediately upon my return to New York.

Close Encounters of the Mexican Kind: Was Mary Visiting Me or Another Spirit?

2011-12-06T13:59:00.001-06:00

Carlos talks about synchronicity. That if we are aware, we'll notice it happens all the time. Friday morning last week, somebody pinched my ankle three times and woke me from a deep sleep. But nobody was in the bedroom with me. (See my previous post.) By 11 that day, I was guesting in Michelle Garrison's Spanish grammar class where the topic of the day was brujeria and santeria and Catholicism in Mexico. I told the students at Cafe Contento, in Spanish, about my experience and that I was still trying to figure out what I had to wake up to. Mouths dropped open; their attention was complete. "Were you scared?" one woman asked.
"No."
"Were you able to sleep after that?" wondered another.
"Actually, I told the spirit I was going back to sleep and to please wake me up at 6:15. When I woke and looked at the clock, it was 6:13."

Mexicans had a whole different take on a spirit visitation. By the end of the day, we were in my brother-in-law Hector's car on our way to a teacher party with him. "So, somebody tugged on my ankle early this morning," I told him. "Carlos was in the living room - it wasn't him."
"Ha, you got off easy," Hector said. "Once the lady who hangs around my mother's house gave me a cachetada!"
I brought it up again at the party. Everybody at the table had a story. The spirit in fulano's house. The shaman who worked in the pueblo near Celaya who died but is kept by the villagers, embalmed and hidden in someone's house. Those pueblos around Celaya, si, hombre. Todos tienen sus brujos.

My 16-year old sees spirits all over the place. Once we went into a downtown store in San Miguel that sells householdy things like hand-blown glass pitchers and glasses, tablecloths, antique tables. "There's a dead person here," she said, as we ascended to the second floor.
"What's he doing?" I asked.
"Watching us," she said, picking up a silver plated spoon.
Carla had promised early in the day to check our bedroom and see if it was our recently deceased friend Mary hanging around. When we got home from the teacher party, I called her in.
"Oh, yeah, there's someone here," she said.
"It is Mary?"
"No, it's one of your maestros, here to give you some conocimiento."
"What's the knowledge I need? What am I supposed to know?!"
Carla shrugged, and ran out of the room. There was a song on YouTube her sister wanted her to hear.
So now I have more questions than answers. Coine on, Gringo Nation, help me out! This is my moment and I don't know how to grab it! Who was in my room and what am I supposed to be learning?

Ghost in the Machine

2011-12-02T10:48:00.004-06:00

THE FOLLOWING IS FACTUAL AND NOT EXAGGERATED. This morning, I was woken by someone pressing on my ankle three times. I looked at the clock - 5:15 - and looked around for my husband. Usually he wakes me at 6:15, sometimes by turning on the light, sometimes by passing the cup of coffee he's made me near my nose, sometimes by pressing on my ankle. But this morning at 5:15, he was not in the room.

Carlos routinely wakes at 5 AM and goes into the living room to meditate, so I was not surprised when I called his name twice and he didn't answer. But someone had clearly pressed on my ankle and woken me from a deep sleep.

My friend Mary died two months ago, on October 1, of cancer that attacked various organs including her lungs, and finally moved to her brain. She was a non-smoking vegan. She ran the independent book store Libros El Tecolote in San Miguel for 17 years. I worked there when my Sean, now 14, was born. Mary was my first friend in San Miguel. We were artists' models, sometimes working together, like I detail in my memoir, Flirting in Spanish (http://tinyurl.com/865e85z). She was older than me by 5 weeks. Tomorrow is my birthday. Did Mary try to wake me up to say Happy Birthday? Did Mary try to WAKE ME UP?

And what am I supposed to be woken up TO? I'm thinking it was Mary in my bedroom this morning because I think she has visited before. A couple of weeks ago I woke at around 1 am to voices, the kind you might hear on speeded up recording - human but unintelligible. I went into the living room to tell Carla to quit Skyping her friend Weasel in Texas and go to bed. But the living room was dark. I walked upstairs to tell my two daughters to quiet down. But they were asleep.

Days later, I lay on the couch moaning from intestinal pain. My husband put his hands over me to see if he could move the energy around to give me relief. "Huh," he said after a few minutes.
"Huh, what?" I demanded.
"You have a great deal of cold around you."
"And that's making me sick?"
"No, there's a dead person here."
"Doing what?"
"Visiting."
"Who could it be?" I asked. Mary hadn't occurred to me just yet.
"Who is it who just passed and might want to visit?"
Now he was annoying me with his riddles.
"Well, what does she want?"
"Ask her."
Aaargh! I wanted to yell. You're the one with the extra perceptions! Can't you just give me the message?

My psychic 16-year old is going to check the house for Mary when we get home. Meantime, WAKE UP is still rocking through my head. Maybe if I say Pretty Please, Mary will crash my bedroom again soon and tell me what I have to wake up to, or from.

How to Spend Holidays in a Foreign Country

2011-11-25T08:54:00.002-06:00

First: - Thanksgiving:

Order, and do not bake, because your oven kicked with a gas leak about two years ago, pies from La Buena Vida bakery. Pick them up from the window from the gal in the white baker's hat. Jockey to pay with the lady receiving two dozen dinner rolls into her over-the-river-and-through-the-woods basket.

Step out of the way of the city employee on Hernandez Macias shouting up to the guy in the cherry picker to adjust the giant tinsel mistletoe he is hanging over the street to the left.

Elbow a Philadelphia buddy and remind him of standing in the cold at the Thanksgiving parade in the shadow of Billy Penn. Grumble at your kids, who are on Facebook, that they should be watching a parade.

Every once in awhile, throw your hands up and yell, Touchdown!

Tell yourself you won't have seconds, and then ignore yourself.

Giggle when all the kids (yours are teenagers now, and too sophisticated for such nonsense, you see) squirt whipped cream moustaches on each other.

Love that after dinner, your kids, along with new and old friends, go outside to watch the stars from the lienzo charro - the rodeo ring on the property.

Thank you Karla and Kayla Lorch, fantastic mother/daughter cook and hostess team!
Look for South of the Border Holidays, Part II. Coming soon...

Reasons to Feel Optimistic

2011-11-20T10:49:00.000-06:00

Was visited yesterday by two friends who live in a town near Monterrey. Juan is researching why Mexican teens don't continue their schooling for his PhD. During their travels this past August, they returned to their hometown the day a fire was started in a Monterrey casino that killed 53 people. The fire was atrributed to clashing cartel members. In communication in the days following, my friends were frightened, laying low, hearing of people disappearing and worse. How are things now, I asked them yesterday.

I ask because fortunately, in San Miguel, we have not experienced drug violence.

Both friends brightened at the question. Things are better, they said. Those responsible for the casino fire have been arrested, they reported. Lots of the cartel commanders have been jailed too. What's left are ragtag street criminals without organization. The military is keeping up a presence, and establishing little posts in neighborhoods to keep the streets safe. Visitors are returning to tourist sites in the area. Residents are returning to towns that had been evacuated when cartel members threatened to move in. Order and peace are returning.

I've been praying for some Mexican healing, and my heart sings to hear it.

An Unexpected Turnaround

2011-11-15T15:43:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, Mexican news reports said that tourism was up around 2% in 2011. That's good news, and surprisingly, it just might be true. Last month, for the first time in three years, the numbers in our business, Jasmine Spa, went up. That is, after a steady three-year slide in earnings, October 2011 was better than October 2010.
Why? I have absolutely no idea. There were times during the past three years when Carlos and I considered closing Jasmine Spa. There was the swine flu, blamed on Mexico even though I personally knew of NOBODY in the state of Guanajuato who had the illness. Then, on top of the bugs: drugs. Escalating power fights between the cartels on the coasts and on the border, but NOT here in our town, and relentless media coverage of it, had some people believing Mexico was a war zone. The sluggish economic recovery in the United States didn´t help. The landlord would come around and we'd have nothing to offer but empty pockets.

But we kept on. A base of local clients kept us paying the phone and light bills. We struck deals with our kids' schools. We stayed home, or went to the presa (lake) and watched the water and the sun. I worked on my writing, not memoir this time but a Young Adult novel. And now, a good month. Rental people say THanksgiving weekend will bring tourists as well.

All I can say is Viva Mexico.

Hey, a really cool site called spanglishbaby reviewed my travel/romance memoir, Flirting in Spanish. Check it out!

http://www.spanglishbaby.com/2011/11/book-review-flirting-in-spanish-giveaway/

Been Scrapbooked!

2011-10-27T13:07:00.000-05:00

Since my travel and romance memoir is, in fact, a love story, I´ve been snooping around on some romance sites and blogs. That's how I ended up being the guest author SCRAPBOOKED by romance reader and blogger Nat at Reading Romances - http://readingromances.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/an-authors-scrapbook-susan-mckinney/
It was way fun to put together! Go over to the Reading Romances blog and see what my favorite hobby is, what my secret wish is and who my favorite authors are. It's such a cool presentation! Thanks, Nat!

Guest post by "I Love San Miguel" Hal Schade

2011-10-19T15:23:00.011-05:00

Texan Hal Schade has visited San Miguel several times, but its colors, festivals and street life never fail to captivate him. In my romance and travel memoir, Flirting in Spanish, I wrote about watching the Festival de San Miguel from the balcony of one of the town´s stucco houses. Hal stayed on Calle Sollano for nine weeks, exiting the country at the beginning of this month with a promise to come back. During his last week in San Miguel, the festival of San Miguel Arcangél took place. He told me personally, Nothing beats Mexican chocolate, and Nothing beats a Mexican fiesta. Here are his thoughts in text, and his photos.

I had some photos from what turned out to be the final "event" of the celebrations of Arcangel San Miguel...it was much like the others, yet very moving...

...a figure of San Miguel was brought into the Jardin directly in front of La Parroquia...his cape was then pulled out behind, and everyone passed under the cape touching the fabric as they went through...

...you can't see it, but the mantón this woman is wearing is soaked with tears from the experience...she told me I should go through, so I did...

...of course, there were all the dancers...here are a couple of diablos "before and after" the passing...and a lady burning incense at the door of La Parroquia...
...the mix of rituals for the whole celebration period was amazing...pagan, pre-Hispanic, Christian...but they all blend into one very memorable experience...

Vendors in my Life

2011-10-10T13:45:00.000-05:00

I guess I better clear things up. I´m speaking of the taco ladies. The Hands of Steel lady flips tortillas and gorditas with her bare hands. She uses cheap stainless steel spoons to serve the guisados (fillings like shredded chicken, mushrooms in cream, chicharón and nopales) into the tortillas to make tacos. Me...I´d be burning my fingers and yelling, Ouch! Not this lady though. Her outdoor stand is on Calle Nueva. She has a nice smile accentuated by some tall white teeth that probably cost her some.

The Gates of Hell taco lady has a little fonda (traditional Mexican food sold out of a small kitchen or stand) at the back of a corner store jam-packed with every snack beverage ever invented by Coke, Pepsi or Lipton. It´s hard to tell how she cooks because her back is to you when she is at the stove and, like the name implies, she cooks in the dark, as the lights went off in the back of the store about two months ago and have not been repaired. This gal is probably not even 30. She rarely smiles. She does, however, serve her tacos with lovely, crinkled slightly blackened grilled and salted jalapeños. In both places, you can get a fill-you-up plate of tacos for about one dollar.

Josefina is the owner of La Ventana, where I get my yummy organic Chiapas coffee. Being in the coffee business, a cold day makes her do a happy dance. She and I trade service for product. The other day her two daughters, who've been in school with my girls, came in to my business, Jasmine Spa with a friend for massages and facials. All on credit. This means I can think, a latte would be great right now, or Frappucino! and just cruise on over and pick one up. Sometimes when I don´t have small change the Hands of Steel taco lady will tell me to pay tomorrow. It´s one of the nice things about living in San Miguel de Allende, which even though it´s a World Heritage Site, is still a small town.

Gates of Hell Tacos

2011-10-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

My theory for living in Mexico is: Suspend Logic.
For instance, the corner store on Sollano where we buy tacos in the morning for 12 pesos. These days, that´s less than a dollar for 4 tacos (a taco, by the way, in Mexico, is ANYTHING stuffed into a warmed-up, folded-over tortilla). The tacos come with shredded lettuce, tomato and salsa. Quite the bargain. Quite a convenient little stop for the thrifty.
The gal who runs the little kitchen even put in a couple of tables. On any morning, you´d find cops with their walkie-talkies occassionally crackling, moms who´ve just dropped kids off at school, area workers, delivery guys who stop for a bite before resuming their routes. And THEN, about 3 weeks ago, the lights went out.
The taco gal now cooks to the light of the flame on her gas stove. The tables sit in darkness.
The store in the front still sells bread, milk and Cokes under fluorescent
lighting, so you can easily make selections and pay for your tacos in the front of the store. But step carefully once you show up at the kitchen window and be prepared to pick up your meal in the black.
The Taco Gal can´t change a light bulb?
She lost the number for the electrician?
She meditates while making tacos and prefers the dark?
It all doesn´t matter, because business has not slowed at the Gates of Hell Taco Window. The taco gal is busy as ever. People even sit at the tables, hunched closer to their plates to see where their taco is.
Not me, though. I like seeing what I eat. That´s not to say I´ve found another breakfast nook. A twelve peso plate of tacos de pollo o frijoles can´t be beat.
I take mine wrapped in tin foil, however, to go.

Indigo Children

2011-09-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

Carla is excited that there is another Indigo in her school. She has never met another kid like her before. This kid is new in the school, new in San Miguel. Carla sees auras, can move energy and sees or senses the dead. New Kid can take your hand and give you a reading...tell you how you are. One of my English class students blogged about it last week (scroll through this week´s unedited entries). http://www.siglo21mirror.blogspot.com/

Carla and New Kid walked through town talking the other day. He pointed out an energy spot, in the chapel next to La Parroquia. She talked about the ghosts that inhabit the centuries old parrish church.
She came home talking about meeting another kid (finally) like her.

Literary Sala reading tonight!

2011-09-08T11:32:00.000-05:00

If you are in San Miguel, please come to the Posada de San Francisco tonight at 5 pm for a reading by Alice Deham and me! Since my memoir Flirting in Spanish was "in-progress" for about a hundred years, and I´ve read from it several dozen times, it seems, I´m trying to present something different tonight. Like maybe a little video presentation where you´ll see lots of the actual characters in the book, including some of San Miguel´s literary luminaries from the early 90s. Should be fun.

Alice Denham´s most recent book Sleeping with Bad Boys was reviewed by the NT Times (in case you don't, those NY Times folks are a pretty busy lot and getting them to pay attention to your book is a big coup). Alice was one of the first writers to give me advice as I slogged away at memoir-writing; plus she was at my wedding.

Hope to see you all! Signed copies of Flirting in Spanish will be on sale!

Hope to see you there!

How El Negrito is not a matter of Political Correctness in Mexico

2011-09-04T15:16:00.000-05:00

Bimbo in Mexico is like Wonder. Bimbo produces white sandwich bread, promoted by a little white osito (bear cub) in a chef´s hat, and now, 2011, it also offers scores of whole wheat and multigrain options.
Bimbo sells packaged sweet cakes, too, kind of like Hostess selections in the US. One of its most popular is the Negrito. The Little Black One.
The Negrito is a white cake (it was once compared to a hot dog roll) both filled and topped with chocolate. On its package is a black boy with a huge Afro and big stepping Keep on Truckin' feet. He has a Negrito in his hand and a smile on his face, happy presumably to have his yummy snack.

If you are chubby in Mexico, you are probably nicknamed Gorda. If you are skinny, you are Flaca, unless someone in your life has a wry sense of humor, and you are called Gorda. Sean as a toddler was called Tortuga because, naked, we imagined her a turtle without its shell. If you are light, you are called Guera. If you are dark, you are Negro, or Negra, like my sister-in-law. So a black boy or a chocolate snack is El Negrito. Here in Mexico, it´s all good.

Flor de calabaza and a roof

2011-08-29T11:42:00.000-05:00

It´s almost September, the time when rancho folks come into town with buckets of flor de calabaza for sale. That´s the yellow zuchini flower that many Mexicans sautee and tuck into quesadillas. The taco lady with hands of steel declined to buy the offered flor de calabaza this morning, but gave the boy selling them a couple of tacos. After, he insisted she accept a bunch of the edible flowers anyway.

End of the summer also, in our case, means that my brother-in-law, a labor lawyer in León, just won a big case he´d been working on. What that means is that he came to visit his mom in San Miguel yesterday with an overloaded wallet.

There is a chapter in my memoir, Flirting in Spanish, entitled The Lamina Roofed House. It told how Carlos took me to his parents´ house for the first time. Approaching his house, I could see that part of the roof was lamina - corrugated plastic. There was another chapter that I decided not to include. It detailed how some drunk soccer boys, sitting on a hill above my mother-in-law´s house began to throw bottles at the house while I sat outside nursing infant Carla one Sunday. When they ran out of beer bottles, they threw rocks. My five foot tall mother-in-law ran outside with a machete raised over her head. The nonsensical attack was over as soon as it started, and the boys came to the house the next day to apologize, and promise to buy another piece of lamina, as they´d torn a hole in the roof. That was nineteen years ago. For 19 years - more actually - the family sweated under that roof during hot months and shivered in the cold. Now, with big brother´s success, the family will get a proper poured-cement roof. And the lamina roof that my chapter details will be a thing of the past.

Never a Normal Day in San Miguel

2011-08-22T08:07:00.000-05:00

First, a couple of days ago, I asked for the usual - two egg and frijol quesadillas (with salsa, got all the food groups covered) from the friendly lady with hands of iron - she turns tortillas, lifts metal spoons from bubbling pots of guisados, shuffles gorditas with her bare, unblistered hands - on Calle Nueva. On my side of the food cart, I spooned on salsa. I oversalted (in Mexico nobody glares at you if you do.)  I bit my torta staring at the taco stuffings I could have ordered...liver, chicken in tomato, papas in chile pasilla, mushrooms in cream, when a paper was thrust in front of my face.

"Dibujo del dragon," offered a man who looked like he hadn´t slept much in past hours. He wore a shirt over a shirt, warmup pants over jeans, had a rather trim moustache. The drawing was done in black and purple crayon. "Me lo compras?"

"No, gracias." I didn´t want to buy a dragon drawing. The man moved on to the next taco stand, and then the next offering his drawing to those breakfasting on tacos.  At the final stand, the guy gave him a taco de cabeza. The artist tucked his drawing under his arm, and ate.

Then, yesterday, I finished my Mega shopping, and found, when I tried to pull out, the parking lot exit blocked by thousands of frenzied teens. A huge line of them walking toward the center of town. First came the green team. Green t-shirts, sweatshirts and shoelaces, chanting something. Fist pumping. What could have them so stirred? Then came a white-faced clown, riling them up even further. By now, the blue group was passing. Then purple, then yellow. Thousands of teens, hollering and cheering. There was a banner. A God banner!  Along came some kids with the head of Jesus on their bags. Someone yelled something. The crowd answered, "Si, Cristo vive!" They were deliriously happy about it. I thought of those Baptists who sing and whoop and swoon. I've never seen Catholicism expressed in such a whoop-de-do way before.
Today, officials say the teens numbered 7,000 and came from towns outside San Miguel.  I´m still trying to figure out what their final destination was.
I got out of the Mega parking lot after 25 minutes.

San Miguel reading for Flirting in Spanish

2011-08-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

So a lady I think I have never met (or maybe I have...has she come into my spa before?) is hosting a Flirting in Spanish reading at her home on Aldama 15 this coming Tuesday, August 9 at 7 pm. Isn´t that the most fabulous thing? She´s providing botanas and wine and told me to announce it in the newspaper, which I´ve done.
"You really want a pile of people in your house?" I emailed.
Turns out she likes literature and entertaining and is happy to combine the two, so I say happily, bring on the fiesta! Anyone who is in San Miguel is invited.
I´ll read, sign, answer questions, eat cheese, drink wine with my pinky extended!
I love this gal...next week´s host. She read a previous blog post here, and emailed me, "Don´t let Sean (age 14) go to the Mint!)"

Now on Kindle!

2011-07-29T16:56:00.000-05:00

My memoir, Flirting in Spanish is now available to all Kindle readers!

http://www.amazon.com/Flirting-in-Spanish-ebook/dp/B005EZ3LVQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1311976510&sr=8-3

Interviewed by the Wisconsin State Journal!

2011-07-24T17:27:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to be with Antaeus Books. The publisher, Jayne Navarre is the genius who thought of adding a glossary of words to use when "flirting in Spanish" at the back of my book, Flirting in Spanish.

Antaeus is not a big Random House, so lots of the publicity effort falls to me. This past week, I contacted a writer acquaintance named Doug Moe, who has written for Madison, Wisconsin newspapers since I used to work in news there in the 80s. Hey, I said, Maybe you remember me? Wanna take a look at my new book?

Fortunately he did. He is a wonderful writer who I remember for writing a long magazine piece on the sensational 1980s murder of a police officer´s ex-wife by hired assassin Joseph Hecht. The fascinating trial came with hints of gay activity on Hecht´s part, a glamorous and sullen girlfriend who was put on the stand, and the defendant himself. Dressed in an Izod shirt, he looked like someone I might have chatted with in a bar. My part in the coverage came when Hecht complained of headaches, got himself transported to University hospital, pulled a gun while there, and escaped. I, traveling in the News 3 car with videographer, Mike Van Susteren that day happened upon Joey Hecht in his getaway car before the police found him...one of the biggest adreneline rushes of my life. Within the hour, the police had located and captured him.

I´ve always admired Doug, and now he has written an article about me and Flirting in Spanish. My mother was thrilled about the article and wants to know if Doug Moe the writer is related to Doug Moe the former NBA coach...a comment that would only come out of a family like ours.

Here´s the article: http://tinyurl.com/44qts5p

All Things Texas

2011-07-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

My teenaged girls were fascinated by everything in Texas. "Hey, Jeff," Carla said when we went to a Sisterdale restaurant for take-out Texas barbecue. "Hold up the paper sacks! We don´t have paper sacks in San Miguel!"

This is Jeff, our host in beautiful Sisterdale, Texas. His house is a getaway hunting lodge that has been in the family for years, a beautiful tree-shrouded dwelling with a wide wooden porch complete with wooden rockers made by Jeff´s grandfather. That´s the girls and I at the family gate above.

The house is a quintessential 1960s Hill Country hunting lodge complete a mounted and framed Indian arrowheads display on the wall and and a pushbutton wall phone and bedstands adorned with American Hunter magazine. The girls rested on the sleeping porch under a couple of the dozen mounted deer and antelope heads the line the paneled walls.

We returned to San Atonio in time for my kids, who are full citizens of both Mexico AND the United States, to participate in the Los Olmos Park July 4th parade. They marched with their friend, Anna Louise. Carla was amazed at all the red, white and blue, and Sean awed by the free food in the town green later.

The following photos were taken by Carla. These are the things about Texas that caught the attention of a 16-year old girl who lives in Mexico.

Photos of San Antonio reading

2011-07-12T14:36:00.000-05:00

I think giving readings in homes is the way to go. The chairs are comfy and the food can´t be beat.

Allow me to present some of the coolest gals in San Antonio. Roane was so happy to have her daughter back from Madrid, where she was studying Spanish. That´s Avery and Roane in the middle. And Jill on the left is married to a Mexican fellow and KNOWS WHAT IT'S LIKE!

Most of these gals are in book clubs and want me to come back and talk to their groups. I´m cooking up a San Antonio Book Club Tour for the week going into Mexican Independence Day, September 16.

Book clubbers of San Antonio - contact me if you want me to visit!

This is my friend, Margaret. She made yummy guacamole, a red, white and green (colors of the Mexican flag) cheese dish and sangria, and lent her lovely home for the event.

Texas Book Reading

2011-07-07T08:43:00.000-05:00

I'm in San Antonio, Texas and yesterday received an overnighted envelope of Flirting in Spanish trade paperbacks in time for a reading held last night in the home of my good friends, the Judsons.

I held the book in my hands for the first time! I rubbed it on my cheeks. "Sean, come here. Touch the book!" Right, Mom. She put a finger on it. Carla is more one for rituals. She ran her hand over the book reverently.

Later, by the end of the evening, I had met some wonderful women from different areas of my friend, Margaret's life. And sold 25 books to 15 women! They bought books for themselves, books for their sisters, their friends. It was incredible.

I am seeing Texas on this trip in a new way. Later, I'll write about why I can now put Texas and beautiful in the same sentence.

Being A Mom in Mexico

2011-06-16T08:56:00.000-05:00

Sean, age 14, wants to go to the Mint, which is a night club/disco in downtown San Miguel de Allende. When I used to go, in the early 90s, it was called Pancho and Lefty´s. Yes, you read right. Sean is FOURTEEN! The trouble is a lot of her friends go. The club doesn´t card underagers and the parents let them. So she thinks that means she should be allowed to go.

"Nothing will happen." "I just want to go and dance with my friends." Among other arguments.

Our firm stance is "You don´t go to bars."

Yesterday, Sean went to the Tutti Frutti on Mesones and got an ice cream and then stopped in the Jardín after school and bought helium balloons with her friends. They of course unknotted them and sucked helium and walked around talking like cartoon characters. She came into our spa minutes later telling me and Carlos how hysterical it was.

A few days ago, when we drove to Parque Bicentenario, Sean and her friends opened Cokes in a cans. They moved the pull tab back and forth, reciting for each pull, A-B-C-D...   Sean got as far as G.
"Gonzalo!" Ana shrieked.
"Giovani!" Jerusa yelled.
"Gerardo!" said Sofi.
The boys who are thinking of them at that moment, or who they are supposed to marry or some such ritual.

I love it when she acts her age. I hope Sean will stop and realize how much fun she has BEING FOURTEEN, and stop trying to be twenty years old. There are actually moments, I believe, when she does.

2011-06-15T11:56:00.001-05:00

Here ´tis! The cover of Flirting in Spanish. Thanks for all who weighed in on the design. Look for an early July release. Details to come!

Publishers Weekly reviewed Flirting in Spanish!

2011-06-11T17:37:00.000-05:00

Can´t complain!
Secretly, I´m thrilled!!
Check it out.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-9828591-9-3

Final final fun fun

2011-06-10T14:51:00.000-05:00

Last...huff, puff, pant, pant...edits are in on Flirting in Spanish. The book is now in galley form, ready to send to reviewers. Publishers Weekly wants to see it! El Sol (http://www.solliterarymagazine.com/), an online magazine based here in San Miguel, wants to run an excerpt.
Big wheel keep on turning...
Things are happening!

Back in Momlandia, I woke up crabby yesterday that I had to drive to Queretaro for a school trip. I don´t like to drive! I didn´t want to leave my cozy little business (http://www.jasminedayspasma.com/) where I sit with my computer when I am not doing massages! But there I was at 10 A.M. passing the new Presidencia and the glorieta and heading toward Highway 57 on our way to Santa Rosa Juaregui with, why, five laughing teenagers in my car. What a nifty day it was indeed...my 14 year old and her friends squished in, talking about school and friends and boys, music playing, elbows out the window in the sun!
Parque Bicentenario is the deal of the century. (http://www.parquebicentenarioqueretaro.gob.mx/)
You pay a 35 peso (about 3 dollars) entrance fee and then everything except the paddle boats is free. A giant tiled pool with skyscraper slides. Roller coasters, bumper cars and more rides. Tubing down a river that goes through a dripping tunnel. A skateboard park, green areas, kiddie rides. By the end of the day, I had exhausted, happy teens. But not exhausted enough. Later, with all the money they saved by going to Parque Bicentenario, they gathered at my spa at around 6 pm, and headed up to the movies.

12 Reasons the 9-Hour Trip to the Beach Is Worth It

2011-05-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

In random order:
1. Roads lined with mango trees
2. Waking to the sound of waves
3. Main means of transportation is the bicycle
4. Your waitress is barefoot
5. Snorkling the unspoiled coral reef
6. My anxiety burning off like the morning mist
7. Our girls getting along
8. The absence of Sean´s "you´re so annoying" face
9. The girls still body-surfing at 9 pm
10. Shrimp botana in Cuastecomate
11. Sea Kayaking with the chance some dolphins will join you
12. Going down to sea level means your blood fills with oxygen which
means the Pacifico beer you drink has little effect.

Life in La Manz

2011-05-06T14:55:00.000-05:00

The first day we saw a giant orange coin of a sunset. Monday we saw about two dozen iguanas, from baby green ones scurrying around in the grass to giant grey/green daddies blocking our path over at Warren and Tuli´s place at, where else, Boca de Iguana, an understated resort-and-condo development with one of the most fabulous infinity pools we've ever seen and also one of the coolest bathroom sinks...it's like flora and fauna and water, but it's a sink. Also Carlos and Sean took off for the little palapa-roofed store and had to skirt a crocodile. Oh yes, every day we see crocodiles. The crocodiles live in the manglar (mangrove) at the end of our street. There are dozens of them dozing in the mixture of fresh and salt water, where the river dumps into the sea. When we first came to La Manzanilla, about six years ago, there was a little rail separating the street from the crocs, only centimeters away. Now there is a real chain-link fence.

La Manzanilla is truly is one of the earth's most beautiful spots. Now, of course as soon as I say that, I have to modify it to tell you that yesterday and today again we went down to the road to an even more glorious beach....la de Tenacatita. When I came back yesterday and told the folks in Santana Real Estate office that we had gained accerss to Tenacatita, they were left speechless. Nine months ago, government soldiers forcibly tossed out of the town the fishermen, restaurant owners and vendors who had made their home there for years. They bulldozed businesses and palapa shacks, having been petitioned by the real owner of the beachfront land to do so, I'm told. The folks making their living there were in effect squatters. Apparently they had been asked to leave several times over the past 20 years, and didn-t. I have to say all my reporting comes from hearsay. I haven't journalistically backed any of it up on my own. I do know, because we were there over the last two days, that the entrance to town is now guarded by 6 to 8 armed state guards and two barking German Shepherds in cages. Once we showed some ID though, we were told we could enjoy the beaches but not take photos of anything BUT beach and sea, and we were waved through.

I know people lost their locations and their means to make a living (but not really, most of the vendors have relocated to La Manzanilla), and I feel for the upheaval in their lives, but as a tourist, I have to say the beach, without gals in folkloric dresses hawking necklaces, is breathtaking. We visited Tenacatita two days in a row for its major attraction - an unspoiled coral reef, through which we delightedly snorkled, spotting several species of colorful little fish.

This morning, I was about two minutes into meditation up on our palapa porch when Carlos said, "Dolphins!" He ran in and woke the girls and we watched half a dozen dolphins romp through our bay, often doing full-body leaps from the water.

Dolphin watching and coral reef snorkling before the day's first meal. Can you beat it? I need a nap.

Vote Now!

2011-04-21T16:42:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

First I don´t know why this is centered and not left flush and I can´t correct it. Next, two possible designs are in for the cover of my memoir, Flirting in Spanish to be released July 1, 2011, and I like them both! I need help!

If you would kindly comment me your favorite, I´d have an easier time deciding. Thank you, genuis readers!

Slurp...Ahhhh!

2011-04-20T18:16:00.000-05:00

I´m thinking micheladas. You can have your margaritas, I´ll take a michelada any day of the week. There are michelada places popping up all over in San Miguel, mirroring how popular the beer drink has become with me! The Sinola pescado place that just opened up this week by the family of one of my students shouts from its window Micheladas Frias! Other friends opened up Wakaglu Micheladas and Guacamayas over on the Calzada de Aurora. A guacamaya is a torta, or sandwich on a roll featuring chicharón, or fried, puffed-up pig skin that is so crunchy is crackles, plus some vinegary coleslaw and aguacate (avocado) and salsa - nutty, huh? My girls love them. I go for the MICHELADA!
Anyway I promised myself a michelada today after writing at least one page and I wrote THREE so I guess I have the right to drink 3 micheladas.
I think I´ll make a couple at home (one for Husband too). A large jar, preferably big as a kitchen sink. A caguama (liter) of beer. (Caguama is not the Spanish word for liter. It means giant turtle actually.) Worchestershire sauce, tabasco, lime, salted rim, ice. Michelada!

Student Bloggers!

2011-04-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

Here are my students blogging on Thursday of last week, in the outside hall because the internet connection is better than inside. The walls of the school building are big and old and thick. That´s (from the left) Abish, my daughter Sean, Farid and Ana around the corner.

You can check out their postings about their trip to Six Flags and about what they'll do for vacation at http://www.siglo21mirror.blogspot.com/

News of border violence has really affected our peaceful little town. I have a tourist-based business - Jasmine Spa - and our revenues are way down. I think lots of people in the States think, "Mexico" and just shudder. But the cartels are not active and not fighting in the central states for the most part. The trouble is happening about 800 miles away. Plus they just caught one of the baddies.

Think of it like this: Would you say, Whoa, they´re rioting in Watts. Let´s cancel our trip to Chicago! In other words, come visit San Miguel de Allende! It´s beautiful and magical and the weather is perfect!

Lost in Internetlandia

2011-04-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

Somehow this photo of me disappeared into internetlandia. I put it on this blog a few days ago to show off my Annette Benning haircut and then couldn´t find it. Mysterious! It was taken by my photo-fantastic friend JJ Anderson, who also took the Mexican couch photo. The above is on my web, which is not entirely finished yet, but check it out anyway: http://www.susanmckinneydeortega.com/

July 1! July 1! July 1! Release date for Flirting in Spanish! I´m still struggling with a subtitle. Soon to be resolved and revealed here...

Mexican Couch

2011-04-08T14:17:00.000-05:00

Look at this wacky concrete Mexican couch! It looks like it´s out in the middle of the wilderness but it´s really in a park in Colonia Mirador, overlooking the dressage arena. Mirador is down by the lake, and a lot of people in the area have horses. That´s me watching my daughter, Carla and her friend Melissa ride one day. Wouldn´t that couch be a great place to stretch out with a book?

Ssh! There is a famous Mexican actor in town. I see him a lot. He picks up his laundry at the dry cleaner near our spa; he drinks coffee at La Ventana on Sollano in the mornings. I´m told he keeps a very humble apartment and comes to town often. He walks around town, and nobody fusses, so I´m going to protect his right to enjoy San Miguel undisturbed, and not say his name, but I will tell you that he´s had parts in many acclaimed Mexican films, and he was a baddie as well in the second installment of the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

Speaking of Famous People, once I modeled for Michelle Pfieffer, back when I was modeling in art classes. Once my husband gave a massage to the actor who played the father on the TV show Clarissa Knows It All. And I massaged the actor who played the filmmaker in the movie, Pancho Villa. I also gave a massage to Salma Hayek´s stunt double when El Mariachi 2 was being filmed in San Miguel! Yeah, that's me, rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi (which can be taken to mean the common people or the society set.)

The Bookstore Baby

2011-04-04T11:55:00.000-05:00

Fun News about San Miguel--Xote, the ever-expanding water slide park, has new pools and new bathrooms and a first aid station. It is a fabulous and well-kept place to spend a Sunday afternoon, which I did with my daughter Carla and her cousins yesterday.

Bad News--Entrance to Xote is up to $100 pesos! Still, the place was packed yesterday. If so many Mexican parents can take their whole families to Xote for an afteroon, it seems to speak well for the economy.

Sad News--Libros El Tecolote on Calle Jesus in San Miguel is closing at the end of April after 17 years. Sad face. I think, maybe I should go talk to Mary Marsh, the sole owner all these years, about taking on the store myself. I could do it! But truthfully, I don´t have a clear idea of how to sell real books in a world where more and more people are buying downloadable books. What would the future of a small bookstore in a small town in Mexico be?

I worked at Libros El Tecolote 14 years ago. I was pregnant during that time and then, a new mother. Mary in fact was at Sean´s birth, which happened in a small apartment, with a midwife. And then I had Baby Sean in a cradle in the bookstore for her first couple of months. Sean is in eighth grade now, and has about 5 inches on me. Every once in awhile, someone will still ask me about the "bookstore baby".

2011-04-01T07:46:00.000-06:00

Happy to report another incident-free trip from SMA to Laredo. Lots of military convoys and Federales, but smooth-sailing door-to-door.

Hasta proximo enero ...
Rex y Gail

The above is an entry from today´s San Miguel Civil List, a group where SMA residents post notes about everything having to do with living in San Miguel, from where to get your dog groomed, to where to find a US tax attorney to what is the correct wage for your maid.
Sprinkled in with the posts are a couple of reports a week about people´s travel experiences in Mexico. About two months ago, a guy reported that he was dogged by two menacing-looking trucks on the road to the Columbia bridge crossing into Texas, and that they veered off after he joined himself up with a tractor-trailer, but lately all posts have looked like the above.

I´m always happy to see the good news. Especially now. Carlos, the girls and I plan to travel to our favorite beach town in the state of Jalisco - La Manzanilla - later this month.

Mexican Wonders

2011-03-27T10:16:00.000-06:00

I just discovered another great and wonderous thing about Mexico - generic Fosomax in Farmacia Ahorro on Calle San Francisco for $235 pesos! That´s like 20 US bucks! Fosomax is a medicamento that strengthens bones. Important for slightly built, British Isle-descended white girls like me. Getting a bone density test and then buying Fosomax has been on my to-do list for awhile but I've been put off by the price. It´s about $100 US a month to take the bugging little pills. Or it is if you buy it by its brand name.

My eighth and ninth graders blogged again on Thursday. About what they like about themselves and what they´d change about their school. WARNING: Unedited version posted! That means lots of spelling mistakes. We´ll edit on Monday. I probably need to take down mention of a particular teacher they say they´d have removed. Doesn´t anyone want to give my students a thrill and follow the blog? (encouraging grin)
http://www.siglo21mirror.blogspot.com/

I have a website in the works. So far my photo is up. It´s very exciting.
http://www.susanmckinneydeortega.com/

spring equinox

2011-03-21T07:50:00.000-06:00

Carla wants to go to the newly opened Cañada de la Virgen, San Miguel´s own pyramid, for today--the spring equinox. She wants to take advantage of the powerful energy that will be attracted to the pyramid on this day.
We took a trail ride on Lucky and Brandy (our friend, Rosendo´s horse) yesterday. Riding to the presa on a tree-lined path, monarch butterflies flitted and flew around us. Hundreds of them, on their way back north. It felt magical.
My eighth and ninth graders blogged again on Thursday. Read what they said about themselves and about how to stay healthy. http://www.siglo21mirror.blogspot.com/ Remember, editing happens THIS Thursday coming up.
Back to editing Flirting in Spanish!

Release date

2011-03-20T09:55:00.000-06:00

The release date for Flirting in Spanish is Cinco de Mayo! I´ve been reluctant to publish it out of some crazy fear that something would go wrong, but I´m feeling more confident as I edit along. I´ve also lined up a date for a Literary Sala reading to "introduce" Flirting in Spanish in San Miguel, even though I´ve read from it several times over the past years. September 8, Posada de San Francisco. All are invited.
We are working on a book and an author webpage. OK OK. I´m believing it!

meditating for Japan

2011-03-19T08:34:00.000-06:00

Both my husband and my daughter, Carla, who I´ve mentioned before, have degrees of "seeing" abilities, had premonitions of the disaster in Japan. Carla, age 16, said one evening about a week before the earthquake, as we prepared dinner, "Something big is coming." And Carlos, about 2 months ago, dreamed of an earthquake in an Asian country. Deepak Chopra is inviting people to a global meditation for those in Japan on Monday, I believe. We, as a family, will participate.

Photo with my Annette Benning haircut

2011-03-17T08:27:00.000-06:00

I tried to upload this photo the other day and it didn´t want to be uploaded. No quiso subir. That´s how Mexicans express things that don´t go quite right. It just, all by itself, happened or didn´t happen. Nobody is to blame! Isn´t that a polite and guilt-relieving aspect of the lovely Spanish language?

The above is to show you how great my photog friend JJ Anderson is. I´m really not that good-looking!

Editing...what a chore! I´ve always used double spaces after sentences and am told now I need only one space after each sentence in my manuscript. How many sentences do you think there are in 213 pages?? I know. There´s auto-this and auto-that on computers. I just don´t know how to work anything.

Twitter is an interesting phenomena. I only pop over there ever couple of days. Meantime all kinds of people "follow" me. I guess I show up on their suggestion list. I heard Steve Martin on Letterman last night say he joined Twitter. I saw him on his King Tut tour at Lake Geneva, Illinois years ago. He was hysterical. And I saw that Kareem Abdul Jabbar twittered, as I looked him up yesterday to make sure I was spelling his name right in my manuscript. (My dad coached him.) He was checked for cancer and now says he is clean and doesn´t have it! The things you find out. Anyway, there´s two people who are way more interesting than Charlie Sheen to follow. I´m going to pop over to Twitter right now and click their names. You can follow me by the way.
mckinneyortega. I should have a button here. I´ll figure out how to do that after I finish editing my manuscript....

Italicization

2011-03-12T13:10:00.000-06:00

We love to make up words in our house, mostly have a -ation ending. Like our friend Carolita is Carolation. Sean´s horse, Andale is Andalation. You get the picture. Italicization. Is it a word or did I make it up?

Italicizing is the question of the day. I´m reviewing my manuscript. Do I italicize words in Spanish or not? Anyone?

hey hey hey

2011-03-11T15:52:00.000-06:00

Thursday is blog day for my Advanced English students. If you look, and please do! keep in mind that we will edit what they wrote yesterday next week. So you might run into some funny spellings, as these kids are Mexican and writing in their second language.
http://www.siglo21mirror.blogspot.com/

Meantime, I´m getting together all kinds of stuff to get my book out. A head shot for one. My fabulous and talented friend JJ Anderson took a bunch of photos of me last week, and just sent them. When JJ said, "Smile," I said, "I want botox." Wrinkles and all (Hey, I live in a high altitude and don´t drink enough water!) JJ made me look pretty good.

Next...a subtitle to Flirting in Spanish! I´ll be thinking, thinking this weekend.

My Book

2011-03-04T12:13:00.000-06:00

So every year I go to the San Miguel Writers Conference and get frustrated because I get busy organizing the Teen Writers Workshop, and busy in my business, Jasmine Spa, and can´t attend everything I want to, but I always get something out of it. This year I met a publisher! Two, actually. Two small publishers who were interested in my book, Flirting in Spanish. One was Editorial Matzatlan from Mazatlan, Sinoloa, and the other is Antaeus Books of Miami, and I have just signed a contract with Antaeus! http://www.antaeusbooks.com/

The publisher, Jayne is smaaaart...she´s already come up with this great idea already...that I add a English/Spanish glossary of words of love. Boyfriend - novio. Kiss - beso. Words like that.

I´m over the moon about this! I´m copy editing presently, as I get a pedicure. I will soon have a real hold-in-your-hand book. I bow down to glorious small publishing!

Hello again

2011-02-22T09:06:00.000-06:00

Yeah, yeah, I´ve been away. I´ll skip all the excuses and get to this: Sandra Cisneros at the San Miguel Writers Conference. Sandra solved the problem of crime in Mexico! She says for those citizens of Los Asustados Unidos who are afraid to come to Mexico, don´t worry. She, Sandra is going to tell the government to put all the abuelas of Mexico to work. The abuelitas and their chanclas. They need to go around behind the bad guys giving chanclasos until they shape up. You know, the grandmothers and their raised, threatening slippers.
Whew. I feel better knowing there´s a plan.

Meantime, ín Advanced English/Secundaria at Colegio Siglo XXI, there are eight shiny new Dell laptops. They are blue and pink and purple and so pretty!
So my students are blogging again. This past week, in honor of Valentine´s Day, the kids wrote about love. Check is out: http://siglo21mirror.blogspot.com/

Viva Mexico!

2010-09-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

So my guest essay on Rebecca Walker´s blog on the Huffington Post is up!
Find it here: http://huff.to/bJfd2j
It´s about my psychic teenaged daughter, Carla, whom I´ve written about here.

Our recent drama with Carla is that she took a giant government test to get a certificate saying she has finished secundaria, or, through ninth grade. This was necessary because for seventh, eighth and ninth grades she was in private schools that were not part of the Secretaria de Educacion Publica umbrella. Well, she failed one of the math sections, and as a result, can´t go to high school this year, as technically she is still in middle school. So she is doing government math tutorials until she takes the test again, and getting used to not going to school.

While this sounds like a shocking idea to Americans, it is not uncommon here. I´m not alarmed. Carla is not a gal to be idle. She has many jobs riding horses, and then, she has her own horse to take care of. Plus, this year off gives her time to realize a dream, that of going to high school in the United States of America. A dream fueled by lots of shows on the Disney channel of kids in US high schools.

My brother Dennis and his lovely wife Margaret in Frederick, Maryland have offered to host Carla for a semester. So now I have to figure out what kind of red tape I need to cut through to get here registered as a student in the US.
You know, the ol´ silver lining thing...

Hey, ít´s not only the day that the Mexican Independence celebration starts with the mayor making El Grito at 11 pm in the town´s central square - "Viva Mexico!" it is also the 200th anniversary of Mexico as a free country. The town of San Miguel de Allende, as well as my fingernails, is awash in red, white and green!

psychic Carla

2010-09-11T13:21:00.000-05:00

Last night, before we went up to the light show on the Parroquia, we had ceviche and Corona at my business - Jasmine Day Spa - and our 15-year old Carla said there was another "entity" in the place. She saw a little child-like form, no higher than three feet.

"Ask it to leave," I said. I´m afraid these beings suck up all the good energy in our place, or scare away business. Carla went up into the front room and came back. "I invited it to move on to the next dimension, where it wants to go anyway," Carla said.

Another agent has requested some pages, and Carla feels good about this one. That´s all I´ll say. I´m afraid of jinxing things if I blab too much about this agent process.

Mexican Bicentennial

2010-09-11T13:14:00.000-05:00

There are red, white and green flags all over town and a Disney-worthy light show on the face of the Parroquia on weekend nights this month. Welcome to the place to be for the Mexican bicentenial - my home town, San Miguel de Allende. Last weekend, along with the light show, were a grupero band in their turned-up cowboy hats and some barechested fire jugglers on an opposite stage. All of this takes place in the Jardin, or town square, accompanied by hamburger sellers, corn-o-the-cob sellers, popcorn vendors. There are bars on surrounding side streets when the need to have a tequila shot can´t be ignored.

In the coming week, there will be bullfighting events, equestrian events - my girls will jump in a demonstration competition at Los Senderos - foot races, parades and princesses. All in all, why would anyone want to be anywhere besides San Miguel de Allende in September?

July

2010-07-21T17:24:00.000-05:00

On July 4th, my teenaged girls held little American flags and waved them around for the first time in their lives. Born here in Mexico, they´ve been to the States several times and think it´s "cool", mostly because my dad makes an after-dinner run to the ice cream shop routine when we visit.

July has been a woefully tourist-light month. July is usually our biggest month but apparently all the Texans are afraid of driving south. You might see me selling sno-cones on the street soon. Or micheladas-to-your-door! Naked messenger service! Lack of business does inspire one to think creatively.

There are SOME Americans in town. They probably flew. We like Americans-In-Town because they like massage, and they like OUR massages and services and prices. But not a single one of them walked through our door today and now I think it is because we are spooked. I did a 90-minute massage in the spa on Sunday and interrupted my work once when I saw my husband standing behind the screen. But when I went around, there was nobody there. Yesterday, Carlos saw a girl in a jeans jacket in the same room were I saw "him". He went in to see what she wanted but there wasn´t anyone there. Psychic Carla, our 15-year old, is going to check out the situation this afternoon when she returns from her job riding horses.

I don´t mind ghosts. I just don´t want them chasing business away.

manuscript request

2010-07-05T16:18:00.000-05:00

So I got a request from a NY agent for the full manuscript to Flirting in Spanish today. Yeah! It´s not the one that my psychic daughter predicted would be interested. News to come...

Go Mexico

2010-06-17T15:54:00.000-05:00

Mexico just beat France in World Cup soccer! Car horns are blasting outside the Jasmine Spa (my business) window and two gringo tourists in golf shorts are taking photos of people in the streets.

I just sent a query to an agent. Maybe all the good feeling in the Mexican air will help it arrive with a special Read Me, Love Me vibe.

The Beatles doing Shakespeare!

2010-06-10T13:28:00.000-05:00

For their end-of-the-year project, I have both my high school and junior high English groups doing different scenes from A Midsummer Night´s Dream.
To inspire them, I searched YouTube for similar performances and found the Coolest Thing Ever. I found an old BBC show featuring the Beatles doing the last scene, where the bumbling actors put on The Cruel Death of Pyrams and Thisbe! Go to this link now! http://tinyurl.com/2bukroz Or search Beatles - Pyramus and Thisbe on YouTube.

See John Lennon as Thisbe, Paul McCartney as Pyramus (with a P letter sweater), George Harrison as Moonbeam and Ringo Starr as Lion.

I´m speaking about my memoir at the San Miguel Literary Sala this afternoon, so must get back to work on my talk...

Go Beatles!

May - Time for a Pause

2010-05-28T11:18:00.000-05:00

It´s May in San Miguel, which means it´s hot and there is very little business. Everything comes to a standstill for a minute, and then June happens and kids in the States get out of school and the summer tourists begin to pour into town.

One year ago, things felt very different. One year ago, due to, or perhaps, promoting the Swine Flu Hysteria, the Mexican government shut down businesses, schools, playgrounds, pools, night clubs...anywhere where people might meet and "spread the disease" or spread the news that the hysteria was invented and furthered by the government, which was my suspicion. Tourists fled the country, clutching their straw hats and passports. Doctors met incoming tourists at the airports, when they returned later in June, to inspect them for signs of the flu. Welcome Foreigner! Stick out your tongue! Life was not easy.

On top of that, our landlord was kidnapped! I don´t write about kidnappings in Mexico lightly, so let me add right away that he was released a few days later unharmed but lighter in the pocket. Kidnappings don´t happen to random rich people here. Rather, it´s like this: In the States when someone wrongs you and you want retribution, you can sue the offending party. Here, you can kidnap him to let him know that in your opinion he hasn´t been behaving like a very nice fellow. I guess I want to bust the myth of the Random Kidnappings here in Mexico. It´s not like that.

I like this analogy: In the 1920s in America, Al Capone was conducting lawless activities in Chicago. The rest of the country went about its business. People went to school, to work, to the lake on weekends. But the US had a reputation of being a criminal land where all order had been lost. That´s how it is in Mexico. People are living their lives, getting haircuts, buying tortillas and watching soccer and drinking Victoria but all anyone hears about is the narcos.

How did I start talking about kidnappings?? O well, like I said, people are by and large, just living their lives. Tomorrow my 9-year old nephew, William makes his First Communion so to the church we go, and then to my sister Ann´s house for a mole lunch after.

2010-05-20T18:30:00.000-05:00

OK, so I gave my husband a bum rap yesterday. Complaining because he wants to HELP; what´s wrong with me?! Today, he is cleaning the yard! Tossing out old junk! Maybe, now that the girls are almost outgrown them, the bicycles will get fixed. And the remote control for that matter! I hope this burst of post-graduation energy lasts.

May is always a hot and calm - business-wise - month in San Miguel. There are a few tourists but not many. Businesses close for maintenance and to spiff up for the summer crowds. Life feels darn OK these days. One year ago, getting through life felt like trying to balance on a crumbling cliff. Have to go get my kids from Centro Ecuestre Canales where they ride, and hate to interrupt the buzz of a thrumming weed chopper...so back in a minute.

These Days

2010-05-19T15:07:00.000-05:00

My friend Jody was just here, along with a pile of Northern California gal pals, and I did more eating and drinking than I´ve done in all of 2010. Fortunately the gals liked our Tae Kwon Do and Zumba classes too.

Carlos doesn´t leave the house at 6:30 a.m. for school any more. This is taking some getting used to. I have a system for lunch-making and now he wants to HELP. Which means get in the way. Until he learns that Sean likes regular mayonaise; Carla likes chipotle mayo. Sean likes tuna sandwich; Carla takes her tuna in a plastic tub. Sigh.

The girls competed in a dressage competition this past weekend. Sean won First Place on her horse, Andale on Sunday, but the best was how both girls demostrated dedication while practicing for the show and sportsmanship during.

Agent Search Update

2010-05-15T19:02:00.000-05:00

A latino chick at a Big New York Agency asked to see my entire manuscript, responding to my query, not too long ago. Exciting, but only mildly so, as my psychic 15-year old said, "Mom, she´s not the one for you. She´s not competitive enough." I have to admit, on the Big Agency website, said agent looked to be about 12 years old.

Carla, my 15-year old, said a blonde lady would be interested in my book "in about 3 months" which would be about the end of June/beginning of July. So when the New Young Agent with a Mexican sounding last name didn´t want to represent me, I only thought, OK, next. Blonde lady, step forward. I found a blond agent who blogs actually, who I´ve contacted. I showed Carla her photo, and Carla said, "Oh yeah, that´s her." Would I jink it if I say her name? Her initial are JB.

I shall let you all know if and when she replies.

Carlos, college graduation

2010-05-11T14:48:00.000-05:00

That´s my handsome husband in Bellas Artes on Friday, May 7, 2010, navigating the flight of a pink purse, just before his college graduation. Carlos is the subject (aside from myself) of my memoir, Flirting in Spanish (formerly Fast Break South). In the last chapter I say that he is close to starting college
and here he is, finished after five years! I´m very proud.

2010-05-06T13:30:00.000-05:00

Ilusion, Prieta Linda, Afrodita, El Vikingo, Marta Veronica
Perigrina, Anguila II, Doña Luche, No Problema
Susanita, Marias III, La Perla and El Capullo

Those are the names of some of the fishing boats we saw around Zihuatenejo and Barra de Potosi. El Capullo carried us from Z-wah to Playa Las Gatas, where a man emerged from the ocean carrying a mesh bag of oysters, which we bought and ate immediately. The oyster diver said his name was Flaca-man, because he was so skinny. He´s the guy in the top photo with the bucket. You be the judge.

We vacationed with Carlos´ brother and his family. That´s Carlos and his brother, Hector and his son waiting to slurp oysters in the other photo. And me - post-slurp in the other.

More on the beach later!

English class blog

2010-04-23T14:47:00.000-05:00

http://siglo21mirror.blogspot.com/ Please take a look at my Advanced English student´s blog. The school is called Colegio Multicultural Siglo XXI. Each week I suggest a theme that they write about. Check and you´ll see they wrote about Sandra Gulland´s visit, and before that, about what they were going to do over spring vacation. We write one week and correct the texts the next, so you´ll find some mistakes. Remember, these are Mexican kids writing in English.

One kid wrote about his vacation, that he wasn´t going to do anything "and I´m gay." I told him I thought he was hysterical, and he laughed as well. I actually think another kid wrote it and signed Diego´s name. In fun, not as aggression. Anyway, I like how nobody was offended, and how Diego has enough self-esteem to think the entry was funny. So I left it.

Mexican beach

2010-04-23T14:37:00.000-05:00

http://tinyurl.com/y3h37bl
Open the above link QUICK! and see what Miami Herald writer Andres Oppenheimer says about Mexico courting US retirees.
Going to the beach tomorrow. My client and friend, Pat, says Barra de Potosi is where all the 60s hippies ended up. Last year, though, I only observed lots of Mexican families eating mesquite-grilled fresh fish and laying in hammocks oceanside. We´re part of that group. I feel pretty good that our 13 and 15-year old girls still think it´s a cool thing to go to the beach with their parents. The no-frills ambience of Barra de Potosi does allow us to pack lightly - bikini, flip flops, sunscreen.

My great friend and wonderful author Sandra Gulland visited my high school class on Tuesday and talked about writing Mistress of the Sun and her forthcoming novel, about another of Louis XIV´ mistresses. I was proud that my students asked thoughtful questions. Many stayed after the bell to continue to talk to Sandra.

My husband is finished college, yet he still gets up at 4 or 5 in the morning, accustomed to studying. I think a trip to the beach is just what he needs to readjust his whole way of living after almost 5 years.

I´m taking index cards, at Sandra´s suggestions, to outline all the scenes of my YA novel, which is retitled, Everybody Is A Star.

Notes from San Miguel in April

2010-04-20T12:51:00.000-05:00

Saturday, we went to a Mexican asada or cookout at Centro Ecuestre Canales, where we keep our horses and ride. First thing noted: a fancy, new double tier grill and sausages and arrachera and a tub of iced beer. Nothing to complain about there.

We were invited by Eugenio Canales, who gives my girls their riding lessons. They are practicing diligently with him these days as there is a dressage competition at his place in mid-May. The guests were Eugenio´s friends and nephews and his workers, who tack up the horses and keep things clean around the barn, and supposedly their families. But the guys said their wives preferred to stay home.

A guy who works with charro horses brought his lariat and showed us how he could jump through while spinning it. My 15 year old daughter demanded to be taught how. As we rolled up tacos of meat and grilled peppers, it began to get dark and the electricity suddenly went out. One of the caballarangos (ranch-hands) went for his truck to illuminate the party with headlights and music. He only crashed into one parked car as he rearranged his.

Next, a charro rider (and nephew of the host) called Pollo said he would leave. Another caballarango said, "If you leave, te voy a echar sillazos." "Ni modo, ya me voy," Pollo said and headed for the street. Sure enough, the caballarango, as promised, threw a chair at him. Then apparently, more chairs flew. The wind picked up. Guests grabbed at flying napkins and held onto their beers. When the lights came back on, it was late and only two horse guys were left.

Can´t wait for the next Mexican grill.

Updates

2010-04-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

M husband just went off to play basketball in Dolores Hidalgo and I´m home alone (this never happens) to blog and lesson plan. The girls are on a sleepover/campout.

Update on my memoir:

- About four days ago, an agent asked for the entire manuscript.
- My retired editor pal and mentor doesn´t like the new title, Flirting in Spanish.

that´s all!

Future Shock

2010-04-03T15:09:00.000-06:00

I couldn´t do it! I´ve peeked at Authonomy twice yesterday and once today. I even reviewed some books! Now that I´m in three digits, the addiction has a new purer strain. How can I give it up now?

At least I sent queries to two new agents. At least I had lunch with my writer pal, Sandra Gulland and we talked about my Young Adult novel and what to do to bring it up to date from 1974 so it´s not considered historical fiction.

I´m easing off. I¨m finding balance.

My 15-year old daughter has Sight, as it was called in one of the books I read on Authonomy, or vision or preciense or a connection with other energies and dimensions. We took a trail ride together yesterday and I said, "Now that I´ve dropped 65 pages from my memoir and changed the title, is it going to be picked up?" Often, Carla will tell us if we are going to have a good day in our business, Jasmine Day Spa. Results are 99% accurate. Sometimes Carla doesn´t feel like looking into the future, but she was game yesterday.

"In about three months, an older blondish lady is going to want your book."

"Is it going to sell a lot?"

"Yes."

"Will it be made into a movie?"

She was laughing at me and my anxiety by now. "Yes, but that comes later."

So here it is, her prediction recorded. We´ll see if anything is happening with my book by the summer. I will stick to women when I send my agent query letters from now on.

No More Book Stalking

2010-04-01T10:56:00.000-06:00

Holy Week in San Miguel. The banks are closed now until Monday. Many businesses close on Good Friday, and there are solemn processions through downtown tomorrow, going from churches like the Oratorio and the Parroquia. San Miguelenses dress as Roman centurians and angelitos and there is a Jesus with a real crown of thorns. On Sunday, life-sized paper mache Judases hang from rope that goes from the Jardín trees to the police station across Calle San Francisco and are blown up with firecrackers. No fuzzy duckies here.

My husband said to me today, "For the last month, you´ve been on the computer a lot. Do you realize that?"

Sheepish grin. I´ve got to give up Authonomy, and get back to writing and sending queries to agents. I´m going to do it. Today.

The Writing Life (do I have one?)

2010-03-30T16:27:00.000-06:00

First, my short story Picarón was accepted to appear in the second San Miguel anthology. The first one was called Solamente en San Miguel, and nobody can tell me how many copies sold. Nonetheless I a happy to be a part of the second. Editors asked that I translate all words in Spanish, and that was all. Publish date...to be announced.

Next, an essay I wrote about my 15-year old daughter being psychic will be published on the Huffington Post some time soon. It will appear in Rebecca Walker´s blog. I, along with all other contributors to Rebecca´s anthology, One Big Happy Family, was invited to guest blog about anything having to do with our families. My essay in the anthology is about being part of a bicultural family. My essay on her blog talks about how Carla can see auras and feel dead people. It´s called My Indigo Girl.

Third, I got a rejection letter for my memoir today from some agent who obviously does too much crack.

Then, I met with my retired Simon and Schuster editor pal, Fred when he was here in February with his lovely and talented-writer wife, Kathy. I worked up the nerve to ask him to read the entire manuscript and he read it in 24 hours and met me at Starbucks the next morning. "I could see this being a movie," he said. "It´s fine. All you have to do is cut the first 65 pages."

So I did. I cut the section that talked about my early life with my basketball coach dad. My precious words! Slash. It did make the memoir much better. I dropped in a little bit of the info, mostly in the first chapter, and the memoir did not suffer at all the loss of my early life.

Finally, I uploaded my new version onto Authonomy, a Harper Collins site for unpublished books. It´s been there for about two weeks, and it´s pretty exhausting to keep up. You have to read and back other people´s books and hope they back yours. There´s about 5000 books on the site, and the sorry thing takes over your life! Yet, it´s mesmerizing to get coments and see your book rise through the ranks. Right now I´m at about 1000 and hoping for three digits!! It´s a sick addiction. I think I need a help group.

Life in San Miguel today

2010-03-28T17:48:00.000-06:00

Today, driving to Celaya, I got the first glimpse of jacarandas, the purple-flowering trees that make half the population of San Miguel run for their Claritin. The jacarandas herald spring in San Miguel de Allende, and they are appearing 2 to 3 weeks late this year because of the intense cold we´ve had. (Quit harrumphing, all you Canadians.)

The girls have a two week stretch of vacation ahead of them (or is it 3? The school wasn´t clear.) So this morning, in celebration of being relaxed, we went to Las Cazuelas in Escobedo for breakfast. For 40 pesos at Las Cazuelos (less than 4 US dollars), you get to cruise the buffet table offering chiles rellenos, eggs in chile, mole, rice, frijoles, guacamole, bifstek, meatballs and homemade tortillas (see the muchachas making them in the photo) among various other offerings. While we ate, a band played outside.

In our sala (living room) we have a ceramic all-star wrestler called Mystico. He has a silver mask and a slot in his shoulder. In this alcancia (bank) we are, as a family, throwing all of our extra change and bills to be able to go to the beach at the end of April when Carlos finishes college. We call him Mr. Money.

Alright already

2010-03-25T12:10:00.000-06:00

I´ve been certain that google had taken away this blog´s ability to receive comments and then, lo, I got one.
So I´ll quit all my whining and get back to writing. Very soon. Bye for now!

Shy Barbara Kingsolver

2010-02-21T08:39:00.000-06:00

At a Q and A session at the San Miguel Writers Conference yesterday, Barbara Kingsolver said she is the last person in the world who wanted to be famous. About fame, she said, "I´m sort of afraid of it. I´m a shy person. I do not like being on television."

Kingsolver said that she grew up in Eastern Kentucky where people told stories but frowned upon talking about oneself. "She´s parading herself around," Kentuckians would comment about anyone who anyone who wished to call attention to herself. "Imagine how being in front of a public feels to me," Kingsolver noted. "When I go on book tour," Kingsolver said, "I think, I´m evangelizing for literature."

In the photo is Jody Feagan, founder of the San Miguel Writers Conference, author Barbara Kingsolver and me at a Welcome to San Miguel cocktail party on Friday.

Barbara Kingsolver Talk

2010-02-19T19:47:00.000-06:00

"Novels being in a million different places," said Barbara Kingsolver tonight in a keynote address to some 800 people at the San Miguel Writers Conference. Moi, being one of them. Here are some more of the things she said after declaring that Mexico was her favorite country on earth.

- "The novel beings the way a forest begins. One acorn drops in the mud and begins to grow. Then one falls in a stream. Then a mesquite seed drops."
- "All I can do is pay atteniton to what is growing,"

- After talking about all the growth sprouting from the seeds that fall, Kingsolver said, "I will manage this forest. I will make it what I want."

- About literature, she said, "I believe we should expect from literature an immense complexity."

- "It should be a timeless place where we should experience magnifigance."

- "The Lacuna is the most difficult book I have ever written."
- "The Lacuna. I attempted to explore every meaning of that beautiful word. The Lacuna. It can be a tunnel through rock or bone or time."

Then, I must admit , I had to leave to pick up my kids from the equestrian center where they ride. Otherwise I´d be reporting more. But what I heard was great!

San Miguel Writers Conference

2010-02-16T11:52:00.000-06:00

OK, here I am back to writing about writing, although the 2010 San Miguel Writers Conference is big news in town. The word I´ve heard is that more than 600 people have bought tickets to hear Barbara Kingsolver´s address on Friday night. That´s conference-goers and community members.

I myself will be attending all the lectures and workshops that my schedule teaching school and working in our business, Jasmine Day Spa, allow. Next week, I assistant-teach the Teen Writers Workshop with Betsy James. We´ve got 20 teens signed up and will be focusing on science fiction and fantasy this year.

I will be sure NOT to miss my appointments with two, yes, praise be, two agents. One will look at my memoir, to which I still hold the rights even though it´s up on Amazon. The other, an agent for children´s and young adult books, will critique my fledgling Young Adult manuscript. I get 10 minutes with each!

The New Me!

2010-02-12T13:35:00.000-06:00

Writing about writing is often fun but I´ve found that what I really want to write about these days is my home town of San Miguel de Allende, in the central highlands of beautiful Mexico. San Miguel is, in Feburary, 2010 still talking about the snow that fell on the town and shone brilliantly on the Picacho Mountains for a full 24 hours before it disappeared, inspiring hordes of town residents to climb the mountain that January 15 to actually touch the cold, white phenomena.

Presently, San Miguel is spiffing up the highways feeding into the town in anticipation of the 2010 bicentenial celebration which will peak around Independence Day in September. On other fronts, the town is settling into being a World Heritage Site, and formalizing plans to bring back the San Miguelada, a wildly popular running of the bulls type of event that was cancelled as being too undignified for a World Heritage Site city. Town fathers have moved the event to a wider street that is a few blocks away from the historically valuable downtown architecture for this coming September. Past events brought in lots of tourist income, from national and foreign visitors, and businesses thrived, so you can imagine local restaurants and business owners are joyous to see its return.

So, that´s today´s report. I´ll be writing about writing AND about San Miguel now, and thus have changed the title of the blog to Sue in San Miguel and I´ve changed my photo to one of me hanging around the horse barn, Centro Ecuestre Canales, where myself and my kids ride horses. And I remain your Latina-wannabe author, reporting on all things local and literary. Or if not all things, at least those things that jazz my world!

2010-02-07T08:20:00.000-06:00

I just looked at a book trailer for memoir called Gringa. About growing up white in LA, attracted to Latino culture. Ha! What would I know about that? It´s a nice video that includes recipes involving Fritos.

I figure this is a good opportunity to urge you to view MY book trailer on You Tube. Go to
http://tinyurl.com/yl4hnsc or search Fast Break South or Susan McKinney de Ortega.

2010-01-31T12:17:00.000-06:00

So I dusted off an old TYPEWRITTEN story I found in a drawer. It´s called Picarón. I wrote it almost 18 years ago, and was astonished to find that it held up. Dashing my notion that my writing has improved over the years.

The San Miguel Literary Sala is putting out a second anthology of stories from San Miguel de Allende, so I entered the story. It´s about a guy in his 50s in a Spanish class at El Instituto here in San Miguel. He is generally befuddled to find himself divorced, in Mexico and in a class filled with hungover twenty-somethings.

Hoping it makes the anthology! I´ll find out in February.

Bananafish

2010-01-25T12:31:00.000-06:00

I had my class of 8 Mexican high school students read "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by J.D. Salinger last week, and today we discussed it. Since some kids are using English hour to do independent study to help them graduate, I only had three students today, ages 15 and 16. I found it very interesting that none of them got any of the sexual references in the story. All thought the protagonist, Seymour Glass, was a nice guy hanging out with a little girl on a beach.

Then we talked about the bananafish which goes into a hole and gluts itself. Then I read to them, slowly, these lines, He took Sybil´s ankles in his hands and pressed down and forward. The float nosed over the top of a wave. The water soaked Sybil´s blonde hair, but her scream was full of pleasure.

They looked up at me, eyes wide. "Ooooh!"

These are not unsophisticated kids. But they didn´t get the creepy feeling I got reading about Seymour and Sybil on the beach. Maybe it takes being a parent.

New Title

2010-01-16T10:23:00.000-06:00

UPDate! Sean (my 13-year old readaholic daughter and critic) says Annette is an old-fashioned name and is wierd. APologies to my real-life high school friend, Annette. So I changed the name of my YA to Dear Jules. I´ll live with that for awhile and see how it feels.

YA entry for San MIguel Writers Conference contest

2010-01-14T10:55:00.000-06:00

I sent an entry in to the Meet the Agent contest sponsored by the San Miguel Writers Conference. It was the beginning of my memoir, the one that´s published by moi on Amazon.
Maybe I´ll win and get some decent feedback.

Today I´m going to send the first 12 pages, as I only have 12 pages so far, of the Young Adult novel I started, Dear Annette. I spent most of yesterday working on a one-page synopsis. It required figuring out my plot once and for all. Exhausting but a chore I´m glad I completed.

THE IMPORTANT PART: I asked my readoholic daughter, Sean, aged 13, to look at the synopsis. She tore herself away from Hannah Montana and read it.

"It´s cool," she said.

"Really? You like it?" My heart was doing gleeful little jumps.

"Yeah."

Then the commercial was over and Hannah Montana back on and she wouldn´t say more. But I liked what I got.

Off it goes to the annonymous judges today. Wish me suerte.

Happy Birthday Expat Women

2010-01-14T10:36:00.001-06:00

Have you ever wondered what it´s like to live in another country? ExpatWomen.com is the site that tells you all about. The site features more than 1000 pages of news and information for women living overseas, and for women, and men for that matter, who might want to. Curious about what it´s like to run a business in another country? Hire domestic help? Buy real estate?
ExpatWomen.com is your go-to place. You´ll also find first person stories from women who have made other nations their home.

On January 16, ExpatWomen celebrates its third anniversary of being online. Happy Birthday! Happy Anniversary! Check out the site, and you´ll see why it´s a great resource.
www.ExpatWomen.com

The Hardest Part

2010-01-13T13:12:00.000-06:00

I´m trying to write a synopsis for my Young Adult novel Dear Annette, to submit with my first twelve pages to the Meet The Children´s Books Agent competition for the San Miguel Writers Conference, which means of course, I have to know Where the Story Is Going!

It´s hard.

I have lots of great scenes but an airtight plot? hahahahahahahaha

Back to it.

teen diary entry contest

2010-01-06T14:27:00.000-06:00

First of all, I have to say that I thought I posted the link to my book trailer over there to the left, but it´s a live, moving thing. And I´m a techno-idiot. Lots of other book trailers seem to be coming up but I haven´t caught mine. O well. Featuring book trailers is not a bad thing.

So I entered Nathan Bransford´s Teen Diary entry contest. 500 words or less. I sent in a section from Dear Annette, about the author´s attempt to show off her Puerto Rican accent in Spanish class, and about her mother being a Welcome Wagon hostess, which I think is hysterical. My mom did that for about 15 minutes in 1974. Then I think she found she lacked a required perkiness, and quit. The fictional mom is going to hang in there for awhile.

Anyway, sent the entry in and realized two horrible spelling mistakes. One in Spanish. Horror.
Me, of all people. Me, who has been speaking decent Spanish for more than 15 years.

Sigh.

Maybe he won´t notice.

Bye bye 2009!

2009-12-31T13:28:00.000-06:00

Now it´s easier! Just use: http://tinyurl.com/yl4hnsc to find the video trailer for my memoir, Fast Break South.

There will be fireworks over San Miguel at midnight to ring in the New Year. We have a lot of business in our spa! Yeah! All the tension and desperation I carried around in my shoulders during 2009, due to business being down and our ability to pay bills curtailed, is gone. For this week at least. I hope this bodes well for 2010. My psychic 15-year old daughter says the coming year will be better.

Going to write about the Teen Writers Workshop in Feburary for my Writer´s Corner column for www.sanmiguelmagazine.com now!

YouTube Video

2009-12-22T15:55:00.000-06:00

It's up! My book trailer video on YouTube! Thanks to Santiago of Zonagrafica. I popped by to see how it was going yesterday and ended up working on it with him for about 4 hours. Take a look.
Just go to YouTube and search Fast Break South. Hope you like it!

Coming Soon!

2009-12-21T07:52:00.000-06:00

Santiago of Zonagrafico is going to put up my book trailer video this afternoon. Look for it on YouTube by the end of the day!

2009-12-14T08:29:00.000-06:00

Steve Finamore is the coach of Mens Basketball at Jackson Community College in Michigan. His basketball blog is www.hoopscoach.wordpress.com and today it features an interview with me! The coach and I talked about growing up with basketball. It´s thrilling to see my book and my dad´s on the same page! Check it out!

Blog Solidarity

2009-12-11T08:08:00.000-06:00

Exciting happenings from bloglandia. My friend Jo Moran, whose first novel, The Wives of Henry Oades will be released in February, asked me to send along a photo of me reading her book from San Miguel, so she could add it to her fabulous website, http://johannamoran.com. Check out the site and you´ll see all about her book, a historical novel based on a man who takes a post in New Zealand and moves there with his family, only to have his wife and children kidnapped by some Maori tribal members. That´s me in the photo reading the part about the Maori abducting the family. I´m in front of the Parroquia de San Miguel, the centerpiece of my town, San Miguel de Allende.

After a long search, Henry concludes his family is dead and he sails to California where he marries a young widow. Read the book to find out what happens when Margaret, the missing wife, shows up on their doorstep.

I met Jo online about five years ago when were we both searching for agents. We´ve read each other´s manuscripts through several versions each, and have been wonderful friends ever since.

Then, on Twitter, I met a guy who coaches basketball at Jackson Community College in, I think, Michigan. He writes a great blog on coaching and playing sports at http://hoopscoach.wordpress.com. His name is Steve Finamore and he´s a fan of coaches in general, and of my dad, Jack, who used to coach in the NBA. After dialoguing a bit, he asked if he could write a letter to my dad (of course!) and interview me about growing up with basketball. I´m answering his questions one by one, and expect they´ll show up on his blog soon. His blog has lots of observations about basketball on all levels, and reffing and broadcasting. Check it out!

Introducing Alexandra Roman

2009-12-07T06:38:00.000-06:00

I am happy to be a stop on the blog tour of Alexandra Roman today! She is a Puerto Rican-born writer whose novel is El Valle de la Inspiracion. It´s about a girl who goes. with an Egyptogolist friend, searching for The Valley of Inspiration. Her goal is to recover her own inspiration, which became lost to her after her father´s death. The novel is a history, mystery and fantasy, exploring the mythological world of ancient Egypt. It was published by Lulu and can be found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

As a writer, Alexandra enjoys penning fiction, fantasy and poems. Alexandra´s blog is http://alexandraroman.wordpress.com/

I was excited to meet Alexandra (electronically) because she is from Bayamón, Puerto Rico, where my youngest brother was born! We lived in Puerto Rico several summers when I was a kid, as my father coached in the island´s basketball league, Baloncesto Superior. There is a story I wrote about that time, and about my brother´s birth, in a tropical hospital staffed with nuns, over on Alexandra´s blog today. It´s called Basketball and Banana Leaves. Check it out!

Here are some questions I asked Alexandra:

S. I don´t know if bilingual people understand what a gift it is to be truly bilingual. My kids, for example, take it for granted. Are you completely comfortable writing in English and Spanish? Which do you prefer?

A. Yes, in my household we speak both languages. My daughter prefers English and she sounds more American than Puerto Rican. When I´m writing a story, it all depends on how it comes to me. Stories talk to a writer and when you are bilingual, it speaks to you in the way it wants to be told. I translate them so they can be enjoyed by those that don´t understand both languages. I don´t have a preference, but for this novel I did. It needed to be written first in Spanish. I´m working with a translator now so it can be told in English too.

S. The Carribean Islands possess a whole culture that fascinates me: part island, with influences from the Europeans and Africans who stopped by in ships. Do you feel connected to the American literary scene?

A. Yeah, it´s part of the cirriculum in English classes, not so much the classics, but we do get to read Edgar Allen Poe, whom I like, and Emily Dickenson. I have read many others in high school and college, but most of the fiction I read, I´ve found on my own. We are connected to the American literary scene in many ways. Right now there is a big demand for everything Twilight, from that American author, Stephenie Meyer. Many of the movies Puerto Ricans enjoy are based on American novels, and most tend to go to the bookstore and buy those novels. Whether we like it or not, the American influence is there, and will be when we go to the bookstores.

S. I myself am trying to connect to the American literary mainstream from Mexico, and am having my memoir turned down by agent after agent. The reason I hear most often is that the only memoirs that are selling right now are those by nationally prominent people. Can you talk about your experiences trying to publish in the US?

A. It´s difficult because America is a big country and the publishing houses have hundreds of manuscripts delivered to them daily. With this economy trying to pull itself out of a depression, the publishing houses will go with the authors who will make them money. I tried with short stories first and it was very difficult even to place work in magazines. Most of them don´t want new or emerging authors in their magazines, and agents are reacting the same way. It has happened to me lots of times. The key is to never give up, and to keep believing in your work. You will find somebody who will back it up.

S. How has your beautiful island of Puerto Rico influenced your writing? Who do you see as your audience? What are you writing next?

A. Nature is my true inspiration. Sometimes, on weekends, I go for drives with my family to the island shores or to the mountains. It is just what I need to recharge the creative batteries. Puerto Rico has lots of magnificent places to visit and admire. From these breathtaking spots, I draw the strength I need to create.

I know my target audience is Young Adult. It is who I go for. They are not easy to target! The Young Adult reader is very picky in his choices and you have to grab his attention with your writing. Mostly, they enjoy fiction, as I do. So far so good! I have worked with a youth group for over fifteen years now. I share my work with them and they give good feedback. Believe me, when they don´t like something, they let you know! That´s why I say they´re picky.

My mind is set on three things right now. One is a continuation of El Valle de la Inspiracion. But that is a long-term plan. For now, I´m thinking of writing a novel based on the women in my life. At the same time, I´m working on a story I´ve been struggling with for three years. It´s fiction. For now it is called, Los Maestros de AldGar. I´m trying to use the taino language. It´s complicated. It´s a work in progress. It´s on hold right now while I promote El Valle de la Inspiracion.

Fast Break South on Amazon

2009-12-04T08:31:00.000-06:00

So I reloaded Fast Break South onto Amazon with a new cover. I love the new look. It´s bright and the Mexican flags suggest a celebration of the life I´ve found here. Plus there´s a quote from my wonderful and generous friend, the memoirist Beverly Donofrio. Thank you to Sandra and Mary the designer who helped me get it up there.
Now, I have to get that video trailer about the book finished. Yoohoo, Santiago at Zonagrafica!

I´ve made a couple of sales that I know of...to friends. It´s still exciting. My daughter with the psychic gifts said to me out of the blue about three days ago, "Mom, don´t bother with publishers. Nobody´s interested right now. Just do the book yourself." Interesting, as I hadn´t detailed to her much at all about getting my memoir up on Amazon as a Kindle book. The last agent rejection said publishers are only interested in celebrity memoirs right now.

http://tiny.cc/WIWiq That should take you right to the book on Amazon. Or you can search Fast Break South or Susan McKinney de Ortega.
Adios!

Fast Break South on Kindle

2009-11-18T12:35:00.001-06:00

So Fast Break South has been available on Amazon´s Kindle Store for five days and I have two customer reviews! One is by my mother, who I´ve never given the entire memoir to before. She´s only read parts. The other is by my friend Sandra Gulland. OK, two people who know me, but it´s a start!

My mother doesn´t have a Kindle by the way. She downloaded it through some Kindle/PC feature onto her computer.

People are laughing at my cover! Ahem. OK, it is a bit ridiculous. A girl on a galloping horse (the romance!) to represent a book that doesn´t have a single horse in it. Alright already. I´ll change it.

More news when a new cover is up!

FOR SALE ON AMAZON!

2009-11-13T14:07:00.000-06:00

My book is available on Amazon.com! Here´s the link: http://tiny.cc/oZx9l
Amazon priced it at $11.99 even though I asked for $9.99. O well.
Tell me what you think of the cover!
Thanks for looking.

Publication...of sorts

2009-11-13T09:11:00.000-06:00

So my friend Mary the graphic designer worked up a cover design for me and uploaded my memoir, Fast Break South, to Amazon, where it should be available for sale at $9.99 on Monday! I figured I could throw it up there while I continue to look for agents, and maybe make a few sales.

Uploading to Amazon means the book it only available to Kindle readers, a growing population, from what I read. No hard copy. But I did it at no cost, except for exchanging some massages with Mary for the cover.

Has this been done before? Is this OK? Can I similarily upload it to nook and other readers? I have no idea. I´m guessing I´ll find out.

The cover uses a photo that my 14-year old Carla took of herself riding her horse, Lucky. It is actually a crisp shadow of them against a large flat rock. Since Lucky is galloping, the photo suggests movement, going places, travel, which are elements of my story. There are no actual
horses or riders in the memoir, but I liked the visual metaphor. Also Fast Break is a basketball term that means you´ve broken away from defenders and are going at breakneck speed to the basket for a layup. The other idea was a photo of the back of Carla, showing a single braid falling over her back in a jeans jacket embroidered with flowers. I like that too, but decided to go with the motion photo. Does it work? Check is out on Amazon on Monday, read the book and tell me!

San Miguel Magazine

2009-11-05T15:00:00.000-06:00

Hey, anyone checked out San Miguel magazine online this month? Find me woe-is-meing about finding a literary agent. http://tiny.cc/SvjOj That´s my column about being a writer. Plus, discover other cool stuff like the weather in San Miguel, the story of a trip through other parts of Mexico - is it safe?? (of course) and info about running businesses south of the border.

Teen Writers Workshop

2009-11-04T12:29:00.000-06:00

Started signing kids up for the San Miguel Teen Writers Workshop that happens in February in San Miguel today. Interest was immediately sparked among my middle school students by the giveaway of new Acer mini-laptops. Last year, the Workshop raffled off three computers. Apart from the freebies, including pizza, the workshop is pretty cool for teens who like to express with WORDS. Last year, over the two-day session, they brainstormed, then did a mini-graphic novel. It was a collective effort about a gringo who misuses Spanish. It got a lot of laughts.

This year, those timeless teen-pleasing topics - Fantasy and Science Fiction!