Bodega Botanica Tales: Carmen follows a girl growing up in poverty, guided by unreliable adults and navigating friendships whose life changes when she is pulled into a mystical world of miracles and curses. Where did the idea for this story come from? 

The overall inspiration for the Bodega Botanica Tales series came from my family’s move from a city to an island when I was a child. That move, for me, felt like an alternate universe. After a year of living on an island, my parents decided to move back to the city. I wanted to write a series on how disruptive these environmental moves/transitions can affect a kid, especially during the teen years. And Carmen, while completely fictional, draws from my own experience with poverty. I wanted to explore how stigma tied to poverty can shape a girl’s understanding of themselves.

What was your approach to shaping Carmen’s backstory? 

I knew from personal experience that poverty impacts girls differently. That understanding led me to highlight period poverty as a theme. Even though Carmen narrates from adulthood, I intentionally kept the language simple and concise. My goal was for the reader to encounter the world exactly as Carmen does, and to move through the story alongside her.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

The main theme is how poverty can affect how teens navigate their environment.

Can we look forward to a third installment in Bodega Botanica Tales soon? Where will it take readers? 

Yes, third and fourth, which are Bodega Botanica Tales: Tito and Bodega Botanica Tales: Lucy, both installments will launch in 2026.  Readers will get to know Tito and Lucy’s stories, each describing their own challenges and triumphs. Readers will get a chance to piece together what truly happened on that fateful day in Silk City and whether the Bodega Botanica is a real place. Stay tuned, Brujas!

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