When Old Becomes e-New: MILAGROS as e-book

When one of your books goes out of print, it’s a little bit like a death. I know that sounds dramatic, but that’s how it felt for me when my first middle grade novel, MILAGROS: THE GIRL FROM AWAY went out of print a couple of years ago.

MILAGROS was my first book, and as any author will tell you, a first book has a special place in  your heart. It is your dream come true in so many ways. It represents every hope and every ounce of courage you ever had as a writer. To see it end, is a sad, sad thing.

MILAGROS came out to strong reviews in 2008, but thanks in part to my total lack of chops in promotion back then (“Facebook? What’s that? A Blog? You’re kidding!”), it faded quietly into the background.

But today, thanks to my agent, Jen Rofé, at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, MILAGROS: THE GIRL FROM AWAY gets a second chance in the Kindle edition.

The jury is still out, of course, on whether middle grade readers will flock to e-books. And I am well aware of the teeth gnashing we do about Amazon. Still, I feel at peace that there is a version available of all of my work.

Joe Cepeda

Best of all, though, I want to let you know that the beautiful new cover was designed by my friend and colleague Joe Cepeda. You know Joe’s work, such as Nappy Hair, Esperanza Rising and many other iconic books. 

To have his work paired with mine is a huge honor and I feel so grateful for the experience of learning how he created a visual concept for Milagros’s lonely journey. When he showed me his initial sketches, I actually felt a little teary. He understood completely what MILAGROS was facing as she struck out into the world alone.

So thank you, Joe, mi buen amigo, for this beautiful cover. And thank you, Jen, for all the hard work you put into trying this new venture.

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Catch an interview with Joe on April 27, 2014 as part of El Dia Blog Hop for Latino authors this month. He’ll be on Justice Jonesie.

Download MILAGROS today for $.2.99