Te Conozco Bien by Marc Anthony (or pretty much the entire Todo A Su Timepo álbum is a full on despecho fest) Perdóname by Gilberto Santa Rosa…Ayyyyyyyyyyy La Gran Tirana and Que Te Pedí by La Lupe… Whew those songs… That’s rip your heart out energy. These are just a few… But are by NO MEANS an exhaustive list because Latinx can write a despecho song like NOBODY! That’s such a hard question *sobbing emoji* What’s an essential song that should be in a “despecho” playlist? In both American Dreamer and American Fairytale there are scenes where one of the main characters is mourning their relationship and they blast their “despecho” playlists. I think the moment that we are living right now in America, writing stories that give a realistic picture of our lives AND that affirm that we are not only here, but that our futures are hopeful, full of love and joy…That’s revolution. To write romance centered in the Afro-Latinx experience, and everything that encompasses. Why was it important to showcase that facet of the characters’ lives in your books? You could say that’s my mission.Ĭommunity is a big theme in each of your books, and they explore how nothing can be done in isolation, no one can soldier through their problems all by themselves. I also wanted to write from an intersectional and Afro-Latinx gaze, uncompromisingly. I knew that I wanted to write stories that were dynamic, (very) sexy, and romantic. I’m advocate and I am a person who loves where I come from and who I am. I had a very clear vision of what I wanted to bring to the romance space when I started writing. What does it take for a writer to write a balanced romance novel full of nuanced and compelling characters while still hitting on critical social and political issues? You have been unapologetic about your writing, be it by writing Afro-Latinx characters or by tackling issues like colorism, misogyny and machismo, gentrification, discrimination, as well as unbalanced power dynamics, all while still maintaining romance and love as the central themes of your books.

American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera