January 2023

 

NATASHA: Hi Ofelia! Thank you for the interview. Can you tell our readers about yourself and how long you have been a writer?

OFELIA: Thank YOU for having me. And, of course. I’m a Mexican-American author writing steamy romance with Latinas on top. That’s a cheeky answer, but yes, there’s a double meaning to that. I’m working hard to add to the Latinx romance cannon. I’m seeing all my Dominican, Puerto Rican, and other Latinx sisters killing it lately as they publish romance. I love seeing some Chicana representation as well but have a hard time finding much, so here we are.

I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t either writing or drawing. But if you mean professionally, I’d say over a decade. After studying literature for four years at college, I spent the next six years working on my craft, and finally, I feel ready to share some of my writing with the world. At first, I thought I’d be writing high-brow literature but soon realized the importance of gateway books. I’ve found my calling in brain candy.

NATASHA: When it comes to writing, do you have a certain routine or writing process that allows the ideas to flow better?

OFELIA: Nighttime is the best writing time for me. I’m a night owl and can write into the early hours of the morning. The house is quiet, and I’m alone with my thoughts. But what makes the ideas flow best is music. More than other books, it’s music and visual art that inspire me the most. I think you’ll know this about me as you catch all the musical and artsy easter eggs in anything I write.

NATASHA: Can you tell our readers about your latest book? And how did you come up with the title?

OFELIA: My debut novel is a medical romance titled Remission and is book one in the Heartland Metro Hospital Series. It is a steamy, slow-burn, age-gap romance. Carolina, the main character, is a high achieving Mexican-American physician, and it takes the very special Dr. Hector Medina to deserve some of her precious time. Come here for the slow burn and stay for the big pay-off at the steamy end.

The title has a double meaning. I always loved how Grey’s Anatomy tied the medical cases the doctors were facing with their love plots and played off each other. My main characters, Hector and Carolina, are both cancer researchers, so Remission fit perfectly to their passions to help people with cancer. But they are also apart for many years, and it felt like a remission of their love, a remission that ends when they finally get back together.

NATASHA: How do you select the names of your characters?

OFELIA: I have a different process for the main characters than I do for smaller roles. For main characters, I go with either name meaning or an homage to someone I admire. Carolina’s name is an homage to someone—I won’t say whom. Hector means either restraint, steadfast, or anchor. And that tells you everything you need to know about our oh-so-swoony male lead.

For side characters, I’m lazy. I’ll use a generic name generator online.

NATASHA: Why do you enjoy writing romance stories. And do you write in any other genre?

OFELIA: During college, I thought I’d be writing literature with a capital ‘L.’ Joan Didion, Sandra Cisneros, and Patti Smith were my aspirational heroes. But as I pursued that, something felt lacking. I switched it up and wrote many fantasy short stories and novels (that I’ll never publish) to see if that made a difference in my interest—but it didn’t.

Then 2020 happened, and I turned to my escape books—my happy place: romance. And I really wanted to read some Chicana characters but had very few options, so I decided to try writing one. And the stories poured out of me. I cranked out three novels and one novella in the same year. I knew this was my passion. The next two novels come out in September and November of 2021. The novella is free on my website for my reader club newsletter subscribers.

NATASHA: Besides writing, what do you enjoy doing on your spare time to relax?

OFELIA: I love to draw and paint, though I don’t get to as much as I’d like to anymore. And of course, I unwind reading. I read a lot of romance but also read very widely into almost every other genre.

NATASHA: Can you share with our readers any future projects that you are working on?

OFELIA: The second novel in the Heartland Metro Hospital series is coming out in September 2021. It’s perfect for anyone who enjoys dark humor and a male lead with a heart of gold. It’s also a sports romance!

I’m also working on my first Rockstar novel that will be out in November 2021. All my novels are interconnected standalones. You’ll never have a cliff-hanger from me, and happily-ever-afters are guaranteed.

NATASHA: How can our readers learn more about you and your books?

OFELIA: Readers can get a free novella in the same universe as all my novels through my website: www.ofeliamartinez.com.

You can also find the links to all my social media there. Please connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and now Clubhouse (On clubhouse, I’m: @OfeliaMartinez)!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR @

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57569105-remission

Purchase:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3iVrGpX

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/.../remissio.../1139133948...

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/remission/id1562200907...

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/remission-9