I hope I did justice to presenting border issues in a way that sheds light on the humans involved. There is so much more to this issue than what we are shown on the news.
Stephanie Vasquez – 22 October 2024
The Back Flap
For fans of Katie Gutierrez’s More Than You’ll Ever Know and Netflix’s Narcos comes a high-stakes thriller about the daughter of a high-ranking Mexican cartel leader dragged back to the life she fought hard to escape.
Twelve years have passed since Sofia De Luna’s mother was murdered. Sofia now leads a quiet life in Chicago, far from the cartel violence she was raised amidst. But when her narco father’s retirement catapults her to head of the family, that peaceful existence is upended.
Unhappy with this changeover of power, Sofia’s brothers and cousins are wary of her desire to legitimize the family and her insistent questions about her mother’s mysterious death. Meanwhile, in Mexico’s uncertain political climate, Andres Herrera, the ex-sicario accused of Sofia’s mother’s murder, sees the opportunity for his exit from the drug business. He just needs Sofia, his first love, to uphold the truce between the cartels before the war brewing at the border trickles down to Mexico City, marring the upcoming election.
About the book
What is the book about?
At it’s heart All Our Wars is about a woman trying to find footing in a male oriented criminal society while balancing family responsibilities, business, politics, love, justice and staying true to herself.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing the book near the end of 2018.
How long did it take you to write it?
I finished up the book around the end of 2022 so four years.
Where did you get the idea from?
I grew up a two-hour drive from the Arizona / Mexico border so we heard a lot of news about illegal immigrants suffering in the desert and as I got older I wanted to know what would make someone risk their life to cross a border in the middle of the desert. So I studied Latin American History at the University of Arizona and began to see how the rest of the United States would weigh in on border issues without having any sense of the people and the reasons why they were crossing. So I began to heavily research the so-called War on Drugs and wanted to share a fictionalized version that hopefully delves more into the stories of the people involved and less about the sensationalism. And once I received results from a DNA test indicating my Mexican and Central American heritage it became even more important to me to share a different side of the story.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I struggled with some of the politics because I wanted to be as true to life while keeping the story fictionalized. I also struggled with really wanting to tell a story that could be possible and not a glamourized version of narcos and drug cartels, we have enough of that in the media. I wanted this story to be different in the way that it also showed how people were affected by not only cartels but by government actions on both sides of the border.
What came easily?
The love story stories, because for the most part they were the hopeful parts of the story.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
My characters are fictitious, however I drew heavy inspiration from actors whose work I really admire such as Diane Guerrero, Kate del Castillo, Alberto Guerra, Bobby Soto Jr., Clayton Cardenas and Manny Montana.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Growing up I was obsessed with the eerie stories from Edgar Allan Poe and Ambrose Bierce. I also enjoyed Hemmingway, even if it’s cliché to say, but I was a journalism student so I admired the fact Hemmingway and Bierce were journalist as well as fiction writers. I think their journalistic minds made their writing unique. Now I will read anything and everything Silvia Moreno-Garcia puts out.
Do you have a target reader?
I hope this story about a woman in a traditionally male run society and career can resonate with any woman who needs to hear the message to not completely disappear while trying to be everything to everybody. I think some women are naturally saddled, or chosen, to be the leaders in the family but sort of as background supporting characters. I think some women will see themselves in the choices the MC in All Our Wars had to make. And I think anyone who enjoyed Narcos, Breaking Bad, Queen of the South, those types of shows, will enjoy the crime aspect.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
It has taken me years of practicing to really find a process that works for me, I wholeheartedly believe every writer has to find a process that works for them. So now I start with an idea, or an inciting incident in most cases, and then flesh out the plot from there. I outline each chapter with what is happening in that chapter and how that event is moving the plot forward. This way I know when I’m holding on to something just because I like it but it doesn’t really advance the story.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I used to loathe outlining but now I can’t write without my comfort Excel spreadsheet. I outline each chapter as to the inciting incident of the chapter, what plot point it hits and what the cliffhanger at the end will be. These are short sentences but enough so I have a synopsis pretty much already laid out.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I edit as I’m writing just enough so that it is readable and coherent. I will leave big question marks in spots if I don’t like the wording chosen and it’s like a flag to come back to it later on. That way I can keep writing and not get hung up on something small.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I HAVE to listen to music while I write! I have playlists for each work in progress. For All Our Wars I listened heavily to Majid Jordan, Maluma, Karol G, Rauw Alejandro, Future, Drake, The Marias, Marissa Nadler, DVSN, THEY, 6lack and Glass Animals.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No, my publisher is the first place I submitted.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I really LOVE the vision of She Writes Press and while getting to know more about the company what really stuck out to me was the genuine emphasis on diversity. That made me feel like I would be proud to be a part of this community.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Professionally done, I have zero artistic skills.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Regretfully winging it but I am receiving wonderful help through my publisher!
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
There’s a difference between an author and a writer. Being a writer is something you do alone on your own time. Becoming an author includes building a network. Start early!
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Tucson, Arizona about twenty minutes west of the city in the middle of the desert.
Where do you live now?
I live in Goodyear Arizona, in the middle of the desert.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I hope I did justice to presenting border issues in a way that sheds light on the humans involved. There is so much more to this issue than what we are shown on the news. I’d like the readers to know that even I am still learning about this issue as it evolves because it is so close to home. And there are many people out there way more knowledgeable than me about the subject. If anyone is interested in hearing stories from a former Broder Patrol agent I encourage them to check out The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantu.
What are you working on now?
A desert horror short story anthology!
End of Interview: