Hi friends! I write to you having just freshly turned 40 years old yesterday. I had big plans to write an essay about all my feelings around this, but a nasty cold knocked me out for a chunk of last week and my brain isn't fully back online yet.

And then I thought, well, isn't that just the essence of getting older? Rolling with what comes at you, and not forcing yourself to do something you're not actually up for doing? So I decided that for now I would mark the day with just this little post, because I didn't want it to go entirely unremarked upon. The essay will come another time, because I do have a lot to say but my brain is pudding right now.

Instead, I ask that you do something today that brings you joy. Pet a cat, read a book that makes you kick your feet, paint your nails with something sparkly. For me, I'm going back to bed.

My guest is Kate Stayman-London, political strategist and author known for One To Watch and Fang Fiction. She shared how working for politicians like John Kerry and Hillary Clinton inspired her rivals-to-friends-to-lovers campaign trail rom-com See You Next Tuesday. We talked about what it was like to write and market this book in the wake of the 2024 election, when fights about electability and idealism vs pragmatism were at an all-time high. Plus, why Kate thinks more romance readers should run for office, and what you can still do to move the needle before this year’s midterms.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Castbox

• Libsyn

Follow Kate on Instagram @katestaymanlondon, and purchase See You Next Tuesday from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Adopt an electoral race and get involved in this year's midterms by going to runforsomething.net

Force me to read Purple State by Dana Perino for the Ruin Ella's TBR pledge drive! Subscribe to the REA community on Bindery to support our mission of starting a progressive romance novel imprint: rebeleverafter.binderybooks.com 

Media mentioned this episode:

• Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

• Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

• Glee

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer

• Broadcast News

• Twisters, Hit Man, Anyone But You (Glen Powell, why are you so hot but Republican-coded??)

• The West Wing 

• When Harry Met Sally 

¡Hola mis amores!

With just a few days left in Latine Heritage Month, I wanted to share some stories I love (and some on my TBR) written by and/or featuring Latine authors and characters to continue the celebration all year long:

~ Stories I Love ~

• The Tear Collector by R.M. Romero - A middle-grade cli-fi tale of monsters, love, memories, and hope, set after the end of the world.

• Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie - An addictive, enchanting YA fantasy featuring a sweeping dark academia atmosphere, exhilarating twists, and fascinating magic.

• Beasts of Carnaval by Rosália Rodrigo - An atmospheric, darkly magical fantasy brimming with mythology, history, and love.

• Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez - A fierce, vivid YA fantasy threaded with dragons, flamenco, romance, and mystery.

• Capitana by Cassandra James - A riveting, propulsive YA fantasy with adventure, pirates, and swoonworthy romance, perfect for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean.

• The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera - A powerful, enrapturing middle-grade novel brimming with Mexican folklore and the power of storytelling.

• Popol Vuh: A Retelling written by Ilan Stavans; illustrated by Gabriela Larios - A thoughtful, vibrant reimagining of the Maya creation myth, featuring stunning illustrations.

~ Stories on My TBR ~

*Pitches from the publishers.

• The End of Us by Sandra Proudman - A couple fights their way back to each other in a post-apocalyptic world after one gives their spot in California’s last known haven to the other, in this captivating dystopian romance about sacrifice, survival, and unshakeable love.

• Lolo and Birdie: That's Mine! / ¡Es Mío! by Angela Dominguez - Lolo wants everything! But will he share with his friend? Join the adorable bird and dinosaur duo as they continue to navigate the hazards of childhood, in English and Spanish, in the next installment of this sweet and funny bilingual picture book series.

• Frida’s Cook by Florencia Etcheves - This colorful, emotive historical debut whisks us to the home of Frida Kahlo, where food, art, and love weave together an unforgettable story of friendship and loyalty, with a bright Coyoacán as a vivid background.

• Espíritu by Aiden Thomas - Aiden Thomas returns to the beloved world of Cemetery Boys, this time following Julian—chaos magnet extraordinaire. With restless spirits vanishing and a dark demon from their past emerging, he and Yadriel might be the only ones reckless enough to stop a threat that could tear their world apart.

• Their Will Undone by R.J. Valldeperas - When a maiden is selected to marry the emperor, her journey to the palace will see her fighting both a spark of magical power and her growing feelings for her broody escort in this romantic fantasy duology opener, inspired by a true story from the Inca empire.

For 19 more Latine must-reads, check out my article with The Nerd Daily!

Happy Latine Heritage Month! 🫶

Happy Sunday, mis internet amigxs!

Thank you all for your kind comments on my last post. This has truly been the most trying season of my life and as things have progressed this week, I don’t see an end in sight to my responsibilities. I’ve started to reassess my workload and am hoping to adapt my processes to simplify them in order to return to a more regular posting schedule in the near future. Until then, I have some draft content that I'll be editing and posting sporadically on socials, as well as plenty of blog posts in the pipeline to continue to talk to YOU about Latinx books.

Speaking of which, before we get to the plethora of this month's releases, buckle your seatbelts, I have a number of reminders about UPCOMING BIEN LEIDOS EVENTS:

SPRINTS TOMORROW NIGHT

October sprints are happening tomorrow night. Whether you’re trying to get caught up on book club reading or have something you need to get done, join us on Discord for productivity sprints tomorrow night. We start at 8 PM EST and I will be on until 9:30 or so. Join us in community and accomplish some of your tasks in the process.

BIEN CREATIVOS: REFLECTION ON LATINX HERITAGE MONTH

With Latinx Heritage Month in the rearview mirror, on Monday, October 19th, we’ll be gathering at 9:00PM EST on Discord to craft, snack and sip while discussing the highs and lows of Latinx Heritage Month 2026. This is a first-of-its-kind Bien Leidos Discord event. Join us in community and share your experiences, ask questions and get to know your fellow community members on Discord.

AUTHOR CHAT WITH CLEYVIS NATERA

I have confirmed an author chat with our September book club author, Cleyvis Natera!!! We’ll be chatting on Thursday, October 22nd at 8PM EST. I’ll be sending out a Zoom invite and Survey for author questions sometime this week.

OCTOBER BOOK CLUB

I just started reading our October book club selection, You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado, so this is proof that it’s not too late to begin a book club book and chatting about it on Discord. We’ve recently begun created a spoilery discussion thread for those that finish the book and have some thoughts.

NOVEMBER BOOK CLUB

Thanks to everyone who voted, we’ll be reading Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli in November! The book is now a FINALIST for the National Book Award for Fiction, so it will be even more exciting to read in November in anticipation of the awards ceremony.

DECEMBER BOOK CLUB

In December, we’re testing a new way of reading for book club to help everyone meet their year-end Latine reading goals: I’ll be running a poll soon to select either a genre OR a Bien Leidos Bingo Card space as a reading prompt for the month of December. I was thinking we could do little book reports in January to inspire each other with the books we read. This plan is still in development, so if you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments!

OCTOBER RELEASES--FINALLY!

And FINALLY! Onto October releases. There are SO many October Latine releases, but note how few are released after the end of Latinx Heritage Month on October 15th. Publishing could really learn to space out Latinx releases during the year to provided the needed support for our titles outside of the one month of Latinx Heritage Month, but that's a topic for it's own post...and maybe my own imprint? I DUNNO.

Today, I’m attempting a new format. You can see all the book covers by scrolling through the books at the bottom of this post or clicking the “shop full bookshelf” link. Let me know what you think in the new format in the poll below!

OCTOBER 6th RELEASES

The Lost Guardian by Natalia Hernandez (Audiobook) Author of The Name Bearer and our May book club selection, Asiri and the Amaru, is back with her major release romantasy wrapped in a deadly puzzle that's a Latinx spin on The Mummy meets based on the TRUE history of the Atahualpa.

Bruja's Nest by Brenda LaTorre (Audiobook) This horror novel is comped as The Love Witch meets Monstrilio.

They Called Us Wicked by Gloria Munoz (Audiobook) Gloria is back with a witchy, weird-girl YA dystopia about four budding bruja BFFs facing off against an anti-magic regime. 

There's A Monster In The Lake: The World As a Fantastical Place by Laura Fernandez and translated by Alexic Almeida: Nonfiction novel that reflects on monsters in the age of manufactured reality.

How to Look Away: On America Cruelty and the Refusal to Look Away by Daniel Pena (Audiobook) A riveting, kaleidoscopic portrait of the American compulsion toward cruelty and our power to subvert it.

Twilight In Venezuela: Dispatches from My Once and Future Country by Rafael Osio Cabrices and translated by Jessie Mendez Sayer (Audiobook) Expert journalist and editor-in-chief of Caracas Chronicles Rafael Osío Cabrices offers a riveting, rigorous, and deeply personal account of the modern history of his country, from the rise of Chávez and the slow erosion of democracy, to the U.S. invasion and capture of Maduro.

What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne (Audiobook)  The darkness isn't empty. It's hungry. A new horror novel from @Naomi Darling imprint here on Bindery.

Hear The Dead by Ann Davila Cardinal (Audiobook) Puerto Rican author, Cardinal, brings us an edgy, genre-bending thriller following a retired photographer who begins to hear the murders of women she knew in her punk youth, forcing her to reckon with the past she's desperate to forget. One woman. A string of unsolved murders. Only she can hear the victims.

Strange Lights by Mira Gonzalez (Audiobook) Paranormal sci-fri from @Jaysen Headley's Bindery Imprint. Like Scooby Doo meets The X Files for readers of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Strange Lights is a joyride in a sentient Winnebago with a quirky cast of cryptids.

The Creeps by Tehlor Mejia (Audiobook) Front Desk meets Stephen King in this perfectly frightening middle grade read, a twelve-year-old boy moves into a creepy motel where breaking the rules doesn’t just mean getting kicked out—it means disappearing for good.

Mother Tongue: Immeresions and Other True Stories by Fabio Morábito and translated by Curtis Bauer: The second-to-last release from Charco Press this year, In 84 brief, brilliant texts that combine fiction and essay, an acclaimed Mexican author examines the role of language in our lives with insight and humor.

You Still Have Yourself by Fernando Samalot (Audiobook) A spectacular, tenderhearted poetry debut that is also “a valuable tool on your personal growth journey”

Tree Dog by Margarita Engle: Middle grade novel in verse from Cuban American poet, Engle, follows Tiana from Cuba to Montreal to Florida to California covering themes of immigration, book banning and conservation. 

The Speculative Detective Agency: Case Files of the Supernatural and Fantastic Edited by Richie Narvaez & Matthew David Goodwin

Nixta Taqueria Presents: From Tacos to Tahdig by Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico with JJ Goode: Recipes and Stories from Mexico, Iran, and the In-Between

ADHD and Women: A Guide to Optimizing Your Hormones and Thriving with ADHD by Dr. Jolene Brighten (Audiobook)

The First Reader: On Writers and Editors by Luiz Schwarcz and Translated by Alison Entrekin

Cuban Soul by Mika Leon: Cuban cookbook featuring over 100 recipes

The Sea Witch Prophecy (Witchlings #5) by Claribel A. Ortega (Audiobook) The epic conclusion to the Witchlings series, trio of BFF witches battle.

OCTOBER 13th

The End Of Us by Sandra Proudman (Audiobook) Dual POV dystopian romance follows 2 Latine teens as they are split apart and pulled back together after one of them wins a spot in a coveted safe haven built for and ran by the elite

Revenge of the Final Girl by Andrea Mosqueda Young Adult Fiction Horror (Audiobook) A tense thriller about the scars that trauma leaves—and the lengths we will go to survive, despite the odds stacked against us

Things We Lost In The Fire by Mariana Enriquez and illustrated by Lucas Mine: Graphic adaptation of four stories from Mariana Enriquez’s modern horror classic Thi

Essential: Being Latino and Indispensable in America by Enrique Acevedo (Audiobook): A deeply reported and personal exploration of identity, resilience, and belonging that offers a nuanced, urgent portrait of what it means to be Latino in today’s America and the contradictions of being vital to a country that still struggles to recognize you fully.

You Are What You See: How My Favorite Shows Became My Worst Influences by Doménica Feraud (Audiobook)

The Havana Syndrome: Secret Weapons, a Government Cover-Up, and the Greatest Spy Mystery of Our Time by Michael Rey & Oriana Zill de Granados

OCTOBER 20th

Beautiful to See You (Again) by Lygia Day Peñaflor (Audiobook) a mind-bending coming-of-age romance for fans of Jandy Nelson and Dustin Thao, following a heartbroken college dropout who gets the chance to revisit her tragic past through a mysterious tunnel in Central Park

Legally Yours Violet Lopez by Elba Luz (Audiobook), an opposites-attract, contemporary young adult rom-com with courtroom intrigue, following a serious and studious teen who reluctantly agrees to defend her elite private school’s lazy golden boy

Twisted Vows by I.V. Marie (Audiobook) This prequel novella to the Souls of Blackwood Academy series takes place eighteen years before the events of Immortal Consequences.

Visceral: Essays by Maria Fernanda Ampuero; translated by Frances Riddle (Audiobook) Essay collection that attempts to answer what does it mean to move through a woman's body in a mysoginistic world?

What The Forest Devours by Elaine Vilar Madruga (Audiobook) A community of women children and one man fight for survival in a harsh and terrifying Cuban rainforest where the gods require appeasement through brutal sacrifice in this horror novel.

False Face by  John Galarza: From National Book Award Finalist Josh Galarza comes a moving new young adult novel full of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance.

The End Of The Vodka by Oscar De Muriel(Audiobook) A Frida Kahlo painting, a scandal, and secrets that threaten to change the course of history…

A Shadow of Jaguars by D C Frost: A sequel to the mystery A Punishing Breed, A Shadow of Jaguars finds DJ and partner Bobby Talbot struggling to untangle a murder where Hollywood, wealthy powerbrokers, and an immigrant population struggle to coexist and survive. Throughout it all, his faithful dog Evidence is by his side.

OCTOBER 22nd

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Audiobook) FIRST EVER HARDCOVER EDITION of Silvia's debut novel available in the UK today! I can't link it, so look for this cover when shopping for it on your UK bookstore of choice.

October 27th

The Queen of Swords by Jazmina Barrera and translated by Christina Macsweeney: In what was at first meant to be a short essay about the influential Mexican writer Elena Garro (1916-1988), Jazmina Barrera's deep curiosity and exploration give us a singular portrait of a complex life.

Thousands of Eyes by Maximiliano Barrientos and translated by Thomas Bunstead: Mad Max meets J. G. Ballard in a gonzo maximalist, high octaine speculative horror novel set against a post-apocalyptic Bolivia in thrall to a speed-worshiping cult

Xo,

Carmen