Entertainment journalist and author Valerie Tejeda spends her days reporting on books, television, and all things pertaining to pop culture, and spends her nights writing novels for teens. Her stories have appeared on a variety of different publications, including but not limited to: Vanity Fair, MTV, The Huffington Post, Teen Vogue, She Knows, Latina, The Fix, Salon.com, Cosmopolitan, and more.As a journalist, Valerie has conducted interviews with best-selling authors, including: Lois Lowry (The Giver), Veronica Roth (Divergent), James Dashner (The Maze Runner), and more.
As well as fashion designers, celebrity stylists, including Selena Gomez’s stylist Basia Richards, professional athletes, and actors and producers from hit shows on FOX, CW, and ABC.Valerie Tejeda holds a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and is currently based in California with her husband, journalist Brent McCluskey, where she reads loads of books, binge-watches Netflix, and drinks tons of coffee. Her debut young adult novel 'HOLLYWOOD WITCH HUNTER' will be published worldwide by Bloomsbury Publishing under their Spark imprint in 2015. Latin Times had the chance to interview Valerie on this new journey as an author and what inspired her to write the book as well as putting a Latina on the cover.
Latin Times: What is the story behind Hollywood Witch Hunter?
Valerie Tejeda: 'Hollywood Witch Hunter' is a young adult urban fantasy about modern-day witch hunters and witches living in Southern California. The story follows Iris, a young Hispanic girl who is the first female in history to carry the witch hunting gene. This makes her stronger and faster than the average person and she’s also able to see all the “magic” in Los Angeles that is undetected by the human eye. She is a hero in her own right, fighting hard to protect humans from being sacrificed by witches who can control the weather, minds, time, and have many more cool powers. The story is a satire in a way but underneath the fun plot and the glitzy setting, there are themes of racism, ageism, and gender inequality. More than anything, I was just so happy to write about a strong Latina trying to figure out her place in this world just like everybody else.
LT: Will there be a second part to this story? Or do you plan to do another book soon?
VT: I would love to continue the characters' stories in Hollywood Witch Hunter in a second book and I do have an idea for a sequel. But, as of now it is a standalone novel. My publisher is open to the possibly of continuing the story but ultimately it is up to the readers. If they want more, I may just give it to them!
LT: Why did you choose to put a Latina on the cover of your book?
VT: The thought of having a Latina on the cover of Hollywood Witch Hunter was something I had always wanted but I never imagined that it could actually happen, just because the publishing industry isn’t exactly known for diverse book covers (though they are starting to make progress). With that being said, I have to give the cover credit to Meredith Rich, my lovely editor at Bloomsbury Spark, for having the vision to put a Hispanic girl on the cover, and also to the designer Maggie Hall for making this vision so beautifully come to life. Meredith has been very supportive of me having a Hispanic character in Hollywood Witch Hunter from the beginning and I am so grateful for her support and everyone at Bloomsbury Publishing for really coming behind a story with a diverse cast. They have been nothing short of amazing.
LT: What other projects are you or will you be working in 2015?
I can’t say too much yet but I do have some other books I am currently working on. But one thing I can say for certain is no matter what type of book I write there will always be diverse characters in my stories. I don’t know a world without diversity and I don’t intended to create a world without it just because that is not a world I would want to live in. I want people from all walks of life to be able to see themselves in my characters and feel like they have someone they can connect to. As a writer, this is something I will always strive for.
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