Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul > The Book > Contributing Author Bios

Marta Alicia Oppenheimer

is a good friend, sister and daughter, a successful artist, a hopeful author, an Animal Rescue Group Volunteer, a spunky redhead. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She received a Bachelor’s Degree from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and a Master’s Degree from Pratt Institute of Art in New York City. Marta Alicia lives in Miami with her three wonderful dogs, Fantasia, Mickey and Goldie, a spoiled, fat, cat named Budweiser, and a white kitten that one day walked through the front door, got comfortable on the living room couch, and refused to leave. His name is Frankie. Marta is currently working on her first novel.

Norma Oquendo grew up in Connecticut, but currently resides in North Carolina where she works as an insurance manager. She has been writing poems since she was in elementary school. She recently published two books of poems and is currently working on her first novel. Please e-mail her at spring049@yahoo.com.

Johnny Ortez graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with his Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Journalism. He has been a freelance writer for a variety of publications since 1996. Currently, Johnny lives in Los Angeles with his partner of two years, Kirkland Tibbels, and their red, short-hair, miniature dachshund, Rufus. Johnny works for Funny Boy Films, the nation's first gay and lesbian film studio. He is working on a novel and screenplay.

Salvador González Padilla received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the prestigious Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles in 1995. Salvador currently divides his time between his three passions: teaching, acting and writing. A published poet, Salvador is currently working on his first novel. Please e-mail him at api2010@post.com.

Xiomara J. Pages is a freelance writer, journalist and motivational speaker. She is the author of four books and has given workshops in the United States, Europe and Latin America. She volunteers for the International RETT Syndrome Association in Maryland (an illness that her daughter Sandra suffers from). Xiomara is involved with parents of disabled children, the elderly, domestic violence and women's issues. She supports all the arts in her community. Please e-mail her at PortaCu@aol.com or www.xiomarapages.com.

Steve Peralta is a freelance writer and media consultant. He received his B.A. degree in English from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2000 and currently lives in San Antonio with his two sons, Stevie and Benjamin.

Lauren Pérez is twenty-one, a Nuyorican amateur writer from the Bronx with a B.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College. She is blessed to have her mother, Barbara, Uncle Ivan, friend Mary Jane Torres, and Heriberta Figueroa, her abuelita, who unconditionally encourage her creativity. Siempre Pa'lante! E-mail Lauren at perez_lauren@msn.com.

Mary Helen Ponce is the author of Hoyt Street, An Autobiography. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico and has been published in France, Germany, Mexico and Spain. She is currently at work on an eighteenth century historical novel. She can be reached at mhpon@aol.com.

Jennifer Ramon-Dover lives in Los Angeles, California, where she's a marketing manager with a major motion-picture studio. She thanks her husband, James, her Mexican mother, Ana Maria, her Peruvian father, Simon, and especially her late Mexican grandmother, Julia Escobedo, for always inspiring her to keep reaching for her dreams.

Regina (Reggie) Ramos is a Chicana who loves to travel, eat and laugh. She lives in California and remains active with her family, friends, Trenzudas and community. Reggie is currently pursuing her M.Ed and multiple subject credential at UCLA.

Anjela Villarreal Ratliff graduated with a B.A. from San Jose State University in California. Her work has been published in various publications, including Cantos al Sexto Sol: An Anthology of Aztlanahuac Writing and The Mesquite Review. Anjela grew up in Southern California, but now lives in Austin, Texas.

Esther Bonilla Read taught school for many years. She has always written in her spare time. Esther currently teaches part-time for Texas A & M University in Corpus Christi, Texas. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening, reading, attending movies, and visiting their four children and four grandchildren.

Rick Rivera, the son of illiterate farm workers, started college when he was thirty while working full-time in a factory. He received his M.A. in English from Sonoma State University and has published two novels, A Fabricated Mexican and Stars Always Shine. Rivera is a college English instructor in California.

Liza M. Rodriguez was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She is a wife, mother and educator. She has developed community-based education programs and city-wide initiatives in Philadelphia. She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in Urban Education at Temple University.

Sylvia Rosa-Casanova, daughter of two Puerto Rican immigrants, was born and raised in New York City. She is the author of Mama Provi and The Pot of Rice, a picture book based loosely on her childhood memories. Sylvia lives in Congers, New York, with her husband and two sons.

Adriana Rosales is currently a student at Rutgers University majoring in English and education. She enjoys reading and writing poetry. As an English teacher, she hopes to inspire individuals to be creative and thoughtful because she believes knowledge has the power to change the world and people's lives.

Mónica García Sáenz is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, whose roots grow deep in Chihuahua, Mexico, where she spent her childhood summers. She feels blessed to be 100 percent bilingual and bicultural. She now lives in South Florida and is a mother of three and loves reading, writing and cooking authentic Mexican food. She currently has a few books in the “making.” Please e-mail her at monica_garcia_saenz@ hotmail.com.

María Luisa Salcines was born in Guantánamo, Cuba, and immigrated to the United States in 1963. Maria is a certified parent educator for The International Network for Children and Families. She is the author of Little Things Remembered, a collection of stories about life, parenting and cultural identity. For workshops and author visits, she can be reached at 956-631-7667 or e-mail her at MLSalcines@aol.com.

Caroline C. Sánchez lives in the low desert of Southern California. She graduated from CSULB with a degree in Anthropology at the age of 59. Caroline comes from a long line of Spanish and Puerto Rican storytellers whose rich imaginations played an important part in her daily life. Caroline enjoys music, the arts, writing and reading. She has many hobbies, among them, growing roses, and taking walks with her crazy dog, Buddy. She dedicates her stories in Latino Soul to the memory of her beloved husband of 58 years, Fernando. I miss you, Charlie Brown.

Melissa Annette Santiago is a language arts teacher at Pembroke Pines Charter High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida. She received her B.A. in English Literature from Florida International University in 2003, and is currently pursuing her M.A. in English Literature.

Raised in the nation's poorest congressional district, Deborah Rosado Shaw's strategies for success formed a bridge from a tough inner city beginning to award-winning entrepreneur and advisor to Fortune 500 CEO's. As founder of Umbrellas Plus, LLC. and Dream BIG Enterprises, Deborah has designed, negotiated and closed multi-million dollar deals. The critically acclaimed author of Dream BIG! is a graduate of Barnard College and lives with her three sons.

Robert Suarez received his degree in Computer Information Systems from Calumet College of St. Joseph in 2003. He is fifty-four years old, married and works as an Industrial Fabricator in the Chicago South Suburban area. Robert enjoys a passion for Cubs baseball, genealogy and operating an Internet bookstore. Although he does not intend to pursue writing as a hobby, he is eagerly waiting to pen his memoirs, tentatively titled, Cubs Win . . . I Lived to See the Cubs Win! Unfortunately, his memoirs may have to be written by his descendents.

Marie Delgado Travis is proud of her Nuyorican roots. She is the author of LA VENTANA / THE WINDOW: A Collection of Bilingual Poetry, which won Honorable Mention at the 9th International Latino Book Awards (2007) and BLOSSOM: A Collection of Poetry in English. Both are available through major online booksellers, including amazon.com. Marie was named Juried Poet, Houston Poetry Fest (2007). The manuscript for her first full-length book of prose, EXILE, was selected to receive a critique by a well-known NYC literary agent in a writing contest sponsored by San Miguel Workshops (2008). Marie and her husband, Edmunds, a retired attorney, live in Texas. Visit her web site at www.mariedelgadotravis.com. Contact: poetexx@aol.com.

Olga Valle-Herr earned her Bachelor of Social Work, with honors, from the University of Texas-Pan American. Since her retirement, she takes creative writing classes. She is working on her first collection of poems for a book. She loves reading, writing and time with family. She welcomes e-mail at poetaglo@aol.com.

Margarita Velez is a writer from El Paso, Texas. Her work has been published in the Southwest Woman, Deming Headlight and the El Paso Herald Post. The El Paso Times published her weekly column. Velez has published a novel entitled Stories from the Barrio and Other 'Hoods. Please contact her at mbvelez@elp.rr.com.

C. M. Zapata teaches Hispanic literature and Spanish Creative Writing at California State University Fresno. She has a forthcoming memoir, Magic Mountain, with Avalon Publishing and has work in Under the Fifth Sun: Latino Literature from California (Heyday Books). She has been published in the Hispanic Link News Service, Newsweek and other international publications, sharing her son's courage and raising awareness about the rare genetic disorder, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP). FOP turns muscle into bone with tumor-like swellings, and is usually heralded by malformed large toes missing a joint. For information about FOP, go to www.IFOPA.org, and read the USA Today article (July, 31, 2005) where Carol and Vincent are interviewed:http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-07-31-fop-disorder_x.htm.