The Story of LUZ

In the early 2000’s—December 2002 to be exact—I came up with the idea for a book. I was immediately excited because I knew I had something special on my hands. Inspiration had struck, and I knew I must act quickly and seize the opportunity. And that’s exactly what it felt like: having been struck, for the idea came that quickly, that spontaneously. I’ll never forget that night in December of 2002. For a few moments in time it was just me and my idea. But soon after this initial excitement, trepidation also set in, for I realized the writing of this book would turn into a major undertaking and require a tremendous commitment.

The first chapter, Miracles, was written several months later, in March 2003, and also came very quickly. The unfolding of that opening scene was unmistakably clear and vivid in my mind, and during those initial stages I planned on Luz being one novel with three sections. Little did I know how big the story was I had to tell, and how it would take on a life of its own.

For the next several years I worked on the book off and on, for as often happens with creative endeavors: life gets in the way. But sometimes life gets in the way for a reason, and I came to realize this was the case as the story of Luz evolved. Finally, after a few years more, after numerous drafts and re-workings, and even a move from Los Angeles to San Francisco in between, I finished the book in late 2011.

But this was just the beginning, for it was then I realized that the only way to properly tell the story of Luz was by serializing it and letting the narrative unfurl and crystalize at its own pace. I am glad that I trusted my instincts and opted for this route, rather than force the story to fit within the confines of some artificially imposed constraints.

As of this moment, the first three books of Luz have been completed and I am currently writing the fourth. The pace has picked up now and there will be no further interruptions. Luz will be a series of six books total, but hey, you never know. It all depends on the characters and what they have to say about it, for I’ve come to discover that I am just the vessel through which the story travels, the flame from which the tale gets illuminated. And I can guarantee that the characters, be they Clara, Inez, Rigo, Manolo, or Luz herself, will have their say.

But I can also guarantee that the reader will not be disappointed with the story of Luz and how it develops, expands, and ultimately concludes. It is the light of that conviction that has driven this story ever forward.

                                — THE LUZ SERIES —

TITLE                                                        RELEASE DATE

Luz, book i:
comings and goings                             2014

Luz, book ii:
complications                                       2014

Luz, book iii:
scatterings                                             2015

Luz book iv:
schemings                                              2016

Luz book v:
wonders                                                 2017

Luz book vi:
lamentations                                       2018