For fans of Mexican Gothic and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, The Ordinary Bruja is a psychological horror and magical realism novel about grief, ancestral secrets, Dominican brujería, and one woman’s fight to reclaim the magic her family tried to bury.
When strange messages appear in mirrors, and the scent of cigar smoke follows her through her small Ohio hometown, Marisol Espinal must confront the ghosts of her past, the truth about her mother’s death, and the family curse waiting for her on Hallowthorn Hill.
Her ancestor buried the magic. Now it wants out.
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Latine Heritage Month starts tomorrow, and I want to begin by talking about something that feels very Latina-coded to me: pride. Not only pride in our culture, our language, and where we come from. I’m talking about that other kind of pride, the “I cannot ask anyone for help” kind. I don’t know whether this…
When my son was little, I took him to an appointment to discuss his developmental progress. I was a young, twenty-year-old mother with dreams of building a personal library, reading beside my child, and encouraging him academically, just as my grandmother had encouraged me. A speech specialist told me my son was behind in the…
I recorded a video yesterday while listening to The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, and there was one scene I could not stop thinking about. But first, a small digression, because apparently I am incapable of getting to the point without taking the scenic route. I am a huge believer that we can learn from fiction.…
Born in the Dominican Republic, Johanny Ortega’s childhood was enriched by the magic of books, igniting her imagination with each page turned. Her move to the U.S. only fueled this passion, as she mastered English to dive deeper into diverse literary worlds. However, a striking realization hit her: the absence of characters echoing her own experiences. This gap propelled Johanny from an eager reader to a dynamic storyteller, crafting narratives that echo her Dominican heritage across genres and age groups. At “Have a Cup of Johanny LLC,” she’s not just an author but a champion for BIPOC voices, ensuring underrepresented narratives get their spotlight. Writing under two aliases, J.E. Ortega for adult fiction and Johanny Ortega for younger readers, she weaves tales that transcend boundaries, each character a vibrant testament to Dominican strength and spirit. 📚🇩🇴✨
