There are moments in every writer’s life where the fire dims. Where doubt takes up more space than imagination. I’ve been there more times than I can count—especially when telling stories rooted in identity, culture, and emotional truths that don’t always fit into mainstream boxes.

But then I pick up that book. The kind that makes you sit up straighter. That whispers, “You belong here too.”

Here are a few that re-lit my creative fire and reminded me that my stories—flawed, magical, messy, rooted—matter.

💥 How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

The first time I read this, I felt like someone had cracked open my chest and poured sunlight in. Cruz wrote a voice so specific, so real, that it reminded me of the women I grew up around—resilient, imperfect, hilarious, and wise. It gave me permission to write my characters as they are, not how the world expects them to be.

✈️ Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Acevedo doesn’t just write poetry—she conjures whole worlds with rhythm and heart. This story, about grief, identity, and sisterhood, felt deeply personal. It made me realize that bilingual, bicultural stories can take up space—and not just as footnotes or flavor, but as the main course.

🌺 The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

This one made me feel seen in ways I didn’t know I needed. The way Córdova wove magical realism into a multi-generational story felt like a mirror. Her voice showed me that brujas, secrets, ancestral magic, and complicated family dynamics all belong on the page—and that there’s power in telling the story your way.

Reading these books was like being handed a torch.

Each one reminded me that I don’t have to wait for permission to write my stories with heart, history, and haunting. That it’s okay if my voice isn’t polished like glass—because sometimes raw truth is the sharpest, most beautiful thing on the page.

As great as it sounds to be “the first,” let’s be honest: being first is lonely. It’s hard. It’s a path without a map. So to every BIPOC and Latina author who came before me, who broke open the gates with their unapologetic stories—thank you. Because of you, I feel less afraid. Because of you, I can roar.