Johanny Ortega | Have A Cup Of Johanny LLC
The Ordinary Bruja
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 family buried the magic. Now it wants out.
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Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring: A Fresh Spin on Christmas Tales
Read more: Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring: A Fresh Spin on Christmas Tales“Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring” is a refreshing take on Christmas tales, filled with suspense, adventure, and valuable life lessons. Set during a frosty Massachusetts winter, it follows the journey of a brave nine-year-old, Isla, who faces her biggest fear – her stepmom. Along the way, Isla and her family learn to let go of long-held…
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Echoes of Despair: A Glimpse into Gaza’s Crisis Through an Outsider’s Eyes
Read more: Echoes of Despair: A Glimpse into Gaza’s Crisis Through an Outsider’s EyesThus Far: An Overview On October 7, 2023, an act of violence broke through our subconscious and enlightened most to see something that has been going on for 75 years. Hamas, a rebellious group from Palestine that has been categorized as a terrorist group by various countries, attacked and killed Israeli civilians attending a concert.…
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Marisol Is Me — Hesitant, Haunted, and Holding On
Read more: Marisol Is Me — Hesitant, Haunted, and Holding OnThere’s something deeply sacred about writing a character who holds a piece of your truth—especially the parts you kept hidden, even from yourself. In the final episode of The Why Behind the Bruja podcast series, I talk about how Marisol isn’t just a fictional character. She’s me. The hesitant girl who didn’t want to be…
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Stop Waiting for Inspiration—Write Anyway
Read more: Stop Waiting for Inspiration—Write AnywayIf I wait for inspiration to hit, I will be waiting a long time. I used to romanticize the idea of “the muse.” I thought I had to be moved—emotionally, spiritually, cosmically—before I sat down to write. Like some lightning bolt had to strike and grant me permission. But over the years, I’ve learned the…
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The Martyrdom Myth: When Parenting Looks Like Self-Erasure
Read more: The Martyrdom Myth: When Parenting Looks Like Self-ErasurePart 3 There’s something I’ve been sitting with—well, more like driving with. Because, as usual, my clearest thoughts don’t come when I’m staring at a screen. They come when I’m in motion. Alone. Processing. This one came after a hard conversation with my husband. And it made me think more deeply about a pattern I’ve…
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Shadows in the Sugarcane: Dominican Folklore and the Mythic Beings That Still Haunt Us
Read more: Shadows in the Sugarcane: Dominican Folklore and the Mythic Beings That Still Haunt UsDominican folklore is a tangled web of myth, caution, and ancestral memory. It whispers through the mountains, lingers in the campos, and curls under the beds of children who still won’t go to sleep. Our island’s stories are not just bedtime tales or scary campfire anecdotes—they’re reflections of our colonial past, spiritual resistance, and the…
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Brujas, Mothers, and the Complicated Women Who Raised Us
Read more: Brujas, Mothers, and the Complicated Women Who Raised UsRaw, tender, and profoundly honest—this episode peels back the layers of maternal relationships that shape not just our lives, but the stories we tell. “I was raised by women who loved me and hurt me, and that’s who I wrote.” With these words, I invite you into the emotional core of “The Ordinary Bruja,” revealing…
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The Complexity of Guilt-Ridden Mothers in Stories
Read more: The Complexity of Guilt-Ridden Mothers in StoriesMorally Gray Mothers in Fiction In the world of storytelling, there’s something undeniably captivating about morally gray characters. These are the characters who exist in the messy in-between—neither fully good nor entirely bad. They challenge us, frustrate us, and, most importantly, make us think. As a writer, I find myself drawn to these complex figures.…
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