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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Because of Them, I Roar: A Mini Round-Up of Books That Re-lit My Creative Fire
Read more: Because of Them, I Roar: A Mini Round-Up of Books That Re-lit My Creative FireThere 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…
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From Pandemic Isolation to Magic: Creating The Ordinary Bruja
Read more: From Pandemic Isolation to Magic: Creating The Ordinary BrujaMagic doesn’t always arrive with a flash and fanfare. Sometimes it emerges quietly from our darkest moments, when we’re hiding from the world and even from ourselves. During the silence of pandemic lockdown, when the world outside my window fell eerily still, I found myself drawn to create something that could bridge the isolation. That’s…
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I Hit Submit: Manifesting My Spot at LatinaFest 2025
Read more: I Hit Submit: Manifesting My Spot at LatinaFest 2025This week, I did something bold—I applied to be in the author booth at LATINAFest 2025 in Los Angeles. And while I don’t know yet if I’ve been selected, I’m already proud. Because what I’m really celebrating is growth. LATINAFest, the largest outdoor festival celebrating Latinas in the U.S., is produced by a community-based organization…
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Jean-Pierre Boyer Dominican History: A New Perspective
Read more: Jean-Pierre Boyer Dominican History: A New PerspectiveWhen most Dominicans hear about the Haitian occupation of 1822, they’ve already been taught what to think: that it was an invasion, a forced erasure of Dominican identity, a dark chapter we were lucky to survive. But what if that story is incomplete?What if Jean-Pierre Boyer, the Haitian president who unified the island, wasn’t a…
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Finding Your Way Home: The Messy Journey Back to Self
Read more: Finding Your Way Home: The Messy Journey Back to SelfHave you been pouring from an empty cup? This raw, unfiltered conversation dives deep into what it truly means to find your way back to yourself—and it’s not the Instagram-worthy journey you might expect. Forget the sage-burning rituals and silk robes. Real self-reclamation happens on bathroom floors at midnight when no one’s watching. It’s about…
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On Unfinished Work, Ghost Stories, and the Fear That Fuels Me
Read more: On Unfinished Work, Ghost Stories, and the Fear That Fuels MeThere are stories that climb onto my back like spirits. They whisper, fidget, demand attention. And until I write them down, they don’t let go. I used to think the scariest part of being a writer was starting. But it’s not. It’s the haunting of the unfinished. The Devil That Haunts Me was one of…
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