There are milestones in an indie author’s life that sneak up on you. They tap you on the shoulder when you’re not expecting them, whispering, “Hey, look at what you’ve built.” This week, one of those moments found me when The Ordinary Bruja earned a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorite, along with their official 5-star badge.

I’m not going to lie. I sat with that for a bit. As indie authors, we work in the in-between, hustling our stories into the world while juggling life, family, and the chaos of everything else we carry. So when a professional reviewer not only connects with your book but celebrates it, it hits different. Especially when that reviewer understands the cultural nuances, the atmosphere, and the emotional weight behind the story you wrote from your soul.

It made me pause. It made me breathe. And it reminded me that honoring our stories matters.

What The Review Said That Stuck With Me

The reviewer, Essien Asian of Readers’ Favorite, called The Ordinary Bruja “an impressive amount of work” and highlighted the cultural realism, the blend of English and Spanish, and the way the small sensory details build terror. He noticed the things that I worried might be overlooked. The cigar smoke. The cold drafts. The grief in the silences. He saw the cultural heartbeat underneath the haunting.

That kind of acknowledgment carries weight, especially when your book centers a Dominican American woman navigating grief, identity, and ancestral magic. It is not just a horror story. It is a reclaiming. A wrestling. A remembering. And for a reviewer to call out that blend of culture and atmosphere, and to celebrate it as a strength, made me feel seen in a way I didn’t expect.

The second review, which came in at 4 stars, highlighted something equally important. It spoke about the emotional journey, the heritage, and how Marisol’s story reflects the power of self-love. To hear someone echo the themes that shaped the book felt like validation of the heart behind it.

When readers get the story, it’s magic. When professional reviewers get it, you exhale a little.

Why This Badge Matters To Me As An Indie Author

Getting a Readers’ Favorite badge is not about clout. It is not about bragging rights. It is about visibility, especially in a publishing world that often overlooks stories written by and about Latines who do not fit the mold.

Indie authors work without the infrastructure, the traditional backing, or the marketing machine of the Big Five. We build our own tables. We create our own pathways. Every piece of recognition helps amplify a book like The Ordinary Bruja, which is rooted in Dominican culture, grief, generational trauma, and the kind of magic that lives in the everyday.

This badge means that a panel of reviewers sees The Ordinary Bruja as a story of quality, depth, and craft. It also signals to librarians, bookstores, and readers that this book is not only worth the read but worth taking seriously.

And for a story about a bruja who never believed she was enough, that feels poetic.

What This Means For Readers

For those who have been following Marisol’s journey, this badge is a celebration for you too. You’re the ones who have shown up for my messy drafts, my behind-the-scenes chaos, and my worldbuilding rabbit holes. You’ve listened to me talk about Hallowthorn Hill, the Espinal lineage, and the three girlies who stay living rent-free in Marisol’s head.

This badge signals that you are supporting a story that resonates far beyond my little writing nook. That the themes of identity, ancestral memory, and self-doubt are connecting on a broader scale.

For new readers, it gives reassurance. It tells them they are stepping into a world that has been vetted, loved, and praised by people who read hundreds of books a year. For those who love horror blended with culture, psychological tension, and family secrets, this badge becomes a lighthouse pointing their way.

Reflecting On The Journey

I wrote The Ordinary Bruja with pieces of myself tucked between the lines. The fears I carried. The insecurities I inherited. The weight of silence that many of us learn growing up in immigrant households. And I wrote it with the hope that someone, somewhere, would see themselves in Marisol and realize they were not alone.

The fact that a reviewer picked up on that emotional depth alongside the horror and magical realism means more than I can explain. It feels like a bridge between my lived experience and the reader’s experience, and that is what storytelling is really about.

This badge won’t change who I am or how I tell stories. But it does remind me that the work matters. The pages matter. The cultural truths matter. And that writing from the heart, even when you’re unsure if anyone will get it, is worth it.

Moving Forward With Gratitude

So what now? Well, I’ll proudly place that shiny little badge on my website and my book’s listings because I earned it. And I’ll keep writing. I’ll keep telling stories about messy, magical, marginalized characters who look like us and feel like us.

And I’ll keep pushing myself to grow as a writer, as a storyteller, and as a bruja building worlds one page at a time.

Thank you for celebrating with me. And thank you for believing in my work. The Ordinary Bruja is only the beginning, and I’m excited for what comes next.

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