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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Writing Update – Navigating the Beast of Act Two in The Kids Are Gone


A graphic with the book cover of The Kids Are Gone by J.E. Ortega, featuring two blurred children's faces behind "Do Not Cross" crime scene tape. The title "The Kids Are Gone" is prominently displayed in bold yellow text. Beside the cover, the text reads, "Writing Update – Navigating the Beast of Act Two in The Kids Are Gone," on a muted olive-green background.

Hello, vacitos!

This week’s writing update brings me to the halfway point of Act Two in my current work-in-progress. Let me tell you, Act Two is a beast! But as challenging as it is, it’s also where the magic happens. I’m uncovering just how fragile Carolina truly is, and I love it. She’s a character who embodies all my self-preservation tendencies—watching her struggle and flop, little by little, is both humbling and enlightening.

One of the most beautiful (and sometimes painful) things about writing is how much it mirrors our own lives. Through Carolina, I’m exploring my own patterns of self-sabotage and reflecting on the times I got things wrong the first time around. Writing, for me, is like therapy—it’s a process of self-awareness, healing, and growth.

But before I dive back into Carolina’s warped reality—where she’s desperately trying to figure out where her kids have gone—I have some housekeeping to do. November is just around the corner, and I’m focusing on scheduling blog posts for the first half of the month. Once that’s done, I’ll fully immerse myself in Carolina’s journey once again.

Stay tuned, Vacitos, because this story is shaping up to be something special. I can’t wait for you all to experience it!


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