A Rainy Date With: Angela Velez, Lulu & Milagro’s Search For Clarity

Hi friends! I’m really excited (and a little nervous, I’ll admit it) to relaunch my author interview series today… with Angela Velez, a debut author of one of my most anticipated reads of the entire YEAR, Lulu & Milagro’s Search for Clarity!!

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane before, shall we. Back in January 2019, I launched my very first series of author interviews on this blog. Over the entire year, I got to chat with some incredible writers about their first or upcoming book and more and I had so. much. fun with it. I also loved being able to give them, to the best of my ability, a little boost.

While it was a lot of fun and definitely a privilege to have them visiting my little corner of the internet, it also was a lot of work. Which is why this feature slowly fizzled with time.

Earlier this year, I kind of decided, on a whim, to relaunch this. At my own rhythm, with a few selected authors. Meaning that: there won’t be a new interview every week for the rest of 2022, but, sometimes, there will be. I really, really hope you’ll enjoy them and will have fun reading these!

Okay. Now that I’m done with story-time, let’s get to the interview part!

The Book, Lulu & Milagro’s Search For Clarity

Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity by Angela Velez
Published by Balzer & Bray/Harperteen on February 8, 2022
Pages: 400
Buy on Amazon, Book Depository, Bookshop, Blackwell's
Goodreads

Booksmart meets Never Have I Ever in this Latinx road trip adventure—a big-hearted, voice-driven YA about two sisters who couldn’t be more different, but become begrudging partners on their school’s cross-country college trip—from debut author Angela Velez.
Overachiever Luz “Lulu” Zavala has straight As, perfect attendance, and a solid ten-year plan. First up: nail her interview for a dream internship at Stanford, the last stop on her school’s cross-country college road trip. The only flaw in her plan is Clara, her oldest sister, who went off to college and sparked a massive fight with their overprotective Peruvian mom, who is now convinced that out-of-state-college will destroy their family. If Lulu can’t fix whatever went wrong between them, the whole trip—and her future—will be a waste.
Middle sister Milagro wants nothing to do with college, or a nerdy class field trip. Then a spot opens up on the trip just as her own Spring Break plans (Operation: Lose Your Virginity) are thwarted, and she hops on the bus with her glittery lipsticks, more concerned about getting back at her ex than she is about schools or any family drama. But the trip opens her eyes about possibilities she’d never imagined for herself. Maybe she is more than the boy-crazy girl everyone seems to think she is.
On a journey from Baltimore all the way to San Francisco, Lulu and Milagro will become begrudging partners as they unpack weighty family expectations, uncover Clara’s secrets, and maybe even discover the true meaning of sisterhood.

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The Interview With Angela Velez

Can you describe Lulu and Milagro’s Search For Clarity to us, only using 5 words?

Hijinks-fueled sisterly journey of self-discovery!

You’ve done a lot of different kinds of writing in your life: editorial writing, copywriting, writing for social media… Can you tell us a bit about your journey with writing fiction? Has it always been something you wanted to try… or something you did for a long time, before pursuing publication? 

I always dreamed of writing novels, but for the longest time (way, way, too long!) I was too afraid to put pen to paper! I was so terrified of being “bad” at fiction writing, and I was even more scared of showing other people my work. After college, I looked for creative jobs that allowed me to practice writing and experiment with story, and I slowly built up the courage to write my own fiction.

A HUGE part of finding my confidence came from reading work by inspiring authors, like Erika Sánchez, Isabel Quintero, and Gabby Rivera. It was so thrilling to see latinx characters take center stage in their novels, and it gave me the push I needed to work on my own writing.

Sisters are at the heart of this story (and, let’s face it: I couldn’t be happier about it. I adore these kinds of stories).  What made you want to write a story about sisters in the first place… and what made you think that this particular sister story could be “the one”?

Yay! I wanted to write about sisters because it’s such a unique bond — with siblings, you are each other’s greatest allies and confidants… but that also comes with tremendous responsibility, because you know your siblings’ greatest  insecurities. 

I also loved that between the three sisters, I could explore themes I’ve spent so much time thinking about, like how being a child of immigrants affects your major life decisions (like choosing a college!). Or how growing up within strict Catholicism can play a huge role in your understanding of yourself and your romantic relationships.

In one of your instagram posts, you wrote something beautiful about writing that really stuck with me : “I spent a lot of time thinking about how sewing a quilt is like writing a book — there’s a lot of messy stitching, crooked cuts, and so much second guessing.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Angela Velez (@frozenfresa)

Do you feel like this sums-up your writing process well? Could you tell us more about the “sewing” process with Lulu and Milagro’s Search For Clarity? 

Oh yes! There was so much second guessing with this book, especially as I tried to figure out the three sisters and why this trip was so important to them! I made A LOT of wrong decisions (messy stitching), especially with their older sister, Clara. It took me so long to figure out why she was acting out and being so mysterious. And it helped to have an amazing editor to point out my most crooked cuts and loose ends, so that with each revision round, the second guessing faded away and I grew more confident in my choices. And then before I knew it, it was a real book, ready to be printed and on shelves. That part hasn’t really sunk in yet!

Do you have more fiction writing projects in the works? If so, are there any clues you can give us about some upcoming, exciting projects? 

Yes! I am working on a second contemporary YA novel, and it’s still in the very messy planning stages. I’m really hoping to bring in elements of my art and my textile work into it, and explore themes of  self worth and loving yourself!

I couldn’t resist, so these are road-trip themed 🙂 

You can take a road trip, anywhere in the world, anytime of the year. How about right now? Where would you go?

I’m driving up the coastline of California and soaking up the sun, eating as many burritos as I can, and stopping in each city to visit friends.

☀️

What would be on your ideal road trip playlist?

I am a lifelong Swiftie, so I’d need her most danceable and yell-iest songs to keep me going, like “Cruel Summer,” “New Romantics,” and “King of My Heart.”

🎶

What’s THE (okay. I’ll take three, if it’s impossible to choose just one. I’d get it!) book(s) you’d take in your suitcase for this trip? It could be a favorite one, or one you’re dying to read!

I’m definitely sneaking an early copy of Undercover Latina by Aya de Leon, because I love a good adventure spy novel. And I’m cheating by also packing Our Shadows Have Claws, which I cannot wait for! It’s an anthology featuring short stories about Latinx  mythical monsters.

Finally: can you share one line of Lulu and Milagro’s Search For Clarity with us? 

“Sisters before misters. Our trip.” In that moment, I really, really do mean it. Sisters sounds better than nerd or dumpee.

About Angela Velez

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Do you want to read Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity? Are you fond of stories about sisters? I’d love to hear from you in comments!

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