We wish you lots of success on your Humor Fiction novella!
Let's check out the details, shall we?
Here is the book blurb for Single Chicas.
Perfection is a Barbie doll, and, unless you're
looking for a guy with a fake smile, a hard head, and no genitalia, then you're
better off NOT being perfect. ― Single Chicas
Single Chicas is a collection
of stories about modern Latinas being in, out, and around the zany hurdles of
relationships. One woman receives strange calls from a lonely soul, another
seeks advice on how to love herself, and another wakes up in a parallel
universe to a man she's never met. These chicas will make painstaking effort to
survive the complexities with humor and grace. Once again, López dazzles
audiences with her brilliantly candid craft. Smart, witty, and funny, these
stories will explore the true endurance of singlehood.
Sandra is also giving us a peek at her book today!
The
professor stood upfront lecturing on the Pythagorean Theorem, while most of the students
took notes. Somewhere in the back of the class, Chrissy laid back in her seat, inconspicuously
checking the messages on her phone. A text came in from Simone.
Hey,
chica! see u @ G's plc in 1/2 hr. Bring the chips.
After
class, Chrissy steered through the legion of chatty students, traipsing down
the busy
stairwell
and exiting through the rear door of the Math and Science Building next to the
parking
lot on Western Avenue. She got into her car, strapped on her seat belt, and
sent a
quick text
reading: On my way.
It was a
little after 4 o'clock by the time Chrissy got to Georgia's house. She saw
Simone getting
out of her
Toyota as she pulled up right behind her.
"Hey,
whassup?" Simone called out to her. "Ready to get to work?"
"Locked
and ready," Chrissy replied. "Let's do it."
They both
walked up the path to the front door, and Georgia answered on the second knock.
"Hey,
we're just about to set up. Did someone remember to bring the chips?"
Chrissy
held up the 7-Eleven bag in front of her. "Right here."
They all
went to the back of the house to Georgia's room, where pizza and sodas were
waiting
on the
bed. Chrissy sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled out her laptop, while
the other
girls
gathered around. Simone helped herself to a heaping slice, as Chrissy logged on
to their
email
account. Four new emails had been received. The first one read:
Dear
Single Chicas,
Hey,
hey, love your site! I was wondering if you could help me. I have a boyfriend
I'm crazy
about,
but he has a tendency to call me at work. It's getting annoying. Any advice?
Sincerely,
Looney
Cell
"Ah,
a typical relationship conundrum," Simone said with a mouthful of pizza.
"Yeah,
a typical headache," Georgia added.
"So
what do we say?" Chrissy asked.
"Try
this," Simone said, waiting for Chrissy to start typing.
Dear
Looney Cell,
Your
boyfriend needs to realize that when you are at work, you are NOT his
girlfriend. You
need to
give him specific hours, just like in any other job. Lay down the line with
him. Point
out
that each time he calls you at your job, it keeps you from doing the work—work
you're
getting
paid to do and work that in no way, shape, or form involves him. Besides, it
may get
you in
trouble with your boss, if it hasn't already. Instead tell him to send you a
simple text,
but be
careful not to overload your phone memory. Thanks for the shout out!
Single
Chicas
The next
email read:
Dear
Single Chicas,
What's
up! Problem: I'm engaged and I'm totally freaking out about it. Would I be a
fool to
ask if
we could postpone the big day until I'm less freaked?
Yours
truly,
Runaway
Bride
Reply:
Dear
Runaway Bride,
Absolutely
not! Don't do anything you don't feel ready for. Be honest about it. If nobody
can
understand
that, then you would save yourself the headache and the hassle, not to mention
the
time and money, for that whole shindig. If it wasn't meant to be, then so be
it. If,
however,
you have a guy that is willing to wait, then, by all means, let him wait. Wait,
wait,
wait
until you are sure you can make it down that aisle without breaking out in
hives. Just
make
sure you bring your running shoes on the big day....just in case. ;)
Sincerely,
Single
Chicas
The next
email read:
Hey,
Single Chicas,
I saw
this one episode of "I Love Lucy" where Lucy suggests a vacation from
marriage. What
are
your thoughts? Yay or Nay?
Sincerely,
TV
Addict
Dear TV
Addict,
Yay! A
vacation from marriage allows for the re-discovery of one's individuality―the
"I"
before
the "we." There is such a thing as spending "too much" time
together. Lucy said it best
in that
episode: "I'm sick at the sight of your face." Take a vacation to
avoid this sickness.
Sincerely,
Single
Chicas
And
finally:
Dear
Single Chicas,
My
friends think I'm a wet blanket because I'd rather stay home in my PJ's than go
out
clubbing
with them. They don't get that I get tired after a long day and all I want to
do is sit
back
with a remote. Are they right?
Party
Pooper
Dear
Party Pooper,
Hell,
no! Having the couch and sole possession of the remote control are what it's
all about.
Do what
makes you happy.
Single
Chicas
***
Olivia
didn't expect to see Josh in the library, with his arm draped around another
girl. It had
been a
little over a year since their break up, and this was the first time she'd seen
him since
he
disappeared from school last semester. Flustered, she sank deeper into her
chair, trying to
hide her
face behind her computer screen. Had she been seen? she wondered. She peered
through
the side of her eye. The two didn't seem to notice. All Josh seemed to focus on
was her
lusciously
long, black hair, her sweet, vanilla skin, and a sparkling smile worthy of any
Trident
commercial.
And that body!? Did she jump out of a Victoria’s Secret catalog or
something?
Whatever
this girl was brewing definitely had Josh at her feet.
Olivia
turned back to the screen, resolved to return to her work. Her tense fingers
hovering
above the
keys, she gazed at the cursor blinking mercilessly in the middle of her Biology
paper.
She sat
there staring, biting her lower lip, as her mind nervously drew a blank. What
was she
about to
say? Where was she going with this? When was the due date? She began twirling a
pen between her fingers as she quickly snuck a glance at them. He was now
leaning toward her ear. Was he nuzzling her? The pen flapped furiously in the
air, faster and faster, as she watched him burrowing deeper into her neck. Knee
bouncing, teeth grinding, faster and faster.....until she shot up to her feet,
racing to get out of there.
When she
got to her dorm, all Olivia wanted to do was erase the memory of Josh with that
girl,
so she
surfed the web, hoping to rid her mind of it. Then she stumbled across a link
to a
website
called Single Chicas. She clicked on it, and it opened up to a home page
featuring a
photo of
three young girls. The caption read: "Chrissy, Simone, and Georgia. The
Single
Chicas."
Olivia studied the image with a longing gleam in her eye. They looked so
happy―happy
being single. Why couldn't she? She browsed through some of their letters and
couldn't
help smiling at some of them. These were pretty good. Some were actually funny
or
witty. Her
pointer floating over the 'send us an email' button, she mulled over
whether they
could help
her. After all, she didn't want to obsess over Josh. It was bad enough having
to let
him go
when it was over. Then again, perhaps she was still holding on? Perhaps,
somewhere in
her heart,
she hoped that one day he would come back to her. How could that be, when he
was with
the perfect girl now? Was that all that Olivia needed to be? Perfect?
She looked
down at herself, sighing. Something was wrong. Without realizing it, the mouse
clicked
and a message board popped up. Olivia started typing.
Dear
Single Chicas,
This is
my first time on your site, and I was hoping to get your thoughts on a matter.
Should I
feel
threatened by the fact that my ex-boyfriend found the perfect girl?
Sincerely,
O-Negative
That
evening, Olivia got a reply.
Dear
O-Negative,
Of
course not! First of all, there's no such thing as a "perfect" girl.
Just because the girl has
flawless
skin, hair that flies in the breeze, great tits, and farts that smell like
roses, it
doesn't
mean she's "perfect." Perfection is a Barbie doll, and, unless you're
looking for a guy
with a
fake smile, a hard head, and no genitalia, then you're better off NOT being
perfect.
Second,
you need to recall why you now call him your ex. There's a reason why you're
not
with
him.
Sincerely,
Single
Chicas
Olivia
pondered over that last line. The reason she was not with him was because he had
ended it. Shocked by his proclamation, she had asked him why. He simply
responded that he just wasn't feeling it anymore. It just wasn't there for him.
Still, he had loved her once, as much as she loved him. How could that all just
go away? And, most importantly, could it ever come back?
The
following Tuesday, Olivia was at the library with her study group; they were
all reviewing notes and preparing for next week's exam. An hour later, everyone
took off for lunch, except Olivia, who wanted to study some more. When she no
longer could bear the rumble in her stomach, she reluctantly left for the food
court.
Standing
in line at the Arby's station, Olivia carefully counted the coins in her purse,
wanting to make sure if she could afford the roast beef sandwich. When the
cashier called her up at the next register, she blindly approached as somebody
skated right past her, causing the coins to drop. Muttering under her breath,
Olivia crouched to the floor and started collecting her money in the midst of the
unyielding lunch crowd.
"Olivia?"
Recognizing
the voice, Olivia froze for a moment before looking up. It was Josh.
"Hi," she gushed alarmingly.
"Hey,
need some help?"
"No,
no, I'm good," she quickly answered, leaping to her feet, the few coins
tightly wedged between her fingers.
Sensing
her discomfort, Josh asked, "So...how you been?"
"Good...You?"
"Can't
complain," he said.
Yeah,
especially since you bagged Miss Perfect. But then she thought back to the email,
remembering that there's no such thing as a perfect girl. Think of it as a
Monet, she told herself. Sometimes something can only look good from far away,
until you get up close and see it's nothing but a blurry mess. Yeah, that was
definitely her.
"So,
what are you doing right now?" Josh asked.
Olivia
glanced over at the cashier, who was now taking somebody else's order.
"Well, I guess I'm still waiting on lunch."
"Oh,
hey, I'll join ya, my treat!"
Was he kidding?
He broke up with her and he wants to hang out? "Why would you want to do
that?" she asked.
"Well,
we go way back, of course...and..." He shifted, tugging on the strap of
his backpack, pondering his next words. "And...we're
friends...right?"
"Friends?"
The word played like a foreign language she couldn't decipher. Friends?
When she
got home, Olivia wrote another email.
Dear
Single Chicas,
Is it
possible to be friends with your ex?
O-Negative
Dear
O-Negative,
A good
rule of thumb is: You can't be friends with someone you've seen naked. Once
you've seen someone in all their hairy glory, it's pretty hard to look at them
any different, because all you'll think about is how they looked to you before
(naked!) Your mind will never be able to let that go.
Sincerely,
Single
Chicas
Olivia lay
awake that night thinking over Josh's idea. Friends? Was he for real? If so,
then why wait so long to suggest it? Perhaps he wanted to give her space.
Perhaps he figured he had made a mistake and wanted to slowly re-establish
himself into her life. Perhaps Miss Perfect wasn't who she thought she was.
Could he want her back? Perhaps this could be their second chance?
Once she
drifted off into sleep, she had a dream about the day she and Josh met. It was
two years ago.
She was leaving the student union with a synthetic
rendition of the human heart that she had spent weeks working on. With a
backpack, a load of books, and her project, Olivia trekked down the hall,
teetering with the awkward weight and plowing through a swarm of prattling
students. With swift, cautious strides, she bobbed and weaved, trying to get to
class on time. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was tardiness.
Then, as she was passing by the bathroom, a door swung open, knocking right
into her, making her drop everything.
Soon the floor was a sprawling mess of scattered
papers, books, pens, rulers, highlighters, erasers, and so forth.
"Oh no," she whimpered, scrambling to
retrieve all the stuff.
"Oh, geez, I'm sorry, let me help you."
Before she knew it, the guy stooped down beside her,
gathering the wreckage. She looked up at the profile of a Greek God. A chiseled
nose stood prominently on bronzed skin, his smooth, jet black hair hanging
loosely over his magnetic, brown eyes.
"Thanks," she mumbled, trying not to stare
too much. Lumping all her things into a neat pile, she peered at her project
and her face collapsed. Her project was in pieces. "Oh no," she said,
reaching for it. On the verge of tears, she examined the horrible mess,
completely at a loss for a solution. Then she turned to him, her voice a
strain, and cried, "You broke my heart."
"I am so sorry," he said. "Let me
help you fix it."
Her lip trembled as her eyes brimmed with livid tears.
She immediately looked away, shaking her head in defeat and fighting back the
salty pool stinging her eyes. Although his expression showed great remorse and
sympathy, all she could think about was the failing grade she was going to get.
What was she going to do? What could she do really? There was no time left. Her
class was starting in five minutes. She couldn't believe it. All her hard work,
all the hours put in—ruined by some guy who was blasting out of the bathroom as
if his ass was on fire. Not wanting to look at him anymore, no matter how
handsome he was, Olivia quickly rose with the jumbled remnants of her
belongings and scurried away as the tears began to run down her cheeks.
"Wait, let me help you," yelled the guy.
But Olivia kept running, not once looking back.
When she reached the classroom, Olivia took a deep
breath, bracing herself for the grisly outcome. She entered slowly with dread
and trepidation. She could feel her manic heart pumping out of her chest as she
passed by the professor's desk.
"Olivia, what happened?" he asked, noting
the wreck she was carrying.
Meeting his gaze, she tried to explain, her voice
shaking like a rattlesnake tail. "It, um...just slipped...out of
my....hands...and...it just...broke."
"Oh, well, that's unfortunate," he said,
his tone tight with rigor. "This project is a major part of your grade and
today is the deadline. I explained to the whole class repeatedly that there
were no extensions, no make-ups, and no excuses."
"Yes...I know," she uttered. "And I'm...sorry."
"Well, I'm sorry too, Olivia. And I'm afraid
that I'll have no choice but to―"
"It was me." They both turned, suddenly
catching sight of a young man at the entrance.
Oh no, this guy again? Olivia thought. What's he
doing now?
"It was me," said the guy, marching up to
the professor. "I did it. I accidentally bumped into this sweet girl and
destroyed her project."
"Well, that's quite valiant of you," the
professor indicated. "But Olivia here was well aware of the criteria and
the deadline and, therefore, is solely responsible for meeting them."
"I fully understand that," he said.
"And I'm kindly requesting that she get a chance to show you what she
would've presented if it hadn't been for an idiot like me. Just give her a
chance to fix it. Please." He stood there, cool and collected, as the
professor surveyed him with intrigue and affinity.
Olivia nervously watched the exchange between the
two. Would she get more than a failing grade for this? Would she get kicked out
of class? What was this guy doing? Was he trying to ruin her life?
"All right, I'll give her 'til five o'clock to turn
it in at my office."
"Really?" Olivia cried in relief.
"Yes, you’re an excellent student, Olivia.
You've done great work all semester and it would be a tragedy for it to end
like this."
"Thank you, sir. I promise I won't let you
down."
"Five o' clock, not a minute later," he added
stoically.
"Absolutely!"
The professor's face remained expressionless as he
walked away to start the class.
Deeply relieved, Olivia focused on the incredible
guy that had just saved her life. "How can I ever thank you?"
Smiling, the guy said, "Don't worry about it.
Like I said, it was my fault. After all, I broke your heart. It's only fair
that I fix it."
Breaking
away from the dream, Olivia woke up, grinning at the memory. She reached for
her laptop and typed another email.
Dear
Single Chicas,
The guy
broke my heart: twice (literally and emotionally.) Can I trust him again?
Sincerely,
O-Negative
Early the
next morning, she found a response.
Dear
O-Negative,
Hearts
are fragile objects—easy to break, but not impossible to fix. It may take a
while, but it is possible to put the pieces back together again...
Olivia
smiled, recalling her and Josh frantically gluing the pieces of her heart
project that day.
...As
far as trust is concerned, the only way to answer that is to find out. You'll
never know otherwise.
Sincerely,
The Single Chicas
What people are saying about Single Chicas:
"Sandra
Lopez's Single Chicas is a surprising story collection about single
women who actually opt to stay that way. The theme is both romance and
the opposite of romance. Rather than happily ever after, why not choose
happy for now?" - Virginia, Amazon
"Single
Chicas is a smart and funny collection of stories centering on the lives
of modern Latinas. Young women pursue their dreams while simultaneously
navigating the complexities of contemporary relationships. Along the
way, each woman struggles to maintain her precious independence." - T.M. Spooner, Amazon
"You'll smile. You'll laugh. You'll cry. Author Sandra Lopez has the recipe for slices of life with lots of spice. I will
admit that I read this wonderful collection almost straight through. I
found the writing so engaging, the characters so colorful, the stories
such a good time, I couldn't put this short collection down." - J.D. Rachel, Amazon
Wow! What an interesting book!
Purchase Links:
Universal Amazon: https://bookgoodies.com/a/B01KG85F1Y
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/single-chicas-sandra-lopez/1124415443?ean=2940153681405
BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Single-Chicas/Sandra-Lopez/9781540893420?id=6842447479054
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/658343
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/single-chicas
Thanks for letting us know all about your Hispanic humorous fiction collection! It sounds intriguing! :)
About the Author:
Sandra
C. López is one of today's influential Latina authors in Young Adult
literature. Her first novel, Esperanza: A Latina Story, was published in
March 2008 WHILE she was still in college. Shortly after that, she wrote
the follow-up title, Beyond the Gardens, starring her inspirational
heroine. Now, this young writer is a full graduate of Cal State University
Fullerton with a BFA in the arts. She was named as one of "2011 Top Ten
New Latino Authors to Watch" by Latino Stories.
López is the author of Beyond
the Gardens (2009), which was a silver medal winner in the 2016 Global
EBook Awards and won first place in the International Latino Book Awards. Single
Chicas is the first installment in the Single Chicas series. For more
information, visit www.sandra-lopez.com.
Author Links:
Website: www.sandra-lopez.com
Website: www.sandra-lopez.com
Blog: http://sandrasbookclub.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://sandrasbookclub.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sandra-Lopez-173657042664609/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sandra-Lopez-173657042664609/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-C.-Lopez/e/B002VN0T8C/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-C.-Lopez/e/B002VN0T8C/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1656820.Sandra_C_Lopez
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1656820.Sandra_C_Lopez
Sandra's Books:
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