Today marks the official release date of my scary children’s novel The Cursed Moon. Finally, my story about eleven-year-old Rafael Fuentes, a hard-core scary story teller is out in the world. Yay! Some book reviews have already come in, but I’m more curious about what my young readers will say about it. I hope they love it as much as I do. :) Check out reviews for THE CURSED MOON here.
Big Book Birthday Plans?
In the past, I’d host a party or happy hour with friends and family, but this time around I just want to celebrate with a long walk in the woods. After all, the main setting for this story is near the woods. While writing The Cursed Moon, I took many walks through a nearby wooded area with a walking trail and it kept me inspired for many of the spookier parts on the book.
Another dream come true moment for me
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved reading and telling spooky stories. Today, as a published children’s author, my main mission is to write the kind of stories that I wanted to read when I was kid. So, it only made since that I’d write a scary book with a vengeful ghost and some brave kids. I’m grateful to all the talented individuals who helped make THE CURSED MOON happen. Special thanks to Scholastic and my editor, Anna Bloom, for trusting me to try something new. The haunting cover art is by the very talented Melissa Castillo. :)
Why a scary story?
I know that THE CURSED MOON isn’t like any of my other children novels in that it involves a sinister ghost called the Caretaker, a magical jaguar, and a ominous blood moon, but it’s still a story with heart and hope. And like many of my books, its main character is a Hispanic/Latinx child.
For me, when it comes to writing for young readers, I always write stories with Latino leads. I also write stories full of hope. Hope is always part of my process and it pours onto each page.
Based on a true story
One summer night when I was about ten or eleven, I told a scary story to my friends about a jaguar that stalked our neighborhood. I warned my friends that if they were ever out late at night and saw yellow eyes peering out from behind trees or a bush that is was the night stalker. A jaguar. And if they ever felt something following them at night, it was the jaguar. The jaguar would follow them home and then creep up to their door and scratch it three times. If it scratched the door three times, it meant you belonged to him, he was marking his next meal, and your days were numbered. Be careful, don’t be out too late, and beware the jaguar!
The Cursed Moon was based on this scary story. However, when it came time to write this book, I no longer wanted the jaguar to be the villain because jaguars are precious animals. They are important to our history of the americas and our ecosystem. Sadly, today they are nearly endangered. Read more about jaguars here.
Where Can You Buy The Book?
I always recommend that folks buy books from their local bookstore or Barnes & Noble. Many of the bookstores can also offer a signed copy. Please see links below:
Of course, I also understand the convenience of buying from Amazon, please see link to learn more about THE CURSED MOON. Happy Reading! Read Brave! Thank you!
