Blood Is Thicker Than Water

There is no substitute for family.  I can’t imagine my life without my brothers and sisters.  They know everything about me – my aspirations, dreams, insecurities, and  greatest fears.  They are the first people I call when I have exciting news to share, and they are also who I turn to when I am having a hard day and need advice.  Simply put – they are my best friends.

Growing up with enough brothers and sisters for a first string and second string basketball team was sometimes daunting, but it was mostly fun.  I can’t help but smile when I reminisce about all of the basketball games, tennis tournaments, and one-act play rehearsals we were a part of in high school.  I remember laughing and hanging out as we “dragged” down Main Street listening to our favorite radio station in our 1973 Gold Gran Torino.

I also remember getting up early every morning in the summers and working 10 hour days cleaning cotton fields.  I remember the different games we would play to pass the time, and having 30 minute lunches in the shade of our car. I remember getting home, bathing and heading to the high school gym/tennis courts for pick-up games with our high school friends.

Now don’t misunderstand me, we were very much siblings.  We didn’t always see eye to eye.  I remember having epic arguments and disagreements about whose turn it was to throw the trash, or about being a backseat driver on our way to school.  Funny thing is that some of us are still backseat drivers, but I won’t mention names.

My point is that I had a great childhood and I loved growing up in a small West Texas town.  I will always carry those wonderful memories with me. So, when I began to create the Jimenez family for the series, I wanted to create fun and authentic sibling relationships that the readers would be able to identify with and understand.  So as I wrote, I pulled from my experiences growing up with my brothers and sisters for some of the scenes in the book.

While Chente Jimenez is the central character in The Valiente Series, the Jimenez family play an important role in all three books.  I wanted the readers to understand that Chente’s identity originates with his family.  They are his past, present, and future.

My goal was to have the Jimenez siblings slowly comprehend that while they are all great as individuals, they are best when they are a united front. I wanted the dialogue, whether in a casual conversation or in a heated disagreement, to be authentic.

So, as the Jimenez siblings laugh, support and bicker with each other throughout The Valiente Series, readers will now know that they are experiencing bits and pieces of the Castillo siblings as well.   #TheValienteSeries