The Valiente Series – Is It Relevant?

Since the release of Valiente: Courage and Consequences, I have been asked many times to explain the premise for the series.  What are the books about?  How are these books relevant?  What are the takeaways?

Since there are six books in the Valiente Series, I will break it down into parts.  Part One of the series consists of the first three books, and Part Two will be the last three.

The first three books are Courage and Consequences, Tattoos and Temptations and Flames and Fury.  These books center around Chente’s senior year in high school and the different challenges he encounters as he tries to navigate his way to his high school graduation.

Chente’s circle of friends and Chente’s family play a huge role in Part One of the series .  They all play an integral part in many of the storylines that are current and universal, but targeted for a high school student and young adult audience.

Although I pride myself in believing that most of the storylines blend together throughout Part One, for the purpose of this blog I have broken them down into three primary categories:

1. Finding Your Voice – A central theme in the series is believing in yourself and finding courage – courage to be yourself, courage to stand up for yourself, courage to love yourself. And even though, Chente leads the charge, several characters confront their insecurities and experience their own personal growth and transformation throughout the series.
2. Love and Acceptance – I believe that the need to be loved and accepted is a universal desire that everyone strives to find, and the journey to accomplish this begins with the ability to trust – trust yourself and trust the people close to you. Part One of the series really focuses on Chente’s and Coach Doss’s coming out stories – the different paths they take and the inner struggle they experience before they are able to let go of the fear and live their truth.
3. Family and Friends – I think the most important storyline in the series is the evolution and growth of the Jimenez Family and the fierce loyalty of Chente’s high school friends. They disagree and fight hard, but when push comes to shove they are always ready to  support one another.

I truly believe that the characters I have created are identifiable, and the storylines are fresh and fun and relevant.  If given a chance, I believe The Valiente Series will be impactful and resonate with the high school student population.