Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez – författare

Spanish Language Edition of The Dirty Girls Social ClubA vibrant, can''t-put-it-down novel of six friends--each one an unforgettable Latina woman in her late ''20s--and the complications and triumphs in their livesInseparable since their days at Boston University almost ten years before, six friends form the Dirty Girls Social Club, a mutual support and (mostly) admiration society that no matter what happens to each of them (and a lot does), meets regularly to dish, dine and compare notes on the bumpy course of life and love.Las sucias are:--Lauren, the resident "caliente" columnist for the local paper, which advertises her work with the line "her casa is su casa, Boston," but whose own home life has recently involved hiding in her boyfriend''s closet to catch him in the act--Sara, the perfect wife and mother who always knew exactly the life she wanted and got it, right down to the McMansion in the suburbs and two boisterious boys, but who is paying a hefty price--Amber, the most idealistic and artistic member of the club, who was raised a valley girl without a word of Spanish and whose increasing attachment to her Mexica roots coincides with a major record label''s interest in her rock ''n'' roll--Elizabeth, the stunning black Latina whose high profile job as a morning television anchor conflicts with her intensely private personal life, which would explain why the dates the other dirty girls set her up on never work out--Rebecca, intense and highly controlled, who flawlessly runs Ella, the magazine she created for Latinas, but who can''t explain why she didn''t understand the man she married and now doesn''t even share a room with; and--Usnavys, irrepressible and larger than life, whose agenda to land the kind of man who can keep her in Manolo Blahniks and platanos almost prevents her seeing true love when it lands in her lap.There''s a lot of catching up to do.

When Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez'' first novel was published last year, it caused a sensation. Readers flocked to the story of six friends in Boston because both the voice and the characters Valdes-Rodriguez created were utterly fresh. A brand new, large, and eager audience came out for a book they felt had been created just for them-young American women whose Hispanic side had been overlooked by commercial novels until The Dirty Girls Social Club.In Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez'' delicious new novel-each a Latina in her late 20''s -take Los Angeles by storm in Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez'' delicious new novel. Marcella, Olivia and Alexis have bonded not only over the trouble with men but about how tough it is to make life work in L.A. no matter what you do. Marcella is a hot young television actress, hardly able to enjoy the life she''s bought for herself and certainly not enjoying her body, which is never quite perfect enough. Olivia''s boy is her toddler son-and she''s tethered to him and to her suburban mommy track so tightly the other girls sometimes cringe. Alexis has a smart mouth and an ample body; she''s a beautiful musicians'' manager with loads of style but about enough self-esteem to fill a Prada card case. Her complicated love affair with the casually sexy Cuban rapper Goyo is a deeply satisfying romance that will delight readers almost as much as the emotional richness and girly fun of the heroines'' friendship.

A vibrant and absorbing novel of six friends--each an unforgettable Latina in her late twenties--and the complications and triumphs in their livesAs soon as it was written, The Dirty Girls Social Club began turning heads. The Chicago Tribune reported that the book "set off a bidding frenzy" among publishers. The Associated Press reported that "even people running the copy machines at major publishing houses just had to read The Dirty Girls Social Club."It''s no wonder the media is all in a whirl. In this heartfelt and absorbing novel, Valdes-Rodriguez opens up the lives of six upwardly mobile Latina friends in their late 20''s. These women, who come from widely varied backgrounds, meet at Boston University and, after graduating, reunite every six months to share their stories. Facing the complications and pressures of everyday lives, the Social Club offers a chance to meet regularly, dish, dine, and help each other over the bumpy course of life and love. Filled with humor, drama, and the redemptive power of friendship, The Dirty Girls Social Club promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

From the author of The Dirty Girls Social Club comes another fast, funny, soulful, and sexy novel about friendship and love amid Latinas.It''s a jungle out there -- in Los Angeles, that is, where the tangle of freeways and ingrained insincerity can make a girl feel very alone, no matter how fabulous the weather or how cute the clothes at the South Coast Plaza mall. With very different styles and attitudes, Marcella, Olivia, and Alexis are trying to crack the code in L.A, trying to snare love and success. But first they have to come together—to make their marks and plan the fun they''re going to have along the way. Marcella is a hot, sharp young television actress who''s barely able to enjoy the life she''s bought for herself and certainly isn''t enjoying her body, which is never quite perfect enough. Olivia, whose life revolves around her toddler son, Jack, is tethered to her suburban mommy track so tightly she can almost forget the horrible thing that happened to her family when she was a child herself. Alexis is a musicians'' manager with a smart mouth, an ample body, and loads of style but barely enough self-esteem to fill a Prada card case. And the boys in their lives? Marcella''s had about enough of them throwing themselves at her; Olivia''s boy is her son; and Alexis is still searching, not for a boy this time, but for a man. Playing with Boys is a savvy novel with charm, style, and heart to spare.

The "him" in Make Him Look Good is Ricky Biscayne, sexy Latin singing sensation who has taken the pop world by storm. But it takes more than swiveling hips and dreamy eyes to get to the top of the charts. The women who orbit Ricky are:• Milan, Ricky''s new publicist, and her sister Geneva whose Club G promises to have Miami''s hottest opening ever• Jill Sanchez, a media-manic Latina star who has crossed over from CDs to perfume, clothes and movies and Jasminka, Ricky''s gorgeous Croatian model wife and...• Irene, a firefighter whose high school romance with Ricky was the last love in her life, eking out an existence for herself and her daughter Sophia, who is beginning to suspect that she and Ricky Biscayne look a little too much alikeWith several satisfying romances set against Miami''s music, club and modeling scenes, Make Him Look Good is irresistible fiction from one of America''s most original voices.