In her first adult novel, Alex Temblador gives readers an immersive look into a dangerous subculture at the end of an era, and a powerful and heartfelt story that explores self-knowledge, acceptance, and the meaning of family.
We chat with Alex about her new release, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Alex! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I am a 32-year-old Mixed Latine (half-Mexican, half white) woman who was born and raised in Texas. I currently live in Dallas in a beautiful 102-year-old haunted house. A year after graduating with an MFA in Creative Writing, I became a freelance award-winning travel, arts, and culture writer. My work has appeared in major outlets like Travel + Leisure, The Daily Beast, and National Geographic. I became an author in 2018, with the publication of my first novel, Secrets of the Casa Rosada. I’m still in shock by how well my first book did and am very grateful for the recognitions it received.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I was that kid that loved when teachers assigned essays. However, I didn’t start writing creatively beyond school assignments until I was in ninth grade and began writing a book based on a fantastical dream that I had. As the girl who walked between classes with her nose in an open book, it made sense that eventually I’d want to be the one telling the story.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
First book I remember reading: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
The book that made me want to become an author: There isn’t a single book that sticks out, but when I Googled all the authors I used to read as a kid, I discovered that I was reading a lot of stories with problematic story lines and characters that were written by privileged authors. So that’s nice…
The book I can’t stop thinking about: New People by Danzy Senna and The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner
Your new novel, Half Outlaw, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Mixed woman, motorcycles, magical realism
What can readers expect?
Half Outlaw is a story about Raqi, a half-Mexican, half white woman who was raised by her white uncle, Dodge, after her parents died when she was four. Dodge has a substance abuse problem and is part of an outlaw motorcycle club called the Lawless. The story line begins in the present setting of 1990, when Raqi gets a phone call from Billy, the leader of the Lawless, who tells her that Dodge has died and he wants her to go on a cross-country ride per Dodge’s final wishes. A successful lawyer who doesn’t want anything to do with her past, Raqi refuses until Billy tells her that if she goes, she’ll receive the address of her Mexican grandfather whom she didn’t know existed.
So Raqi goes on the motorcycle ride, reuniting with people from her past and meeting new ones on the route who tell her things about Dodge she never expected. Half Outlaw is a magical realism novel that alternates between the present (1990) and Raqi’s childhood, offering readers a sense of what Raqi went through growing up as a brown-skinned girl among a violent, racist, and sexist motorcycle club that ran drugs and sold guns across the country.
Readers can expect a gritty, magical realism tale that confronts real issues of race, gender, and class among families and examines how one’s past affects their present. By balancing tough characters with tender moments, Half Outlaw will stick with you long after you’ve finished the novel.
Where did the inspiration for Half Outlaw come from?
Before I even got the idea for Half Outlaw, I knew that I wanted to write a character who was a Mixed woman and delve into the complex and sometimes cringey experiences that Mixed people, like me, often have with family members and friends. In 2014, my uncle called me a ‘half outlaw’ which my brain immediately connected to my Mixed identity. People constantly ask me about my racial and ethnic identity and I reply with either “Mixed” or “half-Mexican, half white.” So I saw this connection with the phrase ‘half outlaw’ and I asked myself, “What does that mean?”
I looked at my uncle, who is white and now in his 70s. We are very different people who have different backgrounds, beliefs, and behaviors. I wondered what would it be like for a white man who had been in the Vietnam War to raise a brown-skinned Mixed girl. And because my uncle rode motorcycles, I was inspired to put Dodge in an outlaw motorcycle club, making for an even more complex situation.
Moving past the initial inspiration that my uncle provided me, the story took on a life of its own. Some of the interactions that Raqi has with the white men who raised her are similar to things that I’ve been through with certain family members or friends, but for the sake of fiction, these personal experiences have been twisted, exaggerated, or distorted to better fit the story.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
There are two types of writers: ‘pantsers’ and ‘plotters.’ For this book, I was a pantser, which means I wrote it without an outline, following the story wherever it went. Because I ‘pantsed’ this novel, I had a really hard time figuring out the plot, specifically the climax of the story. After three drafts, my literary agent steered me in the right direction and I finally came up with the ‘big moment,’ but it was tough getting there.
The other challenge I faced was in the editing phase that I underwent with my publisher. I had to complete edits provided by the editor within two weeks, and then I’d get a two-week break, before doing another two-week round of edits. The editor’s suggestions for revisions weren’t too difficult and I finished them fairly quickly. But I’d also taken it on myself at the time to carefully reexamine my portrayal of many characters, specifically those with differing identities than mine (of which there are a lot).
Soon after Half Outlaw was sold, I began teaching writers how to write characters of diverse identities. When the editing phase came around, I’d learned so much about this topic and I wanted to apply it to my own novel. I stressed over missing a stereotype or cliché and deciding if certain words or moments in the book were ‘too much’ for the reader. My jaw hurt from grinding my teeth 24 hours a day and I was exhausted with worry as I went through the book with a fine tooth comb, but I did the best I could do and I hope it shows.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Although my main character, Raqi, meets a lot of different people on the cross country ride, I really enjoyed writing scenes where Raqi has to interact with Dodge or the Lawless. I never quite knew what was going to fly out of any of the characters’ mouths – or worse, what outrageous thing they might do. Raqi has such a complicated relationship with these men that’s full of love, kindness, pain, and trauma, and it was exhilarating to try to convey that in their words, mannerisms, body language, and behaviors.
Writing this story within the magical realism genre was extremely enjoyable. When we went out on submission with the novel in 2019, the magical realism (minus one chapter) was very subtle. After receiving feedback from a handful of editors, my agent and I decided it best if I ramped up the magical realism, and I’m so glad I did. It gives the story an additional layer that it lacked before. With magical realism, I was able to be very artistic and sometimes poetic in the way that I approached scenes. This writing style was also a way for me to remind readers of Raqi’s Latina heritage and give them another opportunity to see how her experiences with the Lawless really affected her perception of the world around her.
What helps to motivate you when it comes to writing?
For the most part, I don’t need a lot of motivation to write. Sure, ‘talking shop’ with other writers at literary events is very inspirational, but for me, writing is thrilling, almost intoxicating, and I can’t wait to get to the point in my process where I set pen to paper. I should explain that I don’t write creatively every day and that’s not because of a lack of motivation. For me, I need to work out the story in my head before I start writing, and so I may take a few months off to do that, before creating an outline or at least, talking through the idea with my agent. People are also surprised that I only write 15 minutes a day when I’m working on a novel – and again, it’s not because I’m unmotivated. It’s so I don’t overwhelm myself and I have a chance to think about where I want the scene to go. I’m a fast typer, so that helps, too.
What’s next for you?
When Half Outlaw releases, I’ll be busy with events. I’ll be doing a virtual launch party with WritingWorkshops.com and Interabang Books on July 12, 2022. For that event, my literary agent and I will be discussing our working relationship and how Half Outlaw was published. Then on July 13, there is an in-person launch party hosted by Whose Books at Oak Cliff Brewing Company in Dallas, Texas. I’m also slotted as the featured writer for the Inner Moonlight event on August 10 at The Wild Detectives.
After that, I’m hoping that a few books I’ve been working on get acquired by publishers. The first is a novel that explores the idea of a mythical woman’s autonomy over her own story. My other project is a non-fiction writing craft book. I’m excited to begin a new novel in August. I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a literary love story.
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
I tend to read books that were written a year or two ago, so I’m surprised that I can offer a few recommendations. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González is part love story, part Puerto Rican independence movement, and part family trauma. Not only was it a thoroughly enjoyable story that I couldn’t put down, but it provided me with some perspective that I needed at the time.
I’d also love to recommend Wahala by Nikki May. I’m always on the lookout for books that feature Mixed main characters and this one has four. There’s a gritty and dark undertone to this book that surprised me in a good way.
Recently, I have found myself on a modern romantic reading kick, which is why I picked up Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron. I may or may not (okay, may) relate to the main character in thinking “I know best” (sometimes). It was fun (and reassuring) to see a strong-willed brown woman fall in love with a partner that was perfect for her.
