We chat with author Danette Vigilante about her new middle grade novel, Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil, which follows a young Puerto Rican girl living in NYC who must decide what to do after witnessing a murder from her bedroom window.
Hi, Danette! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hey there! I’m the mom of two adults (saying that out loud is weird!) and one fur baby. I was born and raised in the Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn, New York where everyone knew everyone. This is the very same place authors James McBride and Torrey Maldonado grew up. I joke that maybe there was something in the water. In real life, I like to make people laugh, even if it’s just myself! When I write, however, I like to get all up in the feels. I even made myself cry re-reading some of my work!
When did you first discover your love for writing?
It quietly and surprisingly hit me in fifth grade when my teacher pointed out that I needed help with reading. Oh man, I was one of those kids who thought, “Not me, she must be mistaken!” With that thought bouncing around in my head, I began hitting up my local public library where I read and checked out lots of books just to prove my teacher wrong. The joke was on me because during all that “proving”, I fell in love with reading. It was during that time when a tiny voice in the back of my head said, “Maybe one day you’ll be on the other side of a book. Maybe you’ll write one.” I hadn’t realized this at the time, but that thought took a back seat. It was slowly growing until one day (in my forties!) my heart said “Enough!” I had a story I needed to tell, and that’s when I wrote my first book The Trouble With Half a Moon.
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!
I am one of many authors who were mentored by the pages of the great Judy Blume. Her book Blubber sparked my insatiable thirst for books.
Your latest novel, Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil, is out August 17th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Family, community, friendship, strength, survival.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to learn about cultural beliefs that may be different from their own. They’ll discover that there is power inside each of us that we can access at anytime, regardless of how old we are. They might also learn that we all have strengths and weaknesses, no matter how we appear on the outside.
Where did the inspiration for Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil come from?
This story comes from a childhood incident that hung heavy on my heart for years. As a young teen, I witnessed a murder. Writing Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil was my way of righting a wrong of the past.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
I think the hardest part for me is believing in myself. I am definitely not the only author who suffers from imposter syndrome, and the only way to overcome it is by pushing through. Pretend you’re in a snow storm. It’s freezing, sleet is beating against your face like it hates your guts, and the zipper on that coat you bought thinking it was a bargain? Yeah, it just broke, and now the coat is open and flapping around like a lost flag. With your head down, and with determination in your feet, you push through. Just. Keep. Going.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
There are quite a few favorite scenes, but there’s one in particular that still makes me laugh. Tia and her best friend, Julius, are coming back from running an errand for Tia’s gram. A few blocks away from home, they run into Danielle and Tiny who tease Tia for her gram’s cultural beliefs and practices. Tiny is popping sunflower seed after sun flower seed into her mouth, then spitting the empty shells on the ground. One of her own jokes cracks her up sending a seed, uneaten, down her throat. “Danielle pounded Tiny’s narrow back and propelled a slick, wet seed, shell and all, from Tiny’s mouth. It headed straight for Julius’s cheek, like a guided missile and instead of sliding off, the seed sat there, like a big, slick, cockroach. Julius jumped around like his cheek had spontaneously combusted.” This whole scene plays in my head like a movie. Sorry, Julius!
What do you hope your readers gain from reading Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil?
I hope readers will come away with the knowledge of just how important it is to speak up and confide in a trusted friend or family member. Some issues are just too hard to carry alone, and the good news is you don’t have to. That goes for everyone, children and adults alike.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best: Butt in chair and write even if you throw half of it away.
The worst: Not exactly advice, but never leave or add a scene you’re not comfortable with. Listen to your gut.
What’s next for you?
I have two writing projects going on at the moment. One is what I *think* is a verse novel, and the other is a *gulp* picture book. I’ll be re-releasing The Trouble With Half a Moon sometime this year, and there’s something “top secret” in the works—a combined effort, which I’m very excited about.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I like everything from zombies to historical fiction to apocalyptic and everything in between. Here are just a few I wish I could read again for the first time: Dread Nation Series by Justina Ireland, Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall, The Companion by Katie Alender, The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd, The Seeds of America Trilogy (Chains, Forge, Ashes) by Laurie Halse Anderson, Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, Life As We Knew It Series by Susan Beth Pfeffer, The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate, The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon, Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Deckle Edge. I have a lot more but we don’t have the space here!
I’m sooo happy for you. Congratulations😍😍
Thank youuuu!! 🙂