Ask the Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Answered Questions (17)
Claribel A. Ortega
Haha, the blonde? I bleached it at home and then toned it with wella toner. I wouldn't recommend doing it yourself unless you have experience/tons of unearned confidence/don't care about cutting all your hair off :D
Claribel A. Ortega
I think I'd want to go back to school for film making. I love video stuff & am in the process of relaunching my Youtube channel to make it more "me"
Claribel A. Ortega
Yes, although I think it might be very hard to do but I would love to write a murder/thriller type book with Karen from My Favorite Murder.
Claribel A. Ortega
Some of the ghosts are like -10 scary because they're super loving, funny and kind but I have an entire storm made of spirits also and they are probably a solid 9.5 and I don't give them a 10 only because you'll have Babette (a witch grandma who loves cats) on your side for protection.
Claribel A. Ortega
Thanks so much :) <3 it really nice that people actually want to read my book and I appreciate the excitement! Yeah, there were definitely moments where the book triggered my grief over losing my brother. I had to take a few self care breaks to calm myself down, but I think this happens with all my books since I'm always writing about death and loss in some form or another. I think though that because Lucely is 12, it made it especially difficult, because it made me think of our childhood together. The good news is, we had a lot of good times together and now I hope some kids going through losing a loved one can find solace in the fireflies.
Claribel A. Ortega
I do! Making a soundtrack is the first step for me whenever I'm drafting. If I don't have a solid idea of the sound of the story I'm pretty much lost lol I listened to a lot of Sia, creepy songs about ghosts or death and a lot of Afro-Dominican folk music!
Claribel A. Ortega
I loved all the Goosebumps books but my favorite of all time as a kid was THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET. I wish I'd had Shadowshaper or any of the Brooklyn Bruja books as a kid because I loved fantasy and would've adored seeing someone like me as the hero.
Claribel A. Ortega
I do believe in them but not in the way we see ghosts depicted in movies etc. I believe people we lose are present in things around us, especially in nature and sometimes that can manifest in a stronger way. For example, I used to live in a house where several people passed, and I always felt the presence of a little girl. Once, I saw/felt her and turned my head quickly in that direction at the same time as my sister who had never talked to me about it. Our eyes opened wide and when I asked if she saw her too she nodded. Thanks for your question and thanks for the kind words about ghostbook! <3
Claribel A. Ortega
I think my favorite thing is that it pulls not only from my Dominican heritage but also from my childhood game of catching fireflies with my older brother. It's deeply personal to me and it feels amazing (and scary) that I'll be able to share it with readers next year :)
Claribel A. Ortega
Honestly I have always been interested in writing middle grade because I feel like it really suits my voice. I wasn't sure about a concept though until Scholastic approached me about this project and it got rolling from there!
Claribel A. Ortega
I'm working on my young adult fantasy WITCHES, PUNKS & CURSED THINGS about a Dominican witch in 1980s NYC & another witchy contemporary fantasy I'm keeping a secret for now that's inspired by Dominican mythology. Ty so much for your question!! <3
Claribel A. Ortega
I hope they get lost in my stories and learn something about themselves they never noticed before. I've learned a lot about who I am by reading and I hope my books help others do the same <3 I also really hope that kids who've never seen themselves in books before will smile when they notice everything they have in common with my characters. Ty for your question!!! <3
Claribel A. Ortega
Funny, scary, heart-wrenching. Thanks for the question! <3
Claribel A. Ortega
Yes! When I was a kid, I would catch fireflies with my older brother who passed from cancer a few years ago. In Dominican culture we say that family members who pass away reincarnate as fireflies and watch over you. I wanted to write a book that not only had this beautiful folklore at the center but also payed tribute to my brother and our childhood. Ty for the question! <3
Claribel A. Ortega
Probably writing Syd's grandmother Babette. I don't know how it happened but somewhere along the way she became a leather jacket wearing sassy, witch grandmother and I might want to write a book just about her one day.
Claribel A. Ortega
Nina Zenik so we could eat some waffles, Frodo because I have the appetite of a hobbit and Cassel Sharpe so he can con his way out of the bill.
Claribel A. Ortega
This list will be super long if I mention everyone, but a few of my all time favorites are Kurt Vonnegut, Paulo Coelho, J.K. Rowling (bc I am basic) Leigh Bardugo & Stephen King.
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