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| Latino-Chicano Urban Novel is Snapped Up |
| Author, Jeff Rivera Photo By: Steady70.com |
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As well he should be. The finished product had now morphed into a fictional tale peppered with strong language but with an even stronger message of a juvenile delinquent struggling to
turn his life around. In fact both the urban backdrop and the tonality of Rivera’s words were written especially for lovers of reggaeton, Chicano rap and Latin hip hop. But what probably
makes Forever My Lady an even more unique and powerful story is the fact that it is told exclusively from a Latino and Chicano voice and perspective. This literary hook has created a
cult following for Rivera with fans ranging from adults and teenagers alike.
He also comments that although his novel may be culturally competent that other “publishers are not publishing stories these kids can relate to. They're not publishing writers who know
how to speak the same language. People don't connect to stories they can't relate to and I feel lucky enough to have somehow created this story that struck a chord with them.” Rivera
also wrote Forever My Lady the opposite from other urban dramas which he had read in the past by giving it what he had always longed for as a reader. “I think, based on a lot of the
urban dramas I've read that many writers don't take the time to develop their characters or focus on their storytelling. I had never written a novel before in my life and didn't really enjoy
reading most novels for the same reason many people don't: they're too long, too boring and they don't start the story fast enough.
I can only tell you based on the fan letters I receive that because the readers can relate to the characters on a human level no matter what color or age they are that somehow they
connect with them” he reflects. And with a successful freshman novel that is about to be re-published by one of the major publishing houses, what would appear to be a logical step for
Rivera would be to develop a sequel. “I'm anxious to write another novel and have been tinkering with the sequel for quite some time. I'm having the sophomore blues right now.
People really enjoyed the first one so I've put a lot of pressure on myself to do as well with the sequel. But I am writing and my agent is encouraging me. I'm planning on helping as
many Latino and Chicano authors as I can bust the doors down” he interjects. But through it all Jeff Rivera doesn’t consider himself to be a role model for the Latino and Chicano
community. “If I can inspire people to go for their goals and get off their ass like I finally did and write from their heart then that's good enough for me.”
Whether he considers himself to be a role model or not, one thing Jeff does indeed take seriously is the imagery of the Latino/Chicano community. He explains that in developing his
characters that he sought to seek a true-to-life depiction of his community. “I feel more responsibility to create incredible characters but I tried to have a balance with the Latino
characters so there wouldn't be too many stereotypes and if there was a stereotype it was balanced by another character who was the complete opposite and Latino as well.”
If you can’t wait for the June 07 mainstream release of this gritty, urban Latino drama, then wait no more. The last few self-published copies of Forever My Lady can be purchased
directly at www.jeffrivera.com.
turn his life around. In fact both the urban backdrop and the tonality of Rivera’s words were written especially for lovers of reggaeton, Chicano rap and Latin hip hop. But what probably
makes Forever My Lady an even more unique and powerful story is the fact that it is told exclusively from a Latino and Chicano voice and perspective. This literary hook has created a
cult following for Rivera with fans ranging from adults and teenagers alike.
He also comments that although his novel may be culturally competent that other “publishers are not publishing stories these kids can relate to. They're not publishing writers who know
how to speak the same language. People don't connect to stories they can't relate to and I feel lucky enough to have somehow created this story that struck a chord with them.” Rivera
also wrote Forever My Lady the opposite from other urban dramas which he had read in the past by giving it what he had always longed for as a reader. “I think, based on a lot of the
urban dramas I've read that many writers don't take the time to develop their characters or focus on their storytelling. I had never written a novel before in my life and didn't really enjoy
reading most novels for the same reason many people don't: they're too long, too boring and they don't start the story fast enough.
I can only tell you based on the fan letters I receive that because the readers can relate to the characters on a human level no matter what color or age they are that somehow they
connect with them” he reflects. And with a successful freshman novel that is about to be re-published by one of the major publishing houses, what would appear to be a logical step for
Rivera would be to develop a sequel. “I'm anxious to write another novel and have been tinkering with the sequel for quite some time. I'm having the sophomore blues right now.
People really enjoyed the first one so I've put a lot of pressure on myself to do as well with the sequel. But I am writing and my agent is encouraging me. I'm planning on helping as
many Latino and Chicano authors as I can bust the doors down” he interjects. But through it all Jeff Rivera doesn’t consider himself to be a role model for the Latino and Chicano
community. “If I can inspire people to go for their goals and get off their ass like I finally did and write from their heart then that's good enough for me.”
Whether he considers himself to be a role model or not, one thing Jeff does indeed take seriously is the imagery of the Latino/Chicano community. He explains that in developing his
characters that he sought to seek a true-to-life depiction of his community. “I feel more responsibility to create incredible characters but I tried to have a balance with the Latino
characters so there wouldn't be too many stereotypes and if there was a stereotype it was balanced by another character who was the complete opposite and Latino as well.”
If you can’t wait for the June 07 mainstream release of this gritty, urban Latino drama, then wait no more. The last few self-published copies of Forever My Lady can be purchased
directly at www.jeffrivera.com.
Copyrighted 2006
Herndon Davis is an author, lecturer, and TV/Radio Host
of The Herndon Diversity Davis Reports. He can be
reached directly at http://herndondavis.com
Herndon Davis is an author, lecturer, and TV/Radio Host
of The Herndon Diversity Davis Reports. He can be
reached directly at http://herndondavis.com
| By: Herndon L. Davis |
| Empowering The World's Diversity |
His rags to riches story from homeless teenager to becoming the Latino
community’s next literary sensation is truly the stuff Hollywood stories are
made of. His family was poor but he really didn’t know it but when he
entered his teen years, all hell broke loose when he and his mother were
forced to live out of their car when his mother finally ended an abusive
relationship.
Such humble and harsh beginnings often serve as the prelude to a
dwindling life to follow, but not for Miami resident, Jeff Rivera. After self-
publishing his first novel, the urban drama, Forever My Lady, Warner
Brothers caught wind of his success and snapped up rights and now will
be re-releasing the book to mainstream audiences in June of next year. In
the interim, Rivera is still selling the remaining copies of his book before
the nationwide roll-out begins next summer at his website www.jeffrivera.
com
After many months of struggle, Rivera was able to finally pull himself out
of his homeless situation with his mother by finding work at a department
store. This is when he met a young man who would change his literary
life forever. The man shared with Jeff pieces and slices of his own life as a
gang member on the streets of LA. He also told Jeff a story of love, loss,
passion and heartbreak. Finally, the young man told Jeff of how his love
for a girl, who he called his "lady", had inspired him to become a new man.
According to Jeff, his new friend “had come from a work release program
and he would always come in and talk about his lady. That sparked an idea
and I decided to write a story from scratch [but] I decided to make it a
prison boot camp” instead.
As they continued to converse, Jeff would learn that his friend’s love for
his “lady” was the catalyst for his miraculous transformation from a tough
gang banger ito a skillful poet fully capable of expressing his love. It was
this love that sparked a deep desire to change his life for the better.
This “chance” encounter served as the genesis for a new, original story
which Jeff Rivera would intricately weave into existence from within the
deep recesses of his mind. It would be story that inspired others as this
young man's story had inspired Jeff. It would be a story that would prove
that anything is possible with the power of love.
However, the storytelling process would not be an easy one. It would take
Jeff a total of seven years before he could finally finish telling his story and
breathe life into this heart wrenching novel.
“I didn't know what the hell I was doing when I wrote Forever My Lady. I
didn't know I was doing it right until I sent out a few sample chapters to
perfect strangers and received an incredibly positive response from them.
I was ecstatic” Jeff explains.
community’s next literary sensation is truly the stuff Hollywood stories are
made of. His family was poor but he really didn’t know it but when he
entered his teen years, all hell broke loose when he and his mother were
forced to live out of their car when his mother finally ended an abusive
relationship.
Such humble and harsh beginnings often serve as the prelude to a
dwindling life to follow, but not for Miami resident, Jeff Rivera. After self-
publishing his first novel, the urban drama, Forever My Lady, Warner
Brothers caught wind of his success and snapped up rights and now will
be re-releasing the book to mainstream audiences in June of next year. In
the interim, Rivera is still selling the remaining copies of his book before
the nationwide roll-out begins next summer at his website www.jeffrivera.
com
After many months of struggle, Rivera was able to finally pull himself out
of his homeless situation with his mother by finding work at a department
store. This is when he met a young man who would change his literary
life forever. The man shared with Jeff pieces and slices of his own life as a
gang member on the streets of LA. He also told Jeff a story of love, loss,
passion and heartbreak. Finally, the young man told Jeff of how his love
for a girl, who he called his "lady", had inspired him to become a new man.
According to Jeff, his new friend “had come from a work release program
and he would always come in and talk about his lady. That sparked an idea
and I decided to write a story from scratch [but] I decided to make it a
prison boot camp” instead.
As they continued to converse, Jeff would learn that his friend’s love for
his “lady” was the catalyst for his miraculous transformation from a tough
gang banger ito a skillful poet fully capable of expressing his love. It was
this love that sparked a deep desire to change his life for the better.
This “chance” encounter served as the genesis for a new, original story
which Jeff Rivera would intricately weave into existence from within the
deep recesses of his mind. It would be story that inspired others as this
young man's story had inspired Jeff. It would be a story that would prove
that anything is possible with the power of love.
However, the storytelling process would not be an easy one. It would take
Jeff a total of seven years before he could finally finish telling his story and
breathe life into this heart wrenching novel.
“I didn't know what the hell I was doing when I wrote Forever My Lady. I
didn't know I was doing it right until I sent out a few sample chapters to
perfect strangers and received an incredibly positive response from them.
I was ecstatic” Jeff explains.
| Author, Jeff Rivera Photo By: Steady70.com |