Award-Winning Author Confirms Latino-Written Books Can Be Embraced by Mainstream America

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This past weekend, the 2021 International Latino Book Awards, the largest Latino cultural awards event in the U.S., gave the Gold Medal in the Best Health & Wellness Book category to Choose to Prevail, a book by Sandy Rodriguez, magazine editor for Latino-owned multimedia company Heart Of Hollywood Motion Pictures, LLC.

Not all writings embraced by a specific community are simultaneously well-received by mainstream America, yet Choose to Prevail seems to have achieved this elusive goal.

The book is also the 2021 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship genre. It has received favorable reviews from varied sources, including the Midwest Book Review, which described it as "an exceptionally user-friendly self-help/self-improvement guide... recommended for community, college, and university library collections."

"It's time for Latinos to share their writing with the world. Mainstream American publishers must understand that books by or about Latinos can appeal to anyone, regardless of ancestry or place of origin. This depends on the topic, not on whether or not the reader shares a background with the author or the characters," says Rodriguez. "I'm an adult Latino woman living in Los Angeles. That hasn't kept me from enjoying The Little Prince, a story by a French writer about a male child in outer space."    

Rodriguez, born in Puerto Rico and raised in Philadelphia and Mexico, is a member of the International Society of Latino Authors, and formerly an editorial coordinator for Mexican newspaper Reforma, one of the most influential publications in Latin America.

The scope of the 2021 International Latino Book Awards reflects an increase in Latino-created literature. To handle the numerous participating books, the event relied on 198 judges, including librarians, media professionals, leaders of national organizations, Pulitzer Prize Winners, and elected officials. The event is produced by nonprofit organization Empowering Latino Futures, cofounded by actor Edward James Olmos.

On December 4th, 2021, streaming platform Heart Of Hollywood Cinema will release a video series inspired by Rodriguez's book. It will feature conversations with guests who have overcome difficulties. These include Canadian wrestler Vampiro, who became a legend in Mexico before developing health issues, and software expert Daniel Hall, once an abused foster child and now a loving adoptive father to six children.

The series is produced by Heart Of Hollywood Motion Pictures, LLC, Angela Nunez of Oskie Roar Entertainment, and Halas Wilbourn.

Contact:
Giovanna Salas
323 705 2111
[email protected]

SOURCE Heart Of Hollywood Motion Pictures, LLC