I come from a family of storytellers. They tell long and short jokes, stories about our own past and our traditions, tales about people they have met and things they have done, and all in a way that makes you want to keep listening and beg for more. I think that’s where I got my desire to write and tell stories of my own as I grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, where I was born.

My parents were born in the United States, but our home was filled with the culture and language of Mexico, where their parents were born. It was not only part of my blood, but my everyday life, from the food we ate to how we celebrated life and death.

Starting as soon as I could read, I read everything I could get my hands on, from Superman comics to Mad Magazines. Libraries were my churches, and it was almost a religious experience walking in as I wondered how long it would take to read all those books on the shelves.

And while other kids were sleeping, I was up watching The Wild Bunch, Citizen Kane and Now Voyager" on TV. I’ll admit right now that I was a shy, nerdy kid who found romance, adventure, great stories and wonderful characters in books and movies.

So, the stories in books and movies have had and still do have a profound effect on my life. Then and now, the tales in print and on film fill me with love, wonder and hope. They make me laugh, think, cry and ponder the possibilities.They are emotion painted in word and light. They are visceral and intellect.

Hell, they just plain thrill me. I want to be a storyteller to paint emotion in word and light, so people can read or watch my stories and be filled with love, wonder and hope. I want to let them feel my culture and see through a different pair of eyes.

I want to make them laugh and cry and ponder the possibilities.