Mayra Cuevas

Recent publications...

Resilient, a short story in the Foreshadow YA Anthology chosen by Becky Albertalli, sponsored by David Levithan.

Mayra still remembers the exact moment when she decided one day she would write novels. She was twelve years-old curled up with a copy of Isabel Allende’s Casa de los Espíritus (The House of the Spirits) in her home in Puerto Rico. Inspired by Allende and later by Gabriel García Marquez she decided journalism was the best career choice for someone who wanted to tell stories. 

Since then, Mayra has worked as a t.v. and digital journalist for CNN, HLN, In Session on truTV (Court TV) and EFE International News Agency. 

She has reported on domestic and international events but nothing compared to the thrill of finishing her first fiction manuscript.  

Mayra has a bachelor’s in communications and master’s in investigative journalism. She has taught workshops on research for writers at the Romance Writers of America national conference. She also volunteers with the We Need Diverse Books organization.  

When she is not working on a story, Mayra volunteers at her local Buddhist meditation center, where she serves on the board of directors. She is also an avid traveler and cook. 

Mayra lives north of Atlanta with her husband, also a journalist, two teenage step-sons and their cat. Their family’s claim to fame was appearing in Season 2 of Buying and Selling with the Property Brothers.  
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In her blog, MayraCuevas.com she writes about craft, publishing, culture and spirituality. Follow her on Twitter @MayraECuevas

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Featured Titles...

My Abuela is a Bruja

From an award-winning author comes a vibrant and heartwarming story of the bond between grandmother and grandchild, with a touch of Puerto Rican magic!

My abuela is a bruja.
There is magic in everything she does.

There is nothing more magical than a grandmother's love. But one lucky girl suspects her grandmother has actual magic. It's in the tun-tun-tun of the way she dances salsa, in the warmth of her hugs, and the delicious smell of her cooking. The granddaughter wonders: will I have magic of my own one day?

Follow the magic in this heartfelt picture book that features extensive backmatter that includes two special recipes from Mayra Cuevas and uplifiting illustrations from Lorena Alvarez Gómez.

Preorder Now

"An energetic, thought-provoking story of friendship and girl power." --Publishers Weekly

"[A] heartwarming story about activism and allyship, learning when to speak up and when to listen." --Kirkus Reviews

Does My Body Offend You?
A timely story of two teenagers who discover the power of friendship, feminism, and standing up for what you believe in, no matter where you come from. A collaboration between two gifted authors writing from alternating perspectives, this compelling novel shines with authenticity, courage, and humor.
Malena Rosario is starting to believe that catastrophes come in threes. First, Hurricane María destroyed her home, taking her unbreakable spirit with it. Second, she and her mother are now stuck in Florida, which is nothing like her beloved Puerto Rico. And third, when she goes to school bra-less after a bad sunburn and is humiliated by the school administration into covering up, she feels like she has no choice but to comply.
 
Ruby McAllister has a reputation as her school's outspoken feminist rebel. But back in Seattle, she lived under her sister’s shadow. Now her sister is teaching in underprivileged communities, and she’s in a Florida high school, unsure of what to do with her future, or if she’s even capable making a difference in the world. So when Ruby notices the new girl is being forced to cover up her chest, she is not willing to keep quiet about it.
 
Neither Malena nor Ruby expected to be the leaders of the school's dress code rebellion. But the girls will have to face their own insecurities, biases, and privileges, and the ups and downs in their newfound friendship, if they want to stand up for their ideals and––ultimately––for themselves.

PURCHASE HERE

"A treat for foodies." —Booklist

"Cuevas effectively touches on the complexities of female ambition in a male-dominated field and multiracial identity, making this an engaging, multilayered read for aspiring chefs." —Publisher's Weekly

Salty, Bitter, Sweet
A slow-burn romance in a cutthroat kitchen! There’s more to becoming a top chef for 17-year-old Isabella Fields than just not getting chopped … especially when the chances of things heating up with an intriguing boy and becoming a food star in the kitchen are both on the chopping block.
Aspiring chef Isa’s family life has fallen apart after the death of her Cuban abuela and the divorce of her parents. She moves in with her dad and her new stepmom, Margo, in Lyon, France, where Isa feels like an outsider in her father’s new life. Isa balances her time between avoiding the awkward, “why-did-you-cheat-on-Mom” conversation with figuring out how a perpetually single woman can at least be a perpetually single chef.
The upside of Isa’s world being turned upside-down?
Her father’s house is located only 30 minutes away from the restaurant of world-famous Chef Pascal Grattard, who runs a prestigiously competitive international kitchen apprenticeship. The prize job at Chef Grattard’s renowned restaurant also represents a transformative opportunity for Isa who is desperate to get her life back in order—and desperate to prove she has what it takes to work in an haute kitchen. But Isa’s stress and repressed grief begin to unravel when the attractive, enigmatic Diego shows up unannounced with his albino dog.
How can Isa expect to hold it together when she’s at the bottom of her class at the apprenticeship, her new stepmom is pregnant, she misses her abuela dearly, and things with the mysterious Diego reach a boiling point?
Salty, Bitter, Sweet:

• Is a YA contemporary #OwnVoices novel written by CNN producer Mayra Cuevas
• Features a Latina main character who is trilingual
• Is inspired by the author’s relationships with food and family
• Explores complicated family dynamics and relatable themes of friendship, acceptance, and learning to care for yourself

Purchase Here

Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA
Thirteen Short Stories from Bold New YA Voices & Writing Advice from YA Icons

Created by New York Times bestselling authors Emily X. R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma, Foreshadow is so much more than a short story collection. A trove of unforgettable fiction makes up the beating heart of this book, and the accompanying essays offer an ode to young adult literature, as well as practical advice to writers.

Featured in print for the first time, the thirteen stories anthologized here were originally released via the buzzed-about online platform Foreshadow. Ranging from contemporary romance to mind-bending fantasy, the Foreshadow stories showcase underrepresented voices and highlight the beauty and power of YA fiction. Each piece is selected and introduced by a YA luminary, among them Gayle Forman, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jason Reynolds, and Sabaa Tahir.

What makes these memorable stories tick? What sparked them? How do authors build a world or refine a voice or weave in that deliciously creepy atmosphere to bring their writing to the next level? Addressing these questions and many more are essays and discussions on craft and process by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X. R. Pan.
 
This unique compilation reveals and celebrates the magic of reading and writing for young adults.