The Author
Johnny Diaz is a features reporter at the South Florida Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. Prior to that, he was a reporter for The Boston Globe's Business section and he was also a features writer for the Globe's Living/Arts section. Before that he was a general assignment Metro reporter for his hometown newspaper, The Miami Herald. Johnny is the author of Boston Boys Club, Miami Manhunt, Beantown Cubans, Take the Lead and Looking for Providence. The Spanish version of Take the Lead is Tomar La Iniciativa. Johnny lives in Miami, Florida. Readers can visit his website: www.beantowncuban.com
The Books
The Conversation
From Boston Boys Club until now, do you see a larger audience for chico lit and if so, what do you think about the intersectionality of Latinx and LGBTQ?
Yes, there is a larger audience. In the last few years, I have noticed more authors of gay fiction including more Latino characters even though the authors aren’t necessarily Latino or gay. I see that as nod to Latino gay readers looking for characters who look and sound like them . Traditionally, there haven’t been many gay Latino authors publishing their work besides Michael Nava, Richard Blanco, Alex Sanchez, Jeff Rivera, Charlie Vasquez, Rigoberto Gonzalez and others.
As a groundbreaker who helped create the chico lit genre, how would you say it relates to its sister genre?Chico lit and chica lit share a lot of commonalities. The stories are usually light-hearted, often involving a partner or lack of, and family issues but told through that fun, contemporary lens. Both genres have main characters, the every Latino or every Latina, trying to find their place in this world as they navigate love and their careers.
The key difference is the gender of the characters and with that comes differing issues (gay men, straight Latina women, etc.) So I think the genres have more in common than differences.
The key difference is the gender of the characters and with that comes differing issues (gay men, straight Latina women, etc.) So I think the genres have more in common than differences.
There have been characters in your novel that have moved from one book to the next. What’s the significance of these anchor characters in your creation of narrative?
It goes back to the story formation. When I begin to write a book or develop a story, a character usually pops into my head, guiding me on the story. And sometimes, it’s a recurring character from another title telling me that his story isn’t over.
As the author, it’s fun for me to bring back an old character with a new storyline or continuing a previous one. Or that character serves as a guide, the friend to a new character. It’s fun for me to create these cameo appearances by the characters and my readers seem to enjoy catching up with an anchor character from another story.
As the author, it’s fun for me to bring back an old character with a new storyline or continuing a previous one. Or that character serves as a guide, the friend to a new character. It’s fun for me to create these cameo appearances by the characters and my readers seem to enjoy catching up with an anchor character from another story.
Do you see the arc in a story as being similar to the arc in a love affair?
I hadn’t thought about it that way but yes, now that you mention it. When I start writing a new book, I am usually creatively excited and enthusiastic to get the words on paper to tell the new story. It’s like having a crush but on a story. You’re falling and running with it but then you may hit a roadblock and you have to work through it. And by the time I’m done in writing the story, I want to move on to the next (writing) affair.
Talk about the ways your protagonists have grown in terms of love and relationships?
In each of the books, the main protagonist is single, recovering from a break up and looking for Mr. Right with the help of good friends. So the books follow their journeys and how these men evolve romantically in their 20s and 30s. One of the main protagonists, Tommy Perez began his journey in Boston Boys Club as a new Bostonian looking for that special guy. He finds that guy but realizes he has issues with alcohol and how does one handle that in a new blossoming relationship?
Tommy Perez returns in my third novel Beantown Cubans healing from the a broken heart when the ex returns sober and wants to try again. And then in the last book, Six Neckties, Tommy is all healed and ready to love again just as all his friends are getting married and he’s the best man and groomsman. So the readers may relate to the universal ups and downs in his love life over the course of ten years.
Tommy Perez returns in my third novel Beantown Cubans healing from the a broken heart when the ex returns sober and wants to try again. And then in the last book, Six Neckties, Tommy is all healed and ready to love again just as all his friends are getting married and he’s the best man and groomsman. So the readers may relate to the universal ups and downs in his love life over the course of ten years.
How would you compare the kind of writing you do as a journalist with that of a novelist?
I find the fiction writing liberating. I feel I can use my humor, my voice and descriptive writing more than in my daily journalism. I tend to write feature stories so those pieces are about trends, personalities, and profiles.
The stories are about them, not me so I take a step back and write as a detached observer. The fiction writing allows me to use the first-person voice and channel various characters. It’s just more fun.
The stories are about them, not me so I take a step back and write as a detached observer. The fiction writing allows me to use the first-person voice and channel various characters. It’s just more fun.
Tell us something that’s not in the official bio?
I’m a huge runner. I enjoy running two to three miles while listening to meditations by Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra. I find the combination of running and the meditations calming even though adrenaline is pumping through my veins. I find running as liberating as writing.
I also recently recovered from bladder cancer . I kept it quiet last fall and winter as I went through the surgeries and treatments. I am happy to say that so far, so good. I am thankful to be healthy and grateful for the wonderful doctors and the support of family and friends.
Johnny's Latest
Now that gays are getting hitched, it seems that everyone is saying I Do. Except for Tommy Perez. He's always the best man or groomsman for his friends' nuptials. And with each occasion, Tommy goes home alone with another necktie. He's already on number four.
Things seem to improve for the Maine magazine writer when he suddenly meets Danny, a confident freelance photographer who shoots a friend's wedding in Provincetown. Danny is cute enough that he should be in front of the camera rather than behind it. And complicating matters is the arrival of a sexy and slightly older guest house manage
named Ignacio who begins to court Tommy's heart in their small town of Ogunquit.
But is Tommy ready for love again? As he helps his best friends Rico and Carlos prepare for their weddings, Tommy must reexamine his past relationship with his ex Mikey who had issues with the bottle in Boston. And with two potential love interests on the horizon, will it finally be Tommy's turn to walk down the aisle in his own necktie?
From the author of Boston Boys Club, Beantown Cubans, Take the Lead and Looking for Providence comes another fun, heartwarming story about the power of love and friendship.