Manifesting Through The Latinx/e Lens
with Sandra Hinojosa Ludwig, author of Chica, Why Not?
#NuevasPaginasconLupita is a space that is both an archive and resource aimed to "spotlight" Hispanic/Latinx/e authors with newly published books. The goal is to connect readers to new and/or old favorite Hispanic/Latinx/e authors and their books! So give this & every post a share to help us reach more readers!
How does it work?!
Here’s the deal, I came up with a set of casual/random/funny questions to ask each Hispanic/Latinx/e author I interview. For now, the questions will all be the same but maybe in the future I’ll launch this into more specific questions to the author or maybe I’ll turn this series into a mini-podcast or maybe……well, you get it! The possibilities are endless.
If you are new here don’t forget to check out all the other amazing interviews! We also have a really great line-up of guest authors coming up so make sure you don’t miss an interview by subscribing now!
Hey Heyyy Book Franz!
Happy New Year! I am so excited to launch the first Nuevas Paginas interview of 2022 which happened- thanks to TikTok (again). If you missed my first TikTok connection interview in 2021 - make sure you check it out here!
I am really super grateful to be connecting with more and more readers/authors through TikTok. It’s wonderful to know that today’s interview is directly from all those hours I have spent watching TikTok’s- BING BONG, IF YOU SEE ME UPSTAIRS JUST KNOW….kidding lol clearly I might need to dial it back a tiny bit my time spent on the clock app LOL. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this interview with new-to-me author Sandra Hinojosa Ludwig :)
Could you tell me a bit about where this photo was taken? Is it special to your book in some way?
This photo is me holding my book while sitting in my writing/content creation chair on the same week my book launched. A few years back my husband and I decided to leave Toronto and moved to an 1885 house in the country. Our room has a beautiful view of mature trees and fields and we bought these chairs to be right beside our bedroom’s main window. In this chair I wrote about 80% of my book using a lap desk. I also did all of the interviews, podcasts and lives when my book launched. The picture was taken by me using a phone stand.
Tell me about your book without telling me about your book - share any literary inspirations behind your book! If there are none, the gap you wanted to fill in the literary canon with your book.
In 2006, after a decade of feeling stuck and frustrated, I found the Law of attraction. It was the beginning of my journey to strengthen my connection with my core self and with the Universe. This journey took me to leave my corporate job and my busy city life and exchange it for more time with my family, while exploring ways to feel more like myself. I became a Reiki practitioner, an Angel card reader, and eventually, I got a certification as a coach.
In 2018 I decided to try and write down everything I had learned about Manifesting and share it with Latinas. I have been so lucky to be exposed to the work of Esther and Jerry Hicks, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, and so many others. But their experiences did not look like mine and their stories didn’t always resonate with me. I wanted to write a book that spoke about Manifesting in the context of growing up in a Mexican family, being an immigrant, and living my life in between two cultures.
What are two central themes in your book that you connect with the most and why?
The first one is about strengthening your connection with the real you, the one that existed before your family told you who they expected you to be, and before society told you what you could aspire to be. In my life, it has been such a beautiful experience to once again get familiar with who I am and with my dreams. Curiosity has helped me remove so many layers of conditioning, while compassion has allowed me to nurture and love myself unconditionally as I reach for my dreams.
The second theme is about strengthening your connection with the Universe. In 2006 I started this conversation with the Universe, learning the plans and the lessons it has for me. For the last 16 years, my life has been an exciting co-creation, with its ups and downs, but above all, with the conviction that all is well. I am so grateful for the peace that this relationship with the Universe has brought into my life.
If a book was home, where would your home be?
I think it would be my 1885 home where I live right now, a place where I feel safe, seen, heard, and held. My intention was always that this book felt like a conversation with your best Amiga, sharing each other's experiences in a place that feels safe and comfortable.
If your book was a famous musician who would it be?
Thinking of their music and not their personal lives, I think it would be a mix of Luis Miguel’s smooth romance, Gloria Trevi’s unapologetic realness and India Arie’s spirituality and softness.
What comfort food could a reader pair with your book?
Conchas con chocolatito. Soul food that feels like home.
In what ways has access (or little to no access) to Hispanic/Latinx/e literature defined you as a writer?
I write for Latinas. My book may be read by others, but when I wrote it I thought of the book I would have liked to read as a young Mexican leaving her country behind, or the book I would like my niece to read as she grows up and gets to know who she is in this world. I never had access to books about Manifesting written by Latinas, and I am so excited about the new wave of authors going into the spirituality/transformational non-fiction space with our very unique voices like Christine Gutierrez and Juliet Diaz.
Where can readers keep up with your work?
My book “Chica, Why not? How to live with intention and manifest a life that loves you back” has been published by Hay House and is now available in all places where books are sold. I am also constantly sharing my thoughts on manifesting and strengthening our relationship with ourselves and with the Universe in Facebook (@coachsandrahinojosaludwig), Instagram (@sandrahinojosaludwig), Youtube (Sandra Hinojosa Ludwig), and TikTok (@sandrahinojosaludwig).
A huge thank you to Sandra Hinojosa Ludwig for taking the time to chat with me about her work! Please please make sure you purchase a copy (or request your local library carry a copy) of her book #SupportLatinxLit!
Synopsis of Chica, Why Not? from Hay House website:
This book is for Chicas ready to start gaining momentum and claim their dreams. If you feel stuck in life, you don’t see a way forward, or you don’t believe you deserve to make your aspirations a reality, let’s start by imagining what is possible for you.
Friendly reminder that the best ways you can support Latinx/e authors and Latinx/e literature is by doing the following:
Leave a review for their books on any website that sells books
Request that your local library carry a copy
Purchase a copy of a friend, family member, your nemesis (hey! I’m sure they read too).
Shout about the book on any social media platform or to your friends and family!
Share this interview widely! Word of mouth does wonders for connecting readers to books.