DIANA RODRIGUEZ WALLACH

Not to get all “Secret” on you, but I will say that I’m a believer in the loosely interpreted Field of Dreams philosophy of “If you think it, it will come.” And I got to say, it can’t be coincidental that the week after I write a blog acknowledging my relief that the Hispanic community has been so supportive of my novels that Amor and Summer Secrets gets awarded 2nd place in the 11th Annual International Latino Book Awards for Best Young Adult Fiction-English.

Come on, there’s got to be some sort of cosmic alignment there.

The winners were announced at BEA by the Latino Literacy Now. And while I knew my publisher had submitted a nomination for me, I got the news of the win while I was down the shore and completely in non book-mode. So I was totally surprised—and crazy excited.

I now get to say I’m an “award winning author.” Well, sort of. Since technically I won second place, so I guess I’m a “second-place finishing award winning author.” I’ll have to tinker with the wording.

And of course, I have to admit there was that tiny piece of me who upon hearing I won second immediately thought, “Who won first?” But I’m happy to report I got over it when I learned I was in killer company.

The first place winner was Pulitzer Prize winner author Oscar Hijuelos who won for his young adult novel, Dark Dude (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing). This is the guy who wrote The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, a novel which later was turned into the movie The Mambo Kings and then turned into a Broadway show.

I say I got a little ways to go before I come close to reaching those credentials. But, hey, it gives me something to reach for. So I will gladly, enthusiastically, and overwhelmingly take my second place finish if it even puts me in the same category as an author of his caliber.

And since the universe might be listening to me right now, I’d just like to put it out there that if Amor and Summer Secrets does ever get turned into a movie, I would be happy to follow in Mambo Kings footsteps and have Antonio Banderas star in it. Maybe we could go to lunch one day to discuss character and theme and whatever important actors think about when taking on a role. (Of course, my husband probably wouldn’t like this plan as much.)

So thanks to the judges, nonprofits, and everyone who put together the awards!

POP CULTURE RANTS: MTV Movie Awards

So I’m sure we all expected Twilight to be the big winner, to the point where even reading the other nominees seemed unnecessary, but I bet no one expected Borat to land half naked on a ticked off Eminem. I don’t know if it was staged or not, but even if it was, how big does your death wish have to be to risk putting your bare butt cheeks on Eminem’s face? The man raps about celebrity’s who happen to mention his name in passing, and this guy stuck his naked butt in his face on national television. Crazy. I now officially think Sacha Baron Cohen should join the Jackass team because he’s got to be missing a few brain cells.