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Introduction
Shelly Cruz, a passionate Latina lawyer and writer, weaves love and romance into her fiction. Her novel “Nine Years Gone” explores sacrifice and forgiveness. With a love for travel, Harley rides, and cooking, Shelly’s vibrant storytelling reflects her own multicultural experiences. Her journey from Boston to Miami is a rich source of inspiration, revealing the resilience of the human heart.
Shelly Cruz is a native Bostonian who lives in Miami, FL with her Husband and their rescued dog. She’s a Latina Lawyer who survives on cafecito and yerba mate, is obsessed with wearing lipstick, and speaks fluent Spanglish. When she’s not researching and writing legal documents, she enjoys expressing her creativity by writing fiction. She’s a lover of love, romance, and relationships, which is why she writes wicked sexy romance. In her free time, Shelly loves reading, traveling, and riding on the back of her husband’s Harley Davidson motorcycle while enjoying the open road.
Nine Years Gone
What would you sacrifice for the one you love?
When Marialena Lopez flees Boston in secret, she leaves behind everything and everyone. She sacrifices herself, disrupts lives, and damages relationships—all for the man she loves.
While she knows she made the right decision for Massimo DeLorenzo, she recognizes she made the wrong decision for their relationship.
Nine years later she’s back in Boston attempting to repair the destruction she left in her wake. She still loves Massimo, but finding forgiveness means she will have to finally confess her darkest secret to him. Will the truth be enough to mend their broken hearts, and will her sacrifice have been worth it?
Interview with Shelly Cruz
Q: Let’s get started with an introduction. Can you tell me a little about how you first got into writing and what it felt like publishing your very first book?
A: I’ve wanted to write romance novels for years but never found the time—or if I’m being honest, never made the time. Then, COVID hit, and suddenly, we all had plenty of time. I took advantage of it and wrote my first novel, Nine Years Gone. Releasing it was a mix of so many emotions: excitement, pride, joy, fear, anxiety, but mostly happiness for finally doing it. To this day, hitting publish is my greatest accomplishment.
Q: What was one of your most memorable trips somewhere? Where did you go and what did you do?
A: We love to travel, so it’s hard to pick a favorite place. But our family trip to Italy in 2019 stands out. I organized the trip for my family, and thirteen of us explored Rome, Florence, and smaller towns. The highlight was visiting Castelvetere in Val Fortore, where my grandfather was born. Seeing the official marriage & birth records, streets, and town where he grew up was incredibly moving. We were all overcome with emotions.
Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies (other than writing)?
A: Reading, riding the Harley Davidson, and traveling. I also love to try new foods so you’ll often find me cooking or eating out to satisfy the taste buds.
Q: If you had to be any cartoon character, which one would you be?
A: Wonder Woman. I idolozed her growing up. She protects the world from injustices & her mission vibes with the lawyer in me. I love being a lawyer because it gives me the opportunity to help others through their legal issues.
Q: What’s your favorite word?
A: Acceptance (for what was, what is, and what will be).
Q: What book (other than your own) do you recommend to everyone that they have to read?
A: Anything by Tarryn Fisher and you should start at the beginning of her catalog but my favorite of hers is Mud Vein.
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about your writing process? Note taking; favorite place to write uninterrupted; etc?
A: I use Google Keep and write notes in there. When a scene or character or plot or a line scurry into my thoughts I write it down because otherwise I’ll forget.
When it comes to actually writing, I like sitting at my desk in complete silence or have “focus music,” which is instrumental (depends on the day). On occasion there’s a song that reminds me about the scene I’m working on and I’ll listen to it on repeat to draw out all of the characters’ emotions.
Q: What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?
A: So far, it’s been the plot. I get an idea and build around that. The characters come to me as I write. Plotting stifles my writing & so I don’t do it.
Q: Tell us a little about what inspired your books. You have a multicultural element to your stories and I know that’s important to you as well.
A: I’ve been an avid reader of romance novels my whole life, but I rarely saw Latinas represented in the stories I loved. This was a huge driving force for me. I knew other women felt the same way. So, I decided to write about women like me—those with real-life struggles, from families with Latino roots, who get their happily ever after.
Q: Which one of your books was your most favorite to write?
A: I enjoyed them both for different reasons but if I had to choose, I’d say Amor in the 305. Amaury (the main male character) is Cuban and I created/wrote him based on my Husband, and his journey from Cuba and everything that comes with that journey. Writing Amor brought us closer together, something I’m extremely grateful about.
Q: What’s your favorite and least favorite part of publishing?
A: Favorite: when a reader tells me my words make them feel seen.
Least favorite: editing
Q: What was your hardest scene to write, and why?
A: There’s a scene in Amor in the 305 where Soledad encounters her ex-boyfriend. Writing the fear Soledad felt was palpable because it evoked many real emotions of my own history of domestic abuse with my ex-husband. It had been a long time since I even thought about those years of my life, but that scene flooded me with all memories.
Follow Shelly
Shelly Cruz is a native Bostonian who lives in Miami, FL with her Husband and their rescued dog. She’s a Latina Lawyer who survives on cafecito and yerba mate, is obsessed with wearing lipstick, and speaks fluent Spanglish. When she’s not researching and writing legal documents, she enjoys expressing her creativity by writing fiction. She’s a lover of love, romance, and relationships, which is why she writes wicked sexy romance. In her free time, Shelly loves reading, traveling, and riding on the back of her husband’s Harley Davidson motorcycle while enjoying the open road.
Want to connect with Shelly? Join her Reader Group here
Looking for book recs…
Adventures in Literature 
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