Where Silence Ends is the captivating memoir of a Mexican-American, mother-daughter duo and their chillingly beautiful family journey of generational trauma and healing was published last March 2021 in time for the celebration of Women's month.
Now, we have the privilege to interview the author, Angela Ruiz as she shares with us more about this beautiful memoir.
1. Can you share with us something about the book that is not included in the blurb?
I wrote the book at 32 years old, but in reality, this journey was in the works for over a decade. My mother first approached me when I was 16 years old and voiced that one day, she’d like to write the story of her twisted and yet triumphant life with me. Alas, Where Silence Ends is the result of a tiny seed growing roots and shooting up towards the sun.
2. What inspired the idea for your latest book?
As I mentioned, this book was a long time coming — but the final inspiration to dive all in was an ayahuasca ceremony I participated in. Ayahuasca is a powerful mixture of nature that helped awaken my consciousness to my purpose at that moment. The message came through lovingly, and yet somewhat forcefully: “My Dear Beloved, write the book!” And so, I did.
3. How long did it take you to finish writing this book?
It took me two and a half years to interview over 15 people, transcribe the audio, and write the book to begin rounds and rounds of editing with my trusty editor. My team also transcribed the entire book into Spanish during this time. I love the process of creating through writing, and though this is my debut novel, I hope to write another book soon.
4. What part of the book was most challenging to write and why?
What a great question. Honestly, I remember my chest feeling heaviest as I wrote the last 3 chapters. This was a combination of coming towards the end of writing my first book, and more so than anything, processing all the emotions and stories I was holding throughout the 2 years of writing the book. It’s an intense read, there is no way around that, but I also try and stay true to who I am and who my mother is — and we are women filled with love and happiness. My hope is that the lightness in such a dark story shines through.
5. What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I believe every reader will take away what serves them most. There is so much to learn from a raw story of a Mexican American family dealing with generational sexual abuse, and unfortunately, so many people in this world can relate. My hope is that it helps readers find even more strength than already exists within them and inspires others to use their voice.
6. If you’re planning a sequel or write the next book, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
Absolutely! I’m thrilled to share this. My next book is somewhere between a sequel and a parallel partner of Where Silence Ends. This next book will be all about my dad’s life, although I think I’ll make it fiction rather than non-fiction — yet largely inspired by true events. His life story is fascinating and brings to life so many aspects of my beloved Mexico, the intricacies of immigration, and what so many people refer to as the American dream. There are several characters that will appear in my dad’s story that is also in my mom’s story, so I’ll be using the same names for those characters — keeping the two books connected with special little details as such. I feel a rush of excitement when I think about starting this next book.
7. Where can we buy your books?
Where Silence Ends is my debut novel and can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and almost any other online platform that sells books. Simply search “Where Silence Ends, Angela Ruiz.” I hope that all readers or someone in their lives will benefit from this story.
8. Where can readers find out more about you and your books?
Here you’ll find some gems in the form of author photos, featuring me and my mom together. You can also contact me through my website. I love hearing from readers and connect.
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Thank you, Angela, for agreeing to this interview. We are thrilled to learn more about you and your book and we are excited for the sequel as well.
For those who are interested to order the book, you'd be happy to know that a
portion of every purchase will be donated to providing therapy for survivors of childhood sexual trauma. Just go to WhereSilenceEnds.com
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