Tagged by the Writing Bug

Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra

Although Kelly Parra’s debut young adult novel, “Graffiti Girl,” has received rave reviews, only a handful of people appreciate what the author has achieved.
With a shy smile, the North Salinas resident admits her former high school classmates, teachers and casual friends won’t recognize the fact that “Kelly Parra” is someone they know.

Parra’s agent suggested she adopt a pen name for her novel about Latino youth, since her married name, Kelly Callihan, suggested an outsider’s view of the culture.

The 30-year-old Latina considered using her maiden name, Narciso, but again her agent intervened. Both women then agreed on adopting the young woman’s mother’s family name, since it would be easier to spell and remember. Thus, Kelly Callihan became Kelly Parra on the book cover.

Parra said she will continue to use the pseudonym for her youth adult novels but will rethink the situation if she returns to adult fiction.

The mother of two sold a romance novel to a major publisher before she wrote “Graffiti Girl.” Unfortunately, before the book was due to be published, the imprint was discontinued. Although she was compensated, Parra did not have the satisfaction of seeing her novel in bookstores.

Read the rest here:
www.montereyherald.com

Spread the love

More Articles for You

Other Inheritances: Scent Memories from a Childhood at Fat’s Pet Shop in East Harlem

Before I ever knew what a perfumer was or that someone could make a living decoding and remixing scent, I …

Spread the love

Ghosts of the Palisades: Threads between memories, places and time

Somewhere tucked away, high on the Palisades, on lovely, dead end street, in the ether of the internet and Google …

Spread the love

Eight Goodbyes: Love, Loss, and the Six Years That Changed Everything

The first to die that year, the year before COVID-19 changed everything, was my aunt, Ruth or “Chin” as we …

Spread the love

How DNA, Haplogroups, and Genetic Markers Reveal Taíno Heritage

The Genetic Echoes of the Taíno People The Taíno people, the first known inhabitants of the Caribbean, have long been …

Spread the love

Unearthing the Invisible in Ben Brisbois’ Banana Capital: Unpeeling the Layers of Capitalism and Racism

The banana. Simple, ubiquitous, and unassuming. Yet, as Ben Brisbois reveals in his forthcoming Banana Capital, it’s anything but ordinary. …

Spread the love

Ditching The Algorithm: Why I Joined Bluesky (And You Should Too)

For years, social media has been both a megaphone and an equalizer, a place where anyone can share art, advocate …

Spread the love