Raul Palma, Photo: © Mix Moriaux. Image courtesy of Debutiful.
Raul Palma‘s A HAUNTING IN HIALEAH GARDENS (Dutton) is a genre-bending debut with a fiercely political heart. Set in Miami, the novel explores what happens when Hugo Contreras, the resident babaláwo at a botanica, receives a phone call from his nemesis and debt collector, Alexi Ramirez, who is in desperate need of a spirtual cleansing. If Hugo can successfully cleanse his home before Noche Buena, Alexi will forgive Hugo’s debt. Hugo reluctantly accepts, but there’s one issue: Despite being a babaláwo, he doesn’t believe in spirits.
We spoke to Raul Palma about writing a Miami that’s rich with culture and magic, writing characters that feel authentic and compelling and how to subvert genres! Discover what he had to say below.