Where did the idea for the Born Again Christian mariachi band come from?
My characters came to me first as quirks and then as dilemmas. The Born Again Christian mariachi idea arrived in one of those weird moments where everything seems to make sense. Then I had to ask myself, “How does one get to become a Born Again Christian mariachi in the first place, and what does that entail?” In the course of answering those questions, Javier’s character emerged and with it, some of the key themes of the novel. A mariachi is known for being fiercely passionate towards his country, his woman, and quite often his bottle of tequila. All of these characteristics are at odds with the idea of a Born Again Christian. Javier is a missionary, and a mariachi, but he is foremost a man. His character allowed me to explore what all of these roles mean, not just in and of themselves, but in opposition to one another. And I have to tell you something else about Javier… I made him up just like I made up all of the characters in the novel. I had never heard of a Born Again Christian
