Marisol Díaz

My name is Marisol Díaz and I am a student at Imperial Valley College. I'm 19 years old and currently live in El Centro, California. I graduated from Central Union High School in 2009. I am still undecided about my major, but I plan to do something in the field of art. After IVC, I would like to attend the Art Institute in San Diego, California. I consider myself lucky to live in a border town because I am able to experience the mixed cultures and traditions of the border. I think that the Imperial Valley is a unique place and I am proud to have lived here most of my life.

Teen authors of the California border pave their way through self-publishing

By Marisol Díaz | June 15, 2010

IMPERIAL VALLEY, Calif.–Teenagers all over the world are anticipating the June 30 movie release of “Eclipse,” the third installment in the phenomenal “Twilight” saga, to see how the romantic fantasy about a teenage girl and her intense love affair with a vampire continues to play out. The “Twilight” books, written by Stephanie Meyer, inspired the movie series and a cult following of both readers and movie-goers around the globe. But during the last decade, that inspiration was not limited to just reading or watching the mythical and unorthodox teen romance stories; inspiration bled over into the minds of young writers, including those in the Imperial Valley. Often seen as culturally dry as the desert it occupies, the Imperial Valley is home to several young authors who have crafted their own fantasies in the pages of books that are sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, at the local bookstore, and can be found in local libraries. These youthful writers have not experienced the notoriety of Meyer – at least not yet. Angela Ly, 16, is writing her second novel. “The book is going to be about a different dimension, but in this world,” Ly said. “There will be action and adventure, somewhat like Twilight.” The Brawley High School junior self-published her first book, “Birds to Fly Me to You” in 2009. Fantasy adventures like “The Way to Fairyleland” and “The Collusion Series” have sprung from the minds of local teen authors prolifically in recent years. Publishing house Wandering Sage Books recently released a commemorative edition of “The Way to Fairyleland,” by Belén Ramos, and a third young writer, Alexandra Lopez, is penning her third and fourth books.