J.C. Cervantes is a New York Times bestselling author of books for children and young adults. In her latest novel, The Enchanted Hacienda, Cervantes fuses Mexican culture, magical realism, romance, and—yes—flowers, to bring to life a tale that explores the bonds of family and all-encompassing love.

Audible: Can you tell us about the inspirations behind The Enchanted Hacienda, and why you chose to tell this story now?

J.C. Cervantes: I have always had an affinity for flowers. When I was a child, my mom created bouquets for no particular reason other than a celebration of life or to add a spark of beauty. She placed flowers throughout the house—small, simple, lovely arrangements that made me feel special and that taught me to honor nature and beauty. A part of me knew that someday I would bring them to life on the page, when the right story presented itself. So when this one came to me in setting (not the usual characters), I sat up and paid attention. The first thing I saw was this expansive majestic flower farm bathed in a golden light. I had to know who tended the gardens, who lived here, and why the flowers felt so enchanting. The questions became so persistent that I knew I had to write this book.

The Enchanted Hacienda is a book filled with magic, family—and flowers! Could you talk about what listeners who may not be familiar with Mexican folklore can take away from this interesting aspect of the culture? How do the three intersect?

I love this question. Flowers are an important symbol in my culture—from their importance in festivals and celebrations to their use in creating altars and celebrating the dead. But more importantly. there is indeed a connection between flowers and magic and life with no real separation. For me, flowers have always represented a sacred sort of magic—a gift from the “gods,” from the Earth that pulses with vibrancy and life in a way that can only be felt, and that’s something that is present every day in my own family traditions.

As a Latino, I found the focus on family and magic very relatable, but there’s also a romance element to this story. How challenging was it to balance the story between traditional fiction and romance?

I’m so glad to hear it! Every story comes with its own set of challenges. For me, if the story doesn’t unfold in an authentic natural way, then I’m on the wrong path, so I’m always looking for the flow, for the spark of magic that leads to another and another, and in that way, it wasn’t hard at all. The difficulty was discovering that space and holding on to it.

Following up on the prior question, have you thought about a Spanish version of this story?

I’d love to see this published in Spanish!

Can you tell us about how Frankie Corzo came to narrate The Enchanted Hacienda? Did anything about the audio version surprise you?

When I received the voice samples of each narrator, Frankie really stood out to me. She has a self-assurance, a vibrancy to her voice that reminded me so much of Harlow, and I knew instantly that she had to play our heroine!