What does it truly mean to belong?

In this heartfelt conversation, host Dr. Vilma Luz Cabán welcomes Puerto Rican author, broadcaster, and foster care advocate Emilio J. Vargas. As the first Latino male author featured on Write, Reflect, Reimagine®, Emilio reflects on the experiences that shaped his life and writing. He shares how a childhood fascination with radio eventually led him to become a foster and adoptive father, revealing that some of life's most meaningful stories are born when we embrace love, family, and purpose in unexpected ways.

Together, Vilma and Emilio explore:

• The unexpected path from broadcasting to becoming an author.
• How foster care and adoption transformed his understanding of family.
• Why vulnerability is one of the greatest strengths a storyteller can possess.
• The importance of Latino men sharing stories of caregiving, compassion, and emotional honesty.
• How belonging shapes both children and adults throughout their lives.
• Why every person's story deserves to be written, published, and preserved.

The conversation also introduces Emilio's memoir, Growing Up Together: The Chronicles of an Unexpected Family, and his children's book, I Belong. This Is Me., a celebration of self-worth, kindness, confidence, and belonging for young readers.

More than an interview about writing, this episode is a reminder that every story has the power to build bridges, strengthen communities, and help someone else feel seen.

Whether you are a writer, educator, parent, advocate, or simply someone searching for hope, this conversation offers a meaningful reflection on family, identity, and the courage to embrace life's unexpected journey.

About Emilio J. Vargas:

Emilio J. Vargas is a Puerto Rican author, radio host, voiceover artist, and advocate for foster care and adoption in Connecticut. His work is rooted in compassion, humor, hope, and the belief that every child deserves to know they belong.

Author Website: https://emiliovargasauthor.com/

Author Email: emiliojvargasauthor@gmail.com

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Television Interview

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Some of our most treasured family stories are never written down. They live in recipes passed from one generation to the next, in the aroma of a favorite meal, and in the loving hands that prepared it.

In this heartfelt episode of Write... Reflect... Reimagine®, Dr. Vilma Luz Cabán welcomes Kristina Cruz Diaz, affectionately known as "Chef Red," the founder of HappyBelly, LLC, a Puerto Rican cultural cook, food consultant, caterer, entrepreneur, and community educator.

Together they explore how kitchens become classrooms, how recipes preserve memory, and why a cookbook can become one of the most meaningful forms of storytelling.

Kristina shares:

• Growing up in her abuelitas' kitchens and the life lessons they taught beyond cooking.
• How resilience, love, and Puerto Rican traditions shaped her journey.
• Why family recipes are living archives of culture and identity.
• Her remarkable health journey and how it inspired the creation of HappyBelly.
• Why she believes we don't have to choose between cultural foods and healthy living.
• The philosophy behind "Don't Worry... Eat Happy."
• How entrepreneurship, healing, and storytelling are leading her toward writing her first cookbook.

Food has the remarkable ability to preserve what time might otherwise erase. It carries family stories, cultural traditions, and expressions of love from one generation to the next, reminding us that every shared meal has the power to become part of our legacy. It is love expressed through action. It is one of the most enduring ways families preserve their stories across generations.

Whether you're a writer, entrepreneur, home cook, or someone who cherishes family traditions, you'll discover how our lived experiences often become the books we're meant to write.

Guest:
Kristina Cruz Diaz ("Chef Red")
Founder, HappyBelly, LLC

Support Kristina!

At the time of this recording, Kristina was competing in the Favorite Chef Competition, where finalists have the opportunity to appear in Taste of Home Magazine, cook alongside Carla Hall, and compete for a $25,000 grand prize.

Cast your vote here: (VOTING LINK)

Better Connecticut Home Chef Segment

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Writing, Community, and Staying with the Work! Today’s episode invites us into a powerful conversation about writing, community, and what it means to stay with the work.

Dr. Vilma Luz Cabán is joined by award-winning poet, performer, educator, and RoblesWrites Productions founder Peggy Robles-Alvarado, whose work spans poetry, performance, and community-centered literary practice.

At the heart of this conversation is her acclaimed poetry collection, Burn Me Back, a work that moves through memory, ancestry, grief, and resilience with striking clarity and force. More than a collection of poems, it constructs an experience shaped by the body, personal history, and the layered realities of identity and belonging.

Peggy reflects on how Burn Me Back emerged through a sustained return to the page, a practice shaped by listening, revision, performance, and community. Over time, this process formed a cohesive manuscript grounded in both personal and collective experience.

This episode offers insight for writers at every stage, including:

• how to move from scattered drafts to a cohesive manuscript
• the role of workshops and literary community
• how to protect your work and navigate publishing with intention
• news about our upcoming event at Yale University, Dwight Hall (Sept. 19)

Peggy also shares the foundation of her nonprofit, Robleswrites Productions, where she creates writing spaces centered on intergenerational storytelling, creativity, and equity.

At its core, this conversation reminds us that writing is nurtured in community and sustained through practice.

Learn more about our Casa de Maria Publisher's FREE WEBINARS to keep you encouraged and focused!

Honorable Mentions: Charlie Vazquez, Dr. Rojo Robles , Ricardo Alberto Maldonado, Bori Books & Cafe, Urayoán Noel ,

Author Website: https://robleswrites.com/

RoblesWrites Productions: https://robleswritesproductions.com/

PURCHASE BURN ME BACK: https://fourwaybooks.com/site/burn-me-back/

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PUBLIC EVENTS:

What We Carry, What We Claim: Latina Writers on Voice, Memory, and Becoming https://www.eventbrite.com/e/what-we-carry-what-we-claim-latina-writers-on-voice-memory-and-becoming-tickets-1986453897080?aff=oddtdtcreator

https://www.casademariapublisher.com/PUBLIC-EVENTS/

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