When Stories Cross Borders

A few years ago, before deciding to dedicate myself professionally to writing, I did some literary translations. I remember talking to an American author who was looking to translate one of his short novels into Spanish, and he told me something that surprised me.

His books barely sold in the United States. However, in Portugal—a country where English isn't even spoken as an official language—he was one of the most widely read authors in his genre. Most of his readers were there.

At the time, I thought it was one of those quirks of the publishing world.

This year I've discovered that, sometimes, stories decide to travel down paths one would never have imagined.

As some of you know, this year I published my first three works on Amazon: La isla de la pereza, El escenario holístico terapéutico, and La casa de Marta y Maria. Naturally, family and friends bought some copies in the United States, since I live and write from Puerto Rico.

But the first unknown readers who began discovering my books came from Mexico.

I wasn't expecting that.

And I must confess, it made me very happy.

Not because Mexico is a large market. Nor because it represents a lot of sales. What pleased me was something much simpler: discovering that, on the other side of a screen, there were people who, without knowing me, decided to dedicate a few hours of their time to me.

That, for a writer, is an immense gift.

In several recent articles, I've mentioned that writing is, for me, a conversation. One writes from the silence of one's desk, but always thinking of someone who will one day open the book and begin that silent dialogue with the author.

Knowing that this conversation has already begun with some Mexican readers fills me with gratitude.

I sincerely hope that these pages have left them with something useful: a reflection, a smile, a question, or simply a pleasant reading experience. If any of those things happened, then the effort of writing was already worthwhile.

It has also brought me great joy to see how Caballero's Inkwell and El Tintero de Caballero continue to grow little by little. Every week new visitors arrive, and what excites me most is that some return again and again to read the next article.

That means more than you can imagine.

We live in an age where time is one of the scarcest resources. That someone decides to give a few minutes of their life to read something I've written is a sign of trust that I try not to take lightly.

To all of you, whether you're in Puerto Rico, Mexico, or any other corner of the world, thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to enter, even for a moment, into your thoughts.

Thank you for listening to my testimony, my stories, and my reflections.

My desire remains the same as when this blog began: to share, through writing, what I have learned about life, hope, and the immense potential for good that human beings possess when they seek to be guided by God and His good principles.

Stories, it seems, know how to find paths that their authors never imagine.

And that, I believe, is also part of the adventure of writing.

Until next time.

Have an excellent, beautiful, and blessed day, no matter what life brings you today.