Mary Castillo (born 1974) writes and narrates paranormal mystery and romance novels and audiobooks. She started her writing career publishing
chick lit
Chick lit is a term used to describe a type of popular fiction targeted at younger women. Widely used in the 1990s and 2000s, the term has fallen out of fashion with publishers while writers and critics have rejected its inherent sexism. Novels id ...
romances with Latina heroines. A graduate of the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
, Castillo once considered medicine as a career. She now considers herself fortunate to have had the good sense to follow an impossible dream and tell stories with courageous and smart heroines. Her latest novel, ''Lost in Whispers'' continues the Dori O. Paranormal Mystery series, inspired by Castillo's childhood growing up in a haunted house. She set the series in her hometown of National City, inspired by the 19th Century historic mansions. The series heroine, Dori Orihuela first appeared in a novella, "Till Death Do Us Part." A San Diego Police Department Robbery Detective, Dori finds herself with the ability to see and communicate with the dead after a near death experience. Castillo's fascination with ghosts, psychics, Gothic mystery novels and untold women's histories drive each novel which take place in modern times and the past – Prohibition (Lost in the Light) and a WWII era maternity home (Lost in Whispers).
The first novel, ''Lost in the Light'' was nominated for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Paranormal Mystery. Her debut novel, ''Hot Tamara'' was
Cosmopolitan Magazine's Red Hot Read in April 2005. Also in 2005, Castillo was also named one of the "Hot 25" by
OC Metro magazine.
Novels and novellas
*''Lost in the Light'' (Book 1 in the Dori O. Paranormal Mystery series)
*''Girl in the Mist'' (Novella 2 in the Dori O. Paranormal Mystery series)
*''Lost in Whispers'' (Book 3 in the Dori O. Paranormal Mystery series)
*''Hot Tamara'', .
*''In Between Men'', .
*"My Favorite Mistake" in ''Friday Night Chicas'' ().
*"Till Death Do Us Part" in ''Names I Call My Sister'' ().
*''Switchcraft'', .
References
External links
Mary Castillo's Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castillo, Mary
1974 births
Living people
People from National City, California
American writers of Mexican descent
American chick lit writers
University of Southern California alumni
American women novelists
Novelists from California