First, let me say thank you so much for being here. Your interest in my story means the world to me. If you are just joining my journey, check out my about page to learn more about me and my work.

As promised, here are the first three chapters of my book. If you're having trouble accessing all three chapters check out the Subscriber/Member Benefits section below.

I created this page, nelsonroberto.com/welcome, to provide you with an overview of what you can expect now that you've signed up for my newsletter and how you can connect with me further.

ℹ️About This Site

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📱Connect With Me

• Be Social on Social: Links to my social media if you want to connect on those platforms.
• More From Me: Links to some of my best writing on this site.

📖Recommended Reading.

• All About El Salvador
• Books by Amazing LatinX Authors
• Other Favorites

Newsletters

I offer two newsletters to choose from. I write all the newsletters myself, so occasionally, when life gets busy, I may miss a few posts. I try my best to stay constant.

• Nelson's Newsletter. Two emails a month, the first of which is a new piece of writing, and the second is an author update.
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Logged in and want to read some members-only content? Here you go.

Waking From Innocent Dreams: Preface

Utterly drained, frustrated, and still fuming, I dump my sports bag by the door and sit down at the kitchen table. I had just returned from my weekly Sunday pickup game of Ultimate Frisbee, where the yellow team had lost 13 to 15. Despite pouring every last bit of energy I had into the game, I

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Waking From Innocent Dreams: Chapter 1 - Your Family

Dad appears to be lost in thought as he plans out our first day of spring vacation. He scratches his mostly gray beard while scrutinizing a map of local attractions. My brother Derek and I lean on the stone wall outside of the historic Banyan Guest House, waiting to receive the day’s instructions.

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Chapter 2: Reunion

A month later, almost to the day, the DNA test comes back positive. Mom and Dad scramble to book our flight and make the necessary preparations. A letter from my maternal grandmother, Mamá Chila, arrives with an English translation provided by Pro-Búsqueda.

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Are you having problems signing in? Don't worry, just send me an email, and I'll help you out.

Full Disclosure

I'm legally required to tell you that all Amazon links are affiliate links, and I get a small commission when you buy something. But in all honestly, I make very little from these links, typically less than $20 a year.

Be Social on Social

I'm somewhat active on social media. I will post more as the film and book get close to release. These accounts are listed from most active to least.

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

More From Me

If you want to read more of my work, here are a few of my best articles.

Advice to my teenage self

I turn 40 today, and as I look back at the past 20 years or so, I think about what advice I might give my younger self.

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You are not a failure

Throughout my life I have failed. I have failed so many times, in so many different ways. Often, it seemed like the things that I struggled with came so easily to others. There can be immense pressure to succeed. To live up to the expectations of others and ourselves. Whenever

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Taste, execution, and resilience. The three parts to making our art.

Studying a wide range of artists and entrepreneurs led me to identify three themes that are essential to making “art.” They are taste, execution, and resilience.

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My series on feeling like a writer:

Beyond the Book: Feeling like a Writer (Part 1)

For the majority of the time I spent working on my autobiographical novel, I never identified as a “writer.” In fact, I’ve had a somewhat contentious relationship with writing for most of my life. But writing the book has helped me overcome my weaknesses and has even led to a shift in my identity.

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Beyond the Book: Feeling like a Writer (Part 2)

As I’ve worked on my book, I’ve come to understand that spelling and grammar aren’t the same as writing. At the same time, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for the critical role they play in bringing a story to life.

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Beyond the Book: Feeling like a Writer (Part 3)

Something interesting happened a few months ago when I sat down to work on my book. After years of struggling, I felt like a “writer.” I’ve realized that, when comes to identity, there is often a disconnect between the way others see us and the way we see ourselves.

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My series on choosing a masterwork:

Beyond The Book: Choosing a Masterwork (Part 1)

In the summer of 2019, when I started working with my editor, Rachelle Ramirez, one of our goals was to find a well-established novel, film, or any other story that I could use as a template to help ground my story.

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Beyond the Book: Choosing a Masterwork (Part 2)

When my editor first suggested using a Batman film as my masterwork, I was intrigued but unsure how I could incorporate it into my work. After all, what does the caped crusader have in common with a journey about getting to know my biological family?

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Beyond The Book: Choosing a Masterwork (Part 3)

In my last post, I talked about selecting a Batman movie, The Dark Knight, as the masterwork for my autobiographical novel, Waking From Innocent Dreams. In this post, I will share a few ways that I incorporated this movie and the character of Batman into my book.

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All About El Salvador

Unforgetting

A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas by Roberto Lovato.

Learn More

Solito

A Memoir of a harrowing migration from El Salvador to the U.S. at the age of nine by Javier Zamora.

Learn More

Missing Mila, Finding Family

My adoptive mother's Memoir about an International Adoption in the Shadow of the Salvadoran Civil War by Margaret E. Ward

Learn More

Books by Amazing LatinX Authors

Perla

A coming-of-age novel based on one of the darkest chapters in Argentinean history by Carolina De Robertis

Learn More

Hades, Argentina

A decade after fleeing for his life, a man is pulled back to Argentina by an undying love—a Novel by Daniel Loedel.

Learn More

For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts

A Love Letter to Women of Color by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez

Learn More

Neruda on the Park

An exhilarating debut novel following members of a Dominican family in New York City who take radically different paths when faced with encroaching gentrification by Cleyvis Natera.

Learn More

The Distance Between Us

In this inspirational and unflinchingly honest memoir, acclaimed author Reyna Grande describes her childhood torn between the United States and Mexico, and shines a light on the experiences, fears, and hopes of those who choose to make the harrowing journey across the border.

Learn More

Other Favorites

The Legend of Bagger Vance

A Novel of Golf and the Game of Life by Steven Pressfield.

Learn More