FRANCESCA PADILLA

FAQs

A running list of frequently asked questions updated as needed.

Where can I get your book?
What’s Coming to Me is available to buy wherever books are sold in print, e-book, and audiobook formats. You can also request at your local library!

What’s your book about?
I’m so glad you asked. WCTM is a coming-of-age story about a girl named Minerva who absolutely hates her job at the ice cream stand. But she needs it: kicked out of school and stranded by her mom’s hospitalization, she dreams of escaping her dreary hometown of Nautilus. When a robbery at the stand stirs rumors about her creepy boss hiding money on the property, Min teams up with her neighbor CeCe (also desperate for cash) to find it. All in the midst of suspicious co-workers, dirty cops, annoying cousins, and an ill-/perfectly-timed crush on the assistant manager. There’s also a spoiled pit bull named Large Marge.

What’s it like to publish a book?
You know the expression hurry up & wait? That.

Do you do school / book club / other kinds of visits?
Yes! Please reach out via contact form and let me know what you are looking for, and we can go from there.

Did you also write a book called Blue Plums & Weeds?
No I did not. Someone else wrote it and mistakenly tagged me to it on multiple platforms. Apparently, it’s a dilly of a pickle to remove it. Shrug!

Do you just write all day? That’s cool!
Most of my time goes to my kids, my job in human services, reading (never enough), swimming, and the various iterations of Drag Race. For me, it’s more important that I read almost every day, and write with merely enough regularity to maintain the momentum on whatever I’m working on.

Who are your favorite authors?
Too many to name them all here, but I’ll read anything by Stacey Lee, Toni Morrison, Heather O’Neill, and Jesmyn Ward. I read adult and young adult (YA) fiction, graphic novels, non-fiction, and poetry. You can hunt down my Goodreads shelf for a broader idea of my taste.

Where are you from? Like from-from. Like from from from? Like–
My family immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. I was born in Manhattan, raised in Brooklyn, and reside currently in the Rochester, NY area. I’ve lived in 3 of the 5 boroughs of NYC and spent time in other parts of New York State. Ultimately, tho, I come from the sea.

Do you speak Spanish? ¿Hablas español?
Technically, my first language was Spanish, pero no hablo muy bien ahora. Although I get nervous, I’m willing to converse with anybody who isn’t mean to me about it. I’m also willing to engage in conversations about how language helps and hurts and connects and separates us. All that said, my Spanglish is pretty good.

Do I call you Francesca or Franny?
Most people start with “Fran” and earn the others. You can do so by purchasing or reading my book.

What’s your voice like?
Mezzo-soprano. Brooklyn accent when excited or upset.

 

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