High School Flashback Tour presents… Christina Diaz Gonzalez!

Welcome to Day 2 of the High School Flashback Tour! A quick reminder… this Friday on each of our blogs, we’ll be offering up a prize pack filled with these fabulous goodies:

Five blogs, five goodie packs to win. It’s a tidal wave of goodness!

So please join me in welcoming brand new author (and Indie Next Pick Top 10 – Woohoo!!)…

Christina Diaz Gonzalez!

Welcome, Christina!

The Gal

Name:

Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Short Bio:

Christina Diaz Gonzalez was born in a small Southern town, but moved to the big city of Miami when she was in high school. In high school she was a Majorette and had the silly nickname of Moose (the football coach gave it to her because she was small and the exact opposite of what people thought someone named Moose should look like). You can read more about Christina on her website: www.christinagonzalez.com

The Book

The Red Umbrella
**On shelves now**
(I LOVE this book!!! I hugged it when I was done reading!)

In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.

As the revolution’s impact becomes more oppressive, Lucía’s parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States —on their own.

Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl?

The High School Flashback Tour

1.   What one thing that you did in high school do you now look back on and go “Seriously? What was I thinking???”?

I remember wearing two and three socks at a time. Seriously. I would match my slouch socks to my outfit so if I was wearing something red and blue, I’d wear red socks, layered with a blue sock on top and then a white sock to go with the white Keds I’d wear. With so many socks my Keds must have been a full size bigger than they needed to be!

2.   What song on the radio automatically makes you feel like a teenager again (and what memory does it bring to mind)?

So many songs bring back high school memories. The song “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung reminds me of Grad Nite in Disney (an entire night with your graduating class at Disney after the park closes —lots of fun) because the group was there in concert. I also had the song “Situation” by Yaz memorized because I was part of the majorette squad and we had a dance routine to it (we were more dancers than high-spinning baton twirlers). I’ve heard that whatever song was #1 on your 18th birthday is supposed to say something about you…my song (which also reminds me of high school is “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2. I take this to mean that I never fully settle, that I’m always striving to do more.

3.   If you could go back and give your high school self one piece of advice, what would it be?

My advice would be to relax and enjoy the ride. High school only comes once and it’s gone before you know it. I think that’s pretty good advice at any point in your life…maybe I should listen to myself sometimes!

Thanks for the fun flashback, Christina! Tune in here tomorrow for the next installment and learn why Christy Raedeke is all about sweater surprises! (And yes, I had my days mixed up yesterday. Christy is coming tomorrow.) I’m over at Christy‘s today talking about the woes of my first car. Puddles here, puddles there…

Here’s where I’m spilling my guts this week:

Monday – Jen Nadol‘s blog
Tuesday – Christy Raedeke‘s blog
Wednesday – Christina Diaz Gonzalez‘s blog
Thursday – Kimberly Derting‘s blog
Friday – I’ll be here hosting my goodie pack giveaway!

Entry Filed under: High school memories