INTERVIEW: Margarita Longoria’s Anthology was Born from Words of Hate

Welcome to the Tuesday Author Interview with Christina Boyd for the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.

CHRISTINA:  I first met Margie through her reviews of Jane Austen fanfiction. We clicked through our shared love of Jane Austen, Darcy and Elizabeth, Twilight, Robert Pattinson, and Henry Cavill. When I won an Omaze experience in 2017 to meet Henry atop the London Eye, Margie gave me specific instructions and questions for Henry. I declined her request that I pinch his bum, for fear I’d end up in jail, but she claimed to have bail money. Regardless, it made for an amusing story to share with Henry. Later, as I downsized my RPatz collection, I sent Margie Twilight cast autographs and magazine covers because she mentioned her office has the space for all the memorabilia. As an editor and curator of several Austenesque multi-author anthologies, I was thrilled when Margie curated the anthology Living Beyond Borders: Growing up Mexican in America.

Margarita Longoria, author

When did you first think you had a book to write, and how did you start? 

MARGIE: My journey into writing is a bit different from many of the authors you've featured on your blog. While I don't intend to be political, the truth is that my book was born from words of hate. As a Mexican American, I was deeply impacted by the rhetoric during Donald Trump's first administration. Those words—directed at my community—compelled me to respond. I felt the need to reclaim our narrative and curate an anthology that reflects the real Mexican American experience—one not shaped by Hollywood stereotypes, hateful rhetoric, or racist assumptions, but by our voices, our truths, and our lived realities.

CHRISTINA: ‪The stories are smart. Poignant. Timely. Congratulations on that project. ¡Enhorabuena! ¡Una excelente lectura!

Margie and her sons. (photo courtesy of the author)

What makes you get up in the morning? What do you love?

MARGIE: As a lifelong reader, books have always been my passion, and serving young people as a high school librarian fills my heart with purpose and joy. My sons are my greatest motivation—they inspire me to strive for a better world, not just for them, but for all children and all people. A world where they can be proud of who their mom is and what she stands for.

Watching my boys grow as lamb showmen in FFA has taught me so much about the strength of community, the beauty of resilience, and the importance of personal growth. I’m fueled by a deep, unwavering commitment to fight for the freedom to read, access to books, diverse literature, women’s rights, and the basic human rights every person deserves. I believe, with all my heart, that empowering others through knowledge and justice can transform lives and help create a more hopeful future. And then, there’s Osito—my beloved Paddington Bear rescue dog—who fills my days with unconditional love and reminds me, every single day, of what truly matters.

I gifted Margie this Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart autograph

CHRISTINA: Your passion for books, commitment to justice, and deep love for your family shine through. It’s clear that your work as a librarian is more than a job—it’s a mission to empower, inspire, and create lasting change.

What do you think makes a good story?

MARGIE: For me, it is the characters. I'm a total romance junkie. Pride and Prejudice is my all-time favorite—I just can’t resist that delicious push and pull between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Give me tension, witty banter, and slow-burn chemistry, and I’m hooked!

CHRISTINA: Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes. If I don't feel something for the characters, it's a chore to turn the pages. And Austen was a genius.

Margie with NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan

Favorite contemporary author:

MARGIE: Kennedy Ryan is my favorite contemporary author. She’s not only an incredible storyteller but also an advocate and activist—and that passion shines through in her work. I truly believe it’s important for writers to use their voices to shed light on the injustices in the world. She has this powerful wit and rhetoric and amplifies advocacy through her work, proving that romance can be both heart-warming and socially conscious. 

CHRISTINA: Her ability to weave advocacy into romance shows that love stories can carry deep meaning and inspire real-world change. I love seeing an author use her platform so purposefully.

So far, what is your greatest accomplishment as a writer?

Osito, Margie's Paddington Bear rescue puppy (photo courtesy of the author)

MARGIE: One of my greatest accomplishments has been using my voice to ensure our stories are seen and heard. Curating and publishing Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America and founding the Border Book Bash—a literary festival that celebrates and empowers young readers in the Rio Grande Valley—have allowed me to put books into the hands of underrepresented teens, giving them stories where they can finally see themselves reflected. By amplifying our voices to an international audience, I hope to show that even one person can help transform how young people see themselves, their worth, and their place in the world.

CHRISTINA: Your work is a powerful testament to the impact one person can make in uplifting a community. By creating space for underrepresented voices through Living Beyond Borders and the Border Book Bash, you've not only given young readers, and readers young at heart, the gift of representation—you've sparked pride, identity, and possibility. That kind of empowerment leaves a lasting legacy.

What are you reading now?

MARGIE: I am reading Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan. 

CHRISTINA: Thank you for your time and for being such a light to so many in your local community, your school, and your longer reach out into the world. I am proud to know you! Still waiting for you to come tour Edward Cullen’s neck of the woods.

Margarita Longoria, author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margarita Longoria is a nationally recognized, award-winning librarian, educator, speaker, and passionate advocate for diverse literature based in South Texas. A former English teacher, she holds a BA and MA in English, as well as a Master of Library. 

She is the founder of Border Book Bash, a literary festival that celebrates teens and tweens of the Rio Grande Valley, and the editor of the acclaimed anthology Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America (Philomel, 2021). Through her work, Longoria champions inclusive storytelling, fights for literacy access, and empowers young readers—especially those from underrepresented communities—to see themselves in the pages of the books they read.

Margie is most ardently devoted to diverse books, her two spirited sons, her rescue pup Osito, Friday night football, strong coffee, and—most faithfully—Mr. Darcy. Raised in Edinburg, Texas, she now resides somewhere in the romantic wilds of the Rio Grande Valley with her beloved family.

You can find her online at margiesmustreads.com or follow her bookish musings on Instagram at @MargiesMustReads—where she may or may not still be waiting for a letter from Pemberley.