Tomar La Iniciativa lands on Amazon's bestseller list

This is muy cool! Tomar La Iniciativa, the Spanish version of my fourth novel, Take the Lead, landed at #1 on Amazon's bestseller lists for Spanish gay fiction today.  I'm so happy that others are discovering the story of college professor Gabriel Galan as he deals with feeling old (even at 36) while dating in a college town like Boston where he also tries to help his stubborn Cuban father manage his Parkinson's disease. It's a book that is very close to my heart because like Gabriel, my father struggles with Parkinson's. And since the book was published, I've discovered that some of my old friends (and former coworkers) have a father, mother or aunt with Parkinson's. It's a disease that patients and their families don't seem to like to talk about which is one of the reasons I wrote it, to get people talking (in English or espanol!)  Here is a link to a CBS Boston interview that I did when the English language book came out.

Boston TV flashback

Although I should be promoting my newest book Looking for Providence, I wanted to share this interview I did with WBZ TV CBS Boston when my fourth novel, Take the Lead, came out.
I talk about themes of the book, from caring for an elderly parent who lives far away to dating in a college town like Boston when you're in your mid30s and finding a sense of place when you're new to a city. I also discuss the challenges of Parkinson's disease for both the patient and the caregiver. (My father has Parkinson's.)

My book "Tomar La Iniciativa" and the Univision experience

Just before the interview at Univision. Don't I look nervous?

I still can't believe I was on Univision with Jorge Ramos when the English version of my latest book Take the Lead, was published. (I had no idea at the time that a Spanish version Tomar La Iniciativa would be published this year.) I was also invited to talk about the US economy and other news at the time on Univision's Sunday morning program, AL PUNTO. It was the first time I ever had professional makeup for an appearance. (The network had a sweet makeup artist) and it was the first time a car was sent to pick me up and drive me to and from the hotel and network. I remember how nervous I was because pretty much everyone in my family watches Univision Sunday mornings but I also had the jitters because talking about the economy and the unrest in Egypt in any language is difficult enough in English so imagine doing it in another language like Spanish And although the interview was 7 minutes long, it was an experience I will never forget. Muchas gracias Univision.

Tackling homosexuality in the Hispanic community

"We've come a long way in the Hispanic community. It's more openly discussed, and part of that has to do with having more examples in the public eye, such as Ricky Martin who came out a few years ago and published his memoir, and more recently, Cuban poet Richard Blanco who wrote and read a poem for President Barack Obama this year. But I still think more work needs to be done. As long as gay celebrities hide in the closet, it only hurts young people struggling to come out because they don't see a lot of examples from their own community. They may think that being gay and Latino is something to be ashamed of, a taboo."

That's an excerpt from a nice question/answer interview that my newspaper did with me about my fourth novel, "Take the Lead,'' being translated into Spanish as "Tomar La Iniciativa."  Thank you Sun Sentinel!

El Sentinel, the Spanish-language sister newspaper of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, published an interview with me about my first Spanish-language novel, "Tomar La Iniciativa."

Take the Lead, en espanol

Some good news to share: My publisher is going to publish my fourth novel, Take the Lead, en espanol! I'm really looking forward to the release. Publication date and purchase details to come. I'm excited about this development because over the years, I've heard from Hispanic readers, "Oye, when are your books coming out in Spanish?" This includes my parents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. And there are a lot of Spanish-speaking readers looking for gay-themed novels in their language. The book was inspired by a real dance class for people with Parkinson's that I wrote about three years ago when I was a features reporter at The Boston Globe. Below is an image from that front page story.

Virtual reading of Take the Lead, my fourth novel

Here is a video of a reading I did for my fourth book, Take the Lead, as part of a monthly Boston writers' series called "Writing on the Dot" which is organized by the University of Massachusetts-Boston MFA creative writing program. (DOT is short for Dorchester, the Boston neighborhood where the school is located and where I lived for 8 years.)

This was my last reading in Boston last month before I moved back to Miami Beach for a new job.
At the 4:15 minute mark, you'll hear a dramatic crashing of glasses. But no worries, the waitress survived and I managed to segue-way back into my reading.

A big thank you again to Aaron Devine for inviting me to read in your series.

WBZ-TV Centro

I'll be appearing on "Centro'' on Boston's WBZ-TV Channel 4 at 7:50 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 10) to talk about my new book, Take the Lead, and Parkinson's disease.
Click here for more details

Boston's Latino List 2011

A big thank you to the Boston Public Library, for including my new book, Take the Lead,for the annual Latino List, which honors Hispanic Heritage Month. The list, which has fiction and nonfiction titles, is featured in a booklet found at all area branches. To view the other titles, click here.

Some reviews of Take the Lead

Here are some recent reviews of my new book, Take the Lead. The first review which I find to be fair shows how some hardcore male-to-male romance/erotica readers are feeling a little short-changed by the book because of the larger focus on the father-son-Parkinson's storyline rather than a traditional romance (even though there are two in the novel.) The book is more gay fiction (or a guy's chick lit) than a traditional MM/erotica.
The second review, by another erotica reader/reviewer, and this third one, are more positive and capture the spirit of the book.

Southern Hospitality in the ATL

I'm almost a month overdue with this thank you note to Atlanta for the great welcome and experience I had for my first book reading for my new novel, Take the Lead.
It was also my first time to Atlanta and I'm glad I made the trip. The journey began as I tried to find my way out of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport which is akin to a mini-city with a subway line which had seemingly endless terminals and stops (A, B, C, D, E, T.)Once I finally emerged from the airport, I hopped on the efficient MARTA train, the above-ground commuter rail as it coasted toward the small shiny forest of downtown skyscrapers. My stop was the Peachtree Center in the heart of downtown Atlanta. As I walked the long and wide city streets in the soupy August heat, I asked people for directions to my hotel and folks gladly pointed the way with smiles that matched the warm weather. When I arrived at my hotel, the Hampton Inn, that friendly warmth continued. The front desk clerked asked me if I was Johnny Diaz. When I nodded and grinned, she cheered, "WELCOME! YOU'RE OUR GUEST OF THE DAY!" and pointed to a framed picture of a star with my name on it. Then other hotel staff appeared and clapped and welcomed me. I was puzzled (this has never happened to me at the other Hampton Inn hotels or any hotel for that matter)and I must have looked surprised because one of the sweet housekeeping staffers then said "We're scaring him. He's not used to this." Being the guest of the day meant I got a free bag of candy, a can of cream soda, an upgrade to a suite and a $5 coupon to their pantry store. (I'm a cheap date. It doesn't take much to make my day.) After that, every time I bumped into a hotel employee in the elevator or lobby, they greeted me with, "IT'S OUR GUEST OF THE DAY!"(I could have spent my whole time in Atlanta at the hotel just for the attention and the free candy. With some downtime before my book reading at Outwrite Books, one of the few remaining gay-themed bookstores in the country, I roamed around downtown. I bounded toward the CNN Center(you can't miss the giant red-hued fonts announcing its presence on the side of its cable headquarters or their silver-haired anchor's mug on grand billboards). Across the street, I caught my breath and studied the map posted at the entrance of the Centennial Olympic Park, a plaza/park in the heart of the city. A friendly police officer then strolled up, greeted and offered to help me finding what I was looking for -- which I didn't know because I didn't have a set agenda for my Atlanta wanderlust. (I guess I must have had a tattoo on my forehead that screamed TOURIST!)The genteel officer suggested I walk through grand rectangular park and stop by the Georgia Aquarium. He mapped out the way for me. Then with the tip of his hat, he wished me a nice day with his southern accent and continued his patrols.
As I strolled through the park, little kids romped around spewing fountains, splashing each other as their parents looked on. Office workers munched on their sandwiches at nearby benches. Couples lounged on the grassy slopes as they teased each other strands of grass. And then, the majestic aquarium came into view. At first, it looked like the hull of a cruise ship or a futuristic building in one of those sci-fi shows such as Battlestar Galactica. Once inside, the cool-aired aquarium became my best friend for an hour - a nice respite from the heat. One of my favorite spots here was the Ocean Voyager, a tank filled with 6.5 million gallons of water, a mini-ocean. Imagine an underwater tunnel that gives you a scuba-diver's eye-view of all kinds of sea life. There were giant whale sharks, each the size of a Toyota Corolla. There were flapping manta rays that floated by as if taking aquatic flight. Deeper inside the tunnel, visitors looked up and saw the underbellies of groupers, snappers, zebra sharks and just about every fish or sea creature imaginable. (It briefly reminded me of that scene in the 1983 movie Jaws III when tourists were trapped underwater as a great white preyed on them.) None of that shark drama happened here on this afternoon but being inside the aquarium's tunnel was like taking a walk along the sea floor without getting wet. Hundreds of fish beckoned. The only thing I couldn't find here was Nemo. In another nearby exhibit, graceful white beluga whales playfully dove in and out of their tank and hammed it up for us visitors. Another area was home to a lonely and albino alligator that lazily lounged on its rocky perch. The oohs and ahhs of children and their parents caught my ear and led me to an open-air tank filled with a school of small stingrays and sharks. Visitors were mesmerized as they leaned over and touched the stingrays' velvety skin as they darted by. Some of the stingrays acted like dogs, perching their noses up for people to pet them.
After exiting the aquarium and cooling off with a tall Diet Coke in front of the World of Coca Cola museum which blared Katy Perry and Lady Gaga on giant outdoor speakers, I ventured back to my hotel (where again I was cheered upon). Next stop: OutWrite Books.
The bookstore is a local landmark and has served as the glue for the gay and lesbian community in Atlanta for two decades. The store sits in the city's Midtown neighborhood along with a pack of gay bars (Blake's is like Atlanta's version of Boston's Club Cafe), boutiques, eateries and shops. I immediately noticed how people enjoyed the simple pleasure of coming to the bookstore to read, savor an iced coffee and chit-chat with neighbors. It's an unofficial gay community center.
I wanted to visit Atlanta because I've heard so many good things about the city and because I have a loyal readership there, dating back to my first novel Boston Boys Club. Since this was my first reading in two years since Beantown Cubans was released, I was a little nervous but those jitters were quickly soothed by the congenial nature of the crowd and bookstore employees.
I had a nice turn out of a folks, one of my most diverse crowds - men and women of various backgrounds and ages. Thanks to my Cuban gay amigo Jake (pictured below) I also got a quick tour of the Inman Park historic neighborhood just the outskirts of downtown Atlanta and home to the first planned post-Civil War suburb in the area.
The neighborhood reminded me of Miami's Wynwood neighborhood with its artsy urban renewal vibe. Inman Park is a mix of industrial and residential properties, independent diners/eateries and blossoming art galleries, and redeveloped warehouses and condo lofts. I ate a chicken sandwich and fries at Ria's Bluebird, a diner that had the air of an old southern barroom staffed by waiters decorated in colorful tattoos. The diner sat across from the historic Oakland Cemetery, where thousands of unidentified Confederate soldiers are buried. I had a great sundrenched/sunburned 30 hours in the city and I just wanted to say muchas gracias to Atlantas for the warm hospitality. I will return.

People en Espanol

A big thank you to People en Espanol magazine for mentioning my new book Take the Lead in their Good Reads "Buena Lecturas" section. (lower right of the page)

InBox: emails about Parkinson's and my book Take the Lead

Here are two excerpts from emails I received the other day from readers. They capture the essence of why I wrote Take The Lead, so that people who have or have had a loved one with a degenerative disease such as Parkinson's can relate to Gabriel's story in the book. Thank you Joe and Nancy!

"Hi Johnny: I recently purchased and read Take the Lead. What a great story. My father suffered from Parkinson’s. I could identify with Gabriel’s attempts to manage his life and help with his father. Parkinson’s is a terrible disease. Every time I visited my dad I could see the progression of Parkinson. It robs its victims of their dignity. Gabriel’s romantic adventures provided a nice contrast to his dad’s serious health problem.
Previously I had purchased and read your other three books. All of them were really excellent reads. It was a nice surprise to find this new book.
Joe, Illinois"

And this is from Nancy Mazonson at the Jewish Family and Children's Services center in Waltham where dance classes for people with Parinkson's as well as support groups are available. (The dance class here inspired my book.)

"The joy and inspiration of Parkinson's dance is palpable on Wednesdays at JF&CS when families join dance instructor Art Sullivan for a weekly dance class. Stiffened bodies loosen, feet begin to tap, and smiles erupt as the music fills the room. The inspiration of the Parkinson's dance class, we now know, has been felt in other ways. Back in November 2008, Johnny Diaz, a Boston Globe staff writer, visited our dance class and wrote a poignant article which appeared on the Globe's front page...Offering support and inspiration to all family members whose lives are affected by Parkinson's disease is what we do in real life, and now in the world of fiction as well!"

Hablando de mi nuevo libro, Take the Lead, en Univision

Talking about my new book, Take the Lead, and other news on Univision's Sunday morning program, AL PUNTO, with network anchor Jorge Ramos. Muchas gracias Univision!

Talking about my new book on Univision Boston

My interview on Univision Boston's "Noticias Nueva Inglaterra" where I discuss my new novel Take the Lead

Take the Lead on the radio

Here is a radio interview on Boston NPR affiliate WGBH-FM 89.7 where I talk about my new book and the writing process. Sue O'Connell, co-publisher of Bay Windows newspaper, filled in as guest host for The Callie Crossley Show. Thank you to Sue and WGBH for my first radio interview.

Take the Lead in Boston Spirit magazine (that kinda rhymes) and Bay Windows

A big thank you to Bay Windows, New England's largest gay weekly which is running a four-part series on my new book.



A big thank you to Boston Spirit, New England's largest gay magazine

Take the Lead is here

Dear readers and friends,
My fourth novel, Take the Lead, is being released today. I hope you enjoy reading about the adventures of my newest character, Boston college writing professor Gabriel Galan as he tries to balance his dating life and caring for his father in Fort Lauderdale where he struggles with Parkinson's. Like my other books, it's a fun, light-hearted read about friendships and familia with a Boston/South Florida backdrop.

I will do some readings and signings later in the summer and early fall. Please visit this link to see where I'll be.

Below is a description of the book is available on amazon as a paperback and on amazon's Kindle device (which is how a lot of you seem to be accessing the book)and most book stores. If you're in Provincetown, please visit Now Voyager Books where there are copies; in Boston, consider Calamus Books near South Station. It's also available at Barnes and Noble. If a particular store doesn't have the book in stock yet, just request it from the clerk.

Can Gabriel navigate the challenges of a new crush and an ailing parent?

Popular college professor Gabriel Galan has a job he adores in Boston, a hot young lover, and a buddy who goes along on pub crawls and Star Trek nights alike. But Gabriel wants more.

When Gabriel's stubbornly independent father needs help managing his Parkinson's disease, Gabriel takes on more than he bargained for, and his smooth-cruising life is about to take a sharp turn as he teeters on the edge of a new crush on Adam, his father's physical therapy dance class instructor.

Gabriel has always yearned for a co-pilot on his journey through life, but first he needs to take the lead and navigate the troubled waters of his own heart.

The book was inspired by a real dance class for people with Parkinson’s which I wrote an article about for The Boston Globe two years ago. The classes are ongoing and continue to be held at the Jewish Family and Children's Services in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow this link to learn more about the class and other support groups for people with Parkinson's and their families.


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2011 appearances will be added as they are coordinated for summer and fall.

9-10:30 a.m. June 17, 2011: National Association of Hispanic Journalists Conference, Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Florida. Panelist on "Getting Your Story Between the Covers" workshop.

7:30 p.m. Aug. 18, 2011: Outwrite Books and Coffee Shop, 991 Piedmont Ave NE Atlanta, GA.

Aug. 26-28, 2011: National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Conference, Loews Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Sept.23,2011: Calamus Books, 92 South St. B, Boston, MA

7 p.m. Oct. 4, 2011: South End branch of Boston Public Library, 685 Tremont St., Boston. This is part of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

A sneak peek at Take The Lead, my fourth novel

Popular college professor Gabriel Galan has a job he adores in Boston, a hot young lover, and a buddy who goes along on pub crawls and Star Trek nights alike. But Gabriel wants more.

When Gabriel's stubbornly independent father needs help managing his Parkinson's disease, Gabriel takes on more than he bargained for, and his smooth-cruising life is about to take a sharp turn as he teeters on the edge of a new crush on Adam, his father's physical therapy dance class instructor.

Gabriel has always yearned for a co-pilot on his journey through life, but first he needs to take the lead and navigate the troubled waters of his own heart.

The book, which comes out JUNE 27, was inspired by a real dance class for people with Parkinson’s which I wrote an article about for The Boston Globe two years ago. The photo below is from that front page. (Since the article is behind a new paywall, you can read it in its entirety for free on this Parkinson Research Foundation link. )

Meet Gabriel, my newest character in Take The Lead, my fourth novel

Popular college professor Gabriel Galan has a job he adores in Boston, a
hot young lover, and a buddy who goes along on pub crawls and Star Trek
nights alike. But Gabriel wants more.

When Gabriel's stubbornly independent father needs help managing his
Parkinson's disease, Gabriel takes on more than he bargained for, and his
smooth-cruising life is about to take a sharp turn as he teeters on the
edge of a new crush on Adam, his father's physical therapy dance class
instructor.

Gabriel has always yearned for a co-pilot on his journey through life, but
first he needs to take the lead and navigate the troubled waters of his own
heart.




The dance class for people with Parkinson’s is inspired by a real class I wrote an article about for The Boston Globe two years ago. The above photo is from that front page. (Since the article is behind a new paywall, you can read it in its entirety for free on this Parkinson Research Foundation link. )


I look forward to introducing you to Gabriel and his circle of family and friends (who include guys from the Boston Boys Club, Beantown Cubans and Miami Manhunt) this summer when my fourth novel is published.