At the Island’s Edge

By C. I. Jerez

(Lake Union Publishing)

Interview by Diane Slocum

As an Army medic in Iraq, Lina is there to save lives, not take them. When the tables turn, the shot she fires echoes throughout the center of her being, even though she musters out of the service and is determined to focus her life on her little boy, Teò. After being sent to live in the U.S. with an aunt when she was a teenager, Lina now feels the need to return to her family in Puerto Rico to put her life back together. The family dynamics don’t make the transition easy, especially her relationship with an over-bearing Aunt Lysandra. She does grow close to a young cousin, Delores, and makes friends with Eli, a wounded veteran from the southern U. S. But she can’t shake her growing dependence on alcohol to forget the bullet she sent crashing into the skull of some other mother’s son.

AUTHORLINK: What first gave you the idea for this story?

JEREZ: At The Island’s Edge was my third attempt at writing a novel. I’d learned two very important lessons from the first two attempts. First, I needed to study and master the craft of writing fiction. Second, I needed to write something from my heart and not from my head.

After reading The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni, I was inspired to write something with a strong message, and I knew there would be a precocious and intelligent little boy at the heart of the story. The more I began to develop my character Matteo “Teó” Salvador the more I realized the story was really the one he wanted to tell me about his mom, Lina, who served in the Army.

One morning, after a week or so of thinking about Teó, I woke up with an idea. What if Lina, an Army medic and a self-proclaimed saver of lives, was forced to take a life on the battlefield, and the combatant she confronted was a young man who reminded her deeply of her own son back home? Immediately, I understood the complexities of her identity as a mother, as a soldier, and the cultural aspects as a Latina would all plague her in different ways.

Everything flowed from there.

AUTHORLINK: How did it develop from there?

JEREZ: The more I thought about Lina’s experience on the battlefield in Iraq, the more I realized that no one had broken through mainstream fiction with a unique perspective of a woman’s combat story and the PTSD aspects that plague them despite having to return home and resume their all-encompassing roles, particularly as mothers. Suddenly, the pinprick of an idea began snowballing into themes and items of discussion that I knew HAD to be told. My own experience as an Army officer during the engagement in Iraq, while raising three young daughters and supporting a husband during his deployments, meant I had a unique perspective that could bring truth and intimacy to this project.

The next significant facet of the story, Lina’s post-war journey, came to me very naturally.

Every time I brainstormed culminating factors that would be essential to Lina’s PTSD journey and healing, my mind kept returning to a place that represented healing for me in so many ways: the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Once I landed on having Lina return to Puerto Rico, I realized I had another opportunity, entirely different, but equally powerful. My story could introduce so many readers to the secret beauty of an island I’d experienced directly after living and working there on three separate occasions.

Educating readers about the unique intricacies of a female soldier’s PTSD journey and shining a light on the often misunderstood and unknown aspects of Puerto Rico’s magic, fueled me to sit at the computer nearly every day and pour my heart out onto the page with two themes and ideas that deeply mattered to me personally.

AUTHORLINK: Did your story wind up pretty much as you envisioned it from the start, or did it go through major revisions as you wrote?

JEREZ: The overarching story held firm throughout multiple revisions. However, there were some significant changes that I made in the book’s finale. I was very fortunate to be represented by an agent with over a decade of developmental editing experience. Her guidance and feedback helped me see that Lina’s journey needed to conclude differently, and together we brainstormed a way for her to come full circle in all the best ways. After the book’s acquisition, the developmental editor assigned to me by the publisher also helped me understand that I needed to dig a little deeper into some of Lina’s post-war battles and unfold them with more detail. I think I was trying to protect word count, so being set free from that boundary allowed me to really paint a pure picture in all its messiness for Lina as she navigates the road to recovery.

AUTHORLINK: How did you come up with the title At the Island’s Edge? What makes the island, Puerto Rico, so important to your story?

JEREZ: The original title of the book was Isla Magic. It’s catchy, I know [smiling], but the publisher and I agreed that it could create an expectation for actual magic. Being an over-achieving, type-A kind of woman, I returned to the table with eighty-seven alternatives, at which point, my agent respectfully suggested I take a breath. An in-house editor randomly threw out At the Island’s Edge during an informal discussion, and we all stopped and said, “Yes. That’s it.” None of my original eighty-seven options sounded better.

Puerto Rico is a character in this novel. I use location as a pathway to highlight culture, landscapes, family values, the warmth of authentic recipes, and the art of food in the day-to-day lives of Puerto Ricans. This island is often misunderstood, and its position within the boundaries of our country makes it unique to the American reader. I wanted to give people a glimpse of the true experience of living on the island. The people were so welcoming when I first moved there with my family. They open their arms and embraced us like extended family. This book is a way that I can show my gratitude for that generosity.

AUTHORLINK: What did you do to learn about the various experiences that Lina went through to get her life back – with Dr. Robles, with AA, returning to service, etc.

JEREZ: Going through each of those moments with Lina in my head and conducting the research both online and in person with women who’d walked similar journeys reminded me of the immeasurable strength of women in uniform. Women, in general, navigate life amid so many competing priorities. Oftentimes, the traditional roles we play in families and relationships require such sacrifice and strength. When you add the emotional fortitude required to serve in the armed forces or in any type of law enforcement, the reality is that not just anybody can do it. It takes a special kind of strength, discipline, and courage. Still, these women are not invincible. They are not robots. They are human, and the very physiological makeup of a woman’s mind and body can sometimes work against her in these types of roles and environments. So, I learned how critical it is that there are resources and support groups and widespread messaging out there to help catch these women if they fall. I also learned how important it is to develop programs specific to women and the uniqueness of their world and their experiences.

AUTHORLINK: With all your achievements in the military and business, where did writing fiction come into your life?

JEREZ: It’s the truest, original passion in my life. I discovered books as soon as I learned to read, and I instantly fell in love. I was a second grader carrying a chapter book in my backpack every day. My mother understood and put a bookshelf in my room when I was seven and helped me fill it. I’ve always loved stories. Authors like R. L. Stine, Judy Blume, Francine Pascal, and Beverly Cleary paved a path of purpose for me. However, I was frozen for many years with a fear of failure. I was so driven to succeed that my early adulthood journey focused heavily on a traditional path of graduating from the university, joining the military, and eventually becoming a corporate executive. I worked hard, stayed focused, and achieved those dreams. And still I felt unfulfilled. That’s when I knew I could no longer hide from the dream I wanted most.

Finally, in 2022, I pushed past my fear of failure, sat at my desk, and told myself I would not give up until I made it all the way to the bookstore. No matter how long or how many attempts it took. I’m proud and thankful, it was only three years later. For many writers, it takes much longer.

AUTHORLINK: What do you hope people can get out of your book besides just enjoying a good story?

JEREZ: I hope they have a more tender understanding of a woman’s journey through military service and that no matter the political climate, the universal truth is that our brave men and women, who boldly raise their right hands and swear to protect our great nation, are the country’s greatest heroes.

I also hope they are intrigued by the beauty of Puerto Rico and its people. Whether this book inspires a trip to help support tourism and the island’s local economy, or they have a deeper appreciation and understanding of our country’s Caribbean commonwealth, the impact is a good one.

AUTHORLINK: What are you working on next?

JEREZ: When I began this journey, I didn’t set out to focus on my identity as a Latina. I only wanted to write good books. However, the universe appears to have put me on a unique path with a voice that can elevate and support my community. So I’ve decided to continue that trajectory, and I have two books in development, both focused on strong Latina protagonists. One is an FBI Cyber Thriller that takes the reader on a journey in and out of the virtual reality world. The other is another powerful story, similarly styled to At the Island’s Edge, about three generations of women who begin their journey in Cuba and are forced to face the realities of their country’s destructive evolution and the impacts it has on their relationship to one another.

About the Author: Cherisa I. Jerez, born in Florida and growing up in El Paso, is from a multicultural background – her New Yorker mother gave her Irish and Puerto Rican roots, while her Cuban immigrant father inspired her love of the Caribbean. These influences encouraged her to write about Latina and Latino characters. She joined the US Army Signal Corps in 2005 as a second lieutenant and after three years transitioned to the US Army Reserves where she attained the rank of Major in 2017. She earned a BS in accounting from the University of Texas at El Paso, an MBA from Webster University and a Doctorate in International Business from Liberty University. In addition to writing, she is the co-founder and vice president for Ashire Technologies and Services, Inc. She lives in Florida.