ISBN 1-931010-03-X
192 pp. | paper only 
$15.00

a novel by Rick Rivera

Stars Always Shine depicts the bonds that gradually develop between two memorable characters of vastly different social, political, and spiritual backgrounds. Plácido Moreno, a Mexican American, and Salvador Campos, an undocumented immigrant, live on StarRidge Ranch in California, which is owned by others but managed by Plàcido's wife, Michelle, a burned-out lawyer who feels her true calling is ranch life. As Plàcido and Salvador get to know each other, they become aware of their similarities and shared Mexican culture as well as the differences between them shaped by their backgrounds on opposite sides of the border. All the characters, animal and human, experience the rhythms of life as their ways and beliefs clash, sometimes humorously and at other times with profound sadness.

Rick Rivera's first novel, A Fabricated Mexican, was published by Arte Público Press in 1995. He has worked as an associate editor for Puerto del Sol at New Mexico State University. He currently lives in California and teaches literature, composition, and creative writing at a community college.