Author Johanny Ortega weaves her Dominican roots, love of classical music, and fascination with the supernatural into stories that explore identity, heritage, and the complexities of family. Her upcoming novel, The Ordinary Bruja—releasing November 4, 2025—invites readers into a world of dark magic and self-discovery, where one woman must face the haunting legacy of her ancestors. In this interview, Ortega shares how her grandmother’s influence shaped her storytelling, why representation remains central to her work, and how she balances creativity with the realities of indie publishing.
Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, and my grandmother raised me. She was a big advocate of literature and education. She believed that it was a way out of poverty. While I resisted at first, once I got a hand on reading, it opened a whole new world for me, and I hadn’t left that world ever since. My grandmother was not an author, but she influences tremendously what I write about and how I write. I proudly represent my background in my book as an ode to her and my beginnings.
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