Now available everywhere!
CANDLELIGHT BRIDGE, A Novel
“In this stirring family saga set primarily in El Paso during the early 20th century, a multicultural family overcomes prejudice and adversity, but still struggles to remain intact.”
—Latino Book Review, Starred Review
“A deftly crafted, impressively original, and inherently interesting read from start to finish…”
—Midwest Book Review, Starred Review
“Many subplots contain surprising twists and turns right up to a cluster of life-changing decisions at the very end.”
—Historical Novel Society, Starred Review
Cara, The Author
Cara Lopez Lee is the author of the critically acclaimed 2024 novel, Candlelight Bridge (FlowerSong Press), and the memoir, They Only Eat Their Husbands (Bower House Books). Her writing appears in such publications as Rivet, The Manifest-Station, and Writer’s Digest. She’s passionate about traveling, swing dancing, and binging stories of all kinds—novel, memoir, film, TV, live storytelling, and more. She and her husband live in Ventura, California, where they enjoy tending their Certified Wildlife Habitat full of hummingbirds, bees, and monarch butterflies.
Now Available!
Candlelight Bridge, A Novel
In 1910, Candelaria Rivera and Yankee Wong flee a rising storm of revolution and loss in their far-flung countries of Mexico and China. Their two stories collide in America’s borderlands. Candlelight Bridge is not a romance but a tale of grudging partners struggling to survive the American Dream.
Praise for Candlelight Bridge
—Eleanor Parker Sapia, multi-award-winning author of A Decent Woman, a Novel
—Erika Krouse, author of Tell Me Everything
—Lisa Brackmann, NYT best-selling author of Rock Paper Tiger
Cara, The Storyteller
“Telling true personal stories is the most powerful force for good I’ve found. The more we share our stories, the more we recognize our common humanity, the beauty in our differences, and the community we all yearn for.” —Cara Lopez Lee
Cara is a winner of The Moth StorySLAM, and is featured in many true personal storytelling shows, including Risk, Tell It, and Strong Words. You’ll find her most anticipated shows on her Events Page, but to keep up with all her events, please follow @CaraLopezLee on Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter.
Blog
Cara’s Storytelling Videos, Published Writing, and Thoughts
L.A. Freeway Fail – Cara Live at The Moth StorySLAM
I grew up in Los Angeles, so I was sure that driving was in my blood. It was not. This became ridiculously clear one long and scary night in L.A. I shared this story at The Moth StorySLAM, in the city where it all went down:
Events
2025
Monday, January 13 – 8:00 p.m.
Cancelled due to the tragic ongoing fires in Los Angeles
Rant & Rave: ICE
Rogue Machine Theatre
7657 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
Rant & Rave isn’t as much a storytelling night as it is six writer-performers delivering a series of funny, freaky, or fraught emotional gut punches all centered around one topic. For this episode, we’ll all be sharing our personal rants, raves and/or confessions on the subject of Ice.
Roar Shack – Reading Series
The Echo Park Time Travel Mart
1714 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
Free Event
Novelist David Rocklin has been hosting this beloved L.A. series for 12 years. Each event features several writers in multiple genres, from up-and-coming to long-established authors. This communal celebration of self-expression includes a write-off between two audience members—the winner reads at the next Roar Shack, which takes place the third Sunday of most months.
Contact
You can contact me at cara@caralopezlee.com or use the button below.
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