Our Someone 2 Know, Xiomara Rodriguez, was born and raised in Puerto Rico and came to the mainland in her twenties while working for the United States Armed Forces. 

About 23 years ago she moved to Reno and co-founded Tu Casa Latina, a non-profit helping victims of domestic violence. Now 70 years old - she recently accomplished something she's dreamt of since she was nine years old - she published her first book.

We met up with the new author at her Reno home, where her keyboard sits prominently – always ready for when inspiration strikes.

Rodriguez says she is happy to spend her days lost in the creation of a story.

"When things start coming to my brain, I get on my computer, I just type and type and type and type..." 

Rodriguez says the storyline for her recently published book - her first - literally woke her up in the middle of the night. "At three o'clock in the morning. I was asleep and then the idea popped into my mind about two twin sisters that did not know they were twin sisters."

The fictional sisters are Jane Sparks and Fran Morris. The book is called "How Can It Be?" - a quick moving modern-day mystery novel.

"And how they have to figure out what happened and how they were separated at birth."

There is another mystery, as well - a crime.

"And they have to figure out how to solve that crime together with one of them being a FBI agent and one of them being local PD."

Investigating crime is something Xiomara knows all too well - framed on the wall, she shows us mementos from her time in the Coast Guard.

"This on top is my original badge and credentials."

Rodriguez served in the US Coast Guard for 20 years; half that time as a special agent with the Guard's Investigative Service. The first Hispanic female on the unit - and fully bilingual - Rodriguez spent much of her time working undercover.

She recalls a time at a bar, while surveilling suspects, she pretended to not understand English. “I said (in Spanish) 'Yo no hablo ingles. Yo sinceramente no hablo nada de inglés. Que es lo que ustedes quieren?' While I was listening to the English portion of it and I was able to go back and say - this is what's happening."

Besides a career, Xiomara says The Guard gave her David - her beloved husband of nearly 40 years. The two met while both were enlisted. 

As for the writing, over the years, some of Rodriguez's short stories and poems appeared in collections and magazines. Now in her seventh decade of life, she's seeing her first book in print.

"There's no matter how old you are, your dreams could come true as long as you continue to dream."

###

"How Could It Be?" is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble - in print and as an e-book. Xiomara says it's a fast-paced mystery crime novel - and a quick read. 

The follow up book-two is already finished and - and number three is being written as we speak.

Links here –

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-could-it-be-xiomara-rodriguez/1140995244

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/How-Could-Be-Xiomara-Rodriguez/dp/1639373373