IN THE MIX:

You know those people who are always talking about the book they’re writing or at least a great idea for a book?

I have nothing against those people — good luck to them, but the fact that there are so many out there makes Mary Castillo that much more impressive.

Castillo was my reporter when I was a city editor for the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. When she would talk about the books she was writing you could tell it was just a matter of time with her.

The Costa Mesa resident just released her fifth book and her sixth book is in the editing process.

I had inside knowledge of her talent having read much of Castillo’s pre-edited work. I used to tell people she had this way of turning a phrase that made her writing interesting.

She wasn’t long for the job. It was a tough gig and her heart was somewhere else. It was in her novel writing and her husband.

Now the 32-year-old has added her 2-year-old William to her priorities.

Castillo started out studying screenwriting at USC but switched to novels when she realized she wanted to have more control over the whole story.

The screenwriter is too dependent on the director, cinematographer, etc.

Her books are fictional accounts of young women dealing with the typical travails of life — dating, careers, children and friendships.

Her first book, “Hot Tamara,” is a fun, dramatic tail of a young woman yearning to head off to college and not marry the man the family loves.

Her latest book, “Switchcraft,” focuses on two women, one living a life of freedom as a business owner and single woman, the other a new mom. Following a mystical experience, the two switch lives and learn a little about how green the grass really is.

I asked Castillo why her books typically have Latino characters and she gave me her very uncomplicated answer.

“I’ve always written what I knew,” she said.

One of the first screenplays she wrote at USC had a missing person’s detective as the lead character. She said the detective and her husband were Latino and the other characters were others who were familiar to her.

Her professor told her because not many actresses in Hollywood at the time were Latino, she would be better off making the characters “neutral.”

She never made that change in her school work or her published novels. Now her books are available at bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders.

I met up with Castillo at a book signing at Caracas, a Mexican-themed shop in Santa Ana. She discussed her books and writing in general with a small group of women at the store.

It’s obvious writing books is what Castillo is happy doing. She said financially it isn’t quite enough to support her and her husband (he is studying screenwriting now), but the work is what they both wanted to do.

“I don’t drive a really cool car,” she said.

But she said when she thinks about having published five books, it puts things in perspective for her.

“I’ve done something most people will never do even once,” she said.

She also freelance writes for publications like Tu Ciudad Los Angeles and maintains a blog on her website. She and a few other authors have created a blog tour of Halloween stories. Links to the stories, which began Saturday, can be found at marycastillo.com.

Also on her website are the dates and locations for her upcoming appearances.

Castillo has worked hard for what she wanted and is in the midst of reaping the rewards. I always tell my students and my children that the best way to achieve your goals is to not give up.

Castillo is a great example I’m happy to write about.

ALICIA LOPEZ teaches journalism at Orange Coast College and lives in Costa Mesa. She can be reached at [email protected].