Born in Venezuela, María Paulina Camejo immigrated to the U.S. in 2011 after her father was imprisoned during the Chávez regime. Camejo, 26, is a member of a generation of Latin-American writers whose works transcend borders: her novels are set in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. She has been influenced more by Little Women and Harry Potter than by the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez. Both her novels—Beatriz decidió no casarse (Beatriz decided not to wed) and Los complicados amores de las hermanas Valverde (The complicated loves of the Valverde sisters)—were published by HarperCollins Español March 21, and Camejo is set to appear at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Fla., April 13. PW caught up with Camejo in Miami.

Los complicados amores de las hermanas Valverde is a contemporary novel that narrates the love stories of three sisters. Is there a bit of Little Women in this book?

Absolutely! Julia, the oldest sister, a devoted Catholic, and the most religious of the three sisters falls in love with an atheist. The middle sister, Cristina, thinks that being in a relationship is like being in jail—that is, of course until she falls in love with a political prisoner. Through Cristina’s relationship I delve into what families of political prisoners in Venezuela go through. Luna, the youngest sister, is still in high school and falls in love with her nerdy math tutor. The book is really about how love shows up at the time and place we least expect it, and it can become so complicated that, quite possibly, that is what makes it so marvelous.

Who is the main readership for your novels?

Mostly women in their 20s—they identify with the characters. Beatriz [in the first book, Beatriz decidió no casarse] is 45, but she chose her career over Santos when she was in her early 20s. Many young women are having to make those same decisions today: focus on career or marriage and start a family. The Valverde sisters are between 16 and 22, and their love stories are each unique and yet the same, as they all fall in love with the least likely of men. Young women will see themselves in these stories, and the complexity and the beauty of being in love.

Your novels almost read like a movie script. Is that intentional?

Yes, because I love writing dialogue—it makes me laugh, especially the lines I write for men. Most of my male characters are based on men I know, so I have fun with that. My readers also enjoy it; they feel they are part of a conversation, they feel as if they are having a conversation with their best friends about their love lives. My books are about love, they are easy to read, and they are funny. I want readers to enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.