Meet Pedro | Author & Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Pedro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pedro, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
In my country, Peru, I studied law, and one of the reasons I left 23 years ago was because it was clear to me that my true calling was literature. Despite the stability and prestige that a legal career might offer, I felt a deep, undeniable pull toward storytelling, language, and the world of books. That’s how I ended up studying Literature here in Miami, at Florida International University.

The relationship with the arts is highly dependent on oneself. If you truly have the calling, you won’t be able to live in peace without dedicating yourself to it. It’s not that I don’t know how to do anything else to make a living—on the contrary, I have a 9-to-5 job that has nothing to do with art, as I am a Business Intelligence Scientist Certified. Working in data analytics allows me to engage with logic, patterns, and structure, but it doesn’t replace the creative fire that fuels me.

Literature is not just a profession or a hobby for me; it’s an intrinsic part of who I am. Writing is how I interpret the world, process emotions, and engage with the complexities of human nature. Reading, editing, and crafting stories are not optional pastimes but necessary practices that give my life meaning. The worlds I create in my novels allow me to explore themes that intrigue me—justice, morality, and the gray areas of human existence.

Ultimately, the pursuit of literature is not about external validation but about fulfilling an inner need. Even if I had never published a single book, I would still be writing. Because, at the end of the day, literature is not just something I do—it’s who I am.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I write in Spanish because it is my native language. Only two of my books have been translated into English, and if there is something that distinguishes my literature, it is that my books are a reflection of the city—of South Beach, Little Havana, Kendall, etc. They capture both the good and the not-so-good sides of these places.

I have published nine books, four of which form a crime saga featuring a Latin American detective, *El Comanche*, who navigates Miami’s underworld. These stories depict the real, marginal Miami, but from a Latino perspective—something that has rarely been written about in Spanish.

Another one of my books is called *Tour: Una vuelta por la cultura popular de Miami*. It is the first—and so far, the only—book of chronicles and essays that tells the city’s history from a pop culture perspective.

My two books translated into English are Comanche, P.I. and Tour: A Journey Through Miami’s Pop Culture. Even though Miami is a city where Spanish is widely spoken, making a name for myself as a Spanish-language writer in a country where English is the official language has been incredibly challenging. I believe one of my greatest achievements in this long journey has been having an English-language publishing house take an interest in my work and translate my books, giving my stories access to a whole new audience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I always receive visitors from my home country, and rather than taking them to restaurants and bars, I prefer to give them a tour of the city’s most historic places. A visit to **Coconut Grove** is a must, so they can see Miami’s oldest neighborhood. I also take them to **Miami Beach** to tell them the story of how **Carl M. Fisher** built the city from nothing.

Another key stop is **Coral Gables**, where I introduce them to the history of **George E. Merrick** and his vision for the city’s urban development. Of course, no tour would be complete without a walk through **Little Havana**, where I explain the profound legacy of the Cuban community in Miami.

I take them to **Vizcaya Museum & Gardens**, a stunning reminder of Miami’s past, and to **Opa-locka**, so they can see how Miami has a city inspired by *One Thousand and One Nights* and witness the remnants of its once-impressive Moorish architecture.

Miami’s **history** needs to be showcased—not just its restaurants.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife, Elizabeth, has been and continues to be fundamental in everything I do. Literature is a craft that requires a great deal of isolation for a writer to create and bring stories to life, and she has always understood that. She gives me the space I need to write, never making me feel guilty for the long hours I spend immersed in my work. More than that, she is the first to support me whenever I embark on a new book, even though it often means sacrificing time we could spend together as a family.

Beyond her patience and understanding, Elizabeth has been my rock during moments of frustration—because, as every writer knows, there are times when stories don’t flow, when characters resist coming to life, or when the weight of self-doubt threatens to derail the creative process. In those moments, when I am ready to set everything aside, it is she who encourages me to keep going, reminding me why I chose this path in the first place.

Her belief in me is unwavering. And when the moment finally arrives—when the book is finished, when it is time to share it with the world—she is the first person seated at the book launch, proud, beaming, as if every word I wrote was as much hers as it was mine. Because in many ways, it is. Without her, none of this would be possible

Website: https://www.pedromedinaleon.com

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Linkedin: Pedro Medina Leon

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