Jonny Garza Villa (they/them)

Jonny Garza Villa is a product of the great state of Texas, a Sagittarius sun and Capricorn everything else. They consider themself a former, very bad, baseball player and former, pretty good, drag queen. They is an award-winning author of contemporary romances including, in young adult, the International Latino Book Award winner "Ander & Santi Were Here" and the Stonewall Book Award winner for "Canto Contigo." "Futbolista" is their new adult debut novel. They live in San Antonio, Texas.

Awards: Pura Belpré Award, Stonewall Book Award, International Latino Book Award, Publishing Triangle Jacqueline Woodson Award for LGBTQ+ YA Literature

Communities: LGBTQ+, Gender Nonconforming, Hispanic or Latinx, Neurodivergent

Why Not Both? Writing Romance for Teens and Adults

What's it like to switch from writing romance for one age group to another (and sometimes go back and forth)? Today, three romance authors who got their start writing for young adults will discuss the difference between writing for Y.A. and adult audiences ... and the best parts about each side of the coin.

Koffler Room 216 (Seats 89, Wheelchair accessible)  
Sat, Mar 14, 11:30 am - 12:25 pm
Romance
Signing area: Sales & Signing Koffler/Commons (following presentation)

Panelists: Jonny Garza Villa, Adib Khorram, Sonido Reyes
Moderator: Hannah Gomez
Sponsors: Session made possible courtesy of Research Corporation for Science Advancement, Sundt Construction, Inc.

¡Ay, Amor!: Latinxs in Love

Love comes in all shapes, sizes and colors, just like the books by these panelists! Love is messy, love is beautiful, love is funny, love is daring, and these writers capture love in all its full, chaotic glory. Get ready to fall head over heels for their compelling stories and characters.

Nuestras Raíces Stage (Seats 150)  
Sat, Mar 14, 4:00 pm - 4:55 pm
Multigenre
Signing area: Pima County Public Library/Nuestras Raíces/Craft Tent & Signing Area (following presentation)  

Panelists: Jaclyn Rodriguez, Jonny Garza Villa, Alejandro Varela
Moderator: Liana De La Rosa
Sponsor: Session made possible courtesy of Pima County Public Library

Don't Want You to Want Me

Forbidden love, amirite? Whether it's because of timing, personality, or circumstances, that crush you can't help can always leave us wary. These authors talk about putting their characters through the wringer, and how much fun it is to torture them.

Student Union Kachina (Seats 100)  
Sun, Mar 15, 1:00 pm - 1:55 pm
Romance
Signing area: UA Campus Store Book Sales (Mall) (following presentation)  

Panelists: Jonny Garza Villa, Ali Rosen, JL Seegars
Moderator: Bethany Demott
Sponsor: Session made possible courtesy of Bourn Companies

Books:

Futbolista

Romance
Levine Querido
March 2025
ISBN 9781646145096
400 pages
Buy now

Canto Contigo

A Novel
Teen
St. Martin's Publishing Group
April 2024
ISBN 9781250875754
338 pages
Buy now