The Ordinary Bruja: Marisol’s Story
Johanny Ortega
(Las Cerradoras, #1)
Publication date: November 1st 2025
Genres: Adult, Horror, Magical Realism, Psychological

The Ordinary Bruja is a haunting and heartfelt coming-of-age novel wrapped in Dominican magical realism and psychological horror.

Marisol Espinal doesn’t believe she’s special. Not when she’s back in her small Ohio hometown, working as a barista, haunted by grief and the girls who once made her life hell. But when mirrors flicker with strange words, cigar smoke curls where no one is smoking, and voices whisper from Hallowthorn Hill, she realizes something darker has always been watching.

The Espinal family magic was buried generations ago-forced into silence by Salvador, the ancestor who bound their power for himself. Now his ghost feeds on fear and doubt, and Marisol is his next target. To survive, she must reclaim her heritage, unearth the truth hidden in her mother’s journal, and face the hill that has been waiting for her all along.

Atmospheric and emotionally charged, The Ordinary Bruja blends generational trauma, identity reclamation, and queer love with a creeping sense of dread. Perfect for fans of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina and Mexican Gothic, this novel asks: What does it cost to embrace every part of yourself-even the parts the world taught you to bury?

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“Ten months since she had dropped out and came home, to the place she promised herself she’d never return to. She was bad at keeping promises. That was for sure.”

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PRAISE for The Ordinary Bruja

“There is spirituality, magic, ghosts, there is plenty of love, there is loss; and above all there is familia, both genetic and of choice.”

“…An impactful horror story that blew me away.”

“This book . . . pushed me to confront my own assumptions about history.”

“You can absolutely feel the anguish Marisol feels at the loss of her mother.”

“I absolutely enjoyed “The Ordinary Bruja”. It was a perfect mix between horror (with a slight humor – thank you early Marisol and her “nope” moments + Kia) and a story that shows you that you need to find your own way, even if everything is pushing you down.”

Excerpt: A Mirror Moment

She reached out with trembling fingers, letting her hand rest on the center of the stone.

A chill shot up her spine. The room dimmed.

Outside, a sudden gust rattled the window. The journal pages fluttered violently, as if caught in a breeze she couldn’t feel.

Then, a shimmer. A mirror surfaced with names inscribed.

But it wasn’t a regular mirror because it wasn’t made of glass. It was reflective in the same way one can see their reflection on still water. But this was more.

In it, Marisol saw herself at age five, twirling in Mamá Belén’s garden. Then, older, curled under the covers, sobbing after Mami’s funeral. Then, at the café, her hands shaking as she lied to Kia.

Then, the image changed. She saw herself now. Jaw tight, shoulders slumped. Ordinary. Afraid.

Then, one more reflection.

A version of herself standing tall. Eyes sharp. Hair wild and free. A Bruja going up the hill.

Marisol gritted her teeth against the rise of panic. She wanted to run. To unsee everything. To go back to thinking she was just someone grieving for her mom and making lattes. Not someone tethered to a war that began long before she was born.

This was too much.

She wasn’t ready.

“I see you,” the image of herself told her.

Marisol broke. Her knees gave out, and she slumped forward, shoulders heaving. Tears poured freely now, not from fear alone, but from the weight of everything she had been holding in—every doubt, every time she told herself she wasn’t enough. Every moment, she longed to be more than ordinary and was terrified of what that might mean.

She curled forward until her forehead met the floor, her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to hold all the shattered pieces in. The cold wood pressed against her skin, grounding her. She stayed there, breath stuttering, until the worst of it passed. Slowly, her fingers loosened, and her chest stopped seizing with sobs.

Maybe being ordinary wasn’t a curse. Maybe that was the point.

An ordinary girl. An ordinary bruja. Still standing. Still fighting.

Author Bio:

Johanny Ortega is a Dominican American author who writes across genres—blending psychological horror, literary fiction, magical realism, and thrillers that punch you right in the gut. Whether writing about haunted hills, generational trauma, or the quiet unraveling of everyday life, her stories center marginalized voices, morally complex women, and the messy truth about survival.

She is the founder of Have a Cup of Johanny, a creative platform where she blogs, podcasts, and advocates for inclusive storytelling. Her award-winning middle-grade and adult fiction has resonated with readers who crave depth, grit, and emotional honesty.

When she’s not writing, she’s raising kids in a blended military family, reading books that wreck her soul in the best way, and saying what others are afraid to.

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