I hope you'll take a moment to check out my new Web site: www.davidpereda.com. Some of the new features include a photo gallery with pictures from my trip to Barcelona, excerpts and reviews of my three books and a trivia quiz.

My trip to Barcelona was unforgettable. The journey actually began with my grandparents, born in the northern mountains of Spain near the end of the 19th century. They had 12 children; my father was the oldest. Due to the Spanish Civil War, poverty and wanderlust, all the children eventually left home. Some migrated to Barcelona, others to Argentina. My father migrated to Cuba where he met and married my mother, and I was born.
For years, the Spanish and the Cuban branches of the family were separated. Occasionally, a letter arrived at our home and a letter was sent back. As time passed, my grandfather and my father, who had moved to the United States, died as did all his brothers -- except for one.
New generations of Peredas were born. While I pursued an international career, my children complained that they knew nothing about our family in Spain. My oldest daughter, Shelley, and my son-in-law, Ferris, made a concerted effort to find our relatives this year. Imagine our surprise when we discovered they had been looking for us for the last 35 years!
Late last month I went to Barcelona with my wife and two of my daughters to meet the family I never knew. Talk about an emotional reunion. To be able to meet 27 relatives for the first time and to feel part of the same family was extraordinary. As we dined at the family-owned restaurant on the Barceloneta overlooking the sea, I commented that it was like we had known each other all our lives. Cousin Jorge responded, “We have known each other all our lives, David, we just didn’t know it.”
The visit is forever etched in my mind: my father’s only living brother watching me with a big smile on his face, murmuring “Nephew;” the tears flowing from Cousin Elena’s eyes when she saw us for the first time; Cousin Tino, with a heart bigger than the storied Cid Campeador's, preparing exquisite meals at his restaurant.
What a loving and giving family!.God bless all of them! I’m so proud and feel so honored to belong to such a family.

Pictured above: Me and my daughter Emily at the entrance of Gaudi's Parque Guell.

I love success stories. That's one of the reasons I enjoy working with Faddeli Viloria, my friend and the editor of "Pasajero" magazine. Faddeli is a smart, young woman with a dream: To make "Pasajero" the best magazine of its kind -- and she's doing it!
You can read the online version, filled with colorful, exotic pictures and interesting articles, at www.pasajeromagazine.com.
I love people who believe in dreams and do something about it. Send me your success story so that I can rejoice with you.

Look for more EVENTS in next month's newsletter. During my holiday break, you can order my books through my Web site, which now includes excerpts and reviews.

BOOK READINGS and SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS. To schedule a book reading and signing or speaking engagement for your group, contact my publicist, Doris, at 407-797-9393 or dorisbloods@earthlink.net. Thank you.