Thank you for visiting my web and spending your time with me. Here you will find my opinions about some social matters (araanton.blogspot.com) and the inspirations for my novels, drawn from experiences, obsessions and the incomprehensible interest for some specific times in history.
I was born and live in León, seat of the ancient Kingdom of León were Spain emerges, from the laden of the men and women engaged in the liberation of their lands and to boost their culture. Here I carried out as a teacher, which I left to entirely dedicate to historical investigation and novel writing.

The Veil & The Only Gatway

As I sat around the table chatting with my daughters, near the Basilica of Saint Isidoro, trying to explain to them that the fact of being a woman would not close them any doors if they knew how to get on with life; I then remembered that Urraca, the Infanta of León, sister of Alphonso VI, Imperator totius Hispaniae, even from behind scenes knew how to impose her will, and with time it has been proven that her decisions were the most convenient for the kingdom. It was at that moment that I realised I had to write about her, as an exponent of the capacities of feminine power, which even a veil, was unable to cover or overturn.
The investigation about her life, lead me to discover fascinating characters like her father, Ferdinard I, king of León, or her mother Sancha, who just as Urraca would later do, participated in the major discussions that the government of the Kingdom had to make.
What at first was supposed to be a small story turned up more than four hundred pages, which had to be divided by into two books, The Veil and The Only Gateway. That way I could present the first book to the narrative contest “Camilo José Cela de la Diputación de Guadalajara” and that was how I obtained my first literary acknowledgement.
The Veil winner of the the narrative contest Camilo José Cela de la Diputación de Guadalajara 1997.

Legends of Love & Death

That’s the way the relations have always been between these two lands, Castile and León. United and separated on numerous occasions along the times, engaged in the bloodiest of conflicts and then swear a never ending friendship against a common enemy.
I wanted to give an idea about their soul recreating old legends from each side. I have to confess that my favourites are those that refer to the kingdom of León.

The sources of life

This novel is set in an old spa, where the building still stands in Boñar, a village in the mountain range of León. The natural hot mineral water, considered practically supernatural with the studies that were made at the time; still flow on the surroundings as it did in Roman times, but nowadays nobody gives it the value that it always had had. It was the carelessness and the abandonment that surrounds the area, where grief and hope can still be sensed. This took me to write with today’s eyes and the thoughts of the past. With this novel I obtained the first prize of the narrative contest of the city of Majadahonda. 2003.

Winged backs

An Augustine priest, Father Luis Estrada, my late friend, one day suggested me a theme that scared me at first, but I accepted the challenge that represented to write about Saint Augustine in a painlessly manner, so it could be read by anyone who did not know his life and work.
So a new book on Augustine was born, in a complicated society, which was already suffering the fall of the Roman Empire. Whilst I investigated the period it appeared to me dramatically similar to our moment in time.

Astures, the last bastion against Rome

This book recreates the customs of the Pre-Romanic celtic tribes that lived on the banks of the Astura, our now called river Esla. Because of their fierce determination for liberty, they complicated the Roman conquest of Hispania, up to the point that Augustus had to assume the command of the invasion.
The Cantabri and Astures people, and not others, were the last to surrender to the Romans. My aim was to rescue these memories, from the factual history, recalling the events into a novel, because it looks like there are interests to forget or fade them away.

Un pueblo sin tele ni tele (Narrativa Infantil y Juvenil)

Faced with the sadness of are rural depopulation and with the lack of principles like equality, toleration and generosity… this story is brought to life about two city youngsters, whom against their will are obliged to pass sometime in a small village. There the most unexpected arises and they find themselves immersed in the strangest adventures, led by two companions who seem to know very well the mysteries of the village. The dreaded stay far from the city and their usual entertainments will give way to the experience of a magical summer.
Moreover, against all modern tendencies and just as the myths, legends and the stories of our elders this book wants to give sense to the environment and teach the young readers something that can help them integrate into a society which everytime is more dehumanized and demanding.