Like many other Cuban Americans, author Alex Segura speaks and writes in English, the language in which he has published his most recent novel, 'Secret Identity', where he combines the detective genre with comics, his passion since he was a kid.

However, what this 42-year-old Miami-born author would most like to see his books published in Spanish, the language of his community. 

"I think there are many talented Latino writers, especially writers of (crime novels), who would become even greater with widespread translations of their work to Spanish-speaking countries," he said in an interview with Efe coinciding with the publication of his latest novel. 

'Secret Identity' is a noir novel starring Carmen Valdez, an administrative assistant of Latino origin who longs to be a comic book writer and achieves her ambition when a colleague asks her for help in conceiving a new character and script for his comic book. When her friend is murdered and the comic book story idea appears under her name, Carmen will find herself embroiled in a dangerous intrigue, exploring the gritty streets and alleys of 1970s New York City as well as the darker underbelly of the comic book publishing world.

"When I was a kid and a young reader, I never saw characters like me in leading roles-Cuban American or Latino. They were sidekicks, villains or just comic relief. On the few occasions I did see it, I really felt connected to the story," Segura said in the interview.

Segura is the author of a saga of seven crime novels set in Miami with titles such as "Bad Beat," "Silent City" and "Blackout" and with detective Pete Fernandez as the central character. However, none of them have been published in Spanish. 

"I wanted to show (...) that a private detective didn't have to be a white ex-cop to be compelling. The diversity of stories, characters and themes is good and gives readers other points of view and experiences from which to gain perspective," he added.

Segura defines himself as bilingual, as do most of his friends and family, a fact that defines their identity as Cuban Americans. "I would feel false if my were not," he commented.