Book Title: MISLED
Character Name: Victoria Barrón - Protagonist of MISLED - Age 30
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
As the only child of my parents, Joaquin and Estima Barrón, growing up in the beautiful Mexican city of Chihuahua, I had an idyllic childhood. My father was the manager of a soda bottling plant, and my mother, a housewife. I loved school, and my little dog, Panchito. But that all changed one terrible night, and afterwards, I went to live in El Paso with my uncle and aunt.
What was your greatest talent?
My uncle Elias would say it’s my curiosity, but I am most proud of being able to think on my feet. As an immigration attorney, it’s practically a job requirement.
Significant other?
Hmmm, can we talk about something - anything else? No? In that case, I’m seeing Robert Chilton, general counsel for a large local manufacturer. I knew him in college when all he cared about was tennis. In those days he always seemed to always have a different girl on his arm. But the thing that irritated me the most is that there is not a shred of scandal in his deep-rooted, respectable El Paso family, which I find hard to believe because aren’t we all hiding something? Anyway, we ran into each other a couple of months ago, and (sigh…) he’d changed. Grown up. I worry that falling for him the way I have will jeopardize my work, but when he puts his arms around me and calls me “darlin”, I am utterly powerless. There’s a sultry power behind those denim blue eyes.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
So, if I didn’t make it clear before, I’m a total chickenshit when it comes to relationships. I’m not good at sharing, at revealing the past, which makes intimacy difficult and often impossible. Working the hours I do keeps things simple, at least it did until Robert came into my life.
Where do you live?
In El Paso, Texas.
Do you have any enemies?
Because of the work I do, I’ve gotten on the wrong side of coyotes (human traffickers), smugglers, I know for a fact, there are a few attorneys in town who wish I would go away.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
El Paso is not a beautiful city, and compared to most U.S. cities, it’s very poor, but it is an old city with so much history. I love the desert; the dry air makes for spectacular sunsets. I always wonder if I stay here because it was the last place I was with my parents.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
Neither. Sad to say that with m work schedule, I can hardly keep a plant alive, but being with Robert has made me wonder if some day…
What do you do for a living?
I’m an immigration attorney. I know it’s not as glamorous as other fields of law, but I didn’t choose it, it chose me, and I’ve never looked back.
Greatest disappointment?
I wonder what my life would have been like had I not lost my parents. I’d like to break free of the guilt I carry, it’s consumed enough of me, but it’s not as easy as you might think. After all, I was the one responsible for what happened that day.
Greatest source of joy?
There are two large, framed bulletin boards along the hallway of the Center for Help, the name I gave my practice. The boards are filled with photos of young men and women wearing fast-food uniforms and big smiles. Of people, right hands raised, faces proud as they take their Oath of Allegiance. Of families re-united and working hard for a life they could not dreamed of had they not come here. At Christmas time, bags of tamales and cookies are delivered to my office. My bottom line might not be impressive, the work I do, the lives we change, are worth far more than any paycheck.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
Fun? Sometimes on Saturdays, I go hiking or take a yoga class. Truthfully, my schedule doesn’t leave much time for it
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
Okay, I’ll admit it. I have trouble keeping within the confines of the attorney/client relationship. It’s gotten me into some real jams, but I can’t help it. I also can’t keep my mouth shut, which also gets me in trouble.
What keeps you awake at night?
Worrying about my clients. Children without parents, young women at such risk even when a ruling goes their way. I worry about my practice, whether I can put another payroll on my credit card. I worry that Robert will find out about that I was responsible for my parent’s death and leave me.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
I have a young client who claims to be an Egyptian queen from the year 2181 B.C. No one seems to be looking for her and while I thought she was crazy, but the more time I spend with her (rather than turn her over to the authorities, I brought her home with me) I think she may be telling the truth. She’s dead set on returning to her time in history, and as much as I want to help her, I have no idea how.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
I want to know the truth about that night along the banks of the muddy Rio Grande. Why were my parents there at all? Did they have any idea of awful risks? Why was Mamá placed in a maximum-security prison where she died. I need answers, but there are only questions.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
I was eight when I lost my parents, my memories of that night are those of a terrified child. Trust me, I’ve looked into it, I even carry Mamá’s arrest report in my briefcase. Papi’s murder was labeled an ‘extrajudicial killing” It happened on the Mexican side of the river, and with no relatives, no one that I can remember to reach out to, the Mexican authorities have made it impossible to learn the truth. For now.
The Victoria Barrón Series #2
A LETTER
When a mysterious letter arrives, immigration attorney Victoria Barrón is pulled back to Mexico—a land she vowed never to revisit—twenty-five years after tragedy left her an orphan. The letter hints at a dying relative in the colonial city of Zacatecas, and despite old wounds, Victoria can’t ignore the call.
A DISAPPEARNCE
But what begins as a family reunion quickly unravels into a dangerous game. Her grandmother, Antonella Duarte, vanishes under suspicious circumstances, and a cryptic ransom demands an ancient Aztec artifact for her return. With her estranged cousin, Eduardo, by her side, Victoria dives into a treacherous hunt through forgotten crypts, cursed relics, and the secrets of their bloodline. But they’re not alone in the search—Grupo Royal, descendants of Aztec royalty, are willing to kill for the artifact and the power it protects.
A PAST THAT REFUSES TO DIE
As the stakes rise and allies fall, Victoria finds herself entangled in a legacy far older—and deadlier—than she ever imagined. Every clue uncovers a deeper deception, forcing her to question who she can trust… and how far she’s willing to go to save the only family she has left.
Misled is a gripping archaeological thriller where loyalty is fragile, history is a weapon, and the truth is more dangerous than any lie.
Thriller [ Buena Suerte Productions, On Sale: March 25, 2026, e-Book, / ]
S.L. Hulen, the S. is for Sylvia, is a multi-award-winning author whose debut novel, Misplaced, an archaeological thriller set in the mysterious American Southwest is the first in the Victoria Barrón series. Originally from El Paso, she now resides in Phoenix where the rich history, flavors, and soul of the southwest and Mexico continue to inspire her.
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