Book 1 - Uncle Ale's Magical Adventures
by Alejandro Torres De la Rocha
IMALIVE: Book 1 – The Midnight Birthday Surprise
By Alejandro Torres De la Rocha
When imagination comes alive… everything changes.
Jesús has just turned eight, and all he wanted was for his favorite uncle, Uncle Ale, to be there for his birthday. But Uncle Ale lives far away, across the Atlantic, in Spain. When the phone rings, Jesús’s heart sinks. Just a call? No hug, no visit, no magic. Disappointed, he mutters, “My uncle is an ogre.”
He has no idea how right he is.
Fueled by love and guilt, Uncle Ale does turn into an ogre—towering, green, and unstoppable. His footsteps shake Spain, his heart thunders with devotion, and his journey across the ocean becomes a roaring testament to what love—and imagination—can do. Through storms and lightning, Uncle Ale swims toward his nephew’s house to prove that when you love someone enough, no distance is too great.
But when he finally arrives at midnight—with a glowing cake and two shimmering birthday capes—something magical awakens. The cake sparkles, the night breathes, and Jesús begins to feel it too: imagination as a living force.
Guided by his uncle, Jesús learns the secret that will define the entire IMALIVE saga:
👉 “You can do anything you want, if you can imagine it.”
That night, Jesús discovers his first magical power—transformation. His uncle shows him how imagination shapes reality, transforming an ogre into a frog and a wish into a world. And as Jesús promises to teach his little brother Javier someday, a legacy begins—one that will echo through generations, reminding each child that imagination isn’t pretend… It’s power.
What Is IMALIVE?
IMALIVE is more than a story. It’s a philosophy.
It comes from Imagination + Live — and from the declaration “I Am Alive.”
In this universe, there are three kinds of people:
🌟 Magi — dreamers who create worlds from imagination.
⚙️ Logi — thinkers who ground those dreams into reality.
👤 Regs — regulars who lose sight of wonder and settle for existing.
Everyone begins as a Magi. Some grow into Logi. Most forget and become Regs.
The challenge of life—childhood to adulthood—is whether you’ll keep your imagination alive before it fades forever.
The IMALIVE Saga
Book 1 is where it all begins: with one birthday, one promise, and one act of love that ignites the magic.
As the series grows, Jesús, Javier, the Wonder Twins, and Uncle Ale will face playful sprites, dream thieves, and even the terrifying Reality Enforcers—forces determined to erase imagination from the world.
Because imagination isn’t childish.
It’s the only thing that keeps us human and has the power to change the world!
Untangling wild thoughts into amazing stories.
Alejandro Torres De la Rocha is a Dominican-born and raised writer, trainer, and creative strategist who has never fit neatly into a single box — and frankly, never tried to. He holds a Bachelor’s in Advertising Communications from UNIBE and a Master of Science in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from NYU. He also survived 12 years of Jesuit school, which gave him discipline, a moral compass, and an insatiable desire to question authority — all of which show up in his work whether he invites them or not. His career has taken him everywhere from community manager to marketing director, thriving in roles that blend storytelling, corporate training, performance, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting (and HR slightly nervous). His writing is unapologetically influenced by Kevin Williamson (Scream, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Dawson’s Creek) and Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse, The Avengers — back before the fall from grace). Expect sharp dialogue, psychological warfare, broken pretty people making worse decisions, and just enough emotional carnage to leave you wondering why you feel personally attacked. His debut novel, Mortal Vengeance, was born out of literal, petty teenage revenge — written after being grounded for failing Spanish during his freshman year at Jesuit school. To avoid getting blood on his hands (a very Alex move), he poured the rage into storytelling. With no desktop, no internet, no Nintendo 64, and a house full of disappointment, he wrote. What began as a movie script meant to make characters pay for sins only he understood became something deeper: a reset button. Writing gave him a way to process emotions, reimagine his future, and gain control — not through violence, but through narrative. Mortal Vengeance was his personal auto-correct. And a warning shot. He’s currently based in Barcelona, Spain, where he continues to write, train, create, and occasionally cause just enough trouble to stay interesting. When he’s not writing, he’s probably judging you, binging shows (yes, even the trashy reality ones — hey Andy Cohen, call me!), or overanalyzing fictional villains like they're his exes. Because for him, they kind of are.
by Alejandro Torres De la Rocha
At Excelsior Academy, a prestigious Jesuit school in Santo Domingo attended by the children of the elite, students learned Math, History—and how to stay quiet.
Profesora Lourdes ruled with impunity. Until one day, Marcos, a senior pushed too far, decided he’d had enough. Alex—the devil on his shoulder—offered a simple solution: don’t get mad, get even. With the help of Manuel, Mario, and Enrique, they orchestrate a plan to turn the tables on Lourdes and teach her a lesson.
It goes wrong.
Badly.
What was meant to humiliate spirals into something far worse, leaving Lourdes fighting for her life. Terrified of the consequences, the friends bury the truth and cling to silence, convinced the system will protect them if they protect it.
Then the killings begin.
A masked figure emerges, hiding behind the Grim Cojuelo—a terrifying legend of Dominican folklore said to hunt the guilty. One by one, those involved are targeted. Not at random. Not without reason.
As paranoia replaces loyalty and secrets rot from the inside out, the question stops being who is the killer and becomes something far more dangerous:
When no one is innocent…
who do you trust?