The secret’s in the salsa. That’s the recipe for success that Oak Harbor writer Alesa Lightbourne is cooking up with her latest book, “The Salsa Solution: How to Put Picante Back in Your Life.”

“The Salsa Solution” is a self-described parable for success set to a spicy Hispanic beat. The book follows the story of Juan and Al who have burned out on dead-end jobs and not-so-hot marriages. To put the picante back in their lives they cook up a plan to revive a childhood dream: to start a Mexican restaurant. It’s a short, fun read appropriate for audiences of all ages, Lightbourne said.

“Everyone needs personal motivation and to find what’s missing in their life,” she said.

Each chapter follows Juan and Al as they learn each S-A-L-S-A principle: Soñar, to dream; Aprender, to learn; Ligarse, to join; Saltar, to leap; Ayundar, to help.

“You have to dream, you have to keep learning,” Lightbourne said.

Colon and Lightbourne’s previous book, “Eight Steps to Avoid the Career Dormido Virus” received the 1998 North American Book Exchange Best Business Book of the Year Award.

Lightbourne moved to Whidbey four years ago. She holds a degree in anthropology and a master’s degree in writing and literature, and a doctorate in communications. She’s taught writing overseas and continues to teach writing here on Whidbey.

She spent years writing for the corporate world before deciding to start her own business, Lightworks, in 1989.

Consider her the secret behind others’ writing success.

Through her business she writes speeches, training materials, books, pamphlets, promotional materials, even articles on everything from self-exploration to engineering — you name it, for individuals and corporations such as Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser.

She is often a ghost writer for others, putting the zest in other people’s radio talk shows, books and speeches. While as a ghost writer she often goes uncredited but definitely not unpaid for her work. She is at other times credited as editor, co-author or contributor.

Her ‘Salsa’ co-author, Colon, is one of the nation’s best known Latino speakers.

The writing duo wrote “The Salsa Solution” after their agent suggested jumping on the success of other parable books such as “Who Moved My Cheese?”

Olympia-based VI Publishing took care of the first publishing run, but the authors hope to sell that out and sign with a New York publishing house in the future.

Lightbourne hopes that a corporation or business buys a great number of books to distribute. Already, one conference bought books to add to give-away bags.

Lightbourne believes in the power of the Salsa principles so much that a workshop and workbook are already in development.

And the authors are living up to the principles of which they write. A portion of “Salsa” proceeds goes to Hispanic charities. As Juan and Al learn in the final chapter, giving back good fortune feels just as good as receiving it, if not better.

“We try to live the Salsa principles our self,” Lightbourne said. “You have to, it feels good when you do.”