Author's Friday | Hello, Ever After: Kilig Guaranteed Tara Frejas

AUGUST ROMANCE

  

TARA FREJAS is a cloud-walker who needs caffeine to fuel her travels. When she’s not on work mode, she keeps herself busy by weaving her daydreams into stories.

Aside from her obvious love affair with words and persistent muses, Tara is very passionate about being caffeinated, musical theatre, certain genres of music, dancing, dogs, good food, and romancing Norae, her ukelele. She owns a male bunny named Max who sometimes tries to nibble on her writing notes.

I have a complicated relationship with Pinoy rom-coms. Or at least the romance-adjacent films of the last few years. Sure, the aesthetic is pleasing. The acting is, more often than not, believable. Even the soundtrack is nice. But more often than not, they are rife with so much (m)angst it snatches away my overall enjoyment of the film.

Gone were the days when I can watch a Pinoy rom-com and be assured of a good time. You know, the ones with a giggle-inducing meet-cute, nakakakilig falling-in-love montages, and most importantly, hard-earned and well deserved happy endings.

It has led me to think: Are Pinoys now afraid of happy endings?

The prevalence of "hugot culture" seems to have affected how Pinoy audiences consume content. Nowadays, I feel like the more painful the story is, the more people gravitate toward it. Some people say they prefer this because it's a more realistic approach to storytelling, that this is how things pan out in real life. Others simply turn their noses up at rom-coms because they're baduy or too cheesy for their taste. Creators will say this is the story they want/need to tell, and a happy ending would not be true to their vision.

To which, I say: Okay, I respect your opinion...but can we please have an honest-to-goodness rom-com, stat!?

I mean, at this point in this extremely challenging and exhausting year, I believe we deserve something lighthearted and hopeful. It doesn't have to veer away from reality (not too much, at least), but what it could do is remind us of the innate goodness of people. Of good people finding other good people and making the world a better place (however they could) together.

That was what we hoped to do when #romanceclass started on a web series called Hello, Ever After in May. I think it's safe to say the series was conceived out of a collective frustration we authors felt toward not only the country's current state of affairs but also the kind of content being made accessible to the public. I mean, we're already in the middle of a global pandemic—it would be nice if the things we turn to for entertainment don't trigger any more negative emotions.

The concept for Hello, Ever After is simple: In the middle of Metro Manila lockdown, couples (who have been introduced in previously published #romanceclass books) check in on each other through a video call. There's a bit of social commentary here and there, and some episodes can be a rollercoaster of emotions, but kilig is always guaranteed.

On paper, it might not be much, but writing the episodes has been a huge help for us authors to sort through our emotions during this pandemic. Eventually, it became a source of joy for our community too, and it was exciting to see everyone on social media get ready to watch the weekly episodes. It became a Friday night habit that people baked things for, prepped episode-related snacks for, finished work early for. One of our community members even made Hello, Ever After cup sleeves, and a #romanceclass lightstick (AKA kilig bong) we can wave while watching the series...just like KPop fans do during concerts! Fun!

One of my favorite things about Hello, Ever After (aside from the episodes, of course!) is catching up with everyone in the chatroom whenever a new episode is streamed. #RomanceClass events are often very loud and swoony, and it’s so amusing to see that energy being replicated, even if it’s just through a string of messages on screen. It’s obvious we all miss each other, and I’m happy we could have a way to get the community together on a regular basis.

As of this writing, there have been nine Hello, Ever After episodes produced, eight of them already available on our YouTube channel. Are we doing more of this? You bet we are. Three more episodes are in the pipeline, and we’re anticipating more scripts to come in soon. So yeah—maybe check out this little quarantine project of ours, plus the related books? After all, everyone could use more kilig and hope in their lives.

-TF


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Author's Friday | THE KINDNESS OF ROMANCE by Ana Tejano

AUGUST ROMANCE 

   

ANA TEJANO has been in love with words and writing ever since she met Elizabeth Wakefield when she was in Grade 3. She used to be a blogger and contributor to several publications using her other name that is not a secret identity. When she’s not writing, she works as a communications manager and a leader in CFC Singles for Christ. She lives in Metro Manila with several dogs and cats, loves anything with peanut butter, and is always trying to catch up on sleep. Connect with her at anatejano.com.

Mid-March, our executives announced that we could start working from home, one of the things I thought to myself in an attempt to comfort my extrovert self was: “At least I’m going to have time to write again.” Working from home meant my commute time is nonexistent, and I wouldn’t be wandering around the mall aimlessly waiting for a Grab ride, so that’s about 2-3 hours back to my day. Yes, I can write again, I can finally finish revising my book.

Fast forward five months later, I’m still here, with the book’s Act 3 an absolute mess, plus a short story due two years ago in progress (and being rewritten for the umpteenth time). I have ideas and ideas hitting me everywhere going into my idea dump files, and lots of discussions with people about these things, but actual writing and editing happening? Nope.

It isn’t for the lack of trying, really. I have finished a lot of things. There is that script for #romanceclass’s Hello, Ever After web series for one. My day job involves writing and I manage to churn out articles and write-ups for work and I can summon words when needed. But for myself—for “fun work” as we often call it—I come up dry. (Or sometimes, I come up with something and then hate it the next day. Ah, well.)

This is why I hesitate to participate in a lot of things since late last year to this year as an “author” because I hardly feel like one sometimes. I didn’t want to call it writer’s block because I didn’t believe in that—besides, I was writing anyway, and our corporate website has that. Maybe it’s just an off day, but writer’s block? No way. Maybe I just need to find inspiration. Take a break. Read something. Watch something cute and then go back to work. I need to try harder because look, everyone else has the same chances, I have so much time on my hands right now, and so what right do I have to slack off?

But a thing I learned about the romance genre is that it is very kind. Not in the sense that it excuses and condones questionable behavior, but it is kind in a way that there is compassion between the pages of the book. See, the romance genre is about love but not just about the love of the two main characters. I mean sure, that is the end game of it all (must have happily-ever-afters/happy-for-now or it’s not romance, ok), but often romance is also about the people that surround these leads, the ones who root for them and call them out, the ones who push them to make the right choices, to choose love. There is a certain kindness in romance books that gives its characters room to grow, make mistakes, learn more about themselves, and breathe. Sure, these characters are put to a wringer before they get to the end, and sometimes bad people are going against them, but when their love ultimately prevails, it becomes a reminder to extend the same kindness that they had received and given to ourselves, too.

In a lot of ways, this is what my current work-in-progress is all about: Meah, who’s kind to everyone else but not very kind to herself, and Joseph, who wants to be a better version of himself, forgetting sometimes that he is also human and is allowed to still make mistakes. And if I could teach these two characters (my most stubborn kids, as I call them) how to be kind to themselves, then I could—should—do the same for myself. These “unprecedented times” are hard, and some days, we can only muster enough energy to go online and do the actual day job, then go offline later and do things that are not writing. And this is okay. Sure, I need to recognize when I am just really slacking off and/or making excuses, but for those other times when words are difficult and everything is just driving me into despair, then maybe it’s okay to not do for now and just be.

They say good things take time, so who knows? Maybe one day, we’ll all wake up and the pandemic is over, and one day, you’ll wake up and see me shouting joyfully that the book is out. Whenever that is, I hope that when we all get there, it’s because we have all chosen to extend kindness to others, and most importantly, to ourselves.

-AT

*Ana’s latest book, You Could Be the One, a collection of three friends-to-lovers short stories are available in ebook and print format worldwide at bit.ly/ycbto. For her other books, visit anatejano.com/books.


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Author's Friday | A REMINDER TO MOVE FORWARD by Mina V. Esguerra

AUGUST ROMANCE 

     

MINA V. ESGUERRA is author and publisher of romance novels. She founded the #RomanceClass community of Filipino authors of romance in English and the readers of the books. Also, an agent representing media adaptation rights for selected #RomanceClass titles. Visit minavesguerra.com and romanceclassbooks.com for more about these books and projects.

My latest romance book, released in July 2020, is also my 25th book. As a self-publisher, I usually get to control my writing schedule, as well as my publishing release date. I get to make the decisions on all of that for all of my books, and I wanted to make my 25th book’s release special.

Then 2020 happened, and not only did I move all of my deadlines, but I also started to question whether to release a book at all. Why put out a new book during a pandemic? Didn’t people have other things to worry about? Who would be reading romance at this time?

While wondering about all of that, I put publishing on hold and instead devoted some time to other things (not my book). At the beginning of quarantine, I watched Crash Landing On You, a Korean romance drama. Every week, I participated happily in my writing community’s watch parties of classic and current Pinoy romantic comedies. I was spending four hours just doing the weekly grocery run because of long lines and used that time to listen to romance audiobooks. These became things I looked forward to, and not just time fillers. I became aware of how there were more layers of feelings now, because I wasn’t just enjoying the story on its own, but was also reflecting on a time that I wished I could see again. You know, pre-pandemic. This makes some people sad, but for some reason I was hopeful. I enjoyed seeing better days, and good people finding love.

Doing that, I found the answer to my questions and concerns about releasing a book this time, this year. Yes, there was definitely going to be an audience for a new romance, because I had voraciously consumed so much of it for comfort. Yes, it might have to be a new set of readers, and some may be reading it with a layer of sadness. But the important thing was to make sure the book was out there, and ready when its readers are.

SO FORWARD is about former figure skater Colin, who is now secretly taking his MBA and is about to defend his final paper, about providing more funding to the Philippine national teams representing winter sports. It’s a paper that’s strong on principle but weak on business, so his thesis adviser gets some help for him, in the form of future CEO/MBA prof/former hockey player Lexa. When I was writing it (pre-pandemic), I was exploring what we consider defaults not just in the romance genre but in life in the Philippines. The theme of this book had always been about questioning what we accepted as the default, and if we could expand our definition of it to include more ways to be. And let people thrive even if they aren’t exactly as we expect. Colin is also my first bisexual main character, and though the book’s plot has nothing to do with it, it naturally fits the theme of seeing the value in people and what they do. Our romance-writing community in the Philippines is diverse and we have many groups writing romance of all kinds, but we’re also at the point where many are writing romance as a response to real life, real injustice, and how love can be found—and sustained—despite all this.

The reason why I wrote the book remains relevant—maybe that was enough reason to release it, even if this particular time is so different and many things are uncertain. I’ve since said this to other authors also worried about their books right now. We had a reason to write it then, and the book may still entertain/comfort/help someone now. Maybe more than ever.

-MVE

*So Forward is available worldwide in digital and paperback on Amazon and other retailers. To order the print edition in the Philippines, go to this form: bit.ly/mvebooks.

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Author's Friday | AUGUST ROMANCE

    

Hi there. How’s it going?

The summer heat is scorching, and there’s still a pandemic. The family and I binge-watched Avatar: The Last Airbender for the nth time, which we agree we will never get enough in one lifetime. Long walks through the city parks, with audiobooks tucked in my ears, helped lift some spirit. So let’s talk about the August Blog Project.

I am super excited for a particular project I wanted to explore for a long while now. August is Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, a celebration of our culture, heritage, and identity through our languages, as the Filipino nation. August is also Romance Awareness Month and I figured that the best way The Page Walker can celebrate these two occasions is to feature Filipino Romance authors and their books each Friday of August.

These past months were hard. Books are one of the few things I hold hard on to keep me sane, Romance Books most especially. They are light and hopeful, waking those dulled areas in my brain. It addresses my need for human connection and inspiring me to reflect and reconnect. I am sure introverts can relate very well.

Romance is not easy for everyone. Well, for everyone who doesn’t want to try it, I mean. There is no reason to run for the hills. Romance Books are not forcing us to be more romantic than what’s comfortable. Instead, they give a bubblier perspective, inspiring us to take courage in the most unpredictable path. So for those who think that romance books are unmanly or cringeworthy, I am telling you, this pandemic is the most relevant time to try them.

For this project, I am collaborating with romance authors I’ve known for some years now. These are delightful authors who can deliver those “kilig” factors that can surely lift any readers.

So, stay tuned!

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*Updated:

August Romance #1: Roselle Lim
August Romance #2: Mina V. Esguerra
August Romance #3: Celestine Trinidad
August Romance #4: Ana Tejano
August Romance #5: Tara Frejas

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Author's Friday | PHAEDRA PATRICK

     

Photo by Sam Ralph

PHAEDRA PATRICK’s unassuming protagonists have charmed the hearts of many readers across the globe. First, there is Arthur from THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER, a sexagenarian widower who discovered a charmed bracelet from his late wife’s wardrobe, followed all the clues to rediscover her, and sends him on an intriguing journey to rediscover his self, as well. Next is Benedict from RISE AND SHINE, BENEDICT STONE, a jeweler who desperately needs to revamp both his shop and marriage and he has all the gems to do it. And now on her most-awaited third novel, THE LIBRARY OF LOST AND FOUND, we have Martha Storm, a quiet librarian roused by a book to find the truth about her grandmother’s death, the past, and her destiny. I’m sure you are as interested as I am on how Ms. Patrick comes up with these wonderful people.

...

I read your article in Women Writers, Women's Books, Why I Write, by Phaedra Patrick, where you mentioned, “I write because I have characters in my head, who create a fuss until I share their stories. They want me to kick start their adventures and hold their hand, to take them to a better place in their lives”.

To start this Q&A, which character made the most fuss in your head?

Phaedra Patrick:  Martha Storm, my heroine in THE LIBRARY OF LOST AND FOUND, wanted to be heard. I think she was fed up of being taken advantage of by others and asked me to help find her own voice. I usually start off my stories with an object in mind – a book, charm bracelet or gemstones – but with this novel, it all started with an image of Martha pushing a shopping trolley up a steep hill towards a small library.

Is it the same with secondary characters? Do any of them clamor to be heard over the others?

Phaedra Patrick: In this book, Martha’s grandmother Zelda has a loud voice, both in my head and on paper. She’s an important part of the story and has a big reason for disappearing from Martha’s life for a long period of time. I think I gave her the opportunity for her own story to be heard.

Your main characters are all quiet, uncomplicated people, but seem to be creatures of habit. Is there a particular reason why you chose them?

Phaedra Patrick:  I’m a real introvert, happy with my own company and people often describe me as quiet. I can find places with lots of noise and crowds a little overwhelming, so when I’m writing a book, which usually takes around ten months, I suppose I like to spend that time with like-minded characters who I’m comfortable with and understand.

Although all books say that all the characters in the book aren’t real or related, are they really all fictional and made up?

Phaedra Patrick:  The character of Martha Storm comes from a few sources. One day I found my mum sewing new elastic into an elderly neighbor’s underwear and I thought this was taking helpfulness rather too far! A lovely friend of mine likes to help out charities and local causes and her house is always full of carrier bags of stuff she’s doing for others. Another friend has been in an emotionally controlling relationship for a long time. So, these threads came together and formed the inspiration for Martha and her life. But once I had written a few pages, Martha took on her own personality and became a real person to me.

Some other characters in the book are woven together too, whereas others are totally fictitious. I sometimes like to picture my favorite actors playing the parts, and I write for them.

Reading your books is like taking a long walk with these characters, sharing their journey. Have you ever incorporated a real-life situation from your own experience in the book?

Phaedra Patrick:  Yes, many times. There is actually very little in my books that haven’t arisen from a real-life situation that I, or someone close to me, has experienced. They are works of fiction but also very personal too.

For example, there’s a scene set on a ghost train in THE LIBRARY OF LOST AND FOUND that is based on my own love of fairgrounds. The seaside setting for the book is inspired by the North Yorkshire coast of England, which is full of tiny fishing villages and houses perched on top of cliffs. Martha’s grandmother Zelda has undergone an operation in the book (I’ll hold back on any spoilers) which was based on something that happened to my dad. 

In my debut novel, THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER, one of my favorite scenes is where elderly widower Arthur ends up shedding his clothes for art students. It’s based on my own experience of when I was an art student and also worked as a waitress in a pub. I went into college one day and found that one of the (middle-aged) ladies I worked with at the pub was also a life model. She took all her clothes off and I had to draw her. I was only sixteen at the time and was horrendously embarrassed. The scenario came to mind as I was writing the book and it inspired me to place poor Arthur in a similar position.

Have you ever written a character based on the real you in some part? Do you often project your own habits onto your characters?

Phaedra Patrick:  All my characters have shades of me in them. Martha Storm’s inability to say ‘no’ was something I shared with her for a long time. She’s a real planner and organizer too, with a keen eye for detail, and that’s also a trait we have in common.

In your latest book, The Library of Lost and Found, Martha Storm is a lovely character. But if you would describe Martha Storm in three words, what are they?

Phaedra Patrick:  Helpful, hibernating, vulnerable.

Being a woman yourself, what’s the most difficult thing about writing female characters?

Phaedra Patrick:  I have to fight the urge to write makeover scenes, hair, and make-up etc. Martha Storm has one on the book, and that means I can’t write anymore in subsequent novels. Other than that, I suppose I just want to write female characters that other women can relate to and cheer on, and hope that I do them justice.

Most often than not, female characters in fairytales are damsels in distress. What are your hopes for women in integrating fairytales in your latest book?

Phaedra Patrick:  Female characters in fairytales might start off as damsels in distress but I think many are also strong women who make decisions and act courageously. For example, Cinderella chooses to go to the ball against the wishes of her stepsisters, and Little Red Riding Hood has to outwit a big bad wolf.

The fairytales in THE LIBRARY OF LOST AND FOUND have a few dimensions for me. They’re influenced by my childhood love of fairy stories, and books bought for me by my parents that I still cherish. They hold up a mirror to what is happening in Martha’s life, and hers is also a kind of rags-to-riches type of story.

I hope that women, who read my book, can be who they want to be without anyone telling them otherwise or holding them back. It’s very touching when readers drop me a line to say they’ve identified with a character or issue I’ve written about. Also, if they enjoyed a book enough to share it with a friend, family member or reading group. It’s something I really appreciate.

I like meeting those unexpected people in your books; people who turn out to be totally different from what I anticipated. Do you plan them ahead? Or do they come into the plot as you write it?

Phaedra Patrick:  They kind of turn up as I write and most have various hints of real characters about them. They can come from the tiniest of details, a yellow tooth, a pair of blue trousers I used to own, or someone’s bad habit. I’m an avid collector of people and places and ideas in my head, and all these come out when I’m writing. 

In this book, Zelda came from my own grandma, who was rather feisty and could be a little indelicate with her words. Owen, the lovely male bookshop owner, took inspiration from the actor Brendan Gleeson, who I admire and can imagine playing the part.

In The Library of Lost and Found, which female character would you like to meet in person and why?

Phaedra Patrick:  Although it would be great fun to spend a day at the funfair with Zelda, I’d probably get motion sick from all the fairground rides she’d make me go on. So, I’ll choose Betty Storm (Martha’s mum) instead. Betty came to my story a little late on, as I was writing, because I think she was too timid to come out for a while. I’d like to tell her that you only get one life and she should do what’s best for her family but also think of herself too.

Lastly, [considering your three books,] are there certain characters you would like to go back to?

Phaedra Patrick:  After I’ve told my characters’ stories, I see them carrying on their lives in a better place without me. I’m quite convinced they are out there somewhere in the world and I know how their stories continue, even if I don’t write this down.

Thank you for giving us a deeper understanding of your book characters. It's very lovely to have this chat with you.

Phaedra Patrick:  Many thanks for your questions and the opportunity to answer them.

PHAEDRA PATRICK is the international bestselling author of THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER, and RISE AND SHINE, BENEDICT STONE. She has been published in over 20 languages worldwide and is the winner of the Prix des Lectrices Milady 2017. THE LIBRARY OF LOST AND FOUND is her third novel and will be published by Park Row on 26 March 2019.

You can follow Phaedra on Twitter here and learn more about her on her web site here.

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Author's Friday | Andrew Joyce

Hi there! How about we do things differently? ANDREW JOYCE shares the story behind MOLLY LEE in this exclusive Author's Friday.

My name is Andrew Joyce, and I write books for a living. Louize has been kind enough to allow me a little space on her blog to promote my new book, MOLLY LEE. The story is a female-driven account of a young naive girl’s journey into an independent, strong woman and all the trouble she gets into along the way.

Now you may possibly be asking yourself, What is a guy doing writing in a woman’s voice? And that’s a good question. I can only say that I did not start out to write about Molly; she just came to me one day and asked that I tell her story.

Perhaps I should start at the beginning.

My first book was a 164,000-word historical novel. And in the publishing world, anything over 80,000 words for a first-time author is heresy. Or so I was told time and time again when I approached an agent for representation. After two years of research and writing, and a year of trying to secure the services of an agent, I got angry. To be told that my efforts were meaningless was somewhat demoralizing, to say the least. I mean, those rejections were coming from people who had never even read my book.

“So you want an 80,000-word novel?” I said to no one in particular, unless you count my dog because he was the only one around at the time. Consequently, I decided to show them City Slickers that I could write an 80,000-word novel!

I had just finished reading Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn for the third time, and I started thinking about whatever happened to those boys, Tom and Huck. They must have grown up, but then what? So I sat down at my computer and banged out REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in two months; then sent out query letters to agents.

Less than a month later, the chairman of one of the biggest agencies in New York City emailed me that he loved the story. We signed a contract and it was off to the races, or so I thought. But then the real fun began: the serious editing. Seven months later, I gave birth to Huck and Tom as adults. And just for the record, the final word count is 79,914. The book went on to reach #1 status on Amazon twice, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But not quite.

My agent then wanted me to write a sequel, but I had other plans. I was in the middle of editing down my first novel (that had been rejected by 1,876,324 agents . . . or so it seemed) from 164,000 words to the present 142,000. However, he was insistent, so I started to think about it. Now, one thing you have to understand is that I tied up all the loose ends at the end of REDEMPTION, so there was no way that I could write a sequel. And that is when Molly asked me to tell her story. Molly was a character that we met briefly in the first chapter of REDEMPTION, and then she is not heard from again.

This is the description from MOLLY LEE:

Molly is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime . . . of two lifetimes.

It’s 1861 and the Civil War has just started. Molly is an eighteen-year-old girl living on her family’s farm in Virginia when two deserters from the Southern Cause enter her life. One of them—a twenty-four-year-old Huck Finn—ends up saving her virtue, if not her life.

Molly is so enamored with Huck, she wants to run away with him. But Huck has other plans and is gone the next morning before she awakens. Thus starts a sequence of events that leads Molly into adventure after adventure; most of them not so nice.

We follow the travails of Molly Lee, starting when she is eighteen and ending when she is fifty-six. Even then Life has one more surprise in store for her.

As I had wondered whatever became of Huck and Tom, I also wondered what Molly did when she found Huck gone.

I know this has been a long-winded setup, but I felt I had to tell the backstory. Now I can move on and tell you about Molly.

As stated earlier, Molly starts out as a naive young girl. Over time she develops into a strong, independent woman. The change is gradual. Her strengths come from the adversities she encounters along the road that is her life.

With each setback, Molly follows that first rule she set against self-pity and simply moves on to make the best of whatever life throws her way. From working as a whore to owning a saloon, from going to prison to running a ranch, Molly plays to win with the cards she’s dealt. But she always keeps her humanity. She will kill to defend herself, and she has no problem killing to protect the weak and preyed upon. However, when a band of Indians (for instance) have been run off their land and have nowhere else to go, Molly allows them to live on her ranch, and in time they become extended family.

This is from a review on Amazon:

“A young female in nineteenth-century rural America would have needed courage, fortitude, and firm resolve to thrive in the best of circumstances. Molly Lee possesses all of these, along with an iron will and an inherent ability to read people accurately and respond accordingly.”

I reckon that about sums up Molly.

I would like to say that I wrote MOLLY LEE in one sitting and everything in it is my pure genius. But that would be a lie. I have three editors (two women and one guy). They kept me honest with regard to Molly. When I made her a little too hard, they would point out that she had to be softer or show more emotion in a particular scene.

I set out to write a book where every chapter ended with a cliffhanger. I wanted the reader to be forced to turn to the next chapter. And I pretty much accomplished that, but I also wrote a few chapters where Molly and my readers could catch their collective breath.

One last thing: Everything in MOLLY LEE is historically correct from the languages of the Indians to the descriptions of the way people dressed, spoke, and lived. I spend as much time on research as I do writing my stories. Sometimes more.

It looks as though I’ve used up my allotted word count (self-imposed), so I reckon I’ll ride off into the sunset and rustle up a little vodka and cranberry juice (with extra lime).

It’s been a pleasure. Thank you for having me over.

Andrew

About Andrew Joyce:

Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written three books, and a collection of almost one hundred forty short stories that is comprised of his hitching adventures called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS, and his latest novel, MOLLY LEE. He now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his dog, Danny.

Order your copies of Molly Lee at Amazon, Barnes, and Noble, iTunes, Kobo, Smashwords.

You can find Andrew here.

        

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Author's Friday | Ana Tejano

Our first salvo for 2015 Author's Friday is someone from home and a good friend of mine. Ana Tejano just recently released her debut, Fall Like Rain. I have not given any YA book with a GP rating in a long time, until this one. It has all the feels and love jitters people can relate to in clean details.

Interview: 

The Page Walker: Hello,  Ana! Finally, I get to welcome you here. For my first question, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Ana Tejano: I was in Grade 3. I “met” Elizabeth Wakefield for the first time that year, after I borrowed some Sweet Valley Kids book from a classmate. I think it was the book Jessica’s Big Mistake where I told myself that I could be a writer just like Elizabeth. How hard could it be, right? (Heh) I can’t remember if I started writing stories by that time but I am pretty sure I wrote my first ones by Grade 4. J

TPW: Do you read much, and if so, who are your favorite authors?

AT: Yes! I read even more than I write, I think. :D  My favorite author depends on the genres I read - for YA/Contemporary, I love Sarah Dessen, Sara Zarr, Melina Marchetta, and Sarah Addision Allen. For the non-contemporary/speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, etc), I like Jasper Fforde, Mira Grant, Patrick Ness, Ilona Andrews, and Maggie Stiefvater. As for the ones I read for fun and research when writing, my staples are Kristan Higgins, Stephanie Perkins, and Mina V. Esguerra.

TPW: What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?

AT: As far as “starting” is concerned, I suppose I have started writing for a long time, ever since I joined National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2004. But that was really just all “starting” because I never tried to have anything edited or submitted. I told myself that one day, I will finally send something out into the world. Then 2013 came, which I called my “Year of the Brave,” and just in time, Mina V. Esguerra started a free contemporary romance writing class. What’s there to lose, right? I joined, with full intention of really letting something out, and the rest fell into place. J

TPW: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

AT: I don’t know how interesting this is, but when I write, I need to talk it out with someone, especially when I run into plot holes. I think the act of verbalizing things help me to see it all in other angles that I miss when I keep it to myself. I have three friends who serve as my sounding board when I hammer these things out. They don’t even have to say anything - they just have to listen, and then a few minutes later, I know what to do.

TPW: Where do your ideas come from?

AT: Here’s a secret: some of the things that happened in Fall Like Rain (and in the next few books) were patterned after real life experiences. Some of them are mine, but as they go through the writing and editing process, they changed so much that they don’t resemble its source at all. Some ideas I get from conversations with friends, or stories from my brother and his wedding clients, while others were from books, and Pinoy romance movies. :D

TPW: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

AT: That it really wasn't so easy. I mean, it seems like it is, especially after some friends did it but really, the middle of the story slayed me a bit. Everything just felt so blah, and even after I have written it, it was hard to revise after my editor sent some comments. Another surprise came after the book was released - apparently, a lot of people could relate to the story. I didn't expect that at all. Must be the friend zone, haha.

TPW: Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

AT: Haha, the first thing that came to mind with this question is to say that Rain is a workaholic! But taking it from there, I think I can say that Rain is dedicated and loyal. She’s a bit stubborn and self-absorbed, and she keeps to herself and her closest friends a lot, but she’s loyal to this close circle, and the people she cares for. It would take a while for her to really warm up to people, but once she does, then she’ll be your friend for life (until you give her reasons not to be your friend, but that’s another thing).

TPW: Tell us about the cover/s and how it came about.

AT: I love, love, love this cover. Initially, a friend was supposed to make it, but she got busy, so I thought I’d make it myself since I do some graphics stuff for work. Then I realized that I can’t make it because it will look like something I made for work, so I looked for some artists online. Then I remembered Aia, who I met at one workshop, and remembered that she mentioned building her portfolio on her blog (www.aiaaa.net). I sent her an email, asked if she was interested in making a book cover, and then we started working on it. 
I’m not a cover person, really, so it was kind of hard to come up with a cover idea. I just knew that I wanted one particular scene in the story on the cover, but I didn't know how to interpret it visually. I gave Aia the scene, and some ideas of what that scene was like, and then the colors I wanted. It took us about two iterations before I settled for one, and it was all color adjustments and text after that. I love how it all turned out, and it seems like a lot of people like it, too!

TPW: What draws you to this genre? And do you see yourself writing from a different one (genre)?

AT: I've always called myself a “fluffy” writer, even when I was writing NaNoWriMo novels. This genre is just easier for me to write, especially since I read and enjoy books from that genre as well. I would like to write in a different genre eventually - I still have a fantasy novel idea somewhere in my hard drive, and that dystopia one that I never got to figure out. Perhaps after I've finished the three more contemporary romance novels I have playing in my head. :D

Find Ana Tejano here.

About Fall Like Rain:

Rain De Castro has been in love with her best friend, Mark Velasco, for almost the entire time she has known him, but she’s clearly in the friend zone because he’s happily in a relationship. Or so she thought until the news of his break-up reaches her. Now that Mark’s single again, she decides that it’s time to get out of the zone. But when her cousin Lissa comes into the picture and sets her eyes on Mark, Rain feels troubled when he gets a little too friendly with her. Rain is determined to fight for what she feels this time, but is it worth the effort if it's a losing battle from the start? Will she back off to give way for her best friend's happiness, even if it means losing him to someone else again? 

You may get your digital copy of Fall Like Rain from Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, B&N, iBooks, and Scribd. For print copies, please click here.

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Author's Friday | Desiree Williams

Early last month, Desiree Williams revealed to us her recently published work Heart Song. But I can't seem to let her go that fast, so I asked her for an interview, which she graciously accepted.

Just to make it clear for everyone, Desiree is not the same Desiree Williams who won Miss Virginia in 2013, but she is just as pretty. Desiree is a wife and a supermom who writes from Kentucky. And who, btw, is having an awesome giveaway on her blog.

Interview:

The Page Walker: Hello, Desiree. Welcome!

Most writers are readers too.  Which writers inspire you?

Desiree Williams: The first indie authors that I read where Quinn Loftis and Chanda Hahn. Then it just spiraled into more awesomeness from there. Heather Hildenbrand is one of the tops also. She was an asset in my launch into self-publishing. 

TPW:  Oh yes, Heather Hildenbrand is someone to keep an eye on too. Now, is there a special spot when you're writing?

DW: Not really. That’s the best part of being a writer, your ‘desk’ is wherever you set your computer. I tend to bounce between working at my home desk, the library, and even Panera. At the moment I'm sitting at my dining room table sipping on sweet tea. 

TPW: What is it with moms and dining tables? Because that's where I prefer to write also. Anyways, when did you decide to become a writer?

DW: It was in 2013 that I got the courage to start putting my daydreams on paper. Then early 2014 was when I traveled down the path of self-publishing. Needless to say, my life has taken some awesome turns lately. 

TPW: About your latest book, how did you come up with the title of your book or series?

DW: This was really fun for me! In developing the story, I wanted to refer to a soul mate, or a bond, as something different. The story grew to have the two characters’ hearts connected and their souls bonded, and they can also hear one another’s heartbeat. If you heard the heartbeat of someone that you loved it wouldn’t be a weird or crazy sound, it would be a symphony. Something that stirred your own heart to rejoice. Thus the title, Heart Song, was born. =)

TPW: Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?

DW: Kristen Thompson, from Seeing Night Reviews, was the graphic designer for this cover. She did such an amazing job! When doing the mockups there was very little that I changed from her original design. So what you see came straight out of her imagination, and I love it! The model matches Alanna’s character description perfectly, and the castle in the background hints at a scene in the book. 

TPW: People should really visit Kristen's page, she made some really wonderful designs. Without spilling too much, who is your favorite character from your book and why?

DW: Oh, this question is so hard for me to answer because I love each of my characters. They are my first creations and each one has a special place in my heart. But if I’d have to choose, it would be Alanna. She projects a sweet spirit but a fierceness when it comes to protecting those in her care. 

TPW: Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?

DW: Essentially young adult, but honestly anyone who loves a good story about pure love. I want my stories to not only be entertaining but also give the reader a sense of hope and warm fuzzies. I want them to feel like they can conquer anything.

TPW: What draws you to this genre?

DW: The possibilities that await us in each book. I love reading fantasy myself, and I dive right into how the authors weave their tales. Fantasy offers a gateway to our imagination because anything that we can dream up is possible. 

TPW: What can we expect from you in the future?

DW: Awesome-sauce with a side of fantastalicious. Definitely more fantasy. There are two more novels for the Heart Song Trilogy and some other things in the works that I can't quite talk about at the moment. =) So much fun happening though!! 

TPW: Well, I'll hope then that when those "things in the works" are ready, I get to have first dibs! Thanks, Desiree.

DW: Thank you SO much for allowing me to stop by! I enjoyed doing this interview with you! 

Find Desiree Williams here.



Latest book: 

In Aldonnia, the evil of Varkadon overflows its borders. War ravages the lands…

For as long as eighteen-year-old Alanna can remember she’s lived in hiding, sealed off from the outside world. Despite a future built around a steadfast rule of seclusion, Alanna dreams of the impossible. Of life outside of her parents’ cabin. A life with more for a company than just birds and woodland creatures. A life she knows deep down is impossible for someone with gifts like hers.

That all changes the day Alanna finds a man floating face down in a stream. Despite her parents’ warnings, Alanna pulls the injured man out of the water and heals him with her elemental talents. Just another good deed. Until the man wakes and Alanna realizes so much more has happened than simply a life saved. The healing she performed on the stranger bound her soul to Jerric, the prince of Aldonnia.

Alanna’s heart wants to keep the prince, but duty and destiny intervene. Alanna’s world is rocked as her parents are lost. Left in the care of the family she didn’t know, Alanna learns more than she wanted to about the evil threatening the lands. There is much more behind her parents’ drive to protect. Alanna learns her gifts were bestowed to fulfill a greater purpose. A greater calling. One of her enemies seeks to destroy at all costs.

Alanna’s choice is clear. To either ignore her destiny and remain hidden, or boldly fight to keep what sings to her heart.

You may get your copy of Heart Song from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Smashwords.

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