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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Say It With A Book #12 | ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card

With Guest Book Reviewer Ycel Dimayuga

   

ENDER'S GAME is set in the future where people are only authorized to have two children, much like in the Shadow Children series. However, the Wiggins were allowed a third child (Andrew, calling himself Ender) by the Interplanetary Fleet (IF) as part of an Earth program to produce brilliant officers to fight an alien race that has invaded the solar system. The older Wiggin children, though highly intelligent, did not make it to the program but Ender did. He was only six when he was taken from his family and sent by the IF to the Battle School, situated in Earth's orbit. Here Ender was rigorously trained and pushed to his limits, and excelled in a competitive squad-based war simulation in zero gravity. He became well-respected by his peers but was plagued with guilt and nightmares because of the terrible cost he paid to earn their respect. Soon Ender hated himself because he thought he was becoming like his brother Peter who liked hurting people.

Scott Card tackles a number of serious issues in writing this novel. He gives us a six-year old protagonist who also figures in some of the most disturbing scenes in the story. But I think the author wants to point out that children are no different from adults, that they have valid thoughts and emotion and should be treated with dignity and respect. Children are oftentimes not taken seriously, and I remember fairly well that children growing up in my generation were not allowed to participate in grown up discussions. I see my son’s frustration as I listen half-heartedly when he is trying to communicate with me, forgetting that this is how our humanity first establishes itself, by reaching out to tell others what we want, struggling to be understood. Valentine was right when she said, "Peter, you're twelve years old. I'm ten. They have a word for people our age. They call us children and they treat us like mice.” How frustrating indeed. Even the long drawn-out war with the aliens was a case of serious miscommunication. And yes, they paid dearly for that.

This book is not purely sci-fi but it is also largely about military strategy. I thoroughly enjoyed the war games in null gravity. Several characters played mind games and manipulated other characters (Graff, Rackham, Valentine and Peter). But the tour de force is in the last game. You’ll always remember Ender for his famous words: the enemy's gate is down.


About Ycel:

Ycel is a devoted wife and mother of three, lover of books and coffee, and dubbed herself as Perspicacious Loris. She is, indeed, very perceptive, but, I'm sure, she does not hang herself upside-down. Or, does she?

TFG:  What is your favorite genre?

Ycel:  I like historical fiction because it forces me to find out what actually happened so I can separate fact from fiction. Though I don't do this all the time. Sometimes I just enjoy getting lost in another time and place.

TFG:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Ycel:  Moody, so I don't have a set reading list. I will read whatever catches my fancy.

TFG:  Thank you very much, Ycel, for guesting. I hope this is not the last.

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Say It With A Book #11 | The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

With Guest Book Reviewer | Alexa Sienes

   

I've seen people constantly recommending Sarah Dessen books in my Goodreads feed for years now (most of the ladies in my book club have read at least one, I'm sure), and I always see her books in bookshops as well, but for some reason, I've never really been compelled to read any of them. I'd say perhaps I judged the books based on their cover, but I've read (more than) enough "trashy" books to know that isn't the case. At any rate, I've always found some other book to read other than Sarah Dessen's books. Until now.

It was pretty funny how it started, actually. We were challenged by our book moderator of the month at The Filipino Group, Maria, to read a YA book and post a review, and since this was one of the books I had on hand (I didn't say I didn't have copies, only that I never actually got around to reading them), I might as well read it, seeing as I didn't have the time to look for anything else.

Long story short, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I expected a tired romance plot with cliche characters that I've seen millions of times, but I'm happy to report that no, that's not really the case. Beyond Macy's development from a timid and mousy pushover to a strong and almost-fearless woman, I genuinely enjoyed her relationships with the other characters - her control freak mother, her daring sister Caroline, and especially the endearing Wish team: scatter-brained Delia, confident Kristy, "sa-woon"-worthy Wes, Bert who always looks at the dark side of life, and even half-robot Monica.

It wasn't a mystery, the way the story ended. It's something you can kind of expect from the beginning, but what I liked about this book was the process of how Macy started moving on. I liked seeing how she changed for the better, because even if at the start I was pretty frustrated with her life choices, I really couldn't help wishing the best for her. When she finally got to do what she had to do, I practically swelled with pride, even though it was inevitable anyway, which just goes to show how great Sarah Dessen is with her characters.

Beyond the sweet romance with Wes that I expected (which I got slow-burn style, just the way I liked it), I also got a story that dealt with loss, relationships, moving on, and the truth about forever with more depth and heart than I imagined. If the rest of Sarah Dessen's books are like this, then I can clearly see why there would always be people reading and reviewing them in my feed. I'm already one of them, after publishing this review. Who knows, this might not even be the last.


About Alexa:

   

Alexa is one of my TFG babies. I cannot tell you enough how much I am proud of her. She is very lively, talented, and a bad-ass doctor-in-the-making. And it's her birthday month.

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Alexa:   I love sci-fi and young/new adult. One brings me out of this world and the other helps me understand myself and my world better!

TPW:  How do you define yourself as a reader?

Alexa:  I'm a polygamist reader! I can't just stick to reading one book at a time, because I get antsy reading about the same thing after a while (unless the book is something I really can't put down). I always make it a point to finish everything I start though!

TPW:  Yes, I do say you are a finisher. You never back down from a challenge. Thank you for sharing your review and Godspeed to your studies. Happy birthday, again, baby!

Alexa:  Thanks so much for inviting me as well! :)

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Say It With A Book #10 | All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

With Guest Book Reviewer | Mawi Lopez

   

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES is the story of how one event joined the lives of Violet Markey and Theodore Finch. I kept on coming across reviews that say this book is The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park, but honestly I don't see the comparison with either of the two. Sure there are similarities with some of the characters but the themes presented between all three books were dissimilar. Nevertheless, I liked all three of them. On with this book's review… Btw, I don't really do book reviews so please bear with me :)

I highly recommend this book to people who have gone through and have coped with loss, to readers who love young adult themes and to everyone who wanted a little glimpse of what it's like to have someone so special change your life forever.

The book tackled issues about teenage suicide, bullying, mental/emotional disorder, the feeling of being alone despite having people around, loss, divorce and the effects of broken families on the children. It was done in a way that, I think, young people would appreciate and relate to. The author’s note at the end even included organizations one can contact if they’re experiencing said problems and needed help, which is a really nice thing. On the bright side, the story of how Violet and Finch touched each other’s lives was lovely (because lovely is a lovely word that should be used more often). I can’t help but root for them and hope that everything will turn out well for them both. I, also, was utterly pained by the ending as I was so hoping for it to end the other way. I’m not saying the ending was bad, it was good, but I just wished it did not end that way.

I will end this review with a really lovely quote from the book: 

You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.

PS. I totally love the part where they did the Before I die I want to _______ thing. Because it was a really lovely scene and because it has some Jimmy Page reference (please pardon this JP fan) in it.

Book details: 

Title: All the Bright Places 

Author:  Jennifer Niven

Publication: January 6, 2015; Penguin Random House

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating: ★★★★

...

About Mawi:

Born as Maridon Lopez, but we lovingly call her Mawi. We share a common love for dogs, and we both adored the above-reviewed book. Remembering how she felt when she first joined our TFG activity, back in January 2015, she thought that she'd be an oddball. Little did she know that we're all oddballs in our own little ways. She belongs!

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Mawi: I will have to say historical fiction and YA, depending on the theme though, nothing too mawkish please.

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Mawi:  I always make it a point to read for pleasure alone. If someone asks me to read a book and at some point found it unbearable, I will put it down and find something better to read. Although, sometimes, I find myself finishing just for the sake of finishing, but that happens very rarely. And I never read two books at any given period, as in I have to finish one first before starting another. 

TPW:  Thank you very much, Mawi!

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Say It With A Book #9 | UNWIND by Neal Shusterman

With Guest Blogger | Dr. Rehana V. Pallingayan, M.D.

  

There are stories which can scare the shits out of little kids when the lights are turned off but only effective for a few years because they realize these are not real when they reach their teens. There are lesser stories that can scare a teenager but its effects are more brutal, the scars won't go away even when they crossed their 20th year of life, even if they are in their deathbeds at age 80. Unwind is one such story that could scare these teens, not just because of the act itself but because it roots in their inner fear of being unwanted. As an adult reading this, I have but one fear that fiction may become real. The line is thin, so thin that a Heartland war may just be in its way.

My job makes me witness the effects of transplantation. We have good success rates when it comes to Corneal transplants and Kidney transplants. We also had successful liver and intestine transplants. We had dealt with heart transplants and lung transplants in the past. You see the effects of a second chance to these people- they try to live their lives fuller; that little kid could now dream for his future; a parent's wish could come true; and a wife is ensured of not being a widow. There is this satisfaction when one says the phrase- "A life well spent". But the other side of the story is as real as these stories of hope. The queue on the triage of who gets a kidney first is long and every day the end just gets farther. We do have a national organ donation program focused not only in the aim of delivering organs to these transplant patients but also in caring for the donors, making sure they are not victims of organ trafficking and that they are well aware that even if they still have a kidney, their lives have changed, same way that one can learn to ride a unicycle after learning to use a bicycle. A bicycle will always be stable.

What I loved about this book is the strength of its character development, these teens presenting their own stories merging into one central plot- the right to exist, to experience firsthand on how it is to live. You are drawn in their sadness, frustrate about what is lacking and cheer them further to reach greatness. The books also let you go back to the basic morals you carry within or without the topic of one's religious doctrines. Even minor characters have served their purpose, may it be the dead ones or a portion of their brain. As a young adult book, I hope the teenager gets the point of how stupid and at the same time beautiful it is to be an adult. I hope they understand how one's choices could shape the world, that it is easy to commit mistakes and harder to swallow its repercussions. But hopefully the message the kid gets is this- it is always the better option to choose life. 

Transplantation is not a bad thing. Organ trafficking however is a different structure. The concept of unwinding is the most ridiculous type of organ trafficking that I hope will never come to existence. It is not the question of a soul, a religious belief or a scientific know-how but of one's integrity as a human. We are allowed to save lives but never to be above anything to be allowed to take another's life.

Book details:

Title:  Unwind

Author:  Neal Shusterman

Publication:  June 2nd 2009; Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Genre:  YA, Sci-fi

Rating:  ★★★★★

About Ranee:

  Ranee is TFG's in-house surgeon, probably one of the wittiest and sweetest doctors you'll get to meet She is very keen on volunteering in numerous medical missions nationwide.  When I asked Ranee's permission to feature one of her reviews here, I told her I was desperate. I was, really. I have it in mind to introduce her here for a long time now, and I am really glad that she finally agreed this time. 

Friends, “the Doctor is IN.”

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Ranee:  No particular favorite, I do not know if I do have a favorite genre but most likely it would be lit-fic. 

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Ranee:  Definitely a moody one, oh wait a sniffer! Yes, definitely a sniffer, I smell books before I read or buy them.  

But really, it is my book collection that dictates. After finishing one book, I stare at my book case and just like in a trance, I seem to hear one book trying to catch my attention telling me to read it, so I do read it. Well it does help that I am a book hoarder so I have a vast collection of (unread) books waiting for my attention.

TPW:  Thank you very much, Ranee, for sharing this review. This won't be the last, I hope!

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Say It With A Book # 8 | Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Guest Book Reviewer | Ingrid Mae Membrere

     

It's one of those books about summer that well, isn't all about summer.

It's about a friendship between Anna and Frankie and Matt. Anna the shy one, Frankie the more outgoing one, and Matt the brother of Frankie and the bestfriend-that-is-a-boy for Anna. Happy and Sad. Befores and Afters. But it talks about grief too. I'm not entirely sold about the grief part, but this book did capture the summer vibe. The characters weren't as likeable, or relatable, as I thought they would be (or maybe it's just me outgrowing the YA genre). I could quite say it was a similar read to The Sky is Everywhere so if you've read that book and liked it, you might want to read this book. Also, if you want to know how to find summer flings (20 boys in 3 weeks at The Golden City), then this is the book for you, haha!

Book Details:
Title:  Twenty Boy Summer
Author:  Sarah Ockler
Publication:  June 1, 2009; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre:  YA Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

About Ingrid:

     

Hi everyone, meet Ingrid! She is one of the youngest members of TFG, and more of a daughter to me, since my own is just about the same age too. As it happens, this charming young lady recently passed the Occupational Therapist Licensure Examination and hooked the 3rd highest rank. We're all very proud of her!

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Ingrid:  My favorite genre would be young adult (Stephanie Perkins, Gayle Forman, John Green, to name a few). I'm probably a wee bit too old for this genre (?) but what I like about these books is that they're relatively easier to read. Most of the time, I read for pleasure; some young adult books would give me warm and fuzzy feelings, some others ignite the thrill-seeker in me through the intense action-packed adventures, but all of which simply take my mind off things.

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Ingrid:  As mentioned earlier, I read mostly for pleasure. I guess with that, I could say I'm quite picky and can be a book snob. Life's too short to read books you don't really like, or so someone said. You'd rarely catch me reading philosophical, historical, "heavy" literary works, and other books which would make one think, unless otherwise required (i.e. books of the month) by my book clubs (The Filipino Group and Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books, based on Goodreads). 

When I'm in the mood for reading, or when a book is really, really engaging, I'd make sure to finish it within the day (given the free time) or as soon as I can. But like all readers, I also encounter reading slumps which could go on for days, or weeks. I'm not overly conscious of how I get out of it. I just read what I can, when I can because the only way to get out of a reading slump is, well, to read!

TPW:  Thank you very much, Ingrid, for sharing. Again, congratulations and Godspeed!

Ingrid:  Thank you so much for featuring me on your blog!  ♥♥

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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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