Caris Avendaño Cruz's Blog, page 2

The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon is a Junior Library Guild Selection!

middle grade adventure

From the author of Marikit and the Ocean of Stars, a magical middle grade adventure about three Filipino children who must find their way through a mystical land filled with monsters and gods from Filipino lore.

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Good news! The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon is Junior Library Guild-approved! This coming fall, you will see TBTMATWATM in the guild’s Fantasy/Science Fiction Middle Plus selection along with many wonderful titles that deserve a space on your bookshelf.

For almost a century, the Junior Library Guild served as a companion to librarians, carefully sifting through hundreds of titles and curating books that match meticulous standards. Editors review manuscripts and customize monthly titles that suit the needs of each library, offering readers access to a diverse selection of award-worthy books.

What a joy and honor to have both of my books on the guild’s middle-grade selections! I am excited for librarians and young readers to discover The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate The Moon, a book perfect for those who love learning new myths, meeting a diverse cast, and undertaking a quest filled with courage! I hope you enjoy Bayani, Isay, and Aaron’s journey and leave you with wonderful lessons to remember.

If you are interested in taking part in the subscription, or if you’re only keen to choose from the Guild’s upcoming titles, here’s the website to learn more →

Really Lovely Reasons Why You Should Buy Marikit and the Ocean of Stars’ Paperback Version (Out April 22!)

middle grade fantasy

A magical middle grade debut, inspired by Filipino folklore, about a ten-year-old girl who embarks on a quest in the world of gods and spirits to save her and her family from a sinister shadow god. Perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon and When You Trap a Tiger.

Learn More → “Wait,” you tell me. “Another book? You’re offering another book?” I get the look on your face. You’ve got loads of books at home, some you haven’t even read, but listen to me closely. You might want this book. I know some lovely reasons why you would. And it’s coming out in paperback, too! So please, grab a seat as I make this short presentation. Maybe I could convince you to grab one. Or two. Three is great, by the way. You adore middle-grade fantasy. That’s it. Full stop. Marikit and the Ocean of Stars is perfect for your collection—this Spirited Away-inspired adventure stars a young Filipina heroine out to discover who she really is in a land unseen by the naked eye. We’ve got shadows and monsters and gods and creatures of the Tagalog region. It’s fantasy you have never seen before (unless you already did)You are a teacher or a parent (or both) who wants to introduce the beauty of diversity to young readers. Marikit and the Ocean of Stars is just perfect for them: this book has a full Filipino cast ranging from magical to human, grown-ups to children, forever-living fireflies to talking man-horses we call Tikbalangs. We’ve also got good guys and bad guys and gods with their secret agendas they don’t like to share. Politicians? Sleeping boy scouts? Girls with fire in their skin? We got them all. Love learning new languages? Other than a full glossary with pronunciations, Marikit and the Ocean of Stars opens up a chapter with a Filipino word paired with a funny, quirky description. A nice way to start discovering the beauty of learning Tagalog!Questing is your calling. Books the bring you to magical, otherworldly places are your bet. That’s just perfect—Marikit wears a map that leads her to places ruled by the Engkantos. Prepared to be, and this I say with sincerity, enchanted. Okay. Why paperback? You’re a practical reader who loves to collect books without spending too much on them. Paperbacks are much more affordable than hardcover versions, but they’re still as nice. It’s the same story, anyway.Maybe you skipped the hardcover version because you hate them. They’re pretty heavy to lug around with, anyway. You want a softer, more lightweight version so it won’t add up to the burden of many books you’re probably carrying. Light is cool. You’re cool.Bookstores are stocking on the new thing. This paperback is a sparkly, new thing. It’s more likely you’d find this on the shelf rather than the hardcover. But if you’re still these hardbound ones with the nice jacket, you can head to online bookstores that still carry them. The paperback version will have a three-chapter excerpt from The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon . Who doesn’t like a free read? I love free things. Do any of these reasons tick a box? Or two? Great! Marikit and the Ocean of Stars paperback is out April 22 this year. Preorder from your favorite bookstore through these links:Barnes & NobleAmazonTargetBookshop

Glossary: Marikit and the Ocean of Stars

These are the Tagalog words, and their pronunciation, found in Marikit and the Ocean of Stars.

The list is available at the back of the book, but I also included some of the sound files I shared with our audio book narrator, Amielynn Abellera. I hope they can be of use to your reading experience.

Abaniko (ah·bah·NEE·koh), noun. A small woven fan shaped like a spade.

Aling (AH·leeng), prefix. Used for older ladies.

Alitaptap (ah·lee·tahp·TAHP), noun. A firefly.

Apoy (ah·POY), noun. Fire.

Aswang. (as·WHANG), noun. Shapeshifting beasts, usually in the form of weredogs, that feed on human prey.

Bagwis (bahg·WEES), noun. Wing.

Bangka (bahng·KHA), noun. Boat.

Bangus (bang·OOS), noun. Milkfish.

Banyuhay (bahn·YOO·hay), noun. Metamorphosis.

Barrio (BAHR·yo), noun. A small district in a town.

Bato (bah·TO), noun. Stone.

Bayani (bah·YAH·nee), noun. Hero.

Bintana (been·TAH·na), noun. Window.

Bitak (BEE·tahk), noun. Crack.

Daan (DAH·ahn), noun. Road.

Dagat (DAH·ghat), noun. Sea.

Dapithapon (DAH·peet·HAH·pon), noun. Sundown.

Dilim (dee·LEEM), noun. Darkness.

Diwanlaon (DEE·wahn·lah·ohn), noun, a word I made up. “A prolonged soul,” from the words “diwa” (soul) and “lumaon” (to proceed as time goes by).

Diwata (DEE·wa·tah), noun. Fairy.

Duwende (DOO·wen·de), noun. Elf.

Engkanto (eng·KAHN·toh), noun. Enchanted creatures that cast a spell on humans and play tricks on them.

Espasol (es·pah·SOHL), noun. Sticky Filipino treat made of rice flour and coconut milk dusted with toasted flour.

Hiwaga (HEE·wah·ga), noun. Mystery, magic, wonder.

Kaarawan (ka·AH·rahw·ahn), noun. Birthday.

Kabuti (ka·boo·TEE), noun. Mushroom.

Kaibigan (ka·ee·BEE·gahn), noun. Friend.

Kalesa (ka·LEH·sah), noun. Horse-drawn carriage.

Kaluwalhatian (ka·loo·wal·hah·TEE·ahn), noun. Glory.

Kapitolyo (ka·pee·TOHL·yo), noun. Capital.

Kutsara (koo·TSAH·rah), noun. Spoon.

Kuya (KOO·yah), noun. Older brother.

Lagim (lah·GEEM), noun. Terror.

Lagusan (lah·GOO·sahn), noun. Tunnel.

Lambanog (LAHM·bah·nog), noun. Distilled liquor made from nipa sap.

Langit (LAH·ngeet), noun. Heaven.

Ligalig (lee·gah·LEEG), noun. Doubt.

Luntian (LOON·ti·ahn), noun. Green.

Makinang de Padyak (ma·kee·NAHng de pahd·YAK), noun. Local term for a traditional sewing machine.

Maganda (ma·GAN·da), adjective. Beautiful.

Magiting (mah·GEE·teeng), adjective. Brave.

Malakas (ma·lah·KAS), adjective. Strong.

Malikmata (mah·LEEK·mah·TAH), noun. Illusion.

Mangagawa (mahng·gah·GAH·wah), noun. Worker.

Mangguguhit (mahng·goo·GOO·heet), noun. Illustrator.

Mang (mahng), prefix. Used for older men.

Manggagaway (mahng·gah·GAH·wahy), noun. Witch who makes people sick.

Manghahabi (mahng·HAH·HAH·bee), noun. Weaver.

Marikit (mah·ree·KEET), adjective. Lovely.

Masigla (mah·sig·LAH), adjective. Lush, lively.

Maulap (ma·OOH·lap), adjective. Cloudy.

Nanay (NA·nahy), noun. Mother.

Nuno (NOOH·nô), noun. Dwarf supposedly living in an anthill, casting spells to those who dared destroy his house.

Ordinaryo (or·di·NAR·yo), adjective. Ordinary.

Pirma (peer·MA), noun. Signature.

Pusô (POO·sô), noun. Triangle-shaped cooked rice wrapped in coconut leaves.

Puto (POO·toh), noun. Sticky rice treat.

Principalias (preen·see·PAHL·yah), noun. The noble class during the Spanish-colonized Philippines.

Salbahe (sal·BAH·he), adjective. Bad, mischievous.

Sari-sari (sah·REE·sah·REE), adjective. Assorted. A variety (of). 

Sayaw (sah·YAHW), verb. Dance.

Sinulid (see·NOOH·leed), noun. Thread.

Sipa (see·PA), noun. Traditional sport where a player kicks a small ball or metal up in the air for as long as possible.

Sirena (seeh·REH·nah), noun. Mermaid.

Sungka (SOONG·kha), noun. Traditional game using shells or stones and a wooden board with several craters.

Tahanan (tah·HAH·nahn), noun. Home.

Tahi (tah·HEE), noun. Stitch.

Tamad (ta·MAHD), adjective. Lazy.

Tatay (TAH·tahy), noun. Father.

Tawilis (tah·WEE·lees), noun. Type of freshwater sardine found in the Philippines.

Tikbalang. (teek·BAH·lahng), noun. A Filipino folkloric creature with an upper body of a man, and head and hooves of a horse.

Ube (OOH·beh), noun. Purple yam.

Vinta (VEEN·tah), noun. A type of boat known for its colorful rectangular sail.

That time when I walked around four malls and got lost (in all of them)

Not gonna lie, by the end of the day, my leg hurt so much it felt like my toe was about to fall off. But these small contrivances mean nothing compared to the fact that I! Finally! Met! Marikit and the Ocean of Stars’ illustrator Alexis Young, and the gorgeous Boston-based Filipina writer C.H. Barron, both of which are here for family-related holidays.

(Who am I kidding? Whenever a Filipino comes home from abroad, it is 90% about a family-related holiday)

My apologies, friends. I am an indoor cat, not an outdoor adventurer. Most of the quests that I experienced happened in my head and stayed there. This body is as dormant as a chair. I am also an old person living in the sun-beaten Philippines, and now that March has arrived, the soft, slightly-breezy shield of Amihan has slowly faded away. We are under the direct hit of the sun’s ultra-hot, ultra-dry rays. You do not want to be here during the Dry Season. Well, also the Wet Season. Which are mostly the months after the Dry Season.

But let’s brush away my whining for a second. I finally had a miracle day. When Alexis told me she was visiting her family, I knew we had to meet. She had to sign my book! It’s a bit embarrassing to show my copy—the pages had browned, I highlighted the typos (which is the first thing I did when I scanned my book), and had the pages tabbed with crookedly-placed stickers. Not a pretty sight. But I finally had one of the makers’ signature on it, which was really lovely, because Alexis’ copy had designer-illustrator-author Veronica Mang‘s on hers. I was so, so excited about her journey, and I laughed a lot, and loud, as we were seated on the corner of Megamall’s Shake Shack, after standing in front of the counter for a long while, thinking if we should get the Ube Shake.

(We did not, my friends, get the Ube Shake)

The way we met was funny: we were late. Unfortunately late. When Alexis asked me, “Is Filipino Time real here?” The only answer is, “Yes,” and secretly, “It’s worse than you thought.” I got out of the house a quarter before eight. I did not anticipate two things: the waiting time for the bus to get full, and the traffic. Oh dear heavens. The Philippine traffic. I also did not anticipate the single most crucial fact: it has been a thousand years since my last solitary commute, and a lot has changed since then, so I was walking around aimlessly, trying to trace where the right stations were. Thank goodness, kindness always caught me back.

The first mall of the day had a brownout. Trinoma was a labyrinth, but the moment the lights were out at the food court, things felt a bit weird. Like, comfortably weird. People still went on as if it was nothing, but that’s how Filipinos are. Life goes on. Life has to go on, whether it is in the light, or in the dark.

Oh, and another thing. When I got onto the platform, my newly-bought Beep card won’t work, so I was like a tiny bee buzzing across different terminals, and after ten tries of not having a green light, I had to walk back to the counter, realize the cashier did not activate my card, and finally went my way.

The second mall I went to was the one I took the most comfortable exit from Shaw Boulevard. It was quiet at Shangri La. And it should have been a quick walk to the Megamall if I didn’t take the wrong turn and walked a couple of blocks away, under the hot sun. So by the time I saw Alexis, and this, at the third mall, you can imagine how shabby and grimy I got.

(I’m sorry to represent you this way, folks)

Alexis was standing at a pop-up stall with her tita when I saw her. That’s because I was literally at the other pop-up stall next to her. Forgive me for being loud. That’s anxiety and excitement speaking. But we finally met! We walked around the floor with so many galleries and even met one artist who had a business in Canada. It was just so fun, strangers being humans, being souls and being hearts. And in those short moments, we get to take a peek at who they really are.

I loved Alexis’ stories. She showed me her pocket journal which included stamps she gathered from her recent Taiwan trip (and then there’s me silently musing about the derailed Taiwan trip the family was supposed to have this April). I love her drawings—she even gave me one! I made Alexis sign two copies of Marikit and the Ocean of Stars, and my copy of Yxavel Magno Diño‘s The Serpent Rider, whose cover Alexis also drew! So yes, I have been lugging around with a large yellow bag with three hardbounds and some knick-knacks the entire time.

The fourth mall was a mall I’ve never been to before, and was a bit far for me to walk. I met C.H. Barron at Rockwell, where I was also graced with the presence of her little girl, whose very Pinoy side was to be witty and talkative and slightly malikot, so her dad had to walk her around the area where a gentleman had sat behind the piano and played music for everyone.

That left Karra—as C.H. Barron let me call her—and me at the table under Roti Shop, talking about publishing, about the flood in my subdivision that has slowly ceased because people are finally fixing the roads, about author friends in the Philippines, and about the state of Trump’s U.S. Her daughter has come back for rounds of mango shake in her bowl, and my date with this lovely family has ended in a jiffy. But! I did what a came here for, and that was to bring a tiny box of a gift, because Karra was one of the most inspiring creatives I ever met, and I swore to myself I’ll meet her no matter what.

And I just did!

I will tell you this: I always feel small around people. Not because of people. You do you. It’s mostly a me thing. I always feel inept, that I’m lacking, and sure enough, I am. But these people make me feel welcome despite my (inner) smallness. And I am grateful that my little world is bigger and brighter because of them.

My toes are still here and I have new stories in my pocket.

That time when it was my birthday (and also the end of the year)

December 31st celebrants have a few life perks, which includes:Getting older at the end of the year rather than somewhere in the middlePutting together a celebratory post and a year-end review because this is the last day of the yearFireworks. Lots of fireworks. The world must be very glad to have us around.

I am one proud celebrant, and my birthday has never been quiet or un-busy (Media Noche, anyone, and flurry of running back home after the last service of the year because you don’t want those watusi dancing on your feet? Yes) and so, faced with humbled gratitude and lots and lots of joy (TMI: joy was almost my name until my mom went against it), I fling the door of my blog open to welcome you in, and give you a slice of my cake.

I have been journaling for almost two decades, and I must say actually writing my quiet victories as nightcap kept my life on track. It also helped me feel grateful for what I have, and keep aspiring for what I could. We’re on our way to our second book now. And if this industry would still allow me to keep pestering it for a few more times and help make my books,

I have always wondered why some of my favorite writers won’t release another book. Now I know why. Ideas are great. They’re flashy, shiny things, beckoning for your attention, but a book is not always just an idea. It’s a story. It’s layers and layers of heart. Of characters in a journey constantly developing themselves into someone better. If those aren’t in the cauldron, your cooking must be bland. And nobody wants a bland story. Not especially from a POC writer not from the US.

The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon, I promise, has a lot of heart. I may have pulled parts of mine and slammed it on the pages, considering how dark and hopeless it felt during the season I wrote it. Maybe it got most of my heart, because my next attempts at writing sort of lost it. There was an idea. I loved that idea. But writing a story out of that idea that I would love as fiercely as my previous books? We’re not there yet.

But we are, slowly, dragging our feet up that mountain. We’ve got some climbing to do. Time has run out for this year, yet I feel no regrets for not chasing the finish line. Not this time. We’ll have that for 2025.

For now, all we are left is a swelling river of thanks.

Glimpses of light from my window

I took on drafting three manuscripts this year. Two were done, and even though hey were not successful drafts—the kind that would punch me in the face with their heart and plot—I did reach the finish line for those versions. My agent got her notes back to me in time for my revision, and I think these stories will be stirred with bigger stakes the next time I open them up.

There was a big change house-wise, not because I was more alone, but because of the isolation brought about by a year-long flood that covered most of our main roads. Somehow, I missed the feeling of walking around without water slushing underneath me (this said water had its own eco-system now, bearing tiny islands of moss and inhabitants that swim under the muddy liquid). I’d wish these things would be fixed, but our strong-willed, joyful community constantly reminds me that things aren’t as bad as they seem, and with little adjustments, life could still feel normal despite the regularly wet streets.

I only went to one show this year, and it was one of Clara Benin’s tour stops sometime in January/February. We also got to see Barbie Almalbis!

I met interesting people, too! I always try to write their names (or descriptions) at the back of my notebook and mention them in my prayers. We went to a social welfare center sometime in May and talked with a bunch of boys who had been involved with crimes. One young lad has been involved with drugs, a ten or eleven year old with stealing, and another with attempted murder. For many of these kids, the world is a cold, cruel place; most of these deeds are just responses to the harsh conditions they were in. My family and I discussed that quote in Parasite—that one is kind because they are privileged. It’s a dog-eat-dog world for the underprivileged. They’re the ones who are genuinely kind because they get to be generous despite having less.

I met Aling Cita when the jeepney we rode took a different route from the one we we regularly took. She was a mananahi, just like Aling Anita in Marikit and the Ocean of Stars, and we chatted as we walked on a warm Sunday morning. I hope she had a lovely Christmas with her loved ones.

My family and I had a break in June for my brother’s birthday, and it was a short three-day getaway to the seaside with a lovely, spacious hotel room somewhere in Zambales. One funny story is that we drove all the way to the mountainside not knowing that there was a large screw stuck to our wheel. God truly kept us safe and did not make us worry, well, until we got home.

Agiw got spayed in September, but I lost Champoy at the end of October. Champoy has only been with us for a good year, but his goofiness and endearing charm has been a lovely presence in the house. The way he went was a shock, but Death is like that. It never comes with a warning. I am only glad I get to love him and be loved by him when he is here.

I’m glad that I have been journaling. At this stage of life, it feels important to keep track of the little wins and tiny lessons we can glean everyday. I have a cheap, dateless journal where I pour out my thoughts at every end of the day, and it has been my favorite pause before I hit the sack. It’s a nice way to process things; to weed out the mistakes (and find enough grace to forgive yourself), to celebrate tiny victories, and recognize the goodness all around me. I recommend it! You’ll always go to bed feeling happy and grateful.

Some of my favorite photos this year

As you can see, most of these are pictures of home. I haven’t been out and about. It was not my nature. But if there’s anything I feel like doing this 2025, it’s to see things more. Meet people more. You know, just sit inside a packed jeepney and listen to the pasaheros tell their stories. There are many stories. The world is gurgling with them, many wonderful ones still hiding underneath its many coats. You and I could go on a hunt. We could be scribes. We could be recorders of things easily forgotten, and make them permanent so that the world could hear such tales.

Let’s move forward, pen and paper in hand, shall we?

Of The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon

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Marikit and the Ocean of Stars 2nd Anniversary Special: The Things I Learned Along the Way

(Author Edition)

Marikit and the Ocean of Stars has been out for two years today! It’s been quite a journey—from closing a deal in October 2020, getting it published two years later, and coming soon, its paperback version. Everything has been nothing less than miraculous, and in the same way Sangdaan would remind Marikit, here are some of the lessons I have learned along the way.

Books were always about waiting. There are some things you truly cannot hurry, like love, growth, and books. Books, most especially. It’s all about waiting. Waiting for an idea. Waiting for a motivation to write. Waiting for a draft to be completed, or a plot hole to be resolved. Waiting for positive feedback, and then waiting for agent responses. If yes, then another long wait for revisions. Then, submission. And luckily, an offer. Then we wait some more for it to be published. Books don’t take shortcuts, and I am a better person (and writer) because of it.Celebrate your Fews. For many of us, it’s about the numbers. Of course. Numbers make the sales. Numbers write those cheques. Numbers are what we all wish for, but sometimes, only a few find their way to us. Only a few sit around us to say, “We’re here, you’re okay, everything is not a dream.” I am grateful for my Fews and I am honored to be given their time and support. And just as how they showed up for me, I will show up for you (even if you can’t see me). Maybe I’ll be one of your Fews, too.Small wins are big wins. When I debuted Marikit, I didn’t know a lot of things. I didn’t know about the number of edits it would take, the deathly silence between revisions, and the 2 a.m. emails that would either make you heave a deep sigh or have you bursting with insane joy. One of my favorite discoveries is the terror of trade reviews. Yes, we all wish for a star, but by and by, I realized that getting industry pros to look at my book was already a feat. And if they had glowing reviews? A joy and a relief.Kindness met me in this industry. My biggest thanks, always, to the dazzling Roshani Chokshi, who lent me so much of her time and heart that she even joined me on my launch! I will not forget how the ever-luminous Erin Entrada Kelly opened her door to us when we asked for her words. My Filipino writing community, which has been the backbone of many Filipino authors taking up their rightful place, never failed to give us their time and talents and make us feel their support. We are constantly hounded by bad industry news—many of them upsetting. But there is kindness in this industry, and if you’re just starting out, here is what will take you forward: Graciousness. Humility. Joy. Keep those words in your writer’s pocket, and live them.Upsetting reviews? Stretch your heart open. The nice thing about books is that it gives the readers a chance to create their own worlds. To some, your words will sustain them. To others, it will fall flat. And that’s okay. We’re all built differently. Let’s allow each other to scream what makes our hearts sing. When the opportunity comes, show up. I have never imagined being in the same panel with my heroes, being in conversation with some of my favorite authors, and having my face plastered on pubmats, which always made me cringe, because, in the cameras of other people, I am not photogenic. I am not a good speaker, either. But each time I get an invite, I make it a point to show up. Sure, I could never be like the authors I admire! They are glorious and talented! But I am me—clumsy and anxious and ready to spill my heart, because I have stories aplenty. Stories about the people I met and the people I wrote, ordinary heroes and average Juans who deserve the spotlight, too. As a very ordinary human myself, I’ll take that chance.

Many years ago, I had a YA manuscript that I had been relentlessly querying, believing that it would be my first-ever published book. And then, like a quick turn of the head, there was Marikit, originally Marikit Wears a Map to the Engkantos. It was a story woven with memories of my family and community, a voice that echoes my love for children, and a tapestry of the fabrics of our folklore. Debuting with Marikit and the Ocean of Stars was life-changing for me. I wouldn’t have it any other way around.

And now, onto the next book!

The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon eARCs are now available on Netgalley!

It might just be me prematurely screaming things out in the void, but let it be known that The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon is now on Netgalley and Edelweiss. Which means you can read it. And if there’s anything that spooks me other than awful Halloween movies, missing important emails, and the horrors of getting the same bad people reelected, it’s a review of my book.

So, yes, bury me deep down under.

But I am excited. It’s not a perfect story—let me preface you with that—but I hope you see glimpses of kindness, hope, and bravery here. The entire story may sound like horror on its own (because basically, being surrounded by darkness and cryptids is terrifying), so I am going to gulp down all my fears, and like that clumsy kid stuck in a bad Halloween movie, let’s move forward and kill the monster.

request on netgalleyrequest on Edeweiss+

I’ve made an updated page for TBTMATSWATM on my website so you’ll have all the links in one place. I have also added an e-ARC sign-up form for those who won’t be able to request the book due to location or other constraints.

The Boy, The Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon

Synopsis

The town of Santo Cristo is known for two things–their colorful town fiesta capped off with a solemn evening procession, and the dozens of people that have disappeared over the years. When three kids–the headstrong Bayani, his sister Isay, and anxious Aaron–find their way over the other side of a mysterious bridge and to a long-forgotten island of myth, they’re faced with monsters, cryptids, and sinister characters. In this land of Night, they must find their way back to their world and keep their light burning bright lest they lose themselves too.

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Of Writing and Emails, many of which I send to myself

Let me tell you a secret: my writing process always involves emails. Lots of them. All sent by myself, to myself.

Back in the day, when the internet was still a baby, they’d tell you that the simplest way to copyright a thing you made was to mail the original copy back to yourself, and never, ever open it until it’s about to be used. Well, I’m old school, but I do it the modern way.

I write a draft, I email it to myself. I revise, I email it to myself. Any slight change, I make sure I email it back. Feels like so much work, yes? And maybe unnecessary storage. But hear me out. As a person who has great FOMO on both moving forward and looking back, I wanted to hold on to my work until I reach the end.

(Besides, it makes great proof should anyone accuse me of stealing ideas/words)

Some stuff that I think are important:First drafts! They always get a bad rap, I know. But to me, they’re the heart and soul of my story, no matter how sloppy they are. I always preserve my first draft and leave it as is, just in case I get lost during revision, so I can find my way back to the very core of my story. Major revisions! I always indicate a list of my edits in the body of my email, just to remind me what’s there, and what’s not. Very important, just in case I want to transition back to my previous work.Name change. Most of the time, I use placeholder names for my MCs. And being fickle, I’d probably also change other names, along the way, including places. To me, it’s important to take note of these edits, just in case I get confused as I write further along.

All in all, having all these files in one place gives me less anxiety (Word crashing, files disappearing in the cloud, sudden changes in Google Docs, etc). I also love the feeling of ending each writing session with a cheerful note to myself, like a gentle pat on the shoulder, saying, “Well done. There’s next session to fix things up.”

Guess how many emails I sent to myself for Marikit and the Ocean of Stars? (Have a number in your mind? Alright, get ready to highlight the next line).

322.

For The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon?

404.

Call me a serial self-emailer, and I won’t feel any shame. If you’re thinking of adding this step to your writing process, I’d love to know whether it helped—or not!

Unveiling the Cover Art for The Boy, The Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon

Hold the door and light a candle! Take a deep, deep breath—like the ones I have been taking. Here, I present to you the sweepingly brilliant cover of my sophomore middle grade fantasy, The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon.

I am proud to say that the artist behind The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon‘s cover is another Filipino: the remarkable Marianne J. Palita, best known around the internet as marmastry. When my editor showed me her work, I prayed that she’d take on this project. I adore the details in her art, and her color palette brims of the sunny and rainy hues of Southeast Asia. What joy it was to learn that she accepted the task on translating my story to art! This visual feast reflects the spirit of Pinoy Komiks, the whimsy of our myths, and the pride of being kayumanggi.

Completing the whole look is the fantastic designer-illustrator Julia Bianchi, who made sure that the book’s details shine, from the stunning handmade font (look at Serpent and its faint scales), to the glorious interiors I am just so excited for you to see.

Everything Julia and Marianne made is just so breathtaking, and I’m so, so honored that they are a part of the TBTMATSWATM’s team. From the very first sketch, I knew that this book’s cover was in brilliant hands. Seeing everything in full color blew me away!

With that, meet my backside shirt-wearing, left-handed Bayani; his spunky sister Isay, the anxious Aaron, and all the other cast of my little story, many of them still hidden in the shadows. But Marianne left many clues, if only you’d look closely: a pile of people watching in the deep, a mysterious half-bodied girl, a land that has awakened, and a serpent about to gnaw on Night’s most important celestial object.

The town of Santo Cristo is still haunted by a mountain that shouldn’t be there, the disappearance of its people, and nobody could solve the mystery except for these three kids. Now, please stick around and pick up a flashlight—or a candle—and let’s find our way out of the dark.

Watch the cover reveal:

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