Mina V. Esguerra's Blog, page 20

Kiss and Cry: Food stories

Kiss and Cry + sisig

My books often have food mentions, especially the ones set in the Philippines. That’s just the kind of person (and writer) I am I guess…but Kiss and Cry taps into an entire range of food experiences that I associate with balikbayans (what we call a Pinoy who has lived a long time in another country and has come back to visit).

Mango juice (with grilled food in the background)

When I was preparing to write Kiss and Cry, I wrote a short story called Let’s Be Friendly, showing Cal and Ram’s first meeting in vignettes. It was practice and I temporarily put it up on Wattpad, but I’ve taken it down (although I may put it up here on the site as a bonus thing). Cal and Ram bond over mango shakes bought at the mall. It’s almost not special, until you live somewhere else and those kinds of mangoes just aren’t available.

When Cal and Ram meet again at the beginning of Kiss and Cry, they have a longganisa platter (among other things) at the restaurant where they talk. Longganisa is the generic term for sausage and if it’s offered on the menu I often ask the restaurant staff which one they serve, from which region, and if I’m unfamiliar with it I ask what the flavor is (sweet? salty? how spicy?).

Aysee’s sisig

Sisig is served at many places that serve Filipino food, but I want a place that can serve it crunchy. And not gummy, because yes there are parts to that sisig that will be gummy and chewy but I don’t want those parts, ick. Sisig is also an experience–it’s a dish made from parts that usually get thrown out in a finer dining experience.

Pork sinigang, guava and pineapple version

There are a lot of ways to make sinigang and the variant I mention in the book is not my favorite, but I enjoy it, and it’s not that common. I used to nope out of anything guava as a kid, but now as an adult who loves all these food experiences I really appreciate what it brings to a dish that’s associated with other souring agents (tamarind would be easiest to get for a sinigang).

Kansi. I know right.

Kansi, served at the family dinner near the end of the book, is a meaty and unwieldy dish. Looks like bulalo because bones and marrow, but isn’t.

These are all photos I’ve taken of food I’ve eaten myself haha, but I’m glad we’re at a stage where readers have told me they’ve Googled food references they’re not familiar with, and end up learning about Filipino things more. That’s cool but in my own way I wanted to suggest — and with this book in particular — that the food also might not look like the first photo that pops up on Google. Because food memory is a range, especially if you’ve left the place where you used to have it, and it’s possible to treasure a very specific version of it that might not be its best, its finest. Or, oddly, the opposite–connecting to instead something that was most commercial and accessible. My own family is part of the diaspora, and my list of food requests when traveling can get very specific: this brand of hotdog, this flavor of sugary powdered tea, “original flavor” instant noodles.

I wondered while writing and revising how much of this should be on the page, and how much I should explain of this very specific longing. I think though, I mentioned food enough (a LOT) on the page anyway, and decided to expand on the longing behind it on my blog instead. Reader Aarya Marsden has a review of Kiss and Cry on Goodreads that also discusses this, from her experience. (“Same,” is my response.)

Kiss and Cry Q&A

Kiss and Cry buy links: Amazon Gumroad Smashwords Apple Books Barnes & Noble Kobo Print (Philippines)

Answering some questions I got on Instagram. Thank you for the Qs!

Q: What kinds of research did you have to do for the book?

The answer has a lot of parts to it:
1. Hours of watching movies about skating and hockey, ideally both in the same movie! And rewatching the faves that got me interested in them as a kid. And a gazillion videos as well of competitions, classic routines, instructional videos, games, live streams. The book is dedicated to two people who sent me things to read and watch the past two years, keeping me on track even when I kind of gave up on this book. (Thank you.)
2. Hanging out at the rinks in Pasay and Ortigas, watching training and games. Sometimes with friends (Tania and Six), sometimes by myself. One time I sat and wrote there, except it’s not the easiest place to write really.
3. Sliding into the inboxes/dms of hockey player Paolo and figure skater Jestine, who answered my questions. As with most books I write, I come into this as a romance author primarily, so I usually identify the trope and characters first–then check with them if certain aspects of the trope or plot can actually happen. That said, I decide whether to keep a thing in my book for plot or drama purposes, and reading my sports romance is still no substitute for learning about the real history, issues, and state of winter sports in the country. This is me saying I wrote fictional stuff, haha.
4. Skating again! After years of not skating, I tried it again with a friend (Kim!). I am way worse at it now.
5. Usually I try not to identify too much with the characters I write, but this time I came close. There is a real hugot in there somewhere, and the research involved some unpacking, some stepping back, some reflection on what could actually be done to fix things.

Q: Where to have all that food in the book?
A: A place like Aysee’s for the sisig (but Manam is totally fine if you’re near one anyway). The fried kesong puti salad at Mary Grace. The sinigang sa bayabas at pinya at Mesa. To name a few!

Q: Are we getting a short story following the events after the ending of Kiss and Cry?
A: Yes there’s a short story I’m writing that’s set after the ending, but involves a different set of characters.

Career update, or the value of a photo of a stack of your own books

My proof copy of Kiss and Cry arrived this week, and I’ve made a little thing out of taking a photo of my updated book stack like the one above. Not only is it a list of print books I have in stock, but it’s also a reminder of what I’m doing, what I’ve done, what I’ve learned. Kiss and Cry is my 24th book. (Not counting short stories in anthologies; counting Scambitious as 4 books and Interim Goddess as 3 books.)

I started taking this kind of photo because, as a woman in pretty much any career, I too have experienced being invited as a practitioner or a resource, only to be talked down to or dismissed by someone much less knowledgeable. At the time I didn’t know where it came from, and what they sought to prove. (Today I just think it’s sexism + misplaced attempt at exercising superiority.) Still it did affect me and for a while, it was a source of anxiety and I would spend a lot of time preparing for That Person, knowing at least one would be there, anywhere. When they did do their expected thing, I felt challenged to learn more, because a part of me did believe that they knew more. When your work is in genre romance, the chances of experiencing this go up even more.

So I did more, worked more, and learned more. That book stack reminds me of all the experiments, documented on this site over the years–the publishers, the collaborations, the new editions, the trad pub R&R, the period I was agented, distribution experiments, marketing projects, genre hops. The failures as well as the successes. And you know what? It feels good. I can speak openly about what works and what doesn’t, and have wonderful conversations with people who get it.

Now if I’m speaking anywhere I lead with this photo (or a slide of covers), and perhaps not a coincidence, but the anxiety-inducing interactions have dropped down to nearly zero. It’s possible that I’ve improved my presentation and communication skills over the years, that I’ve gotten better at getting my message across.

Or maybe it has something to do with starting with a simple image that shows what years of work have taught me. That just maybe I did know a thing or two about the topic I was invited and often paid to speak about. I can’t believe I have to do this to be taken seriously, but it’s a tip for anyone in a similar position, and probably feeling a similar anxiety. (And my other tip is that no gathering should make you feel this way and definitely say no if you want to.)

romanceclass at CCP Pasinaya 2019

Cultural Center of the Philippines

#romanceclass was at the CCP Pasinaya festival for the second time, and it was awesome. This is a yearly festival, and if you attend you get a schedule for three days of arts and culture from all over the country.

We were given the 3:30 PM time slot at the CCP Library on the third day, and just like last year, we featured live readings from romanceclass books. We had Gracielle So, Vinni Misa, and Paulito del Mundo reading for us.

When the session started we had a full library! At an event like this I’m aware that most of the people in the audience wouldn’t know who we are and what we do, so I give an introduction. I told them that #romanceclass is a community of Filipino authors who write romance in English, the readers of the books, and the artists/actors who help us publish and promote the books. We’re all for responsible and empowering kilig. We want happy ever afters for everyone.

Sounds Like Summer by @sixdlr pic.twitter.com/z8bvPF2YMu

— Mina V. Esguerra (@minavesguerra) February 3, 2019

Sweeter by the Second by @arkiCpsanti pic.twitter.com/3DUrFEPzwv

— Mina V. Esguerra (@minavesguerra) February 3, 2019

Well Played by @iggyatienza pic.twitter.com/87Zk83BkR1

— Mina V. Esguerra (@minavesguerra) February 3, 2019

It’s A Match by @itstimeana pic.twitter.com/5OQeUi6bVX

— Mina V. Esguerra (@minavesguerra) February 3, 2019

The session was half an hour long–way shorter than most of our live reading programs! If you were at Pasinaya and want more of this, follow this blog for announcements of future events.

Thank you Paulito, Graie, Vinnie, and authors Six de los Reyes, Ana Tejano, C.P. Santi, and Katrina Ramos Atienza! Visit romanceclassbooks.com to see/buy all the books.

Me, Paulito, Graie, Vinni, Six, Ana (photo from IG @itstimeana)

Kiss and Cry (Six 32 Central #2)

Book description:

Calinda met Ramirez when she was 20 and he was 22. She was the rising star of women’s skating, and he was the superstar forward of men’s hockey. Her parents and coach were against their relationship, and because Calinda wanted to prove that no hot guy would ever distract her from her dream, she chose skating over him–and also avoided him all together. 

Ten years later, they meet again as gold medalists and prominent sports advocates, still single and undeniably attracted to each other. It’s still not a good time for them, because Ramirez is retiring from hockey and moving back to the United States. Calinda doesn’t do relationships, really, and proposes they use his final three weeks in Manila to explore what might have been, and do all the things they wish they’d done (there’s a list!). Then he can leave for good, and they can both move on with their lives without this one regret.

Cover designed by Tania Arpa, photographed by Chi Yu Rodriguez, styled by Alex Lapa, featuring Vanya Castor and Fred Lo. With special thanks to Paolo Spafford (of our national hockey team).

Out March 2019! Pre-order links will be shared here soon. ARCs will be sent in early February to those who requested them. Thank you!

US trip 2019 as author and reader

Was in LA and Houston for a few days in January, and managed to make some bookish visits to places.

My main stop in LA was The Ripped Bodice, an indie, romance-focused bookstore. It was my second time to visit and it’s so good to see Rebekah, Sarah, and Georgette again–and meet Alexis for the first time!

Stopped by @TheRippedBodice for a little #romanceclass face time with @minavesguerra and @Gette_aka_EJmsv with special guest @laceliteracy

#romanceclasscovers update: 9 and we’ll keep going

The story so far: We’ve been writing romance novels that we publish internationally. Many of our favorite international romance books for the past few decades have photos or real people’s faces on the covers. Many of us started with art illustrations as covers, and they’re lovely—but some of us do want people/photo covers too and just didn’t have the resources to make it happen. Stock photo sites haven’t provided what we needed. So #romanceclass started romanceclasscovers, and then did more shoots. Now we have options, in case authors of romance featuring Filipino characters have been looking and can’t find the photo they need.

As it turns out, illustrated covers seems to be the trend in romance right now. Lovely art is lovely art, and supporting artists is a good thing. I will definitely continue to support AOCs who are getting this cover treatment, and I appreciate the work of the artists they work with. I hope as this “trend” is evaluated, people remember the comments we (non-US, indie authors) got when we were almost exclusively using art covers, say 2013 when romanceclass started. Specifically, people have said: “doesn’t look like romance,” “can’t tell what heat level,” “can’t tell from the cover the ethnicity/nationality of the characters,” “doesn’t match other books in the genre,” and other similar comments that sent a message that our books as packaged didn’t look like they belonged. Do those comments no longer apply now, when back then they were used as reasons to give some of our books a pass? I guess we’ll see.

Until 2018, romanceclass authors have been releasing books with covers that are illustrated, though some have switched to photos, and some have combined both styles in their own way. I hope the mainstreaming of illustrated covers means an expansion of the audience, of readers being more welcoming, rather than, I don’t know, once again figuring out how to pass on some books just when they started looking like how the others have looked for decades.

Anyway. Obviously we’ve discovered that regardless of trend, this is a soul-enriching experience, to see Filipinos on romance book covers. It’s wonderful for the author, for readers, and even for the cover models we invite, many of them surprised to be told they could be a Main Character or Love Interest. So we’ve done more shoots!

Bibo Reyes and Gracielle So (2018, photography by Pach Urrea, styling by Alex Lapa, makeup by Layla Tanjutco)

It might be a function of timing, but the books with Bibo and Graie covers have sold extremely well in romanceclass events and book fairs in 2018. Just saying!

Biel Faundo and JP Basco and Alex Lapa (2018, photography by Pach Urrea, styling by Alex Lapa, makeup by Layla Tanjutco)

Amazing how we find our cover people sometimes: JP made a memorable first impression as a live reader at AprilFeelsDay2018, and Biel is a doctor (who’s a friend of a romanceclass author). Alex, I met because she read my books and we started following each other on Twitter. I invited her before to be on the cover of my Young and Scambitious series, and on this shoot she reprises her role (haha), in a new set of photos for a compiled edition I’m releasing.

Boo Gabunada and Liane Palomo (2019, photography by Pach Urrea, styling by Alex Lapa)

The most recent shoot was just last weekend, and it was the first one that I missed, because I’m traveling right now. The photos of Boo and Liane look so good! Proving that I’m not needed there AT ALL and/or this is a concept that everyone working on #romanceclasscovers understands, and wants.

We’re planning our 10th shoot! Sponsor a shoot or purchase a photo at instagram.com/romanceclasscovers

January 12 and 13: Buy romanceclass books at Power Mac Center Spotlight, Circuit Makati

Tickets here: http://ticket2me.net/e/1179 

#romanceclass will be watching Jef Flores’s musical Flashcard Tangle, and selling books at the theater! January 12 and 13, Power Mac Center Spotlight, Circuit Makati.

Some book recs from 2018

I read 92 books in 2018. 92! That’s probably my best rate in years, and that doesn’t even include re-reads, standalone short fiction, komiks, zines, completed/serial online fiction, pre-publication #romanceclass reads. I won’t be listing all of the titles, and will instead highlight some for various reasons. I won’t be rating them either because nowadays if I manage to finish a book it’s at the very least 3.5 stars. Anything that doesn’t grab my interest, I stop and move on to something else.

A summary of my reading year:
92 finished titles. This year I’ve been reading mostly at night, a chapter or so before sleeping, and early morning. Audio during the day. Print only during the day, or that one time I went on a writing retreat.

80 romance genre (12 other genre/category, includes YA, women’s fiction, suspense, poetry)
I don’t mind this proportion being heavily romance with some occasional stops at other genres. As mentioned in a previous post I’m in grief mode, and I appreciate it when reviewers mention triggers like cancer, dying parents, grief arcs–because I’m avoiding them right now. Since identifying that, I’ve gravitated toward talky, and/or fun, and/or low angst, and/or extremely erotic romance, and I’m just really happy with my reading and feel comforted enough to get me to…not really a good place just yet, but a medium place maybe. Thanks, Romancelandia. (kisses)

35 new-to-me authors
My TBR is always 50 books or more, oddly, but I decided to make room always for a new author, and once in a while try a new-to-me author especially if friends love their backlist.

11 print books, 13 audio books, 1 digital ARC, all the rest ebooks bought or KU borrowed
So this year, I figured out what print books mean to me as a reader: They’re the books I will eventually give away. Buy print only to have a physical copy of a book I love so I can lend or give it to a friend…or buy a sale/cheap copy to try it and eventually give it away. I bought a very small shelf and will maintain the load on it, and give away anything that isn’t at least a four-star read. Audio’s awesome, will be reading more that way. I very rarely ask for ARCs, but I won’t close that door, though I do prefer pre-ordering and buying.

75 books by AOC
82% of my reading.

4 Tagalog romance
I will do more of this!

On to some recs. I’ve recommended books as I read them, so this isn’t a best of. I just feel like mentioning them right now, for reasons:

There’s a Fil-Am heroine in this one, but both characters have obligations to family and pressure to maintain their livelihoods. Recommend this when someone says romance is always an escape and no one ever seems to be responsible for things.

This Wicked Gift Kindle edition

Not pubbed this year, but picked it as a holiday read and got my socks knocked off.

My experience with Sierra Simone’s Priest romance books is this: I just tell fellow Pinoys I’ve read them…and let them slide into my DMs. There is a range of feelings regarding the idea of this, of specifics in the book, and even the choice and experience of reading it. (ie don’t assume that only certain people are offended and only certain people are curious. Might be the other way around.) Anyway, I’m mentioning this book here because of a dying parent subplot that I would have absolutely avoided if I had known it was there, but by the time I discovered it I couldn’t stop reading, and the events of the book were happening to me pretty much at the same time, or at least within weeks. I’ve avoided dying parent or cancer arcs in books because I don’t like being told how to feel, but this particular book got some parts down so exactly similar to my experience and state of mind. It’s so strange, okay, but that’s just how complex we are I guess haha.

Not romance genre, but so awesome an experience. Audio, if you can.

I read so many Nicola Davidson books in one weekend that I had to tell myself to stop so I could have more for a “rainy day.” They’re short reads, hot and right away (a good thing to me), and asks what I think are awesome questions. (Do you believe a book asks questions? I do.) Surrender to Sin’s basic premise involves a woman arranging to be “ruined” to avoid an unwanted marriage. So glad she has a lot of fun and finds love while doing that.

Look, I like reading romance and spies and competence trope and menage, but did I ever put all of that together in a search box to see a book that has it? I did not, so I’m glad someone wrote this book, and somehow made it land on my Twitter timeline. Thank you, universe.

Not romance genre. Sociopath main character, actual ruin of men, actual use of sex to ruin people, and yet…and yet! Anyway, I warned you about the things, and it’s still a cathartic fun read. Depending on your idea of fun.

I still think about this book. I feel like a door opened in a room inside my head, and I’m still figuring out why I feel that way. (TW for violence, child death.)

Hot and funny and a lot of story for a short book. Something to read and learn from when feeling pressure about word counts and pages, ie a story is however long it needs to be.

Thank you, excellent authors!

If you’re reading this and wondering where the romance by Filipino authors are, head on over to romanceclassbooks.com. Or start with the 2018 releases here.

My books in libraries

Yes it’s possible, apparently, to indie-pub a romance book and see it acquired by libraries. If you use Smashwords (and opt into Overdrive for digital books), Findaway Voices (for audio books), and CreateSpace (now Amazon print, for print books) then the library option is just there already.

I didn’t think about it all that much because I’m not used to the public library system the way other countries know and use it. I associate libraries with schools, a preference for educational material, and if someone representing a library does tell me they want romance titles I assume their budget will be very limited. The few times I’ve worked with libraries with budgets it wasn’t easy, because of the paperwork involved. (Which has led to: if my books are in a Philippine library, they’re through my local publishers, or I’ve donated the books.)

Then it occurred to me to check if opting into library distribution has led to…my books being in libraries. And yes they are! This usually starts with a library patron making a request, and the book being acquired. Look into this if you can.

These are my books in different libraries. Putting up links to my two most recent releases first, entries found as of December 2018. Thank you for requesting, acquiring, and reading a book by a Filipino author!

Better at Weddings Than You
all print; no Overdrive edition

New York Public Library
Loyola University Chicago
North Carolina State University
Palatine IL Public Library
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Davenport IA Public Library
Denver CO Public Library
Louisiana State University

What Kind of Day

Print books
Helen Plum Memorial Library Lombard IL
Des Moines IA Public Library
Seattle Public Library

Digital books
My Media Mall IL
Harris County TX Public Library
Sacramento CA Public Library
The Free Library of Philadelphia PA
Los Angeles CA Public Library
Albuquerque and Bernalillo NM Public Library
Yakima Valley WA Libraries
Pike’s Peak CO Library District
Arlington VA Public Library