So, yes, I’m still alive. I know it’s been months, but hey, I’m back! And with exciting news.
Prior to announcing the release of the second installment of my urban fantasy series, I did a thing…and that’s to give Bloodline Maharlika a new look!
Update: Book 2 of the Bloodline Series & a Mecha Fic
Whew! It’s been quite a while since I last updated the blog, but now it’s time to remedy that! Things have been crazy busy, but not too busy enough to write. I’m very excited to announce that book 2 of the Bloodline series is on its way to being published soon-ish! Here are some things to expect in Bloodline Magiting:
Book Review: #StrangeLit Incredible Truths
Incredible Truths
#StrangeLit
Paranormal, Horror, Fantasy
September 2015
e-book
ARC from Bookish Diaries Book Tours
Beware the tale that distracts you with the telling -- it's planting a truth in your mind, and you may find yourself believing in the incredible too. Sit back and let it happen, while reading.
A Sky of Wishes by Kristel Ann Cruz
A world governed by logic and rules does not have time for childhood fantasies like wishing stars, or so we thought. After Stella gets diagnosed with a terminal illness, Aries turned to the sky and pleaded for his mother to be healed. Imagine his surprise when a Star manifests itself to him, willing to give him anything he wishes for. There is only one rule: Everything comes with a price. With his mother's life on the line, how far could he go? In a battle between fates and wishes, what would Aries be willing to give up?
Book Review
Reading Kristel Ann Cruz’s A Sky of Wishes was a nice, refreshing break from the fast-paced, gripping mysteries in all four #StrangeLit bundles. Reading this short story after all the other ones I’ve read brought everything in full circle. Cruz’s writing style is elegant in its simplicity, easy to relate to, and extremely engaging.
A Sky of Wishes starts off with a dilemma—Aries’s mom is diagnosed with cancer and he’s running out of options. He makes a fervent wish to the stars in the heavens in the hopes of a miracle. Little did he know he was going to get what he asked for, but at a very steep price.
I love the brilliance of this plot. While reading, I began to make my own conclusions and was actually rooting for a certain path Aries would take. A Sky of Wishes made me evaluate my own thoughts—what was I willing to give up for the sake of one important wish? Aries’s request was as valid as anyone’s, and I could tell right off the bat he was the kind of person who had a big heart. But even those with the kindest of intentions can stumble when faced with the most difficult of choices. But without spoiling anything, I was pleasantly surprised at the character’s choice. It left me pondering on my previous speculation, while making me appreciate why the choice had to happen. It was an unexpected, yet brilliant ending. And to have me come to terms with a personal epiphany is nothing short of a genius move.
About the Author
It boggles the mind how someone so shy and awkward found herself in Public Relations, but somehow Krissy makes it work. If she were a fictional character, she’d be a female Ted Mosby. Whether it be prose, poetry, a watercolor painting, or a craft project, she is happiest when she makes. Talk about books, movies, and lipsticks with her on www.krissyfied.com.
Book Review + Interview: #StrangeLit Killer Seasons
Killer Seasons
#StrangeLit
Paranormal, Horror, Fantasy
September 2015
e-book
ARC from Bookish Diaries Book Tours
A werewolf chef, a cursed family, a spell to forget. You'll meet these and more in the ten stories of the KILLER SEASONS installment of #StrangeLit.
The Last Night of Her Wake by Chrissie Peria
There is a wake in Sitio Lumawig. A young woman, barely seventeen, left her hometown, only to return home in a wooden box. Brutally murdered, there are no witnesses. Nobody knows what happened. When it happened. Or who did it. All they know is that there was pain—so much pain in her passing.
As her father keeps vigil over her battered body, a single question keeps him company. Who is to blame for his daughter’s death?
Book Review
There was something interesting and mysterious just by the title and cover of Chrissie Peria’s short story, The Last Night of Her Wake. I’ve been a fan of Peria’s romance work and for her to write something outside that familiar space is an exciting thing as a reader. Reading The Last Night of Her Wake further solidified my belief that Peria can do no wrong and her writing chops is the stuff of magic.
Book Review + Interview: #StrangeLit Darkest Dreams
Darkest Dreams
#StrangeLit
Paranormal, Horror, Fantasy
September 2015
e-book
ARC from Bookish Diaries Book Tours
This is what happens you allow yourself to unlock your dreams: You may just find the darkness that lurks there. Explore the tragic, the romantic, and the comedic side of our darkness in these stories.
Bayani by Motzie Dapul
In the year 2050, Patrick "Paquino" Aquino: president of the Philippines, former superhero, and murderer—not necessarily in that order—deals with the consequences of his actions following four years of martial law and the raid that ended a bloody political dynasty in the far north.
With a death sentence looming over his head and a revolution rising against him, he begins to wonder if his bid to save the country, made back when he was the impetuous young bayani Lastikid, is worth dying for.
Book Review
Bayani by Motzie Dapul
I first heard of Motzie Dapul’s novel during the #StrangeLit launch party, describing the story as “What would happen if Philippine mythological heroes became politicians?”. I was sold. I had to read Bayani if not for that very same reason. I was intrigued at the premise of Philippines in the year 2050 when the likes of “supers” dabbling in politics, specifically Patrick “Paquino” Aquino, or Lastikid in his former life. There were also familiar names like Bernardo Carpio, Adarna, and Lakampati—all familiar mythological personalities with interesting roles to play in the story. Paquino was depicted as the son of a business tycoon, a privileged individual in his own right, but also a man torn by guilt and remorse about his past. He was the president who, in today’s times, did the right thing as expected of his office. But this is the Philippines, the land where the adage “damn if you do, damn if you don’t” is something that happens in the literal sense. I loved Paquino as a flawed character, and I think his actions were justified by the motivations and personal cross he carried.