Review: Trese: Stories from the Diabolical (Vol. 1)

Welcome to The Diabolical!
My name is Hank. I'll be your bartender for tonight.
What will it be? Don't tell me. I know exactly what you want to drink.

So, what's on your mind? You have a story to tell?
You've come to the right place. I've got some interesting stories as well.

Have you heard the one about the ghost who walked in the bar?
The one who kept coming back, waiting for the arrival of that certain someone?

What about the guy who had coffee with his dead girlfriend?
Or the story of the spectral Christmas carolers?

And then there's that strange tale of all those senior citizens who watched the last full show and never came out.

No? Haven't heard those? Well, have another drink and I'll tell you all about it.

I just love Budjette Tan and KaJo Baldisimo's Trese graphic novels. I think it's brilliant how they are able to do a re-telling of Philippine folklore that resounds to people from almost all age groups. This time around, they have released Trese: Stories from the Diabolical, which features ghostly tales as told by Hank Sparrow, The Diabolical's resident bartender. 

I came, I saw, I pitched, I scored!

I can't believe I crammed for something as important as a story pitch contest! I'm just glad I had my 2012 NaNoWriMo manuscript ready (well yeah, the story is done, but I haven't started on editing at all), so all I had to do was write a strong and compelling pitch to sell my material to the publisher-judges.

Oh boy, I never expected that preparing for a pitch could be so nerve-racking. From finding good resources on how to write a winning spiel for my story, finding an internet cafe to have my work printed (and making the cut-off period), and finally, to waiting for my turn to be interviewed by the three publishers, today was definitely a test on staying calm and collected.

I honestly didn't think I'd make it, but when I got one business card after the other, I had to control the urge to jump from my seat and do a crazy dance. I scored all three publishers! That's a step closer to getting a book deal with local publishing houses.

I'm over the moon! :)

Book Sale Alert: Reaping Me Softly

More book sales! Yay!

I've always been a staunch supporter of Filipino authors, and Kate Evangelista is no exception. I can't remember exactly how I got to know about this gem of an author, but I was thrilled to know that she's been making waves in the international scene as a writer of paranormal romance.

Here's the good news: the ebook version of Reaping Me Softly is on sale for only $0.99 in Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This is all in preparation for the sequel release of Unreap My Heart on September 17. Talk about a steal! I'm excited for book 2 as well (along with other upcoming releases of Kate's work).

Go grab a copy now!

Goodbye Money, Hello New Books!

Photo from NBS Facebook page

Since I had a Kindle, I rarely bought physical books (except for those written by Filipino authors) due to storage reasons. In as much as I love holding and reading hard copies of books, the Kindle has helped me discover more fun reads, not to mention that I can store hundreds in just one device. But all practicality reasons flew out the window when National Book Store announced a massive sale in all its branches. 

So what's an avid reader supposed to do? Hoard books, of course!