Review: Si Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tábon

Sa tournament ng TALA Online sa bayan ng Balanga, namatay ang lahat ng manlalaro maliban kay Janus. Sunod-sunod pa ang naging kaso ng pagkamatay ng mga kabataan sa computer shops sai ba’t ibang panig ng bansa. Kinontak si Janus ng nagpakilalang Joey, isa rin umano sa mga nakaligtas sa paglalaro ng TALA na gaya niya. Hindi inasahan ni Janus ang mga matutuklasan niya mula rito na mag-uugnay sa kanya sa misteryo ng kinahuhumalingan niyang RPG—at sa alamat ng Tiyanak mula sa Tábon!

As of this writing, I'm still reeling from reading the book. I didn't get to do anything "productive" yesterday as I just spent it glued to it, reading until I finally finished it today. I never thought to be so affected by something I was only remotely curious of when I saw a friend's pic of the book a couple of days ago. And now I have to say that I experienced the worst case of book hangover. Ever.

What have I (not) been doing

Photos not mine; all Googled.

I'd like to apologize for the weeks of radio silence on this blog. So here's a short update of sorts.

• I'm currently editing a novel I've written last 2012 that I'm hoping to release this year. Although I've released a novella and a short story the previous year and last February respectively, editing a 50k-word novel is like getting-a-tooth-extracted-without-anesthesia painful. I've procrastinated most of the time, but I'm pushing myself to get this done and fixed before submitting to my editor. I'm halfway through, so far.
• I've written a "mature" short story that's now distributed in Buqo. I'll just leave it at that.
• The Walking Dead season 4 ended a few weeks before Game of Thrones season 4.  So while I'm tearing my hair out in frustration at the lackluster season finale, part of me is thrilled to have the most bad-ass TV series back on air. Also, heads-up to the equally bad-ass showstoppers from House Martell.
• I am on a reading roll. I've been buying books on a monthly basis and getting my reading quota up. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), my TBR pile is also growing. But I'm not really complaining. Currently reading Tessa Bailey's Unfixable and Karl De Mesa's Demons of the New Year. If this goes well, I'll be able to finish my Reading Challenge of 40 books early this year.
• I missed Komikon. :(

Well, that's just about it. There's not much to tell as I'm mostly just doing editing/reading/procrastinating work. Hopefully I'll have something more significant to blog about (like finally getting this manuscript done).

Fangirl Moment at the Til Death Book Launch

Chloe reads an excerpt from chapter 2 of Til Death.

I first encountered Kate Evangelista's books through the Pinoywrimo FB page last year and I've been reading her work since then. When she announced there was going to be a local launch for her latest book, I jumped at the chance to attend and finally meet her.

The Til Death Book Launch was held at the National Book Store in Glorietta 1 last March 15 and it was truly exciting to meet the author behind the books I've been reading. I'm a staunch supporter of local authors and Kate's success in the publishing world is truly an inspiration. At the launch, I got to see fellow author Mina V. Esguerra (who hosted the event), along with a few of my classmates from #romanceclass. Book bloggers were also there to show support as well as Kate's friends and family.

Supporters from Kate's alma mater

One of the event highlights was an excerpt reading of Til Death by Chloe, a ninth grader from Southville International Schools and Colleges (Kate's alma mater). I was amazed by how the school supported their alumna...complete with a streamer! There was also a raffle portion where Kate gave away swag bags of Taste and Savor.

Celebrating #LunaEast and #RomanceClass

Last Saturday, me and my fellow #romanceclass authors had our very first book launch and signing. It was quite a big thing, with most of us delving into writing and publishing for the first time. With the local publishing landscape evolving to bring indie publishing to the forefront, now has never been a better time to be an author and self-publish!

At the registration area with (l-r): Jayen, AC, Alyssa, and friend. :)

We had an abundance of sweets...and milk!

Friends and family members of authors Chrissie Peria, with Chris Mariano

What was even more amazing was that the party was held at the Ayala Museum, one of the swankiest places at the heart of Makati. The last time I was there, a friend of mine got married and we had a mini tour around the place.

My First Podcast (Guesting)

I've always been an avid listener of the Five by Five Podcast hosted by Mina V. Esguerra and Tania Arpa since they restarted this amazing venture late last year. What's great about this show is that it features geeky things that I love (books, movies, TV series, pop culture, etc.)...and I'm guesting in it tomorrow!

Photo from fanpop.com

Hope you can tune in on February 6, 7:30 pm (GMT+8) for episode 7 where I'll talk about my writing projects. I'll also be geeking out on Supernatural! I'm very excited to share my thoughts and talk about my favorite TV series (and hope not to spoil the story for those who haven't seen it yet). If you're a fan of the show, tweet us using the hashtag #5x5podcast to ask your questions or just geek out with me!

I'm having a small giveaway during the live show as well. Looking forward to those questions and comments!