Mina's blogging now

No Strings Attached, now on Amazon!

2012-02-05T01:10:00.001+08:00

Guess which one of my books now has a shiny new Kindle edition? OK, you don't actually have to guess. No Strings Attached, about Carla and Dante and their lack of strings, is now available on Amazon for $3.99 US, $5.99 Asia-Pacific. Off to update the Where to Find My Books page...

Interim Goddess of Love - updates!

2012-02-02T14:20:00.000+08:00

If you live in the Philippines and prefer paperback books, look here! Interim Goddess of Love the paperback (Philippine edition) is now available via my Multiply store. It's about the size of a Summit Book (4.25 x 6.75 inches) and is P300. (Add about P50-P100 for shipping.) Last week, I experimented with making IGoL free on Amazon for two days, thanks to an Amazon promo. I announced it only to

Interim Goddess of Love

2012-01-18T11:50:00.000+08:00

My new YA romance novella, Interim Goddess of Love, is out now! College sophomore Hannah Maquiling doesn't know why everyone tells her their love problems. She's never even had a boyfriend, but that doesn't stop people from spilling their guts to her, and asking for advice. So maybe it shouldn't be a surprise when the cutest guy in school tells her that she's going to have to take on this

Buy paperback copies through Multiply

2011-12-30T14:55:00.002+08:00

Paperback copies of my ebooks are now available for purchase via Multiply. Was able to set it at the same price, P350, because Multiply isn't charging fees for sellers yet. So if you ever wanted your own paper copy of Fairy Tale Fail or Love Your Frenemies, now might be the time to click. :)http://minavesguerra.multiply.com

Mysterious mailing list invite

2011-12-28T15:34:00.004+08:00

So last night I spent the wee hours creating a mailing list. I have something new to announce soon, and if you've ever contacted me through email, chances are you're already on it. (If you prefer not to, it'll be easy to unsubscribe, I'm sure.) If you want to be part of it and possibly get to call dibs on whatever new thing I come up with, here's a tiny form...Add me to your mysterious mailing

2011 Recap: 4.5 out of 5!

2011-12-22T11:26:00.002+08:00

At the beginning of the year, I wrote some goals for myself as a writer. How did I do?1. This year I will write more.I did! I finished two (as yet unpublished) novellas this year, and outlined two more. I also did concept work on a new series that I fully intend to outline. There was also the "CM project" which I quit halfway in, and eventually cannibalized. I could have done more, if not for

Survey giveaway winner #1

2011-11-29T13:26:00.003+08:00

I recently invited readers of this blog to answer a short survey about how they found out about my books. I offered a giveaway didn't I? So now the first winner is...Evert! Choose one please:1. Fairy Tale Fail paperback2. Love Your Frenemies paperback3. Free copy of my next book (when it comes out)Those who already answered the survey will still be part of future giveaways. :) Thank you for

Where in the world

2011-11-28T14:02:00.006+08:00

A few posts ago, I put up a chart showing where my ebook sales were coming from. Looking at it, one might think that because Amazon is responsible for the majority of sales, then my main audience must be mostly American, or international. Also, my #2 retailer is Barnes and Noble, which sells ebooks only to US residents.Here, have another graphic. This is the breakdown by country of the visitors

Fairy Tale Fail and Love Your Frenemies - tiny paperback versions available now

2011-11-08T16:21:00.006+08:00

Smaller versions of Fairy Tale Fail and Love Your Frenemies on paperback are now available! They are about 4.25 x 6.75 inches in size (I think) and more closely match the books published by Summit Media. I tweeted a pic of all of them side by side here.The tiny versions are P300 per copy. (Add P50 for shipping within Metro Manila.) Ebook version is free if you buy it. If you already have the

Buy Fairy Tale Fail on Goodreads

2011-10-22T09:16:00.001+08:00

Fairy Tale Fail is now available on Goodreads too! &amp;amp;lt;h1&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8070144-fairy-tale-fail"&amp;amp;gt;Fairy Tale Fail&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;/h1&amp;amp;gt; Your Browser Does Not Support IFrames. &amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.goodreads.com/reader

Pie Chart: My ebook retailers

2011-10-22T08:22:00.002+08:00

This week, I checked my 2011 stats from my various ebook retailers and was pleasantly surprised to see that Barnes and Noble sales have been picking up. What "picking up" means I'll let you imagine, given the big-picture pie chart of where my 2011 sales have come from.But since I am all about making sure that everyone who wants to spend $0.99 to read me can do so conveniently, I have added

Buy Love Your Frenemies on Goodreads

2011-10-22T08:04:00.003+08:00

You can now buy Love Your Frenemies on Goodreads! Priced $0.99, it can be downloaded as an epub or read via the Goodreads Reader. Here's a preview: &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;h1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10535978-love-your-frenemies"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;

Draft done, can rest a bit

2011-10-15T18:14:00.002+08:00

So, YA. The past few years I've been struggling to finish one, even though for years all I could ever write was stories for young adults.The breakthrough came only this year, when I figured out that though my novellas were published as contemporary romances, I patterned them after the young adult romances I read so much of in high school. So I wrote the same way, I just made everyone younger.And

Reviews: No Strings Attached

2011-10-02T07:47:00.001+08:00

A collection of reviews for No Strings Attached from all over. (If I missed yours, let me know!) PS - Some may have spoilers. FemaleNetwork Goodreads One More Page From Page One Ficsation Chachic's Book Nook The Blair Book Project Resplendent Rainbows Book Harbinger Girl Next Cubicle Not Just Silly Thoughts

Reviews: My Imaginary Ex

2011-10-02T07:19:00.000+08:00

A collection of reviews of My Imaginary Ex from all over. (If I missed yours, let me know!) PS - Some may have spoilers. FemaleNetwork Goodreads Bang and Blame One More Page Chachic's Book Nook From Page One Book Harbinger Bookmarked! The Monestery Ms. Dior Hello Sha Sassy Girl Raejel

Reviews: Love Your Frenemies

2011-09-30T23:20:00.005+08:00

A collection of reviews of Love Your Frenemies from all over. (If I missed yours, let me know!) PS - Some may have spoilers. Amazon Smashwords Goodreads One More Page Chachic's Book Nook Book Harbinger From Page One Bookmarked! Reads4Pleasure Janicu's Book Blog

Reviews: Fairy Tale Fail

2011-09-30T23:12:00.005+08:00

A collection of reviews of Fairy Tale Fail from all over. (If I missed yours, let me know!) PS - Some may have spoilers. Amazon Smashwords Goodreads Shelfari One More Page Chachic's Book Nook Book Harbinger Bookmarked! From Page One Points of Claire-ification Sassyreads Malditang Osang Reads4Pleasure Janicu's Book Blog

New Kindles! How excited am I

2011-09-30T01:32:00.002+08:00

I'm happy to report that as far as indie digital publisher/authors go, I am a walker and not just a talker. Meaning, I read ebooks and own e-readers. We had to temporarily move when I had a baby this year, and that meant being separated from my paper TBR pile, but at least I had my Kindle. And Kindle for PC on my netbook. And just a few weeks ago, my Kindle for Android and Kindle Cloud Reader.For

Writing fiction is real work

2011-09-22T14:02:00.000+08:00

If you're a Filipino writer, reader and/or publisher do head on over to Charles Tan's essay "Fiction, Speculative Fiction, and the Philippines." It's a buffet of issues related to writing and publishing fiction in this country, and at some point he mentions my books. (Spoiler!) From his essay: "...but there's also a point where I wonder if the author and the book is getting attention locally

Post-ReaderCon 2: Bloggers make people buy, it's true

2011-09-15T12:14:00.002+08:00

I wish I had thought of this prior to the ReaderCon, but anyway, better late than never.I hope, in the interest of learning more about the impact of word of mouth and book bloggers on book sales, you (visitor to my website) take a minute to answer this quick survey:1. How did you find out about me, Mina V. Esguerra author of chick lit/romance novellas?(Was it through a blog? Amazon? A bookstore?

Post-ReaderCon 1: Where I talk about being a reader and a Slayer

2011-09-15T11:34:00.002+08:00

In 2001, I co-founded the online email group for Philippine fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (PinoySlayer). It was an active fan group for years, and even though the show has ended, the core group still gets together for other things. Prior to that I had been watching the show for years, participating in international forums and fannish stuff like that.One of my longest posts ever in a Goodreads

Paperback shipping delays - and my apologies

2011-09-13T12:45:00.001+08:00

If you ever emailed, tweeted, messaged, and asked me in person about the paperback editions of Fairy Tale Fail and Love Your Frenemies lately:1. HUG. Thank you.2. This is the story: I ordered a big batch, I did. In June. But this time, I sent it to family in the United States, hoping for it to be sent here along with a box of other things on its way here. It is not here yet. (Sorry!)3. Update: I

ReaderCon Filipino Friday Week 5: What I expect from ReaderCon

2011-09-10T02:09:00.003+08:00

The 1st Filipino ReaderCon is coming up!My reading has not been a social activity lately. It was, back in high school, when I would actively promote (push) books to friends. In college, I told the entire story of Carl Sagan's Contact -- with difference-between-book-and-film commentary -- to a friend who preferred that to actually reading the thing. (That was a very long lunch.) Now, even though I

ReaderCon Filipino Friday Week 4: Philippine Lit

2011-09-02T12:29:00.002+08:00

"Reading" to me means mostly novels and novellas, and these are the Filipino authors/novelists I've read since 2004 (when I started my book list). Arlene J. Chai F. Sionil Jose Abi Aquino Tweet Sering Carla M. Pacis Tara FT Sering Bob Ong Maya Burgos Cruzada M.D. Balangue Zara Irigo Anna Ishikawa Katrina Ramos Atienza Abi Malonzo Faye Ilogon Jose Rizal Miriam Delos Santos Marla Miniano Melissa

ReaderCon Filipino Friday Week 3: Being a reader in the Philippines

2011-08-26T18:07:00.003+08:00

This week's Filipino Friday post is about the pros and cons of being a reader in the Philippines. When it comes to book buying I'm a bargain hunter, and I like that I can get cheap books here. This of course depends on reading taste, and the books I read are the ones that tend to show up in Book Sale eventually. I've gone into really nice bookstores in other countries and chose not to buy a

ReaderCon Filipino Friday Week 2: Your Reader's Story

2011-08-19T21:58:00.005+08:00

When I was a kid, my mom used to read me stories from Children Everywhere, volume 3 of the Childcraft series. This was probably the first book I read, when I actually could read for myself. We might have given away our Childcraft set when we moved out of the house, but I saw a Children Everywhere in a Book Sale in 2005, and I bought it. Stories I love from that volume: Sorry for the photo

Readercon Filipino Friday Week 1: Introduce Yourself

2011-08-12T20:41:00.004+08:00

Participating in Filipino Friday to show my support for the Filipino Reader Conference! Hello, everyone. I'm Mina, and I'm a trying-to-get-my-groove-back kind of reader. In high school, I would get two new books on Sunday, finish those by Tuesday, and spend the rest of the week re-reading my favorites until the weekend came around again. Today it's rare if I get to finish a book in one sitting,

It's good to go out sometimes

2011-07-28T17:09:00.001+08:00

A busy week, in terms of writing. (And everything else, but that's another story.)On Saturday, I attended my first Goodreads Filipino Group meetup. I now understand why these things can last for hours and hours. It was too bad that I only had a couple to spare, but I'm glad that I was able to meet them. (And Tina of One More Page, finally!) I also confessed then and there that I was a lurker, or

Three stories that explain Mina

2011-07-04T00:44:00.006+08:00

Recently I was asked two questions that left thoughts bouncing around in my head for weeks."What is your favorite book?" and "Do you have a mentor?"I answered them simply and quickly when I was asked, but of course with time I managed to figure out why I was still thinking about this: The answers are related.To answer the first question, I said that my favorite book was Neil Gaiman's Smoke and

How I did it

2011-06-22T13:55:00.003+08:00

In case you saw the article in the Inquirer and needed to know how to self-publish on Amazon, here's a quick rundown of how I did it:1. I finished the manuscript.Fairy Tale Fail was in revision mode for a year. Eventually I got it to a "final" draft.2. I sent it to an editor.I asked a friend who worked as an actual editor to review the manuscript for me. Her feedback covered grammar points and

As seen in the Sunday Inquirer Magazine

2011-06-21T13:13:00.002+08:00

Yes, that's me! I was featured in the Sunday Inquirer Magazine. (See: "Pretty in Print") Many thanks to Ruel De Vera at the Inquirer. A happy welcome too, to the people who are visiting this site because of the link at the end of the article. I got the comments, tweets and emails, and will reply to some of them soon. Expect a post about self publishing digitally coming up.

My Imaginary Ex on your iPad

2011-06-09T12:38:00.004+08:00

You can now buy My Imaginary Ex as an ebook for your iPad, PC or Mac! It's via Zinio, and is available for $3.99. Unlike the Kindle version of my ebooks, this one looks exactly like the print version -- typeface, tiny illustrations and all. (It even has the blank pages that are put in when preparing a paperback.) It's as if you got it off a shelf at a local bookstore. :)Zinio also offers magazine

Love Your Frenemies: Proof!

2011-05-22T22:28:00.004+08:00

It's here!Snail mail rarely surprises me with an early delivery, but here it is -- the proof for the paperback of Love Your Frenemies, weeks before I expected it. I didn't add any "special features" to this edition, so if you got the ebook then you pretty much have all the words, just not on paper. What's different this time though is that it's on cream-colored paper, which was a new option that

Fairy Tale Fail paperback giveaway - And the winner is...

2011-04-30T07:21:00.003+08:00

Celester Mejia! Send mailing address to minavesguerra at gmail dot com please. :)Thank you to everyone who participated, and to all those who write and share about having discovered Fairy Tale Fail. ===This is how it happened:Entries -1 Christine Frencillo http://sheermoments.tumblr.com/post/46473462552 Celester Mejia http://frompageone.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/fairy-tale-fail-by-mina-v-esguerra

Fairy Tale Fail: Some facts and figures

2011-04-18T10:43:00.006+08:00

On this day (or yesterday, in US time) in 2010, Fairy Tale Fail was made available for purchase on the Amazon Kindle Store. Some facts and figures related to this book:Is Fairy Tale Fail based on the unbelievable true story of someone you know: YesFirst draft was finished in: September 2009 (Sooo different from published version)Why is this plot familiar/derivative: Its structure was based on

Giveaway: Fairy Tale Fail paperback (Philippine residents only)

2011-04-17T09:21:00.003+08:00

This weekend marks the first year of Fairy Tale Fail's publication! It was originally an ebook on Amazon.com, but now it has a paperback version, which isn't available in local bookstores. To celebrate, I'm giving away one Fairy Tale Fail paperback to a Philippine resident. Details here on Facebook. You've got until April 23 to participate!Thank you for supporting Fairy Tale Fail this year! And

Where to find the books

2011-04-07T21:17:00.013+08:00

I've encountered this question enough times that I think it deserves its own post: Where can I find [your book]? This might sound strange, but by now I have four novellas out, and you likely won't be able to see all four side by side in the same bookstore. I appreciate so much the messages from people who've maybe read one and want to know where the others can be found, so here's a cheat

Important meetings (bloggers and editors)

2011-03-15T16:24:00.006+08:00

On Saturday, I met a group from the Filipino Book Bloggers. I'm no stranger to the internet friend meetup, but this was I think the first time that I showed up anywhere as an author. Apparently there isn't much of a difference, as I jumped into the conversations and gave my two cents on things, just as I would have, and everyone else did the same.Chachic and Ruby have recaps of the stuff we

February Report Card

2011-03-01T11:46:00.002+08:00

I should learn to make cuter charts!This is the report card for my ebook sales over the past year, now taking into account sales from Smashwords, Sony, and Apple. (Yes, I now have a sale from Apple!) I also changed the way I track this so I can compare Fairy Tale Fail and Love Your Frenemies over time. As it turns out, Love Your Frenemies did great in Week 1 -- much better than Fairy Tale Fail's

Highlights from LYF's first week

2011-02-27T21:13:00.003+08:00

It's been a busy and happy week for Love Your Frenemies.It was reviewed by Tina (One More Page), Lee (From Page One), Chachic's Book Nook, and dementedchris via Smashwords. It's now on Goodreads and Shelfari.Not bad for a "launch" with a marketing budget of zero. :) I also got a few requests for a paperback version of Love Your Frenemies -- the answer is yes, there will be, but not soon. May

Love Your Frenemies

2011-02-21T07:34:00.006+08:00

Love Your Frenemies Kimmy Domingo was the kind of girl everyone hated and envied -- until her fiancé dumped her a week before their wedding. Soon after, she quit her job, hopped on a plane, and just hid from everyone who knew her. A year later and she's back in Manila to be maid of honor at a wedding she can't miss. Kimmy's home because she's ready to start over, but she also knows that some

Updating assumptions, it's all right to be wrong

2011-02-14T11:38:00.002+08:00

Some assumptions I had about my ebook experiment in April 2010, and where they stand now.1. I will do this just to get my name and work out there, because who really makes money off their writing?February 2011: Wrong, apparently. I actually can make money out of this, if I'm willing to work on getting more titles out and communicating with the readers.2. My audience for the ebook will be

The languages we speak

2011-02-10T11:57:00.003+08:00

From Elaine Yeung's review of No Strings Attached: "In addition, it is quite hard to picture a Filipino setting where all the characters speak in perfectly straight English."Elaine brings up an excellent point, which I wanted to blog about, in case an international reader wanders over.I made a deliberate decision when I prepared my very first manuscript for publication that I would write it

Sneak peek: Love Your Frenemies

2011-02-08T20:37:00.004+08:00

An excerpt from the latest book project, soon available on Amazon and Smashwords.====================================================Those who wanted to see Kimberly Domingo get hers had a lot of good stuff to choose from in the weeks and months that followed my non-wedding.It started when I found out -- through a phone call in the early afternoon, to my cellphone, which I had taken while sitting

Let's not forget email

2011-02-06T01:41:00.004+08:00

The last post was full of shoutouts to people who talked about my books on the internet. I try to round those up and link as often as I can, especially now that I've admitted that I'm out there reading them too. :)Now I'd like to devote some space to thank those who've emailed me directly recently, for one reason or another. Through them I've learned that:- Ruel De Vera (hi, Ruey!) has read at

Around the net

2011-01-30T23:25:00.004+08:00

A roundup of recently-discovered links related to my books. Thank you, internets, for these little surprises. Dementedchris over at Ficsation reviewed No Strings Attached: "There's a studied air in the way this whirlwind romance is written..."- Singled this out because this captures how I felt when I wrote it. I don't want to talk about it too much, don't want to affect how people read and

Filipino book readers, yes, do convene!

2011-01-21T11:17:00.003+08:00

If you happen to wander over to this blog because you're a Filipino reader, I hope you click next to fantaghiro23's Filipino Friday post asking for suggestions related to a Filipino readers convention. It's an exciting idea!As a reader I'm not very "social" about my hobby. I rarely blog or write reviews, am not as active as I could be in readers' groups... but I buy, borrow, and read just as

FTF Kindle Report Card: An update

2011-01-16T21:11:00.003+08:00

I posted a few months ago this Kindle report card for FTF. At the time I was amazed at October's figures, but this update is just to show how November and December totally kicked October's butt. (And January 2011 has so far kicked December's.)Fairy Tale Fail isn't a bestseller yet, not by Amazon's standards. On any given day it can be ranked anywhere between #1,800 to #8,000 on their list. I'm

Coming soon: Love Your Frenemies on your e-reader!

2011-01-10T17:21:00.003+08:00

Not exactly the first announcement, as I've said it already on Twitter, but here it is: my next novella, Love Your Frenemies, will be released on the Amazon Kindle Store first, and then Smashwords, and then Sony, Apple, Kobo, Diesel, and maybe Barnes and Noble. A print version (most likely through CreateSpace again) will come at the very end of that process.At this stage I'm working on the cover

2011 for me

2011-01-02T13:45:00.003+08:00

Some resolutions:1. This year I will write more.That includes finishing the SG project first (and putting up a sneak peek on this blog) within the next few weeks. And picking up on the CM project that I abandoned a few months ago. I will set aside time each day to write, and I will finish things!2. This year I will publish online more.The CM project, once finished, will definitely be for the

The God Equation and Other Stories by Michael A.R. Co

2010-12-31T09:56:00.006+08:00

The God Equation and Other Stories (Kindle Edition)by Michael A.R. CoMathematics and religion duel in an award-winning tale about the true nature of faith and free will. ("The God Equation")Two soldiers share the unsavory task of killing someone worse than Hilter... over 500 years ago. ("Waiting for Victory")A popular childhood belief can have sinister results, when a rapist gets the short end of

Year-end Ebook Store Report Card

2010-12-20T16:11:00.011+08:00

Apparently not all ebook stores are equal. At least as far as my ebook experiment is concerned. When I decided to publish Fairy Tale Fail digitally via the Amazon Kindle Store in April 2010, it wasn't because I did my research and found it to be the best platform. I didn't care, and just wanted the book to be available to as many people as possible, and Amazon made it relatively easy for me to

First round of thanks for No Strings Attached readers

2010-12-17T16:13:00.005+08:00

No Strings Attached has been out for a week, and here's my first round of shoutouts to the people who've been so generous with their time (and money).Thank you, Chachic, Tina, Lee, Layla, Hazel N, Tin, M and popandcrackle!And to address a few things that I read/heard in the first week:From Chachic's review: "The focus isn’t the build up of the love story but rather the complications involved in

No Strings Attached

2010-12-09T11:56:00.004+08:00

From the back cover:Carla is a whiz at her job: she’s efficient, reliable, and a total genius when it comes to putting something together at the last minute. The snag is she’s single and turning the big three-oh in a few months. Her girl best friend (yes, she’s married just like the other girls in Carla’s barkada) keeps trying to set her up with stable banker-types, while her guy best friend (

I will never get tired of these posts I guess

2010-11-30T07:56:00.005+08:00

November has beaten October as Fairy Tale Fail's best month ever. Amazon also launched (finally) a way to give Kindle books as gifts, even to people who have never opened a Kindle account, so this might even get better. (I hope!) If anything it's taught me that momentum is a big part of the ebook success thing -- a big promo push in the beginning helps, but also constant buildup. That said,

Paper again, and word counts

2010-11-08T11:30:00.004+08:00

FTF paperback update: Batch 1 is all out, but I'm expecting batch 2 to arrive in a few weeks. Sorry about the delay -- apparently I'm bad at figuring out supply and demand. (Good thing I'm not an economist!) Please be OK with being batch 2. :)The books got some exposure on the interwebs this week by being featured on Chachic's Book Nook. It's always exciting, especially now that I've come out and

FTF Kindle report card

2010-10-29T10:58:00.005+08:00

This graph represents Fairy Tale Fail's sales figures on the Amazon Kindle Store in its first six months. It's not at all at the level of quitting my day job, but for an indie publishing experiment you can probably see why I'm excited. I don't know what accounts for the spike, but my theories:- Changing the price from $1.89 to $0.99- Tina at One More Page's review- Joining Goodreads and the

Fairy Tale Fail paperback live in Manila - another experiment

2010-10-25T11:38:00.003+08:00

A small batch of Fairy Tale Fail paperbacks are now here in Manila, and for sale.Price: P350.00Pickup point: Salcedo St, Makati City.Email minavesguerra[at]gmail[dot]com for details and other possible pickup points. :)The batch is small because, frankly, as a reader I am a cheapskate and I rarely pay P350.00 for books nowadays. I'm not sure how many people would buy it at this price when it's

Getting Pinoys back on more reading lists

2010-10-04T11:25:00.004+08:00

There's some interesting talk going on at different Filipino book blogs about local publishing, genres, marketing books via social media, and then some. Jump in via Tina's post at One More Page and follow the links like breadcrumbs.Their topics are things that have been floating around in my head for a while, especially in the past year or so, since I was first published, and since I started

Fairy Tale Fail on good old paper

2010-09-10T18:15:00.007+08:00

Fairy Tale Fail [Paperback]Mina V. EsguerraPrice: $7.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. DetailsIt's here! It wasn't easy getting a paperback version out, but now it's here and it's pretty. Much as I love the ebook adventure, I did enjoy getting a paperback of FTF and placing it on my shelf.The title's been up on the Kindle Store for almost five months now and the

Heads up: "Mockingjay" (The Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 3) Book Launch

2010-08-26T17:14:00.002+08:00

Found out about this via my Goodreads group. I haven't read any of the Hunger Games books (unless you count the few pages I browsed at a Fully Booked branch recently), but I support the idea of this launch. I love that these books have enough of a fan base for a party. And that they're really excited about it. I wish them a great fandomy time. :)

Filipinos on my reading list

2010-08-02T18:07:00.001+08:00

This year is shaping up to be the year of the Filipino author, at least as far as my reading list is concerned.So far I've read...Marla Miniano: Every Girl's Guide to Flings and Table for TwoMelissa Dela Cruz: Blue Bloods and MasqueradeVince O. Teves: Getting Over Andrea and The WeddingMiguel Syjuco: IlustradoAndrea Pasion: Have Baby, Will DateMaya O. Calica: Undercover Tai TaiClaire Betita: No

Proof!

2010-07-26T16:02:00.004+08:00

So this was in the mail for me today! It's the proof of Fairy Tale Fail from CreateSpace, the company that's helping me work out the print publishing side of this experiment.The cover (photographed by Bianca Pascual and designed by Michael Co) came out as pretty as I imagined it to be. There's a slight color mismatch but that's my fault, and it's a consequence of using a gradient for the

A hundred hugs

2010-07-09T11:52:00.003+08:00

Recently, I mentioned on a Goodreads discussion thread what I discovered once I had something published: Pinoys read, but they don't talk or write about it as much.I post nearly every review of my books I can find, and to this day there aren't a lot. There are a few new ones, like the reviews from Laura, Janine and Cienne of My Imaginary Ex on Goodreads. But it's always been a quiet thing, and I

And that makes four

2010-07-01T00:56:00.004+08:00

I just put the draft of Love Your Frenemies to bed. It's the one about Kimmy (from My Imaginary Ex) and the act of finalizing it gave me a bit of deja vu.Eleven months ago, LYF was a complete draft ready for review -- until I asked my editor not to work on it. It's been a difficult story from the start (because Kimmy is hateful and I needed to keep her that way) but even when I finished it,

Works in progress

2010-06-16T16:26:00.003+08:00

So now I'm learning that if I want to reach out to new audiences for my work, I have to really put myself out there as a writer. I mean, really out there. This led to the creation of the Facebook page, the Multiply site, the Twitter account, the Goodreads page (the latest one, by the way -- add me!), and the Amazon author page. Because of all this online real estate, I have to now talk about

A good year

2010-06-12T01:55:00.005+08:00

My Imaginary Ex was reviewed at Sumthinblue's blog, including other Summit chick lit books. Feedback from readers feels great every time, but it's a tiny bit cooler when they hit on something I totally intended, or point out something that I didn't even realize. Her review has a bit of both.Also, a shoutout to Chessie, who sent a lovely text message this week after reading the book. Will consider

The Indie Spotlight

2010-06-07T22:55:00.003+08:00

Fairy Tale Fail is being featured on The Indie Spotlight, like right now. My thanks to them for all they're doing to get the word out for indie authors and publishers.A snippet:What inspired you to write the book?The book’s plot and characters were inspired by stories my friends and I would share about dating. I think the tendency for some women is to hold on too tightly to someone they think is

Now in editing

2010-05-28T14:45:00.002+08:00

Finally finished the draft for what I've been calling the "FF Project." It's called Fling Flop, and it's about a 29-year-old girl who goes out with a 24-year-old guy.The idea for it came from a friend. I wish her the best. :)

Fairy Tale Fail's Google Books page

2010-05-21T18:23:00.002+08:00

Oh look! A way to browse pages of Fairy Tale Fail in case Amazon and Smashwords aren't enough for you. Google Books has made the book entirely searchable (handy if you want to know if I used your name in a good/bad way), but not all pages can be read online.The "Buy this book" link is a bit wonky, though. The only link that really works is the one with Mina V. Esguerra on it, which leads to

Consider me persuaded

2010-05-21T11:21:00.001+08:00

I have to admit, I was going through the motions while reading Jane Austen's Persuasion. I've read Pride and Prejudice and Emma recently, and because I tend to see them occurring in the same universe, I became lazy when I read the latest one.So I was ho-humming through maybe 80% of this novel... and then I got to THAT SCENE. (You know, when Anne and Harville were talking about men and women and

One More Page's review

2010-05-15T02:09:00.004+08:00

So I feel a little weird because I started composing a post about one of the coolest things to happen to me this week, which is Tina M's review of Fairy Tale Fail and My Imaginary Ex at her book blog, One More Page.And then I remembered that I also, I don't know, participated in the first automated elections in my country's history. I still have indelible ink on my finger! The results were so

Updates - Social media, pages, and reviews

2010-05-11T17:06:00.003+08:00

Facebook Page for Mina V. Esguerra. Visit and keep in touch, in case blogging or Twitter isn't your thing. :)That page came about because I discovered what looks like the beginnings of a community page for My Imaginary Ex on FB. I can't keep up with everything that's happening on social media, it seems, and by the time I stumbled upon this it had been "liked" by 60 people. There are also some

Great news

2010-05-05T17:49:00.001+08:00

Fairy Tale Fail is on Good News Pilipinas!

My Imaginary Ex 1.0

2010-05-03T20:33:00.001+08:00

From @leemejia08@minavesguerra hi! it'll be lovely if u cud post a story in ur blog abt how u planned 2 start writing 'Ex' til it was published! :D ♥First of all, I apologize for getting back to you more than a month late. I didn't see your tweet until today. I fail at Twitter! But here I am with a post to make it up to you.What is now My Imaginary Ex started as a short story I wrote in college.

Now that was a fun week

2010-04-26T18:27:00.003+08:00

It's been eight days since the electronic publication of Fairy Tale Fail on the Amazon Kindle Store. Did I mention how much fun this past week has been? Oh right.A few days later, the ebook was published on Smashwords, which makes things easier for the non-Kindle public.I got some encouraging words from the lovely people at Kindleboards. And with that, some interest in my previous work, which

Fairy Tale Fail is out!

2010-04-19T10:00:00.010+08:00

Of all the twenty-something women who are hopeless romantics, Ellie Manuel is more “hopeless” than “romantic.” Even after her Prince Charming broke up with her, she just won’t give up … because fairy tale heroines don’t live “happily ever after” right away, silly, they’re tested first!Determined to pass the test, she spends the next year restoring herself to the girl

Tweetin'

2010-03-31T17:58:00.001+08:00

There are a few things that I plan to do in the next few months, and I thought that being on Twitter would make it more interesting and fun.So here I am: http://twitter.com/minavesguerra

Winners all

2010-03-30T16:53:00.002+08:00

So my husband Mike didn't win this year, but one story that I really liked ("A Kind of Flotsam" by Christelle Rhodamae Mariano) did. (Winners here.) As for the rest of the placings, I wouldn't have predicted how it turned out, but good for them anyway.Was pleasantly surprised to find out that My Imaginary Ex has a page on Livingsocial. And reviews! Thank you to people who bother to go on the

One less prize

2010-03-17T09:28:00.003+08:00

Not that I was planning to join the Man Asian Literary Prize this year, but this "restructuring" (via Philippine Genre Stories blog) has given me something to think about.The prize, prior to the rule change, was given to authors of previously unpublished novels (or translations of novels). To me, that meant that one day if I finally get around to writing something serious there would be a waiting

3rd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards

2010-03-17T09:22:00.002+08:00

Heading on over to Rockwell Tent today to support my husband Michael A.R. Co ("The Sweet Stranger"), who is a prose finalist this year. Our friend Dek Samson's a finalist as well, for her short film "Anak ng Tikbalang." Fun time for people who make up stories! Fun fun!

New things

2010-03-10T15:28:00.000+08:00

Female Network is giving Summit Books are prizes to lucky commenters this month. I'd join, but I already have all the books but two. :) Go get em!Also, it's confirmed that My Imaginary Ex has reached the shores of Trinidad, on the other side of the world. Vanessa, it was cool of you to seek me out like that! You are in possession of the only copy of the book in the country. Hee!

Here, have some pep

2010-03-05T15:28:00.003+08:00

I keep forgetting to post this, arg.A few months ago, Tina of the Pinoywrimos asked me to write a pep talk for NaNoWriMo time. I hadn't gone through it myself, but I've followed it through the years and been witness to the joys and pains of participants. Their word-count requirement is more of a challenge than what my editor has asked of me, and yay for people who try and get it done.I don't know

Shutting up seems to work

2010-02-26T11:22:00.002+08:00

I came up with scenes for a story I'm trying to write during an hour-long boat ride. That's also happened to me on a treadmill and in the MRT. Something about staying quiet while moving.

Character creation

2010-02-26T11:18:00.003+08:00

Was just asked last night how I came up with the characters for My Imaginary Ex, and had a somewhat clunky response. ("I thought of it in college and just expanded on it.") Not really an answer to the question.So here, via Rocket Kapre: Carlo Vergara (he of the fabulous Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah) on Character Creation.

More news

2010-02-18T14:22:00.002+08:00

So apparently I spoke too soon -- my husband Michael A.R. Co is a finalist again at the Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards. His story "The Sweet Stranger" is up for viewing, and you can help it win People's Choice by voting for it. (No pressure though, heehee.)The household was a happy, geeky one last night when we found out. :)

Neil's back

2010-02-17T18:17:00.005+08:00

Several things are happening all at once here. Neil Gaiman's visiting Manila again. They're announcing the winners of the 3rd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards. There will be some sort of raffle to attend a book-signing. They're launching an anthology featuring past winners and finalists.This time of year (when it actually happens in a year) is fun because it gets the lovers of books and writing

Bagong Idol

2010-02-15T10:50:00.001+08:00

Just finished my second Melissa Dela Cruz book, this time the first novel from her Blue Bloods series. (The first one I read was from Au Pairs.)I'm going to read as much as I can of her work, if only because I like that she's becoming her own brand, and gets to cross genres while writing for the same audience. It's something I'd like to learn how to do, if I end up giving more time to writing.

Weddings and traveling books

2010-02-12T10:35:00.000+08:00

Summit Books has a new title out: Vince's Life - The Wedding. I'm considering starting with this volume (even though I haven't yet read the previous Vince stories) because I just got married (yay!) and maybe it's a good time to read about it.That's one thing about going through wedding prep -- suddenly I relate to those stories of people going through it. It wasn't as stressful as romantic

Let's start 2010 with thanks

2010-01-04T17:54:00.004+08:00

I caved and started commenting on some blogs reviewing the book. Mostly to thank the blog authors for first of all reading (and in many cases buying) the thing, which is a thrill every time. This led to my starting a Multiply blog to properly comment and say hello.Thank you, Multiply people: totallylokaret, raejel, miamanalo, eiyeen, valry14, jamieo5, nearsightedme, lablab, syratot,

Shoutout

2009-12-16T16:40:00.000+08:00

To my friend Cathy, who bought the book a few weeks ago. (Yay!)She's a friend from way back, and she's actually read the early stuff I wrote. When it was typed crudely on bond paper, and then when the typewriter gave out I wrote them all on notebooks longhand. She read all of them. This was before the Internet, and we entertained ourselves this way. We wrote stories, and we read them.It wasn't

New bedtime reading

2009-11-20T11:08:00.000+08:00

Now reading The World for Lost Beings. (Author Miriam Delos Santos is a friend.)Three chapters in and I'm getting a Coehlo vibe from it. Not exactly my thing, but I see that she's taking very real situations (I would say Pinoy but some of them are quite universal) and placing them in that philosophical space. More pages will be read tonight. :)

Belle for real

2009-11-16T10:53:00.002+08:00

"Scientist announces that she is call girl and blogger Belle de Jour" (The Guardian)How wacky is this? This can totally be spun off into another novel. :)I didn't read the blog or the books, but instead watched the Secret Diary of a Call Girl series on British TV. It's a good watch, but I didn't feel compelled to want to know the "real Belle." Finding out, now, that she's a scientist, does make

Shoutout

2009-11-03T11:11:00.003+08:00

Jill, I've signed your book. It will be one of two signed books in Texas. Yay!It's fun and all, but writing on a book makes me feel weird. A few years ago I stopped writing my name on books to label them. Today when I take a pen to a book page a little voice inside tells me I'm vandalizing private property. :P

Congrats!

2009-10-25T13:22:00.002+08:00

How's this for inspiring? For the third year in a row, a Filipino author has been part of the Man Asian Literary Prize shortlist.Eric Gamalinda's The Descartes Highlands (excerpt here) also starts out promising and is likely the kind of book I actually will buy. Looking forward to it, and I wish him winner vibes.

NaNo time

2009-10-14T17:27:00.002+08:00

Thank you, Tina, for reminding me that NaNoWriMo is near. I'd heard about it, and been spectator to the efforts of friends to participate, but never really got into it myself.But wait -- maybe I kinda did. Most of my only first published novel was written in November last year, so I do know how it feels to write every day and finish in a month. I was kind of wrapped up in it and then poof! It's

Everyone has a story

2009-10-01T07:00:00.003+08:00

Cutting into regular programming about romance and chick lit to bring you this:My FirstPerson account of OndoyHope everyone is safe, dry, and healthy.

Not me for a day

2009-09-24T18:24:00.002+08:00

I'm starting to see a personal trend. Romance novels work their magic on me when I'm not in a position to get into those wild and wacky situations.When did I most enjoy reading this genre? In my early teens (no real romance to speak of) and now (that I'm happily in a relationship).But in my early twenties and late teens, when all of this dating and playing the field was supposed to happen?

A confession

2009-08-28T23:44:00.005+08:00

I Google myself. (What, you don't? Because you should.)This hobby has led me to blogs of people who read the book and wrote something about it. It's always fun to see, but I've so far kept myself from replying directly because I'm not sure what the etiquette is. I actually like seeing comments of people who don't know me, and don't think I would ever see what they wrote. Replying and

Spotted in Cosmo again

2009-08-25T23:48:00.003+08:00

This time in the August issue, with Cristine Reyes on the cover.My mobile phone's camera didn't get the text very well, but they wrote something interesting here. Something about what questions the story may stir in you: Do you have the guts to end an engagement? Etc. Questions even I never asked myself. Fun to think about, if only in the hypothetical. :) And now I have another Cosmo issue in my