Our Anton, That Guy

So this guy was a challenge to write. But you know me, I'm always up for a personal writing challenge.

That Kind of Guy's story is based on not a few conversations I've had with friends about why women, even those who are so smart about other things, fall for "bad boys." Players. Guys who are, based on history and common sense, heartbreakers. And trust me, when conversations are about love, everyone is an expert: "We think we can fix them." "We're compensating for having to be good girls all our lives." "He just knows what women want." "They're just hotter."

The difficulty with this book wasn't with the character, by the way. Anton (oh Anton) has been in more of my books than any other character I think, always in the background, if you hadn't noticed. I knew who he was so well, and was excited about finally getting to his story. But then there was the matter of Anton's writer becoming a mother, and writing his story while also adjusting to caring for an infant. This was not easy.

Good thing other people believed in this and pushed our progress along. Ines Yao, Abi Goy, Aurora Suarez, Koko Ko and people at Summit Books whose names and faces I should know (but I don't, because I'm not hanging around there as often as I probably should!).

So in 2012 we had this, Anton's book, out in every bookstore, and I realized that I had thrown the challenge out to the readers: Would you, sensible smart Filipina, believe this guy? He's such a player. Has always been. He could be lying to you right now. Why trust him even? Especially when you have someone like Harry (nice, historically faithful, historically harmless) in your life, as we all do?

Watching the reviews and reaction to this has been fascinating, and I can't say who's right (because everyone is an expert). But I've read every post about it that I could find, and I've learned a lot about how the people who've read this book view love, and trust, and forgiveness, and change.

This weekend, That Kind of Guy won the 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Award for Chick Lit. Thank you to every person who bought, considered buying, read, lent, borrowed, reviewed, talked about, asked about, and voted for this book. What this tells me is that writing challenges are so worth taking on, because people are ready for it. Yes, even in "Chick Lit." Especially in Chick Lit.

That Kind of Guy and Interim Goddess of Love nominated!

That Kind of Guy and Interim Goddess of Love (both published in 2012) have been nominated in the Chick Lit category of the Filipino Readers' Choice Awards which will be held at the 2013 Filipino Readercon! Thank you to the kind people who nominated them. :) Visit the link to see the other nominees!

Update: Voting is open now!

Bookish Saturday

I had a very bookish Saturday. Weekends for my family already include a trip to the bookstore and other such activities, but this time I was able to take my husband and daughter out to an event that celebrated readers and books. 

The wonderful people behind the Filipino ReaderCon asked me to be part of a panel that started at 1 PM, but all of the sessions were interesting and I was hoping I could catch some of them as well. Traveling with a toddler though makes things a bit unpredictable, but we at least made it there by 11 AM. Just enough time to catch a bit of the session on publishers, where I was surprised with the news that one of my books, That Kind of Guy, has been selling well in local bookstores this year. (#3 -- behind bestseller Bob Ong, and former teacher/superstar Ricky Lee!) I scrambled to take a picture of that slide but my phone camera couldn't handle it. :(

At the Authors as Readers session, I spoke for a bit about the three books that influenced my writing life. (FYI: Wrong Way Romance by Sheri Cobb South, Witch by Christopher Pike, and Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman.) I also showed the crowd a wedding photo, since the panel was taking place right in the room where Mike and I tied the knot.

They gave me this after. Yay! I was seriously thinking of buying this.

My daughter needed to nap after, so I missed most of the book discussions. But she was wide awake in time for the Filipino Readers' Choice Awards, and managed to make it to the front with me as I got this wonderful award, for Fairy Tale Fail.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. Did I say thank you?

Winners all

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 Internet and write about the book. I know it's an effort, and whether it's praised, or panned, or mentioned nonchalantly as that thing you bought today, I appreciate it.

And, from the Fully Booked eZine:

Book Launch: Illustrado by Miguel Syjuco

Date: April 11, Sunday
Venue: Atrium, G/F, Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street
Time: 5:30 PM

Man Asian Literary Prize Winner Miguel Syjuco Launches his book on Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street. For more information contact Maria Riccia Angeles-Knust at shy.angeles@macmillan.com.hk

Airline schedules and Sunday traffic permitting, I'll be there.

One less prize

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 international platform for its recognition if it turned out to be any good.

(That's a lot of "ifs.")

Now that the prize will be more like its older sibling/cousin the Man Booker, it'll be awarded to published work. Which means that I don't just have to finish something, and have it be good -- a publisher should actually publish it, and depending on the new rules, possibly consider it worth submitting along with whatever brilliant thing was published the same year.

Hurdles. Not necessarily relevant to me at this point, but I feel for the writers inspired by Miguel Syjuco and were probably a year away from the Man Asian themselves. If the rules weren't changed.

3rd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards

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!