Interview with #LunaEast author Patricia Selina

1. Describe your Luna East story in a few short sentences
Coast Guard: Through a mix of baked goods and well-meaning friends, Claire is somehow coerced by campus sweetheart Anna to keep watch over her crush Mark, just because she happens to share the same route as him, and his childhood best friend Noah. Rumor says, however, that Anna’s fiercest competitor for Mark’s heart isn’t one of the nineteen other girls who’ve had crushes on him – but in fact is Noah himself! Is there any truth to this?

(And if there were, does anybody seriously think Claire could do anything about it?)

2. Did a real event from high school inspire your story?
Actually, it’s always been a dream of me to write a romance story in first person from the POV of someone who isn’t in love with any of the main characters – I’ve never remembered reading anything like this, but what I did know was that there had to be one, because art imitates life and if I have to live with love teams and romance drama that I’m not exactly a part of, then surely it could be written about, as well?

So yeah. There’s a lot of bits and pieces in Coast Guard that’s from my high school years, as well as my college ones. I’ve always gotten inexplicably entangled with popular love teams somehow, despite not being one of the lovebirds myself, or not being in love with either of said lovebirds, so what Claire feels about the whole Anna/Mark/Noah thing is drawing heavily from my own experiences.

Unlike her, I only got myself a cute little brother after graduating from high school, though.

3. What did you like to read when you were in high school?
I was a really weird kid. (Honestly, I still am.) But my favorite novella of all time continues to be Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice, which I discovered just as I graduated grade school, and continued re-reading all the way throughout high school.

I also developed a soft spot for English translations of Japanese light novels – I started with the ones that were adapted into popular anime series at the time, and fully intended to branch out into more obscure, serious stories, but I never really did get to doing that. I was also really interested in reading books tackling history and the differences between global cultures, as well as in reading cookbooks.

You can never really go wrong with cookbooks.

4. Who do you think should be reading Luna East, and how do we get the books to them?
(Me.)

Well, naturally I would say that the most obvious target market would be the teenagers who are actually living through the age bracket that we portray in Luna East, but – there’s a reason why teen romances (teen anythings, in general, but mostly and especially the romances) are spectacularly popular and break through the mainstream easily: because society believes that the teenage years are the happiest years of one’s life, and so anyone who’d want to remember ‘happier times’ would be interested in reading about teenagers. So if you ask me, anyone could read Luna East, and like it. A little bit of nostalgia never did anyone any harm, I reckon.

As for the next question – well, in this day and age it doesn’t come as a surprise that my first suggestion would be to make the most out of SNS’s, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and the like. I first learned about this project through a friend I follow on Twitter, after all – so I know how effective this could be in generating interest. What I like about SNS’s is that, when used efficiently, they’re basically good-old-fashioned word-of-mouth – only on a wider scale than literal spoken words do.

5. What other stories are you planning for Luna East?
Hmm. For all that I’m a romance writer when it comes to fanfiction, when it comes to my original stuff I tend to focus more on friendship. Good old platonic, sibling-like friendship.

When I wrote the last words for Coast Guard a few hours ago I thought that I didn’t want to write about these characters again – the Anna/Mark/Noah triangle is a force to be reckoned with, and to be completely honest with you their dynamic really reminds me of a triangle I already see too much of in real life so writing for them kinda intimidates me, now – but I kinda want to write more about Claire’s friendship with Sabrina: how they managed to be best friends even though they study in rival schools, how Claire manages to get flighty-but-brainy Sabrina to stay focused enough to prepare for a quiz bee (against Luna East, but that’s irrelevant), how Sabrina convinces pragmatic and serious Claire to think that joining Luna East’s anime club just might be a good idea. Speaking of which, something about the anime club might be interesting to write about, since it’s squarely in my sphere of influence!

Moving on to more serious matters, though, bullying is a topic that always gets a little bit too close to home when I’m concerned, since I was a bully magnet, of sorts.  Still am, but I’ve since learned to deal with it better – maybe writing about not letting the taunts define you would be of help to the people who’re going through that?

I’m also a bit interested in writing something based off the contestants I’d meet in MTAP contests, before. Something like Romeo and Juliet, with parabolic equations. Rival schools and all that.

Err, I have a lot of ideas. But I’ll be writing more for this ‘verse, that’s for sure.

Patricia is an incoming college senior at a Philippine state university, taking up Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, who writes fiction and spoils her little brother on her (increasingly rare) off hours. She’s been writing for years, and has never been published, and as such seeing something she’d written get published has always been a dream for her. While her writing tends to focus on the fanfiction side of things – her current focus is on writing for Free!, otherwise known as “the swimming anime” – she has always had a soft spot for original fiction, hence her current, sporadic involvement in Luna East.

Write your #LunaEast story! Read the rules. Post your story on your blog, Wattpad, Figment, or http://lunaeastacademy.org. And then answer these interview questions and send to minavesguerra@gmail.com. :) Order the Volume 1 paperback, or get the ebook on Amazon.

Interview with #LunaEast author D.R. Lee

1. Describe your Luna East story in a few short sentences. 
Picture Me Naked is a story about high school rivals who may or may not just be rivals to each other after all. For as long as Laika could remember, Seth has always been the bane in her existence. He's her arch-nemesis - the one person whose sole purpose in life is to make her miserable. Yet when Seth says that one magic phrase, Laika couldn't help but blush from the tips of her toes to the ends of hair.

2. Did a real event from high school inspire your story?
Not from high school, but yeah, it was inspired by a real event. I was a debater in College and in order to ease the nervousness of my teammates, I always joked around and told them to picture their crush naked.

3. What did you like to read when you were in high school?
Harry Potter!!! haha! I was also into the Replica series by Marilyn Kaye, Goosebumps by R.L. Stine and Buffy the Vampire Slayer books. Those were my staples in high school.

4. Who do you think should be reading Luna East, and how do we get the books to them?
Although it's marketed for high school students, I think Luna East is well-suited for everyone as it has a variety of stories within its pages. As for the how, well, we're already trying to each audiences online, so that's a start.

5. What other stories are you planning for Luna East?
I'm thinking of writing a story about having a crush on the teacher. The other Luna East writers were encouraging me to write about this on Twitter since they've been reading my tweets about my professor in law school who's also my crush. haha!

D.R. Lee is a law student hailing from the Philippines. Outside of her academic endeavor, she does writing, painting and a whole lot of reading. On a perfect day, she talks with people inside her head and tells their stories through printed words. You can reach her via email, or you can follow her via Twitter or visit her Facebook page.

Write your #LunaEast story! Read the rules. Post your story on your blog, Wattpad, Figment, or http://lunaeastacademy.org. And then answer these interview questions and send to minavesguerra@gmail.com. :) Order the Volume 1 paperback, or get the ebook on Amazon.

Interview with #LunaEast author Chris Mariano

1. Describe your Luna East story in a few short sentences.
In "The Day of the Fish," shy and insecure Gela Basco wants to join the Arts & Crafts Fair to prove her place in her family of artists. When things don't go exactly as planned, she's surprised to find that her new nosy and stubborn classmate Sophie 'Mac' Macalintal is ready to help.

2. Did a real event from high school inspire your story?
Yes and no. The inspiration came from Japanese high school-themed movies like Swing Girls, Linda Linda Linda, and Fure Fure Girl, which revolve around friendship and defying the odds. But the AC Fest is based on my high school experience of securing and manning a booth for our school fair/Foundation Week.

3. What did you like to read when you were in high school?
A lot of Sweet Dreams! High school was also when I devoured fantasy series written by David Eddings, Mercedes Lackey, and Robert Jordan, among others.

4. Who do you think should be reading Luna East, and how do we get the books to them?
High school and college kids, primarily, but I think the stories are accessible enough for an older audience. I think high school libraries wouldn't mind getting a copy or two for their shelves this June!

5. What other stories are you planning for Luna East?

I want to write about students defying a school regulation that they find unreasonable. We had a number of incidents like this back when we were in high school and I'd like to revisit some. I am also thinking of writing more about artists Mac Macalintal, Aaron Basco, and Hiraya Chan-Cruz, who all have different styles and aim for very different kinds of success. It's nice to not be defined by just one thing and it's something I wish I had known when I was in high school. But these are vague plans at the moment :)

Chris scribbled romance stories during high school but has never published a single romance until her novella Cover (Story) Girl. Her other works have appeared in Philippines Free Press, Fully Booked's Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards Prose Anthology, and Ideomancer, among others. She divides her time between Manila and Aklan.

Write your #LunaEast story! Read the rules. Post your story on your blog, Wattpad, Figment, or http://lunaeastacademy.org. And then answer these interview questions and send to minavesguerra@gmail.com. :) Order the Volume 1 paperback, or get the ebook on Amazon.

Interview with #LunaEast author Joy Villar

1. Describe your Luna East story in a few short sentences
A Study in Form: Junior Saree Termulo couldn't say no to Senior Eli Antonio's request--to model for his biggest art project. But she may be helping more than just Eli along.

2. Did a real event from high school inspire your story?
I wasn't inspired by a real event from high school. The idea just popped up in my head one day. I don't even recall the triger for it. Haha. Saree was loosely based from my my best friend in high school, who also did ballet.

3. What did you like to read when you were in high school?
When I was in high school I mostly read what was at home, which was what my sister read (mainly fantasy, YA, and romance). But during freshman year, I also delved into Japanese novels. I think I borrowed all the Japanese novels in the library in that school year alone. I also remember spending the whole summer between Sophomore and Junior year cooped up in the bedroom reading and rereading the Belgariad and the Malloreon series by David Eddings.

4. Who do you think should be reading Luna East, and how do we get the books to them? 
I think everyone who has a soft spot for YA and romance should read #LunaEast, because it's right up their alley. And also anyone who is not afraid to try and read new things should also read it. The best way I can think of to bring these stories out to everyone is by word of mouth. Most of the things I read came from the recommendations of those I knew loved to read good books, and are excited to share what they read to others. I rarely buy/read a book just because the blurb was well written or it was on the best-seller list.

5. What other stories are you planning for Luna East?
I already have a rough draft of a one-shot. It's the other side of my current story, which will be from Eli's perspective. I am also nursing a plot bunny about a student who is addicted to crosswords, and a possible love interest who thinks she should become addicted to something else. But I haven't fully explored that idea yet. I might also do stories including orchestra students, but I'm shelving that idea for later. Right now, I want to focus on finishing this story, my #romanceclass novella, and the other novellas I have planned. I hope I get to finish a lot withing the year. *crosses fingers*

Joy has always been fascinated with stories, and with telling them. When she's not busy daydreaming or firming flights, she tries to sneak in a little bit of writing. She fuels herself (and her writing) with caffeine loaded drinks (milk tea being top preference). She hopes to finish her #romanceclass novella within this year. *crosses fingers*



Write your #LunaEast story! Read the rules. Post your story on your blog, Wattpad, Figment, or http://lunaeastacademy.org. And then answer these interview questions and send to minavesguerra@gmail.com. :) Order the Volume 1 paperback, or get the ebook on Amazon.

Interview with #LunaEast author Cassandra Javier

1. Describe your Luna East story in a few short sentences
"Something New" is the story of how one girl (Margot) tries to see life in a brand new way by means of opening up her mind and opening up her heart. After being in the company of books and music, she begins to understand that life is more than that--with the help of tall, Blue-Eyed, bookworm Ronan.

2. Did a real event from high school inspire your story?
Nothing in particular haha, although I think it's a symbol of who I was during the early days of High School--leaning towards books and music more than leaning on people, and about how, deep down, there'll always be that giddy Highschooler in you.

3. What did you like to read when you were in high school?
Aside from Goosebumps, Nancy Drew and Harry Potter, I was very much into Nicholas Sparks.  I do remember it was during the early 2000's when I first got hold of Nicholas Sparks books and I really fell in love with them. Also started reading Paulo Coelho in High School. Oh, and Bob Ong.

4. Who do you think should be reading Luna East, and how do we get the books to them? 
It's targeted for Highschoolers, but I think almost everyone, at least 14 and up can read and enjoy it. Everyone needs something light and good and kilig at times.

5. What other stories are you planning for Luna East?
I'm thinking of something with cheerleaders... :)

Cass graduated with a degree in Broadcasting and has worked as a copywriter, a researcher in an IT company, a call center agent and was even a trainee for a time in a television network. She writes articles for a living. When not writing articles, she blogs, writes stories and whatever she may think of. She loves TV series, movies, music and is a very big bookworm. She's also addicted to Nail Art, butterflies, faeries, and ice cream. She is also a certified fangirl. 

Write your #LunaEast story! Read the rules. Post your story on your blog, Wattpad, Figment, or http://lunaeastacademy.org. And then answer these interview questions and send to minavesguerra@gmail.com. :) Order the Volume 1 paperback, or get the ebook on Amazon.

Interview with #LunaEast author Kristel S. Villar

1. Describe your Luna East story in a few short sentences. (And include a link to it!)
The Rumor About Me - A story about Carly Gonzaga, who suddenly became the most talked senior at Luna East Arts Academy after campus heartthrob Tristan Lobregat picked her on a Truth or Dare game at a party.
Carly's Dare - A follow-up story on Carly Gonzaga, who gets a dare from her best friend, Marge Altamirano, to ask campus heartthrob Tristan Lobregat to the prom. Will she take the risk and can she handle the consequences that goes with it?
One-on-One - A round of one-on-one basketball turns out more than a game for senior students Marge Altamirano and Jake Madrigal.  It follows the story after Carly's Dare.

2. Did a real event from high school inspire your story?
Surprisingly, no. All ideas just came out of nowhere. But I had inspirations from the young adult books I've read and teenybopper movies I've watched.

3. What did you like to read when you were in high school?
I was addicted to Sweet Valley and Love Stories. Most of my savings from my allowance went to buying those books. I also loved Encyclopedia Brown. I remembered getting really excited solving those "crime" problems and then finding out if I solved it right by reading the solutions at the end of the book. I was also into Goosebumps and Christopher Pike, although I was always too afraid to read it late in the night.

4. Who do you think should be reading Luna East, and how do we get the books to them?
High school students and up, like PG-13. I think even readers who were already out in high school can still relate to the stories about Luna East. There's a sense of nostalgia whenever I write and read stories about this school.

Promoting the stories online is one of the best tools in reaching out to readers. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blogs... But a lot of books and stories are already out there, so going old school is also a big plus: sharing it to friends, friends of friends, and... book tours!

5. What other stories are you planning for Luna East?
I still haven't decided yet, but it will definitely not only about romance. I'd like to write more about the social challenges of high school students these days. I wrote The Rumor About Me to tackle about bullying, and how someone can fight it. Carly's Dare is about facing your fears of rejection and being true to yourself. One-on-One probably has the most serious subject. What happened with Marge was something that some students (high school or not) have experienced, and I wanted to show how she dealt with it. Also, I also showed the vulnerable side of two strong people.

Kristel S. Villar is a sportswriter by day and a newbie fiction writer by night. She lives in Manila with her husband and adorable son.

Write your #LunaEast story! Read the rules. Post your story on your blog, Wattpad, Figment, or http://lunaeastacademy.org. And then answer these interview questions and send to minavesguerra@gmail.com. :) Order the Volume 1 paperback, or get the ebook on Amazon.

Who are you, at Luna East?

Since we launched Luna East volume 1, I've been invited to speak at schools and give writing exercises. So what did I asked students to write about? Luna East!

We created this fictional universe for adults who wanted to write YA. But would kids be able to do this too?

Turns out, yes. At least, the fourth grade students at Miriam College were able to give it a shot.

Anyone can write a story set in Luna East Arts Academy. If you have one right now, go write it, post it, and share it -- and maybe you could win a copy of volume 1! (Also an awesome Luna East lanyard and keychain, making you totally a Luna East student!)

You can also buy the Amazon ebook, or order the paperback (Philippines).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The answer is: whatever you imagine

I'm happy.

A lot of you know that I don't really do book launches. I've fortunately been able to do signings and events, sure (thanks Summit), but an event specifically to show people the first copies of one of my books? Not really. Well, never. It's a strange idea, because when I publish these days I just click "PUBLISH" and boom, it's launched. No need to party.

But when I started working with #romanceclass, and started recognizing that I'm part of a community now, I realized that a launch means something. It's a celebration of a book. It's natural to want to share that happy news to everyone who cares about us (the authors) or about books in general.

So this happened:

Thank you, Ayala Museum, for thinking that this is something worth doing. The space you gave us was lovely and roomy and so very artsy.

Thank you, #romanceclass authors, for putting everything together. And I mean everything, including this awesome spread!

Photo: dementedchris on Instagram

We launched the #LunaEast book (order here: bit.ly/lunaeastv1 or wait for the cheaper Student Edition paperback in March!) and became honorary Luna East students too.

Photo: storiestotell on Instagram

Thank you, friends and readers, for coming over and partying with us...

Photo: detteadrianne on Instagram

Photo: storiestotell on Instagram

Photo: taniaarpa on Instagram

Photo: happpss on Instagram

This was an unexpected but lovely surprise...

Photo: _sparksfire on Instagram

A present!

So that was a launch. Also an anniversary for a class that isn't just a class anymore. It's now a community of authors, artists, publishers... (bakers, caterers, event planners...) 

I wonder what else we can all do. More, probably. Whatever we set our minds to.

KIDS THESE DAYS: Stories from Luna East Arts Academy volume 1 (Art Feature)

This is so exciting! *gasp pant wheeze*

Welcome to my stop on the Kids These Days: Stories From Luna East Arts Academy blog tour. I'm part of this collection of short stories (all set in high school) but I'd like to showcase the art that appears in the book here.

Because we encouraged the writers contributing a Luna East story to post their work online, many of the stories in the book are things you've probably seen (or can see, right now, if you go to lunaeastacademy.org or Wattpad). But the art? These are all new. :)

By Robert Wong, for Anne Plaza's story

Robert V. Wong is an illustrator and graphic artist who has done works for gaming companies, restaurants, schools and organizations.  He has a passion for anime-related art as well doing speed caricatures and technical design.  On occasion, he is known to dress up as a robot when he indulges in his hobby called cosplay, along with his wife Jewel, as well as organizing such events. His works can be found in his Deviantart at http://eva-guy01.deviantart.com

By YK Marquez, for Kristel S. Villar's story

When YK started drawing at the age of three, she would fill their home with large doodles on the wall, even on the pages of her school textbooks. She would also tinker and experiment with her mom's point and shoot camera. While it used to be more of a hobby to her than anything else, she eventually took a step forward to take her art seriously when she took a Fine Arts degree and majored in Visual Communication at St. Scholastica's College.

YK aspires to break into the children's illustration industry and create inspiring stories for children and young adults alike. She is currently working freelance as a web and graphics designer.

By Richard Cy, for Stella Torres's story

Richard Cy is a casual illustrator residing in Manila. He is a graduate of the Far Eastern University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising. The arts heightened his passion for his craft, deepened by various literary works and stimulated by unlimited sorts of music.

With paper, watercolor and ink as the tools of his trade, Richard makes hand drawn illustrations in a contemporary approach. He can also combine his works with digital techniques to befit the client's needs.

Richard is available for freelance work and private commissions. You can email him at richardcy@yahoo.com to get in touch.

By Jonnalyn Cabigting, for Jen C. Suguitan's story

Jonnalyn Cabigting aka baka_usagi's earliest memories of her childhood will never be completed without her sitting on the floor, while holding crayons and doodling "stickman versions" of Disney princesses and princes. She claims that drawing anything and everything (on the back of your notebook when the class gets boring) enhances your art skills. In school, she usually drew hand-made mangas for her friends and occasionally joined poster making contests. She also participated in stage and classroom decorations and became a member of her primary and secondary school's journalism club as an editorial cartoonist.

Thought she did not pursue this talent in college, she would often find time to improve her skill in drawing thanks to Paint Tool Sai and Photoshop.

Today, she is an accounting staff in Pasig and a freelance writer and illustrator at Wattpad.

About the book

The stories from LUNA EAST ARTS ACADEMY are about love. And also, friends, food, kissing, rumors, mean people, insecurities, birthdays, breakups, making up. We set it in an arts academy because we wanted everyone to have a talent, and know it. Because no one is ordinary, if you know them well enough. 

Who are you, at LUNA EAST? Are you a popular kid, a wallflower, a drama club diva, a debate whiz? Visit lunaeastacademy.org to read more stories from #LUNAEAST, and submit your own. For readers 16 and up. Buy the paperback: bit.ly/lunaeastv1

Out in January 2014: Stories from Luna East Arts Academy, volume 1 (YA/English)

I'm happy to share that the first #romanceclass YA anthology will be out in paperback in January. Yay!

During one of the #romanceclass monthly meetups, the authors present started talking about what they could do next, after trying to write their romance novellas. And we started talking about our love for YA, which is how a lot of us started reading and writing.

So now we have Luna East Arts Academy, an ongoing project where participating authors contribute a YA romance/coming-of-age story set in high school. Volume 1 contains the following stories:

Be Creative by Stella Torres

Senpai's #1 Fan by Anne Plaza

Love Lies A'Bleeding by Alyssa Ashley Lucas

Picture Me Naked by D. R. Lee

Something Real by Miles Tan

Wouldn't Change A Thing by Jayen San Diego

You Are the Apple of My Eye by Addie Lynn Co

The Letter by M. Protacio-De Guzman

Where Do We Go From Here by Jen Carpio

The Rumor About Me by Kristel S. Villar

He Loves Me...Not? by Athena Claire Duenas

Sitting in a Tree by Chrissie Peria

Yours Is the First Face That I Saw by Ron Lim

Fifty-Two Weeks by Mina V. Esguerra 

What is Luna East, exactly?

A fictional Metro Manila high school that we’ve created as the setting for new YA fiction. Luna East is a co-ed non-sectarian private school, somewhere in the metro, a bit upscale but with a growing percentage of scholarship students. The school likes to focus on its arts education, but they have sports teams (Go, Wolves!), beauty pageants, and other things that private schools in the metro have. 

Basic rules of #LunaEast:

Luna East Arts Academy is a shared setting for our YA stories. 

Stories must be set in the present time or recent past.

Any characters in the story will become part of the “universe” and can be used by the other writers in their stories (informing the original author of your plans would be polite).

Who can write a Luna East story? Right now, we are fine with ANYONE writing stories set in Luna East, but to be part of the paperback compilation (and therefore being CANON) your story must be reviewed and checked for continuity against the other stories.