#BuqoYA Finding Fairytales: An Interview with Anne Plaza + WIN a Powerbank from Buqo!

Hello, Everyone! #BuqoYa Finding Fairytales makes another stop on my blog today with an interview with Anne Plaza (author of Fall for Grace). Check out our convo and learn something about books, writing rituals, and Loooooooove!

She Flies With Faeries (SFWF): If you were the MC (Main Character) in your story, would you have made the same choices that he/she has made, too? Why or why not?

Anne Plaza (AP): First of all, thank you, Cass for having me on your blog! I think I would've made the same choices given the knowledge I had of the other person. When I was in high school, I was really shy and I didn't know how to act around guys since I only had 3 years of co-ed school experience. I usually acted snobbish and aloof during those years simply because I was afraid to show my true personality in case I got picked on (but I still did). I think it was my defense mechanism of sorts, so I sympathize with my characters' actions and would have probably done the same things they did.

SFWF: What are your writing rituals?

AP: I don't have any regimen that I follow to the dot; my rituals depend on my current mood. But before I start writing or during the process when I outline my story, I like to have visual pegs of my characters so I can visualize their actions and expressions when I write the story. I have a Pinterest board (which I need to update regularly haha) that helps me with that. Throughout the writing process I sometimes listen to music to get the feels going. And as much as possible I stick to a writing schedule (usually in the evenings after my work) so I can devote time to just churning out the words.

SFWF: What's one YA Novel that you would recommend to everyone else? Something that you know is a MUST READ?

AP: There isn't just one I'd recommend because I think YA readers (both in the age bracket and those who are aficionados of the genre) should get to add these to their TBR pile:
Anina ng mga Alon by Eugene Evasco - This story perfectly captures the plight of ethnic minorities in our country. I think every Filipino whether young or old should read this as it makes you think outside of your world and that Manila isn't the Philippines.
The Nancy Drew mystery books - This is a timeless piece of lit that every young adult should read. These books helped me develop a curious mind and appreciate the world and my surroundings. (The series is on its 85th year already! Yay!) 

SFWF:  If you could look back on your teenage years, what's one thing that you learned about love then that you know still holds true today?

AP: Wow, this is a tough question! Haha. Let's see. I think that when people fall in love (whether they're teens or in their 60s) those feelings are legit. I remember my parents and elders telling me during my teenage years that love is something I shouldn't think about at such a young age. While they speak true about prioritizing studies and stuff, love isn't something you can just sweep under the rug. You feel it when you feel it. Sometimes young love can make a lasting impression in a person's life and can affect them in the most profound way, so it's also important to acknowledge them and have a good balance with your everyday responsibilities.

SFWF: And, is there any story out there that you wish you yourself wrote? 

AP:  I have a lot of stories right now that I'm so excited to write about! In Mina's classes she's introduced several story tropes that I really want to explore. But looking at the #buqoYA stories of my classmates, I wish I wrote those story concepts, too. They're all brilliant ideas!

#BuqoYA 3: FINDING FAIRYTALES -- Review

Hello, darlings! #BuqoYA 3: Finding Fairytales makes a stop on my blog today with some excerpts and reviews! Check it out here and don't forget to buy the Finding Fairytales Bundle on Buqo by clicking the link below!

BUQO YA FINDING FAIRYTALES

Fall for Grace by Anne Plaza

Aso’t pusa, away-bati…
Sino sa inyo ang unang aamin?

Meet Grace Almeda—the darling of Luna East Arts Academy—maikukumpara sa isang artista sa hitsura, reputasyon, at katarayan. At heto si Jason Jacinto—the resident school genius—kilala rin sa pagiging go-to person ng mga estudyanteng problemado sa pag-aaral. Nang magkabanggaan ang kanilang maliit at magkaibang mundo, napilitan si Grace na hingin ang tulong ni Jason sa isang mala-life or death na sitwasyon. Mukha ngang pumuti na ang uwak dahil dumating ang araw na kinailangan ni Little Miss Spoiled Brat si Boy Genius. Pero ang hindi alam ni Grace ay may dahilan ang lahat sa likod ng pang-aasar at pambubwisit ni Jason. At sa ‘di inaasahang pangyayari, may isang mahuhulog ang loob para sa isang naghihintay lang ng tamang pagkakataon.

Just the Way You Are by Kat Sales

Rica Valdez has always been one of the guys, so it was hard for her to find a prom date. When her new friend and crush Joshua Fernandez volunteered to take her to the prom, she wondered if he liked her back too, or was he just being nice?

Love in the Time of Viral Videos by R. Linea

Like. Retweet. Follow. Fall in Love?

They say that that the things we own tend to own us in the long run. Today, at a time when we’re connected 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, social media has helped shaped who we are, how we want to be seen and how we deal with other people. And if that’s the case, then who knows us better than our own social media accounts? This is the story of Patch and Sebastian who met in real life, as told by their digital selves. This is their story in the time of #hashtags, inspiration boards, and viral videos.

The First Time They Met by Ana Valenzuela

What’s making Mayumi anxious on her best friend’s birthday party?

Is it her long time best friend Marie? Marie is now in college, and Mayumi starts to doubt their friendship as Marie meets new people and gets closer to them.

Or is it this basketball player named Micah? A guy she recently met and who has turned into an overnight confidant.

The Path of Us by Cassandra Javier

Are our paths already laid out for us, or can we make them ourselves?

Can fairytales actually come true?

Clara has always been fond of fairytales and grand gestures. She always had a plan of how she’d like her life to turn out, and that’s why she worked hard to be on top of the class, and make sure that she has her real life Prince Charming to boot.

And then there’s Andrew.

Andrew’s always been the easy go lucky guy, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not smart and appealing; it’s just that he chooses to go through life in a fuss-free, no nonsense way.

When Andrew and Clara’s paths meet, things don’t exactly go easy. They hated each other with a passion, but then they got to share unexpected moments, and end high school with a memory that they’ll never forget. In college, they lose each other, and Clara has to go through the hardest things on her own--until a trip back home sends them to each other’s paths again.

Will they ever be able to understand their role in each other’s lives?

Or will they just get out of each other’s lives for good?

When Cocoy Became Kikay by C. P. Santi

Cocoy’s not-so-secret dream is to one day become a gun-toting, ass-kicking secret agent. But she has another dream—and this time, even her best friends don’t have a clue—she dreams of being with someone.

Problem is, she finds out that Jaime Arguelles—a.k.a. the guy she’d been secretly crushing on for years—likes girls who . . . well . . . like pink. 

*REVIEW*

You know the thing about this world? We often fail to realize that we don't have to just be on a certain path--there actually are lots of roads to take in life--and that makes it all the better.

Take for example FALL FOR GRACE. We've all been there, haven't we? Sometimes, being in school could make you feel like you have to be with a certain group of people; that you have to be a certain type of person just to be considered popular, or successful, or amazing...And Grace will soon find out that life is more than that--that she could be someone else; that she could enjoy the company of people whom she didn't know she'd have fun with.

And that sometimes, those people could help you grow--sure did, with Grace.

Then there's also the fact that life today? It's definitely not the same as it was five years ago--more so ten, twenty years ago. Life is so fast paced now and no matter what you say, the fact that Social Media has a lot to do with the state of relationships is just so true--and LOVE IN THE TIME OF VIRAL VIDEOS would surely show you that and more! 

And then there's JUST THE WAY YOU ARE--a simple, unpretentious story about how sometimes, we fail to see that the things we need are exactly right in front of us--we just pretend that we don't see them because we're afraid of the outcome. 

Now, with THE FIRST TIME THEY MET, you'd realize that there's exactly a reason why we meet the people we meet. That no matter how confident we are, there would still be some people who'd shake our worlds for a reason--and we just have to figure out what those reasons are--or something like it.

With THE PATH OF US, you'd understand that although you may have all these plans for your life, sometimes, life would really just come make its way to you. You'd see that although you may not be ready for what life has in store for you, and that you are not the perfect person you think you are, that the person you like isn't as perfect as you deemed him to be, it's still okay--and you'd see how Clara will understand that, while finding real love in the process, too!

And finally, with WHEN COCOY BECAME KIKAY, you'd see how sometimes, a little change could do you a lot of good, and that you don't always know people the way you think you know them. And that makes life a lot more endearing: those surprises, those unexpected things--and hose things that you think would never really happen.

So, why not check these stories out? I assure you, after reading them, you might as well believe that fairytales do come true--just maybe not in the way you expect.

And what's unexpected could actually be what you really need!

Luna East Arts Academy Volume 1: Kids These Days--Book Review

Hello February, and hello darlings!  Welcome to Luna East Arts Academy Volume 1's stop on my blog!

         

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.

BOOK LINK:

Luna East Website: lunaeastacademy.org

Paperback Order Form: bit.ly/lunaeastv1

***

Welcome to Luna East Arts Academy, a place where your teenage fantasies are released, and where you can find yourself—or find people who can help you get to know yourself even more.

Luna East is a collection of short stories from today’s talented bunch of Filipino Authors. It’s a sneak peek about the lives of the students of Luna East Arts Academy, a fictional school where a lot of magic happens.

From childhood sweethearts, to love at first sight; to Cadet Training memories; teenagers trying to go against the Status Quo; to not being sure if the person you like likes you back; to picturing someone naked; getting rid of rumors and being true to yourself; Anime Conventions; Coffee shop talks; and learning to stand for yourself and for the people in your life, this book has it all.

What’s great about Luna East is that there is a variation of stories—no story is the same, but they also intertwine in such a way that you can find some of the characters in one story in the other. There’s continuity, for sure, but there is also variety, which makes it good, because as you well may know by now, some readers these days have little or close to zero tolerance for long books. With this one, they can read a lot of stories, and I’m pretty sure that they’ll find their favorites that they can read over and over again. Personally, I enjoyed “Sitting on a Tree” (Chrissie Peria), “Fifty Two Weeks” (Mina Esguerra), “The Rumor About Me” (Khristel Villar), “The Apple of My Eye” (Addie Lynn Co), “Senpai’s Number 1 Fan” (Anne Plaza), and “Picture Me Naked” (DR Lee) the most. They were cute, kilig, and really a delight to read.

Whether you’re in High School, or just want a reminder of what High School used to be like, this book is for you. It’ll make you smile, laugh, root for the characters, be happy and sad and feel some hate about some characters, and maybe even wish for more. After all, it’s High School, and there are all sorts of characters and all sorts of happenings involved. You'll realize that a kid from Luna East is a mirror of the person you used to be. 

The book also features awesome artwork from:

Richard Sy for Stella Torres' "Be Creative"

 Jonalyn Cabigting for Jen Suguitan's "Where do we go from here?"

Robert Wong for Anne Plaza's "Senpai\s #1 Fan"

Looking for a good read this lovely February? Then better check out this first volume of stories from the Academy. 

And, in case you have nothing better to do on February 8th, then why don't you come to the launch of Luna East Arts Academy Volume 1: Kids These Days at the Ayala Museum? It'll be fun and amazing. Plus, it's also the first anniversary of #RomanceClass, and best of all, it's for free! You'll get awesome freebies from Buqo and from Mina V. Esguerra, too! 

AUTHORS’ BIO:

Chrissie Peria is the author of All’s Fair in Blog and War, a contemporary romance novella featuring feuding travel bloggers in Macau. When not writing, she serves her tiny overlord Miffy and Miffy’s poodle/minion, Cooper. She also enjoys cooking, taking photos and playing with dolls. Chrissie is currently working on a contemporary YA romance featuring books and boys who like books.

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance, young adult, and new adult novellas. Her YA fantasy trilogy Interim Goddess of Love is about gods of Philippine mythology, in college. Through her blog Publishing in Pajamas (minavesguerra.com), she documents her experiments in publishing.

Ronald S. Lim has been writing for a newspaper for almost a decade now, but he’s been writing stories for much longer. He is co-author of the book 60 Minutes: Interview with People Who Inspire. He has more books than he has clothes.

Nurse by profession, educator at heart, Athena Claire Duenas has been a bookworm for as long as she can remember. Her passion for reading started when she “met” Archie Andrews in a store at the airport. Aside from reading, she enjoys writing short stories and reviews at thebookjunkie.weebly.com, playing the keyboard, and just cuddling with her dog, Frou-Frou.

Miles Tan likes inhabiting imaginary worlds, from fantasy books to sci-fi shows to cheeky mysteries to role-playing games. Her contemporary romance novella Finding X is available on Amazon.

M. Protacio-De Guzman works in the field of HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health. His poems and stories have been published in The Philippines Free Press, Sunday Inquirer Magazine, and The Philippines Graphic Magazine. He has also been anthologized in Ladlad 3: An anthology of gay writing in the Philippines edited by J. Neil Garcia and Danton Remoto. He also has ebooks available in Amazon and Smashwords, among others.

Writing has always been Kristel S. Villar’s first love, but it was only in her late 20s when she re-discovered her passion for writing fiction. When she is not busy daydreaming of story plots, she covers sporting events for a national broadsheet and takes care of her husband and son. She is addicted to coffee.

Alyssa Ashley Lucas gets her writing inspiration from the peaceful and beautiful scenery of her beloved hometown down south of the metro. She grew up together with Harry Potter and the Sweet Valley twins. She loves to read YA, detective stories, romance novels, classic novels, or any book that comes her way. She has always dreamed of becoming a writer.

Addie grew up reading Sweet Valley University and Nancy Drew mysteries. She finished a degree in Communication Arts and really wanted to pursue a career in filmmaking, but due to high production costs, she opted to tell her stories through her novels. Being the hopeless romantic that she is, she will stop at nothing to share her passion with everyone and hopes that she could infect others with it. She’s a daydreamer by day and an author by night. She has released her first book Hello: A Trilogy.

Anne Plaza has a degree in Psychology, but has actively pursued a career in writing in her previous work as a reporter and online editor. She currently works in the field of marketing communications and spends most of her time writing fiction (while not on the lookout for the nearest cupcake and cronut store).  Aside from writing, she loves to read contemporary romance, young adult, fantasy, and historical fiction. She also collects stamps and postcards, and loves everything about cats. Anne is based in Quezon City, Philippines. 

Jen C. Suguitan is a PR practitioner by day and a storyteller/ninja by night. Her love affair with words and letters was too strong that not even her differently-wired brain can actually stop her. She has written for different publications including a national broadsheet prior to diving into the PR industry.  When she’s not writing, she’s probably thinking of what to write about next.

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 the people inside her head and tells their stories through printed words. You can reach her by email at: drlee.peacelovebacon@gmail.com.

Jayen San Diego likes to share her imaginary world through writing. She is the author of Just A Little Rain, one of the novels produced during #romanceclass. She is a news archivist by day, fiction writer by night, and a self-confessed fangirl in between. Read about her thoughts about life, love, and writing at jayensandiego.blogspot.com

Stella Torres graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a bachelor’s degree in English literature with a concentration on creative writing. She also worked briefly in public relations and earned her master’s degree in special education before moving back to the Philippines. Stella is currently taking up her PhD in education at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. She writes novels, short stories, and unproduced screenplays when not establishing correlations between test scores.

In Over her Head--Book Review

Hello everyone! Welcome to Anne Plaza's In Over her Head's stop on my blog.

Title: In Over her Head

Author: Anne Plaza

Purchase the book through:

Amazon             Smashwords           Paperback

All she wants is to get even...

Erika Apostol's quiet and unassuming life gets disrupted when she learns that Richard Javier, the very same person who broke her heart many years ago, is now back in the country. Her world is turned upside down as old feelings she thought were buried resurface to haunt her once more.

Determined to give Richard a dose of his own medicine, Erika finds herself involved in an outrageous plan devised by her friends. They enlist the help of Jerome Gonzales, an attractive and charismatic DJ (with a playboy reputation), to pose as her significant other.

As the plan goes in full swing, Erika discovers Richard's jealous side, and that there's something more to Jerome than meets the eye. Will this grand charade work out the way it should, or will she be left with nothing in the end?

***

You know what's the first thing that I liked about this book? The cutesy cover! I think it's really important for a book to look good in order for it to attract potential readers.

Anyway, as for the story, I'd have to say that it's well-written plus it's a big reflection of the life of young urban professionals (okay, I did not just say that) in Manila. And Quezon City. The author actually made a great description of the Quezon Memorial Circle, which has also been a part of my life way back in college, and I think, it's one of the things that would draw/that draw readers to this book. The descriptions were very well done, and so was the characterization.

So, it's the story of someone who cannot seem to get over her first love. Someone who cannot let go of the past. Come on, we've all been there. We've all been that crazy girl (or guy) and I think, because of that, many readers are able to relate to this story.

So, Erika, the protagonist, gets thrown into a situation where in she has to pretend to be with someone else just so Richard, her ex, would know that she's supposed to be OVER him and that she has moved on. But fate has other things in store not just for Erika, but for Richard, her ex and Jerome, the hot new guy, as well.

I must admit that I was surprised with how this book turned out. I thought I knew what was going to happen but surprise, I didn't and well...I guess you'll just have to read it to know what I'm talking about.

In Over Her Head is a story of life, love, loss, and the chance to start all over again. It's something that'll make you think, will surprise you, and is definitely worth reading.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anne Plaza has a degree in Psychology, but has actively pursued a career in writing in her previous work as a reporter and online editor. She currently works in the field of marketing communications and spends most of her time writing fiction (while not on the lookout for the nearest cupcake and cronut store).  Aside from writing, she loves to read contemporary romance, young adult, fantasy, and historical fiction. She also collects stamps and postcards, and loves everything about cats. Anne is based in Quezon City, Philippines. In Over Her Head is her first published work in English. 

Visit her Blog - thoughtsbrewed.blogspot.com

And catch her on: 

Twitter - twitter.com/anneplaza

Facebook - facebook.com/anneplaza2013

Email - anneplaza@gmail.com