Young Writers Conference in Davao

 On August 20, 2024, the Book Writers Club (BWC) successfully organized the Young Writers Conference (YWC) at the newly opened Davao City Library, a modern hub in the heart of the durian capital of the Philippines. Under the tagline "Stories for Children, by the Children," the BWC aimed to bring young minds together in a creative space where they could enjoy each other’s company while learning writing techniques from renowned authors and peers alike. Book Writer’s Club is a writing club for children facilitated by Ms. Rhoda Osalvo.

The final workshop of the afternoon was led by Teacher Maita, who captivated the audience with a discussion on using Philippine mythology as a source of inspiration. She introduced the children to various mythological deities and creatures. Then she guided them through a quick exercise: selecting a classic fairy tale and swapping out a character or element with one from Philippine mythology. Of the thirty participants, eleven submitted their creative reimagined stories, which will soon be showcased on Teacher Maita’s website.

The event was widely regarded as a success. Teacher Maita, familiar with some of the parents, took the opportunity to give them a tour of the city, introducing them to the local cuisine.

The Young Writers Conference was a much-talked-about event, with participants and parents alike expressing excitement for a potential return to Davao next year. There is already buzz about expanding the conference to include a larger audience and perhaps introducing inter-school story competitions.

Winners of the workshop with Teacher Maita

Buying books!

The Spirit of Adventure! D&D at Malayan Colleges Arcane Assembly

Fourth-year Multimedia students at Malayan College Mindanao hosted the Arcane Assembly, a Dungeons and Dragons event, in the campus auditorium on October 25, 2023. The event featured a variety of vendors selling handcrafted items, refreshment stands, and activities.

Before the event, there were activities, and I had the opportunity to compete in a contest called Tavern Tales, where I placed second. The reward for my efforts was a puzzle with a Dixit theme. As the event progressed, I discovered a game on one of the vendor's tables and won a set of D&D dice, which came in useful for the forthcoming adventures.

 I used my turn to heal my Paladin companion instead of casting a spell, as I did not believe in chance. Dragons of level 9 are difficult to vanquish. I needed a roll of 15 plus my attack bonus of 4 in order to strike the dragon. However, I was only a Dwarven Sorceress of level 2. Yes, I was immune to lightning and suffered the least amount of damage of anyone. Consequently, in the spirit of friendship, I healed the Paladin. He administered a devastating strike that caused 15 damage. Later, he transformed the dragon's cadaver into a makeshift bed, while I held onto the miraculous amulet. Our reward was a generous sum of one thousand gold coins, and we parted ways as adventurers.

Dungeons and Dragons is best enjoyed with friends and other players. Everyone in the adventuring party brought something special to the table and was ready to go on to the next challenge. It wasn't about race, socioeconomic status, or gender identity, but rather about upholding the game's sacrosanct code of conduct and ensuring that everyone involved enjoys themselves. While we may have forgotten the identities of our fellow adventurers on Stormbreak Isle, we will never forget the incredible experiences we shared. There, we vanquished a dragon, pillaged its hoard, and were rewarded with precious loot along the way.

Book Signing during Manila International Book Fair

 Look for me in the 8Letters Booth, Aisle I Booth266, during MIBF.

Freebies galore for those who say Hi, make some Reels/TikTok, or have books signed!

See ya!

Here's a free ticket!

Tiktok for a Free Pen during Philippine Book Fest Davao - Aug. 18-20, 2023

 This promotion is not connected to NBDB, PBF, SM or Tiktok.

To promote my books, all you have to do is make a Tiktok or Instagram Reel, share it and tag me @maitarue or @babymoonmaita and get a free 6-colored pen.

Rules:

1. The video must be shared public and tagged.
2. Pens are limited so first come, first serve.
3. One person per pen only. We appreciate it if you want to make a lot of videos. We may offer you a pencil pouch if there is still stock.
4. Videos must be substantial or have value. Min 15 seconds, no need for voice but a review is appreciated. Must contain pictures or clips of my book. Physical or Amazon. (Please purchase any, the point of this promotion is to sell more books)
5. May only be claimed during the Philippine Book Festival, Aug, 18-20, SMX, at the TIPC/8Letters Booth via Maita Rue (Me).

Good luck!

I'll be at the Philippine Romance Convention 2019

Hello! I'll be at the Romance Writers Convention, here in the Philippines. This is the third one I'm hosting. There will be a great line-up this year and I'm personally giving away a lot of prizes.

I'll also be kicking things off by hosting a Steampunk Party! I'll be raffling off a book and lots of Steampunk Hats!

Romantic Times Booklovers Convention 2018

This event was the happiest and saddest ever!

During the welcoming breakfast, Katherine announces that this would be the last RT. I was looking forward to more but hey, times were changing. After 35 years of  RT, it was time to go. I was glad to experience two years. I vowed to make sure I made the most of this.

I met the authors that I've met last year. They were fun. I've learned a lot from them!

It wasn't as big as Atlanta but I had so much fun!

There was a Stempunk Party!

Kerrilyn Sparks and Kate Allure are so fun!

I didn't expect to meet Meljean Brooks but she was there!!!

I hope to join other similar events in the future as I make a name for myself as a writer.

Some Authors I met during RT17

RT Con is a time to meet and greet your favorite authors. Here are some of the authors I was able to take photos with.

See you all again next year!

RT Tips and Tricks

 It's my first time to attend the RT Booklovers Convention and here are some tips and tricks to those attending for the first time:



PRIOR to CONVENTION TIPS

Tip 1: START EARLY! SAVE MONEY!
There is a $495 convention fee and you have to pay that as early as you can! (Some time September of the year prior to the convention)
People buy early so you have to be an early bird as well.

Tip 2: If you are a writer, take the boot camp. It cost something around $125 on top of the convention fee. It is worth it.

Tip 3: Book your hotel early. If you can afford to be in the same hotel as the convention, then book the hotel. Socials and other events will be very hectic so you need to be close by.

Tip 4: Here's what you need to bring/pack: Versatile clothing (reuse clothes, don't bring so much), comfortable shoes, big sturdy eco bags, emergency slippers, bandages (it's for your feet!), muscle lotion (it's for your shoulders), make-up, gloss/lip balm, water bottle, autograph book for authors, power bank for your phone, note pad for notes. Extra boxes/suitcases for books.

Tip 5: What not to bring: BOOKS. You'll be there to grab free books so don't bother bringing some. Bulky costumes, bulky clothes, anything heavy.

DURING the CONVENTION
 Tip 1: Be friendly. People want to know what you like to read and who you are here to meet. They might give you tips as well. Build friendships because people who love books loves other people who love books!

Tip 2: Wear flats. You'll be walking a lot.

Tip 3: You'll be walking a lot! So eat a hearty breakfast, have a water bottle, make sure you have stamina to run around every hour. Especially if there is a pop-up signing.

Tip 4: Be prepared to wait! Most big or popular workshops have long lines so be prepared to stand in line. Socials have a 30 mins to 1 hour waiting before you can enter so make sure you have patience.

Tip 5: Not all events have food so you'll have to forage and quick. Most breakfast socials have a muffin or pie but some doesn't. (Harlequin's event only had free fruit smoothie for breakfast). Some socials have chillis, desserts and finger food but not enough to get you full. Some socials only had chocolates. (I loved Linda Lael Miller's Cowboys and Rhinestone Party. There was mac and cheese, chicken skewers, chilli beans and fruits)

Tip 6: Bring a trolley or wheeled luggage. You'll be getting a lot of books. I got 7 books from a Inspirational Book Signing and 6 books from Harlequin meet and greet. Pop up signing might get you two to three books at a time. Most big events give books but small workshops give small tokens and at times books.

Tip 7: Keep hydrated. You won't be able to notice that you're already dehydrated until it is too late. Why? Because the air-conditioner is cold but you're running around. You are also too excited to realize this.

Tip 8: You won't be able to attend all the workshops and events. Believe me, I tried! I even tried to leave one event early to get tot he next. Some events overlap. It's not the end of the world. Attend what you can and have fun.

Tip 9: Set your goals. Are you there as a reader or writer. Plot your workshops and be prepared to run around. In RT17, the venue for the convention spanned three floors. I had workshops from LL3 to LL1 and I have only 15 mins to get tot he next venue.

Tip 10: Have fun! You will learn but you shouldn't be too serious. Attend the Socials. Hug your favorite authors. Take a lot of pictures!

My Experiences in RT2017

This is my first time to attend the Romantic Times Book Lovers’ Convention, so I am called an RT Virgin. It is the biggest single genre book convention in the US. Romantic Times or RT covers Romance Books and it’s sub-genres. It took a year of savings but I finally get to Atlanta without a hitch. I registered as an author and so I was issued a green badge. 

The events I have signed up for was packed. My agenda for this convention was to learn, better myself as an author, better my marketing skills, learn the global trends and network. Given this opportunity, I was given a free table to do my very first book signing.

The convention or RT17 kicks off with the pre-con. I took up Cherry Adair’s Master Class. It was the best $125 of my life. Her teaching style was fast-paced so we could tackle as much as we could. Her insights into the industry was very informative. The best part of this two-day class was her one-on-one session on fixing plots.

The next six days of the convention were divided between seminars and socials. Seminars or workshops were equally as face-paced. Panel discussions covered a wide range of topics such as BDSM Beyond 50 Shades, Publishing Beyond Amazon, Marketing on a Budget, Hot New Trends in Publishing and so much more. The Socials were sponsored parties by authors or publishing houses. The best part in Socials was getting goody bags filled with free books. Socials is a time to meet authors. Among those I met were Linda Lael Miller, Lora Leigh, Sherrilyn Kenyon, B. J. Daniels, Kerrilyn Sparks, Karen Rose, Beverly Jenkins, Tina de Salvo and more. There were pop-up signing in the corridors so you could meet new authors and grab books and goodies from them.

The highlight of the RT Conventions was the Giant Book fair on the Saturday of the event. Over three thousand people came to buy books and meet authors. Although I was not ready to participate here, I did try to familiarize myself by being a volunteer. It gave me great discounts when I had time to do my rounds and grab books.

FAN-Tastic Day was scheduled that night. This Social activity was sponsored by the LGBT publisher Dreamspinner Press. In this party, authors and fans could meet. I was given a space with other writers to meet and greet new fans for forty-five minutes.

To cap off the event, the RT Roundup was scheduled that Sunday as a send-off. It was a mini book fair for new, self-published and hybrid authors. I was the only Filipina author for the roundup. I was happy to meet new people, new authors and potential fans. I was also happy to have my book Resto-Rescue and Anthology Victorian Steam sold out.

All in all, my RT experience has been an eye-opener. The socials, book signing and workshops were a whole new level from what we have here in the Philippines. As a Filipino author, I ask myself if we can compete globally and the answer is: Yes, we can! We already have an advantage of speaking and writing in English. We understand and can relate to the Western Culture. Best of all, we have the creativity and talent to write beautiful stories. So, will I participate in future RT Conventions? Yes, I definitely will.