Vampires, Werewolves, Tamawos

Are you Team Vampire or Team Werewolf?

See which one gives you the tingle! 

For Team Vampire, we have Caleb from Care Package Mate (Amazon) and Brad from Mail Order Vampire (Free on this website). Special mention to Johan and King David. By the way, King David has 3 brothers. Might want to write about his story in the future. King David is often mentioned by the Werewolves as the one who got all the Mythicans or creatures of legend out in the open.

For Team Werewolf, you have many to choose from!!! First, we have Anthony and his team from Moonlight Eclipse (Amazon). I might not write about his team, only in passing, because I am moving on to different characters. Also will be doing a new spinoff, the original one that I was working on.

Markus Simeon and the Urbane Pack will be having their own series which will focus on love and the ups and downs or running a resort in Manila during and after Covid. Care Package Mate will connect to this. Markus must have his book because he was the one to tie them all together. Caleb's book should have been second. Argus Urbane , his book is nearly done, will be the third book while his twin Lyka Urbane will be the fourth. It will tie together with Resto Rescue as Rafe Redmoon's adopted daughter will have a book and will tie into this series in the future. Their stories are already in my vomitorium folder (for lack of a better term) and will be completed in the future.

Team Tamawo consists of loner Dante from Dimensional Eclipse (Amazon). He has kids, lots of them. They will be present in the resort and will no doubt be characters in future books. their focus will no longer be in supernatural and human trafficking. Maybe something else.

So, Tamawos are all about family. They don't do well outside family groups. Francisco has his tiny family unit. He wasn't doing so well. Danter, on the other hand, was doing well. Markus and Wolves' treatment of employees made him feel like a part of a big family so they became his family group. When Markus accepted him as an official pack member, his world became right and he felt so happy. 

Is this really how mythological Tamawos operate? We aren't sure as we cannot interview any. What we know is that they do live in groups and they protect natural real estate. That can be waterfalls, a stream or river, a forest, or a grove.

 

Draft2Digital and New Book!

Guess what?

I have a Draft2Digital account. Well, I had a Smashword account that migrated to Draft2Digital. Many of the books have been retired as I put them on Amazon. 

Today, I uploaded a new book to try out D2D's system. If the book isn't out yet, it will be in a couple days.

Here's the book:

What's the book about?

It is a short story about a creature: half-god, half-monster. He escapes the care of a goddess who traverses the underworld. All he cares about is his twin. 

I wrote this story as an exercise in high school. It was our English class and we were tasked to create our own Greek Mythology because that was the lesson of the day. It slept in my messy desk. I typed it up sometime after college and it slept again in my hard drive. Now, I decided it needed to be shared to the world.

The original title was Apocalypsia but I know there's a movie that came out with the same name so I had to think of a new title. Dis, will herald the goddess' return to the mortal realm.

Go to Maita's Books2Digital Portal.

Write with me! Neph XY Chapter 5

 So, I'm writing a new story!

The title is Neph XY. You'll find out in a sec.

In 2035, creatures called Nephs came out of the sea and started to devastate humanity. Certain children started manifesting powers to defeat them. 

Now, in 2045, Neph attacks are more rampant. It was up to children to defend humanity. Stanzo, an angel-touched 17 year old has to train a bunch of orphans... Along the way, he is wavering. He's not particularly prayerful, but being called by a priest will change you. Having to lead orphans will change you. Fighting for the world will change you.

Free Printable Pages

 I have a new book and I have a few copies to be given away during MIBF. These are limited.

For those who couldn't get a copy, it is free to download and print yourself.

See all the free books here

Need more pages, here are some printables:

Where to Buy Lagimat

 Hello everyone! Lagimat: Tome of Philippine Death Myths is available during MIBF. It is also available on Amazon. MIBF is on Sept. 11-15, SMX MOA.

Links down below:

Buy on Amazon

Free Ticket to the Manila Internationa Book Fair

 MIBF is this Sept 11-15, 2024 at SMX, Mall of Asia.

Here's a free ticket!

The guard at the gate takes it upon entrance so you might want to print a few copies for multiple days.

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 Tale of 1000 Roses

 My article in Sun Star came out. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/feature/tale-of-a-thousand-roses

I feel a lot of people will see the Roses in society. It is precisely why I wrote it. There are too many Roses with the same stories. It is a sad society where the woman is under attack. 

The woman is not a costume. Give the woman a chance to bloom!

Why Death Myths?

Many Southeast Asian cultures, including the Philippines, have strong beliefs in an afterlife and the presence of spirits. Filipino mythology and death stories help shape national identity by passing down important cultural values like reverence for one's ancestors and reverence for one's elders.

My fellow writers Jean Karl Gaverza and Mary Louise Lu and I conceptualized Lagimat, A Tome of Philippine Death Myths. It has 61 entries divided into seven chapters. There are Psychopomps, The Ones Who Live Beyond, The Balancers, Sowers of Discord, Witches, Creatures and The Places Beyond.

In doing this project, I realized that although each ethnolinguistic group in our archipelago has distinct beliefs, there are similarities. And the way we view death, is different. It is very different from the Catholic and Christian views. Most of our death myths center around a journey. Many of the psychopomps are boat men, places in the afterlife are towns. Our views on death is not grim. What started a horror made me realize that Filipinos (the original pre-hispanic ones) have a more positive view of death. Perhaps there is a lesson or two to be seen here.

And perhaps, there is a part two to be written...

I've used different scripts in the book. they all say the same thing: Lagimat

How come I didn't use more scripts? Simple: These are the only cultures we have touched in these books (those with scripts, at least).

Pre-order Lagimat and other books for MIBF here: https://forms.gle/vmRP9p1AUp6ALore8

Madayaw! Happy Kadayawan!

 Free Kadayawan Food Journal!

Print your own. add as many pages as you want!

Happy Kadayawan and enjoy Davao!

Click here to download

Sample pages. There are different pages in the journal but this is the main one.

New Book Alert! Lagimat, Tome of Philippine Death Myths

 Lagimat: Tome of Philippine Death Myths, delves into the rich tapestry of Philippine mythology. Explore 61 unique spirits, deities, creatures, and sacred places associated with death across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. This dual-language book, presented in both English and Bisaya, offers a comprehensive guide to the ethno-linguistic groups that honor these entities, revealing the diverse beliefs that shape their cultural landscapes.

Featuring the stunning artwork of 19 talented Filipino artists, Lagimat not only serves as an informative resource but also as a visual celebration of the myths that have been passed down through generations. Each entry invites readers to discover the profound connections between life, death, and the spiritual world in the Philippines, making it an essential addition to the library for anyone interested in folklore, mythology, and cultural heritage.

Book Concept by Maita Rue, Jean Karl Gaverza and Mary Louise Lu

This is the first collaboration between Maita Rue, Jean Karl Gaverza, and Mary Louise Lu. Maita is a multi-genre author who had several books published since 2017. Jean Karl Gaverza is a researcher and author. He has several books including Philippine Spirits and Mythica Obscura. Both concentrate on Philippine mythology. Mary Louise Lu has published short stories with mythical undertones. Together, they conceptualized Lagimat.

Featuring 19 Filipino Artists! 

Maita Rue (18 Artworks plus layout), Mary Louise Lu (3), Donnie Ray Obina (5), Seb de Jesus (4), VexingLex (4), Joll Mark Manabat (4), Michael Sean Talavera (4), David Geralao (3), Niño Acero (3), Andrea Pua (3), Chris Alejado (3), Jerric Miraflores (2), Franzel Mae Mendoza (2), Chris Micu (2), Raven Venida (2), Marius Dideles (2), OOTF (1), Dot Lazo Tiu (1), Enervaugnn (1).

Pre-order Lagimat and other books for MIBF here: https://forms.gle/vmRP9p1AUp6ALore8

NEW FREE BOOK!

 Wait, what? Free?

Yes! I love sharing stories.

Download here

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Oh, FYI, the heat level turns up at the ending so please beware! This is not children's reading!

Is it part of a series?

No. Although all my paranormal romance is set in the same universe, this can be read separately.

What's it about?

Brad is a Vampire working in Legenda, the seat of power of King David, the king of the Creature of Legends. Unfortunately, Brad was caught up with a bad crowd when he was young so nobody trusts him in Legenda. That makes his job hard because he really wants to be an enforcer. One of the king's councilmen, Johan, makes him a deal. He'll guinea-pig of a Mail Order Vampire Program and get his dream job in two weeks. Easy, right?

Who is Brad?

Brad is a vampire who used to be impulsive and stupid. Now he feels he's more "gorwn-up." Unfortunately, he has nothing to offer his future bride. His only dream is to work in enforcement.