1. In three words, describe yourself as an author.

Reflective, Imaginative, Hungry

2. Could you talk about the significance of titles in your works? How do you usually come up with them?

The titles I use for my stories depend either on a certain theme, or a meaning connected to the character in focus. For example, the title “The Secret of Derek Guerrero” is a reference to “Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu” (The Secret of Haruka Nogizaka), an anime about a school idol who’s secretly an otaku, which Derek also likes. And just as Haruka is keeping her otaku side a secret, Derek is hiding a secret too.

3. Have you ever experienced a moment of surprise or unpredictability while writing, where the story took an unexpected turn?

Rather than taking an unexpected turn, my surprise experience changed the whole story altogether. For the “Deck The Halls” anthology, I was trying to write a story referencing the journey of Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem leading to the birth of Jesus. I was having difficulty writing down the scenes for weeks because I was trying to formulate the right crime for the story. Then I glanced at my work materials and found an article on akyat bahay cases during the holidays. The result was my contribution, “Saint Nicholas Myra”.

4. In what ways do you think your writing has evolved or changed since your first published work?

When I first wrote crime fiction, I wasn’t in a good place mentally, and there were a lot of negative emotions and thoughts that I reined in and channelled to my works. That’s why they were mostly dark and violent. Nowadays, I’m writing crime fiction with romance because I’m recovering bit by bit.

5. Do you have a preferred genre to write in, or do you enjoy exploring various genres?

While I like writing crime fiction, I hope to practice more with romance and non-fiction, probably food-related.

6. What role do beta readers or editors play in your writing process, and how do you handle feedback and criticism?

Beta readers and editors are every writer’s best ally, from checking for spelling and grammar mistakes, to plugging plot holes. Ideally, every time you write a story, there should be a second or third pair of eyes checking your work. We in the Integrated State Media have our own editors that make sure our stories are factual, accurate, and well-structured.

7. Can you share any sneak peeks or hints about your upcoming projects or works-in-progress?

Honestly, I’m busy with my assignments at work, which consist of making our newscast’s daily line-ups, writing informational and feature segments, plotting interviews, monitoring disasters, following the president’s activities, and such. As for fiction, I have two sequels on my immediate line-up, a pile of haikus and unfinished stories on the back burner, and one that I’m having a bit of fun with because it has a flamenco theme. A bit, because I was monitoring a bunch of storms and earthquakes at the same time.