I face books with fascination...

MY FASCINATION WITH BOOKS started when I took a two-year postgraduate program in Australia. That was eleven years ago! Then, after my five years residency in the UK, I already accumulated quite a number of reading materials, including travel books and magazines that added to my previous collections. I should admit that I am now a book addict - hoarding all the books of my favorite storytellers! This is part of my plan to set-up my own mini-library in my hometown in the Philippines.

My book collection will be part of a reading centre where everyone, young and old can share these books and be inspired to read more and learn new stories and new places. I did several appearances to book launching/signing both locally and abroad. I had the chance to met some of these writers like Candy Gourlay (Tall Story), Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo (Trese Comic Book series), Samantha Sotto ( Before Ever After ), and Jennifer Hillier (Creep); even on-line interviews with Phillip Thomas Duck (Excuse Me, Miss), Stuart Neild (Giant Killer Eels), and Emma Donoghue (Room). I am a fan of Jeffrey Archer stories but Kane and Abel and Sons of Fortune are my best reads.

I also like James Patterson's story of Alex Cross, including his Max (Angel Experiment) series, including novels written by Harlan Coben, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Jodi Picoult and Mary Higgins Clark. Some of the short stories that I really like are Different Seasons by Stephen King, including A Twist in Tale, and Twelve Red Herrings by Jeffrey Archer. These authors allow me to love their characters, inspire me on their style of writing, and building up my interest in the category of their stories mostly in suspense and thriller genre, including stories about family values, relationships, friendships and sexuality.

One of the highlights of being a book addict, I was chosen as a bookgiver during the World Book Night 2011 held in the UK. I was one of the lucky volunteers to distribute 48 copies of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. This book is one of 40,000 copies printed of each of the 25 brilliant titles selected by the organizer. That's 1,000,000 books to be read and enjoyed and then shared. The World Book Night is a celebration of great writing and the power of books and the pleasures of reading.

Some of my interactions with these authors are as follows: I met Stuart Neild on-line thru his e-books published in Amazon and Smashwords websites. He loves to write stories that go behind our wildest dreams which for sure it entice our appetite for horror, suspense and thriller plots. Stuart says:"A good story is something that's interesting. I think for the past two decades we've been bogged down in books full of wordy prose and padding that was only there to make the page count bigger...snappy, interesting story telling that kept you entertained and hooked got a little lost..."

Phillip Thomas Duck writes sexy short stories like One Quick Kiss and the first offering of his romantic suspense series, Excuse Me, Miss. Any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? He responds: "Read a lot. Write everyday. Follow their heart and not the trends of the moment. Make the writing sensual. I have a note above my keyboard reminding me to include all of the senses in my writing."

 I also asked RJ Silver regarding his work schedule when he is writing. He answers: "Every day I get up early (I'm answering these questions at 4:00 a.m.) and spend my first three or four hours on writing (i.e. my best energy of the day). If you add those up, it comes to about 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is a lot, but I'm not alone." He adds that he wrote the first draft of stories like The Princess & the Penis or The Ballerina, the Gymnast, and the Yoga Master typically for about a month.

Finally, one of the memorable interactions with writers was when Emma Donoghue was featured on GoodReads where she answered questions and comments from the members online. I posted my question about the settings of her novel, Room.

My comment was: " I have read your brief interview's responses featured by British Channel 4 - The TV Book Club 2011. You mentioned that you somehow based Room's setting from Fritzl case in Austria. Personally, I thought you based it from the American girl, Jaycee Lee Dugard being captive for 18 years. After her disappearance at age 11, her story became a world-wide sensation in August 2009. Im sure you're aware of her story. Did you try to get some settings from her story?"

Then Emma replies: "I know ROOM might sound more like the Dugard case, but she was only discovered after the novel was written and with my agent. One main difference between the storyline of ROOM and almost all the well-known kidnapping cases is that, at 19, Ma is an adult when she is captured." She also revealed that she got numerous offers for a film adaptation of Room but to date, nothing formalized yet. Personally, this is something to look forward to especially the on-screen characterization of Jack.

There you have it folks! My passion for books does not fade as the time flies. With advanced technology, I can read my books anywhere, anytime using my e-book gadget - Amazon Kindle! Or I can also share these books thru this personal blogsite. 


"Learning is a continuous process and reading is a lifelong learning experience...and books are our best companion to make it happen, ultimately to be treasured forever!"