Mornings With Marie: August 2023
Book 3 Update, Hotel Fen Character Art, New Writing Projects
Happy August, friends! It should still be the height of summer around these parts, but we’re already starting to feel the onset of my favorite season, autumn 🍂 British weather, man.
Still, it’s been a good month. Had lots of events, made lots of new friends. And I especially would like to thank everyone who supported the release of my first solo book Midnight Son, which should also be available in paperback very soon! 😘
Mist Gallows Update
It took us nearly two full months, but we finally finished the draft for book 3 and it’s CHONKY 🤣 94,654 words, 32 chapters, nearly as many named characters, and more than a fair bit of world-hopping. We also have the Prophecies written out, thanks to our Danish poet friend and one of my favorite betareaders, Simone Skov Petersen!
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the parts I’ve written:
Hotel Fen Anniversary
And just like that, it’s almost been two years since we published Hotel Fen! To kick our celebration off, I’d like to reveal the character portraits we’ve had done of the book 1 cast! 😍
I’ve always loved anime (it’s my dream for this series to someday have a webcomic or graphic novel version, aside from a film or TV show) and our artist Jeed captured our characters very well! We can’t recommend him enough — not just because he’s also from the Philippines like me, but he’s very talented and professional, while being really fun to talk to. His turnaround time’s great, and we love how he created all these with just a few lines about the characters’ primary features and personalities! If you’re looking for someone to make incredible art in this style, please do commission him 🙌
New Writing Projects
First off, I’m working on a scifi fairytale retelling of Snow White for a short story collection alongside my two lovely friends Dawn Christine Jonckowski (author of the recently completed The Weight of Stars and Suns trilogy) and Amy Johnson (author of The Idyllic series). I’ll share more details when I’m able, but yes, that’s in the pipe! 🥳
On the monthly short story front, Wildfire unfortunately stalled last month because I had to shift all my focus and energy to book 3. I thought to just continue it this August, but with it being Buwan ng Wika (“Language Month”) in the Philippines, I figured it’s high time to write something closer to home.
Thus I bring you:
Tingog is Bisaya for “voice” or “to speak up” and is the working title of this next short story. Set in the world of Death Penalty (my short story published in the Mitolohiya: Liwanag anthology), it follows a singer going by the stage name Adarna (after Ibong Adarna or “the Adarna bird” from the famous Philippine epic) who lives in a time where humans have been subjugated by aswangs and other supernatural creatures. Inside her gilded cage, she has everything she could ever want, but the outside world is already filled with the cries of revolution. Will she raise her voice with them?
For a taste of her world, here’s the first page of Death Penalty:
MAKATI CITY POLICE NAB OVER A DOZEN SUSPECTED HUMANS AFTER UNDERCOVER OPERATION
Seventeen engkantos reported to be humans who have undergone illegal body modifications in order to pass off as Philippine citizens have been arrested and are currently detained in the Makati City Police Station.
The operation is the first of many launched in secret last week by the Philippine National Police "to flush out the remaining humans and get them out of our communities," said Makati Chief Isaac Valencia in a statement. "These creatures are the scourge of the land and have nearly led to the ruin of our nation. They are selfish and destructive, and must never be allowed to rise again. We must all remain vigilant."
The operation, conducted from April 10 through April 17, involved investigators acting undercover as humans looking online for means to enter the National Capital Region by faking their genetic records. They eventually discovered a different type of modus among the humans: engkanto cosmetic surgery.
The suspects’ identities have been determined and confirmed via genetic testing, but Chief Valencia refuses to disclose their names to prevent inciting a manhunt for their relatives and accomplices, though he promises they will also be rounded up and dealt with accordingly. The suspects will be charged with illegal entry, identity theft, forgery, and fraud. Some are also in the wanted lists of their respective provinces for aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, and hate crimes, and several have been identified as human rights activists from the Visayas and Mindanao. Their potential prison sentences range from 25 years behind bars to life imprisonment, and up to 40 years based on some sentencing guidelines.
They are scheduled to go on trial on Monday, April 25.
That’s it for now! Thanks for reading, and feel free reply so we can have a chat! 😘
Marie xx