In this chapter you meet Cecile for the first time, a character you will love, hate, judge, sympathise and agonise with throughout the book. There is a saying in the Philippines people use when desperate times call for desperate measures - kapit sa patalim (cling to the sharp edge). This is what Cecile's world is... Continue Reading →
Empty Pages – the blessing and the nightmare
It has been well over a year since I have been able to write a short story or finish my next books. 2021 has been a devastating year as a writer, as I completely lost motivation, inspiration, and even momentum. It reached the point where even my regular blog suffered, with large gaps in-between entries.... Continue Reading →
Notes are not always written (II) – a seven-step creative process
The first part of this mini-series was written back in June 2019, when I introduced my duality as author and photographer, and how I use this to take notes for a book or a story. It's always interesting for me to go back and review some of my precepts and principles as a writer and... Continue Reading →
Squeamish about self-promotion as an author
When you get into publishing, regardless of whether my choice or circumstance, there are a lot of things nobody really prepares you for especially if you take the independent publishing, self-publishing or like me, the hybrid publishing road. Traditional publishing is a tough nut to crack and I have all but thrown in the towel... Continue Reading →
Fragments of a Night (Part II)
Welcome back human tom cats and queens! Glad you could join me again for my CatDiva Tales! Click HERE for your recap in case you've forgotten who's who... remember, we are in Berlin during the early 1930s. The Storyteller ©FrogDiva Photography Where did I leave off? Oh yes, the appearance of Slinky Jane, the sleuth... Continue Reading →
It’s not the length but the depth
Bigger is not better! OK folks, get your heads out of the gutter! I am not going down (oops) that path. Let's not talk about sex for a minute, and shift our focus on manuscripts. As author and writer active on social media, I joined several online groups for authors, initially to promote the book(s)... Continue Reading →
Suspense Thriller meets Photography
Lockdown 2020 provided me the opportunity to explore portraiture photography in my makeshift home studio. It was a ten wonderful months of experimentation and learning, trying out new approaches and playing around initially with natural light and then moving up to studio lights. The former I love, the latter not so much. I'll take the... Continue Reading →
#authorandphotographer
When I first got involved with social media, I had in mind to maintain two distinct and separate identities: photographer and writer. Somewhere along the way, I realised that this was utter bullshit, because I am not just one or the other, but both. One fulfils the other, and both are integral parts of who... Continue Reading →
Celebrating Shadows
One of the most difficult things about being a writer is having to deal with all the publicity that comes with having to market your book, your image as an author, and exposing yourself to critics, hecklers and non-believers. Being a literary activist adds yet another dimension to this complex and complicated journey, because you... Continue Reading →
The Isma Ortiz Series: Broken Roads (3)
For this Guest Photographer & Short Story Series project, the guests were asked to submit three sets of photographs, the choice was entirely theirs and were not confined to any particular genre or theme. The short stories that ensue are based on the set of photos submitted, and the title of the photograph is imbedded... Continue Reading →
Wings, Shadows, and Chains 