I’m back! Sorry for the delayed update, but between jet lag, a horrible cold, and then a tweaked back (I’m in total pain as I type this), it’s taken me a little while to get all my pictures organized.
If you follow me on Twitter or you “like” my Facebook page, you’ve probably seen most of these already, but just in case, here are the highlights of my three-week trip to the Philippines. There’s so much more that happened than what I’m showing here, but there was just no way to include everything.
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| First day in Manila! After receiving a VIP welcome at the airport, I checked into my hotel and then the amazing folks from National Book Store took me, my dad, and my uncle out to lunch. |
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| On the day of my Powerbooks/National Book Store book signing, with Jenny Javier from Simon & Schuster right before my media interviews. |
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| Being interviewed by Xandra Ramos from National Book Store on stage. The sign behind us was huge! |
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| Signing (photo courtesy of National Book Store). |
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| Signing (photo courtesy of National Book Store). |
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| Signing for my family in Manila (that’s my Dad watching over me). |
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| Who’s this beautiful girl beside me? Why, that would be Samantha Sotto, author of BEFORE EVER AFTER. So happy we finally got to meet! |
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| It was amazing to meet all my readers! |
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| With Christine Lina from National Book Store, who made me feel completely comfortable at all my book events. |
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| Dinner at a Japanese restaurant after the book signing with the National Book Store gang. |
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| After my morning radio interview at 94.7 with Vince & Tracy. Radio is so much fun! |
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| Hanging with Chad from National Book Store, who got me through all my media interviews. He’s so much cuter than I am. |
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| Taking a break between interviews. I kept having flashbacks to that movie Notting Hill – was the guy from Horse & Hound going to show up? 😉 Maybe if I was Julia Roberts… |
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| Hanging at the casino after a long day, where Manny took all my money. |
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| Finally in Cebu! This sign greeted me as soon as I got to my aunt’s house. |
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| Dinner with the family! The men folk must be in a different picture. |
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| Lunch at another aunt’s pizza parlor. So yummy. |
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| This is the beach at my aunt’s resort, Hale Manna (which translates to “house of good energy”). Not a bad place to call home for a week. It was the perfect place to decompress after my first few crazy busy days in Manila. |
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| Lounging in a hammock, reading my Kindle. |
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| And at night, losing at mahjong. |
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| Getting adobo cooking lessons from the chef at Hale Manna. Adobo is a traditional Filipino dish, usually made with pork or chicken and cooked in garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar. |
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| While I was relaxing in Cebu, my feature in the Philippine Daily Inquirer came out! |
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| Another feature (different day) in the Philippine Daily Inquirer! |
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| My feature in the Manila Bulletin! There was also another feature in the Philippine Star, but I never got to read it. |
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| When we got back from the beach resort, I happened to walk into a National Book Store and was bummed I couldn’t find my books in stock. Then my Dad told me to turn around… I didn’t realize I actually had my own little SECTION! Woo hoo! |
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| At a different book store. CREEP is an “International Best Seller”, right next to FIFTY SHADES! |
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| Being interviewed by Xandra Ramos of National Book Store. There were so many people watching. |
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| And taking pictures of us… |
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| Having fun with the people attending the book fair! |
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| Always so amazing to meet the readers. |
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| Book events done! At the Manila Polo Club having lunch with more family. |
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| My dad took this picture of me towards the end of my trip. I think my expression says it all. |
The trip to the Philippines was a dream come true. The wonderful people at National Book Store made me feel like a celebrity, and I had a great time at every book event and interview. In total, I had two book signings (one at Powerbooks and one at the Manila International Book Fair), I gave maybe seven interviews (four with national newspapers), and did three TV interviews and one radio show. Whew! And in between, I spent time with my dad and huge extended family, both in Cebu and Manila.
Oh, and I ate. A LOT. And yet somehow managed to lose seven pounds while I was away – and no, I didn’t get sick at all! Go figure . . . maybe all that Filipino food agrees with me?
I hope to go back to the Philippines again next year. It’s a thrill to see my books in so many stores, and it was just plain fun to meet all my readers.
All right guys, I’m off to Cleveland, Ohio for Bouchercon, the huge crime fiction conference, and I’ll be back next week with all the news!
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