Tag Archives: publications

Saber & Daisy Become Friends Official Book Launch Poster - Event to be held June 24, 2023 at Bookworms & Co in Aurora from 1 to 3 p.m.

Saber & Daisy Become Friends – Official Book Launch

Calling all friends & bookworms:
I am absolutely thrilled to share with you the news of the official launch of “Saber & Daisy Become Friends,” a heartwarming tale co-authored by yours truly and the amazing William George (the latter also happens to be the most handsome boy I know, but I may be a bit biased )
William and I couldn’t be more proud to introduce you to Saber the Chameleon and Daisy the Kitty Cat – an unlikely pair who show that, sometimes, it can take time to become the best of friends
But that’s not all! To make this launch even sweeter, when you pre-purchase the book on the Bookworms & Co. website, you’ll receive a FREE Saber or Daisy cookie at the event!
Don’t miss out on this extraordinary journey of friendship. Pre-order your copy of “Saber & Daisy Become Friends” now and secure your spot at the event. Simply click the link below to reserve your copy today:
Pre-order here: https://bookwormsco.com/products/saber-and-daisy
Mark your calendars for June 24 and join in the fun
Thank you for your incredible support, and I can’t wait to see you there!

Inanna Spring Book Launch No. 1

Coming Up: Shade’s Book Launch

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Join us on May 5 for the launch of four great books (including Shade!)

Hey all, It’s almost time! In less than a month, Shade will officially launch.

If you’re free Thursday, May 5, come out for the official launch of Shade and three other amazing Inanna books. It will be a great evening of readings from all four of us authors as well as appetizers, drinks, some live music, and the chance for Q&A.

Where: Women’s Art Association of Canada, 23 Prince Arthur Ave, Toronto, ON

When: Thursday, May 5 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

You can also RSVP to the event on Facebook.

I hope to see you all there!

Shade: Available for pre-order now! & how it feels to be “Facebook official” with my novel

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As the title of this post indicates, this past week, it happened… Shade was officially announced as a forthcoming book on Inanna Publications’ website and social media channels and was added to Amazon.ca for pre-order!

I shared the Amazon link on my personal Facebook page for those interested in pre-ordering (post below) and was absolutely floored by the response.

Since posting it on Sunday, the above post has been liked 110+ times, shared on various feeds and has received so many encouraging comments from friends, family and those in my extended network – all of this via a post on my own personal Facebook page. I’ve received emails from coworkers at my current workplace and at places that I have previously worked who heard the news and even received autograph requests from friends of friends of friends. It’s crazy and awesome and overwhelming all at once. Just a few thoughts crossing my mind:

  • This is actually happening! This whole publication process is brand new to me. I remember jumping for joy when I heard publishers were interested in my novel, jumping for joy when I held the final contract in my hands, jumping for joy when I received a publication date, and on and on. The whole process has been amazing and my level of joy and gratitude has not gone down in the least with time. Each step in this process has been so surreal in that I’ve spent five years writing this book in isolation and suddenly it’s a real thing in the world
  • Geeze Louise. My book will be out in the world. There’s something that is both terrifying and exhilarating in the thought that the public can read what was once my most private thoughts in a little less than half a year’s time. Who knows what this revelation process will entail. Hopefully the book doesn’t disappoint, offend or [insert any other sort of negative verb] anyone
  • I love my support network and my support network’s support network and even my support networks’ support network’s network. I posted about my book on Facebook for form – to do my due diligence to the novel in getting the word out. But the response has amazed me. The post about my novel has received more likes than the post I made when I got engaged. It has as many likes and more comments than when my status changed to “Married.” I’ve received messages from people I haven’t spoken to since I was in grade school who remembered how much I loved to write back in the day. Again, I am simply overwhelmed with joy and gratitude and amazed at how supportive people are
  • This is a big deal for me. It’s so easy to get caught up in the trenches of writing – to plod along and eventually feel like maybe you’re just writing and editing in a void. You write to write and it’s good because… well, you couldn’t stop writing even if you wanted to. But some small part of you also wants to write to be read. Now that this is “Facebook official,” the moment feels just that much more real – and this is a big deal to me. If you look back at my school work from the time I was in Junior Kindergarten, that “What I want to be when I grow up” field always ended in “writer”

Does this mean I’m a writer now? Of course, I remember seeing that graphic (I believe I picked it up on Pinterest, but it’s been floating around for awhile) that says

You are a writer already. Today. Now. So start writing

And it’s true. Quotes like the one above got me through days when all I felt about my writing was frustration. Self-doubt and questioning and the constant second-guessing always creeps in. But for now… I’m jumping with joy and looking forward to the great year to come.

With that being said, check it out. Shade is available for pre-order on Amazon, everyone! Reserve your copy today!

New Book Announcement: Shade

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HUGE NEWS, EVERYONE!

I am beyond thrilled to announce that my book, Shade, will be published Spring 2016 by Inanna Publications. It will be launched May 5, 2016, to be exact.

Shade follows the travels of a young woman named Benni, who is born and raised in northern Ontario. After her plans for the future are disrupted, she seeks escape from her every day routine by visiting her father in the Philippines – the fantastical land of ghosts and glamour that her parents described to her as a child. Over two weeks, Benni finds much more than she bargained for – the honest, human relationships that come from seeking and reconnecting with family.

Stay tuned on details about book launches, readings and upcoming events. Help me spread the news by sharing information about my new book with your networks, tweeting the news or sharing a link. If you’re on Goodreads, let’s connect! You can find my author profile here or book profile here.

“Next Time” Media – CBC Radio & the Markham Economist and Sun

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My mentorship with Diaspora Dialogues and publication in TOK led me to new experiences, ushering me into a world of finger foods and wine, book launches and literary powwows and, bizarrely enough, interviews with press and radio personnel. I say “bizarrely enough” because I am used to being on the other side of journalism – the side that asks questions and forms stories rather than the one that becomes the story.

After the publication of “Next Time,” however, I found myself the subject of a few reporters’ interests.

One interview I did was with CBC Radio’s Metro Morning show. Released on the launch date of TOK 7, it may be found online via the Metro Morning webpage.

Another one appeared in the Markham Economist and Sun, and I’ll post the link soon if it can be found online. In the meantime, my brother was kind enough to take a photo of the publication and upload it to Facebook, where comments of, “Thank God it wasn’t a Wanted poster,” began peppering his page.

An article in the Markham Economist and Sun

Though it’s odd being the subject of interviews as opposed to the interviewer, it’s definitely much easier answering questions as opposed to formulating a story, asking questions, and transcribing it after (oh, dear Lord, I’ll never miss transcribing). The one thing I feel iffy about is having my friends and family read or hear the interviews later. Somehow I feel less awkward at the thought of strangers reading about my personal life as opposed to those actually involved in my personal life. I’m not sure if that’s a feeling I can ever get accustomed to.

Either way, thank you Aparita Bhandari from CBC Radio and Simon Martin from the Markham Economist and Sun for featuring me and promoting Diaspora Dialogues on your sites and media channels. It’s been a great experience and is much appreciated.

TOK: Writing the New Toronto, Book 7 Launch

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On Wednesday, May 9, the latest (and last) installment of the TOK series launched at Gladstone Hotel. The night was a great success, featuring readings by my fellow emerging writers, James Papoutsis, Zalika Reid-Benta and Yaya Yao, as well as a panel discussion involving mentors Moez Surani and Olive Senior. The turnout was huge, the beer ice cold, and finger foods great. Despite the fact that I drove (read: sat) in traffic for literally 2 ½ hours to get there (Grrr, I hate driving downtown), I’m happy I attended the TOK launch. Such events are always inspiring for me as a writer, not to mention the amazing sense of accomplishment it offered to finally see “Next Time” in print. Some kindly man even asked for my autograph, which was a definite first!

As always, thank you once again to Diaspora Dialogues staff – Helen, Natalie, Jordan and Holly – for organizing everything from the program to the anthology to the launch, and offering an amazing support network for emerging writers. The Diaspora Dialogues experience is one that keeps giving.

I am extremely fortunate to have experienced Diaspora Dialogues’ short form mentoring program, especially since I managed to sneak into its last year running. From now on, Diaspora Dialogues is offering a long form mentoring program, which I hope to apply for, that will offer emerging writers greater in-depth opportunities to hone their craft and ready a book-length project for publication. If you’re an emerging writer with a book in the desk drawer, this program is certainly one to consider.

If you have time, be sure to check Diaspora Dialogues out. Any support for the organization would be greatly appreciated, whether through donation or through purchasing a TOK book, so the organization can continue its support of emerging writers. The seventh edition of TOK contains the recurring theme of hope. The book submerges readers into a world of complex and compelling characters, offering greater insights into the dynamics men face in our society. I’m honoured to be among the authors in TOK 7. Trust me, the book is well worth the read.

My First Reading Ever

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Glowing with relief with my parents after my reading at Diaspora Dialogues’ “Toronto the Bad” event was done.

On Friday, April 20 I participated in my first reading ever. There’s a million things I could say about the event, from my anxiety in the face of public speaking, to my worry about what my parents would think, to the seeming serendipity of reading at an event I had been an awed witness of only a few years earlier. I could even touch on the way my voice shook from terror during my introduction, the way I zoned into the story halfway through, my failure to properly adjust the mic and therefore my need to talk into it through the side of my mouth, or that one annoying piece of hair that kept falling into my eyes. Perhaps I could even recap the fear I had when the reading was done, during which I realized I was in front of about 100 people reading my personal thoughts, and I just ran off stage.

But three weeks later, it still feels fresh enough to frighten, awe, and amaze me. Three weeks later, I’m still too shy to watch the video my Dad discreetly taped of me (against my wishes!), too high from the idea that I actually got paid for fiction, and too grateful to fully grasp the fact that one of the readers on stage was me and this week I’ll be published in this year’s TOK anthology.

Perhaps, when it all boils down to it, all I’d really like to say is, Thank you. To Diaspora Dialogues for the opportunity, to Olive Senior for the mentorship, to my fellow emerging writers for coming out and showing support at the event, and to my lovely boyfriend and family for witnessing me freak out, advising me to breathe, and allowing me to break their hands while I squeezed it out of fear and nervousness.

If you’re interested in finding me much more calm and composed at another awesome event, feel free to visit the Gladstone Hotel Ballroom at 7:30pm this Wednesday night (May 9). TOK: Writing the New Toronto, Book 7 will be launched – the book in which my short story, “Next Time,” is published. Accompanying the launch are readings by my fellow emerging writers, James Papotsis, Zalika Reid-Benta, and Yaya Yao, and a panel discussion between Moez Surani and Olive Senior.

Short Story: “Next Time”

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Great news! I recently received word that my short story, “Next Time,” will be published in this year’s TOK Anthology. The TOK series books are traditionally released in April, and I can’t wait to see the finished product.

I will be reading the same story at the Toronto Reference Library this April 20th for Keep Toronto Reading 2012 as part of the Friday Nights with Diaspora Dialogues series. It seems like only yesterday when I was nearly moved to tears by the MAD Poet’s spoken word at Friday Nights with Diaspora Dialogues in 2009, and now I will be one among the presenters.

It’s a mind-blowing opportunity that I’m still too giddy to wrap my head around. The sheer head rush that resulted from hearing both these things was enough to last me for a long time. I’m still buzzing from excitement!

For an excerpt of the short story, please feel free to read beyond the cut.

Continue reading→

YorkScene: Forget Professionalism, Remember Writing

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Check out my latest post on YorkScene.com – “Forget Professionalism, Remember Writing” – where I reflect on writing as a business venture, where each post becomes another page in your portfolio. This view is helpful and oftentimes necessary when art becomes public, but it can also be creatively crippling.

This YorkScene post is hopefully the first in a series of similar pieces written “Stream of Consciousness” style reflecting on the nature of writing. As always, please comment and review. Have you had a similar experience with writing? How do you balance the sometimes slapdash nature of creative inspiration with the methodical, meticulate needs of editing and reviewing? Let me know either on YorkScene or MiaHerrera.com.

My Internet Highlight of the Week

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August 3rd, 2009 marked a memorable occasion: The day Penguin acknowledged me on Twitter. At the time, being acknowledged by Penguin on Twitter was like shaking a celebrity’s hand for me. It gave me a euphoric, giddy high. Over the past couple of years, there have been a few other times where I have had the same exciting feeling of going out in the world and rubbing shoulders with people I admire.

I received a similar thrill a couple of weeks ago when I visited Diaspora Dialogue’s website. I’ve been an avid follower of this Toronto-based arts organization since I happened upon it a couple of years ago. Imagine my surprise when I visited their site and saw they linked to one of my YorkScene articles. I was shocked and giddy. I print-screened it and saved it. It made my day.

How awesome is it to admire an organization for so long, only to find your name on the top of their homepage one day? Very awesome!

To read the YorkScene article, check it out here. The article also appears on Live in Limbo and Nerd Girl Pinups, so if you’re into Ontario talent or like books as much as hot chicks who dig Star Wars, check the article out on those platforms, too!