Welcome to the first installment of my monthly series about the things I’m currently obsessed with, as well as updates on my writing and life. Here are some notes from April!
#DVPit
If you’re a marginalized writer, I can’t recommend this Twitter pitch contest enough. Not only is it a fantastic opportunity to get your work in front of literary agents and editors, the people who participate/have participated in it are extremely wonderful. I think I ended up getting such a terrific response to my YA Filipino fantasy novel largely because past participants (complete strangers!) offered to give me feedback on my pitches. And on the day of the contest, everyone boosted and cheered on each other’s pitches. It was a really great day. AND they just announced they will be holding a virtual writing con in late summer or early fall!
New (to me) books
Now that my YA fantasy based on Filipino myths is in the querying trenches, I’m rewarding myself by FINALLY getting around to reading some YA books that I’ve heard lots of buzz around (don’t @ me, I know I’m very late to the party for some of these! LOL). At the top of my pile are The Wolf of Oren-yaro by Filipino-Canadian writer K.S. Villoso, Wilder Girls by Rory Power, and Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan.
Kendall Andronico
I found Kendall’s Instagram while she was still attending culinary school and loved the inside look she provided into that world–including all the yummy recipes she was learning. Now she’s putting her take on those recipes on her blog and I’m OBSESSED. I’ve made and loved her braised pork and beans dish and can’t wait to make her sourdough focaccia (as soon as yeast become available), Peruvian green sauce, and miso poached salmon.