Happy August, everyone! Quite a bit has happened since my last newsletter, some good, some sad. 

I had to say goodbye to my bestest boy, Max Power. He was the sweetest dog who chose me way back in 2016 at a pet rescue event, and I miss him very much. The grief from his passing means I'm behind on a LOT of things, but am slowly catching up. 

I just turned in the first draft of Book 6: DEATH AND DINUGUAN (out Fall 2025) and the copyedits for my YA debut, DEATH IN THE CARDS (May 2025) are due next week. I also just saw the cover for my YA and I love it so, SO much. I can't reveal it until October, but I'll make sure to share it as soon as I can. It's very different from my Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery covers, but just as eye-catching and somehow still fits.

I also saw the line art for the GUILT AND GINATAAN pre-order swag and it is EVERYTHING I asked for and more. I can't share it until the artist finishes coloring it, so keep an eye out for my newsletter next month for the illustration and instructions on how to get your free print for preordering.

In other sad news, both of my local indie bookstores are closing this year. Centuries & Sleuths closed back in May, and The Book Table just announced yesterday that they will be closing and the end date is TBD. I've used both bookstores for preorders in the past, so if you pre-ordered GUILT AND GINATAAN from them, make sure to reach out and check the status if they haven't contacted you already.

So to not end this section on a bummer note, I gave the keynote speech at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland last week, and while there, I got a tattoo! I've followed Ashley Antolin on Instagram for a while since she's a fellow queer Filipina creative, and once I knew I was going to be in town, I got an appointment with her ASAP. It's the Fool tarot card from my favorite video game in the world, Persona 4, and I LOVE how it turned out. Highly recommend checking her out if you're in the area and want a tattoo.

I've got a bunch of events lined up and some great book recs, so please read to the end! Until next time, my ubaes <3

P.S. LOL of course I wrote this whole newsletter and forgot to actually schedule it, so it's going out a little later than I'd planned. 

*there are affiliate links in this newsletter

The Truth According To Ember by Danica Nava (August 6)

A Chickasaw woman who can’t catch a break serves up a little white lie that snowballs into much more in this witty and irresistible rom-com by debut author Danica Nava.

Ember Lee Cardinal has not always been a liar—well, not for anything that counted at least. But her job search is not going well and when her resumé is rejected for the thirty-seventh time, she takes matters into her own hands. She gets “creative” listing her qualifications and answers the ethnicity question on applications with a lie—a half-lie, technically. No one wanted Native American Ember, but white Ember has just landed her dream accounting job on Park Avenue (Oklahoma City, that is).

Accountant Ember thrives in corporate life—and her love life seems to be looking up too: Danuwoa Colson, the IT guy and fellow Native who caught her eye on her first day, seems to actually be interested in her too. Despite her unease over the no-dating policy at work, they start to see each other secretly, which somehow makes it even hotter? But when they’re caught in a compromising position on a work trip, a scheming colleague blackmails Ember, threatening to expose their relationship. As the manipulation continues to grow, so do Ember’s lies. She must make the hard decision to either stay silent or finally tell the truth, which could cost her everything.

A Werewolf's Guide To Seducing A Vampire by Sarah Hawley (August 13)

Ben Rosewood never meant to be bound to a vampire succubus, especially one as sexy-yet-terrifying as Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux, but he has to admit there are some fang-tastic perks….

Werewolf Ben Rosewood is happy with his life. One hundred percent. Everything is fine. His business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, is thriving, and he’s even expanding the shop. His anxiety disorder is…well, it’s been better, but that comes with the territory of running a business and having beastly urges every full moon, right? As for romance—who has the time? Though his family is desperate to see him settled, Ben is fine approaching forty as a single werewolf. But after drunkenly bidding on and winning a supposedly-possessed crystal on eBay one night, he finds himself face-to-face with a beautiful yet angry vampire.

Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux is a rare breed—a vampire succubus born from two elite European bloodlines during medieval times. Thanks to an evil witch, she’s been stuck in a crystal since she was thirty, forced to obey orders from the possessor of the rock. Eleonore’s been dreaming of breaking the spell and severing the witch’s head for centuries. But did this witch really sell her to someone new, and for only ninety-nine cents?

Eleonore would claw this werewolf’s heart out and eat it, if only the binding spell would allow her to. But Eleonore and Ben soon realize they can help each other with both vengeful and less hostile needs. And why not have a little fun along the way?

Love And Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe (August 20)

The hardest thing for a paranormal conspiracy theorist and a web series producer to believe in is finding love in this swoony debut romantic comedy.

Hallie Barrett’s life has imploded after she’s dumped by her hotshot ex, who also happens to be her coworker and the star of the online series she was producing. Without a new show to present for the company competition, she’ll be out of a job. But inspiration can come from the strangest places . . . like the most handsome guy she’s ever seen passionately discussing Bigfoot on a late-night docuseries.

Hayden Hargrove made a name for himself as a cryptid expert on his hit podcast, and is intrigued by the plucky, blue-haired producer who offers him the opportunity to lead his own web show. When the production team sees that Hayden’s solo on-screen presence is bad enough to make a ghost blanch, Hallie jumps on camera too, hitting him (and his cryptids) with a healthy dose of skepticism—and enough chemistry to electrify their show to the top of the competition.

As Hayden and Hallie investigate the unknown, they unearth feelings for each other that shake their beliefs to the core. In their search for Mothman, aliens, and the truth, the most elusive discovery might just be learning to love again.

These are the general tiers of monthly support:

You’re helping to support my full-time writing career (and all my recipe testing, plus my two adorable senior dogs), so thanks for being awesome! Subscribe HERE.

$1 (Ubae Tier)

• One recipe a month

$3 (Sinigang Gang)

• Everything in the previous tier

• A book-specific recipe (so two recipes a month total)

• Random updates on writing and current obsessions (books, video games, manga, food, etc.)

$5 (Kare-Kare Krew)

• Everything in the previous tier

• Monthly character profiles and background information, snippets of works-in-progress, occasional deleted scenes, etc.

Major support tiers. Subscribe HERE.

$10 (Brew-Ha Buddies)

• Everything in the previous tiers

• Chance to participate in polls regarding my stories (character names, story ideas, future recipes, etc.)

• Private Patrons-only Discord for weekly AMA and channels for patrons to ask community questions on writing, publishing, book recommendations, etc.

$15 (Limited to 30) (Pamilya)

• Everything in the previous tiers

• Thanks in acknowledgements

• Tita Rosie’s Kitchen-themed treats (two times a year, shipped in Spring and Fall)

  • Ex. a dozen cookies, a mini loaf cake, half a dozen brownies, etc.

  • NOTE: Only available in the U.S. due to regulations and shipping costs. Sorry!

  • NOTE 2: I bake in a home kitchen, so can't promise a gluten-free/nut-free/etc. environment