Browsing Tag

saitou!!

Music Dance and Lyrics Writing Now

The Flower Boy Soundtrack

I don’t normally play music when I write. I need silence. I need a vacuum. I need my mother to stop talking to me about errands and my cat to stop purring on my lap (though that’s really very sweet of the cat. I’m sorry, I take that back).

When I get stuck though, I turn to music. And usually, the music plays in my head. Sans iTunes, YouTube or Spotify. For Blossom Among Flowers, I was writing a story set in Japan about bishounen–beautiful boys or flower boys, and the spunky, manga-addicted, high school girl caught between them. So it made sense to me that my in-head playlist was composed purely of J-pop/J-rock (albeit vintage) hits. These would be the following:

Arashi. Love So Sweet

Arashi. One Love

L’Arc~en~Ciel. Link

L’Arc~en~CielStay Away

Hikaru Utada*  Flavor of Life,

Hikaru Utada Traveling

Ai Otsuka. Peach

Photo and video credits to owners.

*Yes, I named my Hikaru Saito after this wonderful, glorious woman.

Writing Now

This Week, I Gave Birth to a Book

blossom-among-flowers-jay-e-triaReally, I did!

Well I guess technically I’ve had Blossom Among Flowers with me for almost a decade now, but this is the moment in time, the third week of July 2015 (on the 18th day according to Amazon), that my baby is finally out. She can actually mingle with the world now, you know?

I realize the child-bearing comparisons are a bit weird. But I’m just very excited.

I know there’s still a lot for me to do. You don’t know me, or my writing. Nobody’s probably reading this today. But for now, on the third week of July 2015, that’s okay. I’m still basking in the post-save&publish glow. It’s all kinds of wonderful.

Writing Now

Blossom Among Flowers, Super Final Word Count

Blossom Among Flowers at 65,002 words.

I say super final because I now refuse to touch it. Not because I don’t love this book anymore. But because I’ve had it in my computer for almost a decade now. Even longer than the longest relationship I’ve ever had (and that one was long). If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. It’s been through at least three beta-edits and two editors, and now I have finished my super last pass on my very first book, literally a piece of my heart and good chunk of years of my life (apologies for the cheese).

Editing and writing are always best done before breakfast for me. But the tricky part there is that it usually extends to way past lunch time. I’ve been surviving on cookies and tea for hours now. So now it’s time for a proper late brunch (labrunch?).

Later I will format. Then my cover designer needs to come home from Boracay. Then after eight years, I can finally hit Save and Publish <3

***

Title: Blossom Among Flowers

Genre: Young Adult

Description:

Unlike most people, 17-year old Hikaru Saito likes being invisible. Perfectly happy with her nose buried deep in her growing manga collection, she hardly notices how her “harmless hobby” is taking control of her life. But when she fails an important exam, Hikaru is forced to spend more time with her studies and her new tutor, fellow student, campus genius, and golden boy Takeshi Hinata.

Unfortunately for Hikaru, Takeshi’s popularity in school forces the spotlight on her too. His adoring fans don’t like seeing how much time they spend together and punish her for it. Luckily, Tetsuya Sakuishi, a new young and beautiful teacher, is always there to save the day for Hikaru. It doesn’t help that his smile distracts her, however.

Like her tormentors, Hikaru cannot understand why Takeshi keeps showing up in her life long after the tutoring sessions are over. As if the complications of grueling exams and university applications weren’t enough, a haughty socialite mother, an imposing business mogul father, and a princess-in-hiding all come bearing down on Hikaru. Through it all, Takeshi is there, looking at Hikaru like she’s not invisible after all.