the japayuki chronicles

quickie

2011-09-14T23:04:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the long absence!Some updates:- The book is finished and I did manage to trim it down to approximately 25,000 words- Partly the reason for the edit was that I submitted the book to a publisher to be considered for publication- However, I've been asked to change a few things that have resulted in the story morphing into something different; this is supposed to be a trilogy of books,

Leave it up to fate: Chapter 28

2011-09-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Chapter 28 CHAPTER 27 “We have to talk.” Ken glanced down at Ana’s softly uttered request. They were standing side by side at the foyer of Ana’s apartment building, waving Ana’s parents off. Ana’s father had belatedly remembered that one of his Japanese business associates had invited them over for dinner, and so dinner with Ken had been postponed until the following evening. Ken

Taym Pers: Updates, updates!

2010-12-20T02:06:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody! Thank you again for keeping up with Ana and Ken's story on The Japayuki Chronicles ;-)If you've noticed, I've been able to update more in the past few weeks than I've been able to do in the past months. What brought on this literary coup you may ask? Very simple: I now have a yaya. Hahaha! Wow, I never really realized what a luxury having a few hours to myself would be. ;-)The good

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Twenty-six

2010-12-20T02:01:00.000-08:00

CHAPTER 26As they drove back to her apartment later that morning, Ana couldn’t imagine how she had survived breakfast with Yoshi and Ken. Although the three of had eaten breakfast as if it was something they did together every day, Ana still felt like the whole thing was like something out of the Twilight Zone. Ana fiddled with a button of the borrowed shirt she wore. Ken

Leave it up to fate: Chapter 25

2010-12-12T02:20:00.000-08:00

CHAPTER 25Juggling a couple of paper bags in his arms, Yoshi entered in the security code that would let him into the genkan at Ken’s apartment. A beep sounded as the code was accepted and the doors swished open to accommodate him. As he headed towards the elevators, he took a swig of hot coffee, and hoped that Ken was in a good enough mood to talk to him.Based on the state of Hide when he had

Leave it up to fate: Chapter 24

2010-12-09T06:07:00.000-08:00

CHAPTER 24Ana opened the door a crack and surveyed the room. It seemed empty. She emerged from the bathroom clutching at a large fluffy white robe that engulfed her from head to toe.She inspected a pair of pajamas on the bed that Ken had probably laid them out for her. They were overly large for her frame, but they were clean and dry. And after all, what choice did she have, Ana thought as she

book meme

2010-07-29T04:53:00.000-07:00

I don't normally post memes on this blog, but since this one was related to books and whatnot, it seemed appropriate ;-)+++1. What books sparked your interest in reading? Meaning, what books first took reading from being a forced activity to being an enjoyable pastime for you?Reading was never a forced activity for me; I have always loved to read. When I was little, I loved being read to before

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Twenty-three

2010-07-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

New to The Japayuki Chronicles?Start with Chapter 1! Ana took a deep breath and the balmy night air filled her lungs. She sat down on a wooden bench and felt the silence of the night envelop her. She sighed, it was a relief to escape the smoky rooms and the pulsating electronic beat of the party.“Thanks for coming with me,” Ana told Hide as he sat down beside her, “It was all

Character profile: Kaye

2010-06-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! As I've done with Ana and Ken, here's Kaye's character profile. She's actually one of my fave characters in the series. Hope you like her too ;-)+++Name: Katrina Maghari Nickname: Kaye, Kat Birthday: 22 November 1980 Age: 29 Zodiac sign: Scorpio Color: Blue (but secretly likes pink) Eyes and Hair: Brown eyes; Long, wavy, black hair Height: 168 cm Body type

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Twenty-two

2010-06-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

New to The Japayuki Chronicles?Start with Chapter 1! “What is it with those two?” Jon asked as he, Kaye, and Yoshi observed Ken and Ana from the other side of the room. “Sou ne, they’ve been acting strange all evening,” Yoshi mused. “Ana was quiet on the way to the Budokan a while ago,” Kaye commented, “she seemed deep in thought.” “I wondered about that,” Jon nodded, “she

Trying to squeeze a few words in ...

2010-05-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Thanks so much for visiting my online novel-blog! So sorry I haven't been able to update in ages. The reason for my silence is the little bundle of joy I delivered into the world a month ago ;-) Having a baby is wonderful, but it can be really, really tiring! So I do hope you'll bear with me as I try (figuratively) to pick my pen up again and write. Thanks for all your comments, I always

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Twenty-one

2009-12-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

New to The Japayuki Chronicles?Start with Chapter 1! Ana sat in the van in silence as her companions discussed the concert they were attending. Takashi informed them that the event was usually held at Tokyo Dome, but they managed to snag a slot at the Budokan so they changed venues this year. Tessa and Jon were noisily perusing the list of performers, while Kaye and Takashi

Happy Merry!

2009-12-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! Thanks for dropping by and reading my inanities ;-) I hope you'll continue to drop by in the coming year. Enjoy the holidays!Hugs,CPSanti

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Twenty

2009-12-22T22:22:00.000-08:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with Chapter 1!Jon’s orderly flat resembled a nuclear disaster area. Curling irons and hair dryers were scattered across the marble counter of the bathroom. His living room resembled a garage sale. His sofa was piled high with discarded clothing. Wispy pieces of lace and powder were littered on the carpet. The air

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Nineteen

2009-10-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

New to The Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview orChapter 1“Ja, what happened?” Yoshi asked as he sauntered into Ken’s living room. He took off his jacket, tossed it on top of the sofa, and then looked around for the remote. “What do you mean?” Ken asked as he locked the door and tossed his keys on the dish that lay on top of the shoe cabinet. He went into the kitchen and fetched two

Typhoon Ondoy: How to help ;-)

2009-10-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

For people in Japan, here's how to help. You can send your donations to these organizations so efforts will be pooled before they are sent to the Philippines.MONETARY DONATIONS1. OFW-Shien Foundation (in a tie-up with Tulong Pinoy Movers in the Philippines)Base: St. Anselm's Church, Meguro, TokyoHow: via METROBANK Tokyo account (no. 027 3027 2417 28) Tulong Pinoy Movers Unlimited, Inc.2. Japan

hiatus

2009-08-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

hi everybody!my apologies for the lack of posts --- i've just been swamped with work lately. anyway, i hope to resume posting chapters by the end of September or early October, so I hope you'll check back then. have a good one!cpsanti

Character profile: Ken

2009-06-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! After delving into Ana's character, let's try to get into Ken's. I hope you fall in love with him as much as I have ;-)I loved trying to get into Ken’s head. Trying to explain away all the changes in his emotion, what he was thinking, and his decision making process was quite a challenge, but having been a sounding board to all my “kuyas” in UST CAFA helped me get

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Eighteen

2009-06-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview or Chapter 1 Ken had hardly seen Ana this past week and he was inexplicably eager to see her. His schedule had been packed; he was in the process of shooting a new television series and had been on location in Shizuoka. They finished shooting night scenes this week, so he had slept in most days and had only managed a

Taym Pers: On writing and inspiration

2009-06-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

I love musicals. And thanks to L and C's incessant sisnging during our stint at MNM (it's really hard when you work with theater people; either mainis ka or you just go along and sing) one of my favorite musicals is Sunset Boulevard. My favorite scene is when Betty Schaefer and Joe Gillis are talking about the script they're making:BETTY: Girl meets boy. If that's how you want it. She's a

Character profile: Ana

2009-05-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

In the interest of allowing you to get to know the characters of the story better, I’ve decided to share some of their character profiles with you ;-) What kind of stuff do you have in common with them? +++ Name: Maria Juana Madrigal Nickname: Ana Birthday: 25 March 1977 Age: 32 Zodiac sign: Aries Height: 165 cm Color: Used to like blacks, browns, and navy blues

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Seventeen

2009-05-18T00:46:00.001-07:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview or Chapter 1It was seven o’clock on a Friday night. The cubicles at the institute were relatively deserted, as most researchers had already gone out for the weekly drinking party or nomikai. Ana sat at her workstation in the laboratory, hunched over a microscope as she jotted down notes on the new samples that she, Nakano, and Tanaka had been

Taym Pers: On writing

2009-05-10T05:10:00.000-07:00

I’ve always entertained the idea of writing a novel, and when I first joined NanoWrimo in 2007, I thought it was the exact stimulus I needed to actually finish a story. Sadly, I didn’t even get to the halfway point of 25,000 words. Until 30 November 2007, I was still stuck at 17,508 words. At first when I considered the goal, 50,000 words, I thought to myself, if I were

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Sixteen

2009-04-26T06:30:00.001-07:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview or Chapter 1 “Hey Ana,” Kaye greeted her as Ana took off her shoes at the genkan. An aromatic smell was wafting from the kitchen where Tessa, Kaye, and Jon were congregated. Kaye was cooking pasta, Tessa was tossing a salad, and Jon was uncorking a bottle of wine. “Hi guys!” Ana smiled as she realized she hadn’t seen

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Fifteen

2009-04-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview or Chapter 1 Ana stared at the array of controls on the dashboard as she sat in Ken’s Porsche; it was one of the most luxurious cars she had ever been in. The engine was idling as she waited for him in front of his agency in Azabu where he was supposed to pick something up. Afterwards, Ken told her that he would take her

Taym Pers: On the cover

2009-04-05T06:38:00.000-07:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview or Chapter 1Julie (who's collating all Pinoywrimo excerpts) and Tina (the ML for NaNoWriMo Philippines) sent out a last call to authors for book covers last February. I hadn't sent anything in when I submitted my excerpt, and I kind of felt bad about it, so my creative juices giddily started flowing when I learned of the extended deadline ;-)

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Fourteen

2009-04-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview or Chapter 1Or go to the previous chapter (Chapter 13)Ana was understandably nervous about going to work on Monday. She feared a press barrage on the train, but thankfully, the Tokyo train system was such that it allowed space for people to ignore each other, even though they were squeezed into relatively small quarters. Ana suspected that if

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Thirteen

2009-04-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview or Chapter 1Or go to the previous chapter (Chapter 12)Kaye and Tessa were waiting up for her when Ana got back to the apartment. Both of them were sprawled on Tessa’s bed, watching something on TV. When Ana came in, Tessa propped herself up on her elbows abruptly, nearly overturning a bowl of chips. “Cinderella is home!” she squealed.Ana

Taym Pers: Reading made easier!

2009-03-27T07:55:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! Heehee. Some of you have commented that it's kind of odd reading from the bottom up, so I fixed things up to make it a bit easier. The chapters are still in the same order, but to make reading easier, click at the "Go to the next chapter" link at the end of each chapter ;-)Enjoy!

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Twelve

2009-03-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview or Chapter 1Or go to the previous chapter (Chapter 11)“This is a disaster! It’s never going to work!” Ana hissed worriedly.“Yes it will,” Ken tried to assure her.It was the evening of their first public appearance together. Ken and Ana were sitting at the back of a car, on their way to Shinjuku, where the launch was going to be held.Takashi

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Eleven

2009-03-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

New to the Japayuki Chronicles?Start with the Overview or Chapter 1Or go to the previous chapter (Chapter 10) “You look different?! What a lame observation for a supposedly intelligent man,” Kaye snorted derisively, “What’s that supposed to mean?”“Well, he did say that it was for the better,” Ana defended. It was Tuesday night; Kaye had just gotten back from a business trip to Osaka and it was

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Ten

2009-03-12T21:05:00.001-07:00

Read:OverviewChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Ana’s new hairdo caused a stir when she went into the lab on Monday morning. Nakano and Tanaka weren’t able to suppress their excited squeals when they saw her, for it was more than just a change of hairdo. With her new clothes, Ana seemed like a totally different person.The previous morning, after

Taym Pers: Thank you shoutout

2009-03-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! I just wanted to post a quick shoutout to everybody who reviewed the first 9 chapters. I really, really aprreciate all your feedback and comments ;-) Thanks for taking the time to pore over my long-winded ramblings ;-)You'll be glad to know that I'm taking your comments seriously; I have revised some of the chapters below. So if you'd care to look back, you'll see the flow is much

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Nine

2009-02-25T19:05:00.001-08:00

Read:ExcerptChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Jon was definitely on the verge of meeting someone new. He was spending the afternoon browsing through the newest paperbacks at the ABC bookstore in Roppongi. For the past fifteen minutes, he had been playing eye-tag with a hunky northern European who he was sure had been checking him out. The guy was just about

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Eight

2009-02-25T18:41:00.000-08:00

Read:ExcerptChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7“Where’s the fire?” Kaye asked as she poured some coffee into a mug. She watched as Ana rushed out of the bathroom, tripped over a rug, and stubbed her toe on something Tessa had left on the floor. It was like something out of an Ai-Ai de las Alas comedy. She looked at the clock on the wall; it was just a little before ten

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Seven

2009-02-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

Read:ExcerptChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6“Just because I agreed to cooperate with your insane plan doesn’t give you the liberty to abduct me at your leisure,” Ana grumbled as she strapped herself into Ken’s Porsche. They were at the conference hall of the Hongo campus of the University of Tokyo where she had just attended a conference. Ana had been one of the presenters

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Six

2009-02-25T18:25:00.000-08:00

Read:ExcerptChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5When Ana turned the key in the lock of her apartment that evening she heard the hurried scrapes of chairs being pulled back and the soft patter of feet as they sped towards the door. To her surprise, it was Jon whom she saw first.“Jon?” Ana said, confused at this unexpected occurrence. Jon was usually busy partying in Shinjuku ni-chome on

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Five

2009-02-25T18:15:00.001-08:00

Read:ExcerptChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Ana had just come into her office when the extension on her desk began ringing. She sighed and sat down. The morning had gone by so quickly and she had forgone lunch to finish a long set of experiments. She looked at her watch and realized that the cafeteria would be closed by now. Double sigh. She wondered if she could send someone out for a

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Four

2009-02-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

Read:ExcerptChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3“Good morning everybody” a sing-songy voice shattered the companionable silence in the teacher’s room as a girl entered the room, she was a tall, svelte girl, fully-made up and with clear skin that bespoke wealth and high-maintenance.Tessa felt her spirits sink as she thought in dismay, oh no, what is she doing here at this time of the day? She wasn’t made

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Three

2009-02-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

Read:ExcerptChapter 1Chapter 2“Hey Ana! You’re famous!” Tessa squealed as Ana emerged from her bedroom late the next morning. It was a Sunday and both Tessa and Kaye were already seated at the table that occupied most of the dining-kitchen space of their small flat.“Huh? What do you mean?” Ana replied as she groggily padded towards the kitchen. Having lived with her flat-mates for the past four

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter Two

2009-02-24T21:05:00.001-08:00

Read:ExcerptChapter OneAna still felt a bit woozy as she entered the lab on Monday morning. She had woken up late on Sunday afternoon with a massive hangover. Had she been a little less devout, or had Kaye been a little less pushy, she might have almost missed the last mass at Roppongi’s Franciscan Chapel Center. Dinner and strong coffee at the Outback restaurant semi-rejuvenated her, but she

Leave it up to Fate: Chapter One

2009-02-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

Bob, an African American bouncer, yawned as he checked his watch. 3 AM. Ah, the night was still young. His partner nudged him and gestured to a group who was passing them by. Bob stifled another yawn as he trudged up to the group and handed them some flyers. He glanced at his watch again. It was four more hours before he could call it a night.The streets were still

Leave it up to Fate: Overview

2009-02-24T19:35:00.001-08:00

Work always comes first—says who? A modern fairy-tale set in the pulsating vortex of humanity that is Tokyo, this is the story of Ken and Ana—two people who have always seen their careers as the be all and end all of their existence.He’s cool and mysterious, sought-after by many, one of the hottest A-list actors in Japan. However, his profile could possibly nosedive when the press finds out that