Featured Author: Jay E. Tria

Whee! Today we have on the blog author Jay E. Tria (also known as Jhay---but only if you've read Songs Of Our Breakup. Hihihi.) Jay's a Filipino indie author who wrote Blossom Among Flowers, Songs Of Our Breakup, and Majesty.

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CPS: Tell us about the first story you ever wrote.

JET: Oh gosh. I honestly don’t remember the plot. I do remember an LI named Matt. I liked that name. Matt had brown hair and blue eyes and was likely based on Brad Renfro or Devon Sawa. I was in elementary then and I wrote on notebooks because I was inspired by Sweet Valley, Unicorn High, and Teen Beat. And the feels I got from reading weren’t enough so I had to write something down. I even pestered my friends to write their own stories so we could form a series. I was a bossy kid. But it didn’t work out because I was the only one who cared. Haha.

CPS: What’s your writing process like?

JET: This is going to sound corny, but for me it starts with a feeling. A heartbreak, an infatuation, a frustration over an ending I didn’t like, or a couple I was shipping but the ship didn’t sail. Before, I didn’t make an outline, but now I do. I don’t always follow it to the letter, but it’s there to give me structure, to help me stick to a schedule. It’s also a self-check mechanism of sorts to see if the plot is making sense. With my last few works I was able to write the ending and the beginning scenes first. That might be weird for some but I think that’s super great, because I find those are the hardest things to write!

CPS: When and where do you write? Do you have a set schedule for writing?

JET: I try to write every day. I write at home. Sometimes I write during my lunch break, or in between meetings, or before walking home. I wrote Slipstream while I was on the MRT from Ayala to Quezon Avenue. I write whenever, wherever, basically.

CPS: Tell us a little about the books you’ve published. Is there any overlying theme that connects them all?

JET: Blossom Among Flowers is a Japanese manga/drama-style high school love story. Songs of Our Breakup is heartbreak, indie rock and roll, and a hot celebrity. Majesty is a beautiful ghost visiting her mourning best friend. When I lay them out like that it doesn’t seem like there’s an overlying theme. Just a lot of feelings. But a reader recently said that I write to give hope to sad people. That’s a lofty theme to claim, but it’s a good one to try and live up to ☺

CPS: What are the last five books you’ve read? How did you like them?

I’ve been doing a marathon of Filipino-penned literature. Enumerating them below:
a. Only a Kiss by Ines Bautista-Yao – Ines got me from the first page. The story starts off with the POV of nine-year-old Katie, and she’s an adorable bossypants. I have a soft spot too for the friends-to-lovers trope, and when done right, like in this book, it goes straight to my list of favorites.
b. Janus Silang books 1 and 2 by Edgar Cabalia Samar – This series is killing me. It’s one of those books that betray you. Starts off as nice and friendly then hits you with the big guns—chills and tears all at once. I haven’t read in Filipino in a long time, so reading comprehension was my initial challenge. But Egay’s prose is fluid and at times, street, so it was easy to get deep into the story. I cannot wait for book 3!
c. The Year We Became Invincible by Mae Coyuitco – This is a very honest book. It’s telling me secrets, opening doors, whispering dreams to my ear every time I turn the page. Young Adult done best by a young adult. I wanted to hug this book.
d. Learning to Fall by Mina V. Esguerra – the many times I blushed while reading this! This is the steamiest MVE book I’ve read, and I’ve been time-hopping across her backlist, so I know she started with sweet romances. It’s a fun ride. Grayson is <3 p="">e. Be Careful What You Wish For by CP Santi – I read you say somewhere that this reads like a Jdorama, and that your peg is Oguri Shun. For shame, woman. How dare you lure me? But I’ve told you this: this book did not disappoint. I enjoyed reading about a scientist MC (lab coats are sexy) and OguShun as Ken. So yes, I loved this book. It gave me feels. (Uy, sipsip! Hihihi - CPS)

CPS: What inspires you to write?

JET: Daydreams. Literally, daydreams. Blossom Among Flowers and Songs of Our Breakup are documentations of long, winding daydreams. I had another daydream that I was friends (okay, maybe more) with Robert Pattinson, and that resulted into a 30k+ word manuscript that I don’t know how to even begin editing. Music is always inspiring, and places. Humans are always inspiring, being we are so weird and amazing.

CPS: Of all the characters you’ve written so far, who’s your favorite and why?

JET: Why are you making me choose a favorite child?? This is a mean interview. That said, I love Shinta. I always say that the snobbish, Takeshi-type of guy gets me every time. But in reality what I really want is a Shinta. Someone easy and fun to be around with, smart and a smart ass. Someone who is patient but does not wait in vain. Someone consistent but not too intense. Someone taller than me, with abs. He also fits into the friend-to-lover trope quite nicely. Oh what’s that? You asked about my favorite character and not the character I want to be my boyfriend? Oops. (Tsk, tsk. Hahaha!-CPS)

CPS: What story are you working on right now?

JET: I’m working on Playlist#2, Songs to Get Over You. I’ve had the plot bunny hopping inside my head since I finished Songs of Our Breakup, before I even released it. Miki’s story is begging to be written. Here is a man who doesn’t seem to think he should find happiness in love. He’s so used to heartbreak. Dissecting his thoughts and feelings is so much fun and so much work! Haha.

CPS: Tell us about your latest release, Majesty (this story is part of #StrangeLit Darkest Dreams story bundle).

JET: When I was 25, my best friend died. She was 30. We’ve known each other for less than a year. I know that reads funny, but my grief was whole and my love for her was real. I wanted to capture those feelings when I was writing Majesty. Having written it with a paranormal/fantasy twist for StrangeLit class gave it the sparkle that it needed, I think. It’s my gift for my best friend. I promised her I would always remember.

CPS: Any writing goals you’d like to achieve in the next few years?

JET: I have so many ideas for new books, it makes me panic sometimes! I always feel like time is running away from me. I’ve written all the ideas down together with the dates I want them released, so I don’t forget about them and so I’m motivated to keep going on days that I feel like I suck. One important goal though is to learn the business side of this writing thing. The starving artist paints a very romantic picture, but I don’t want to be ‘starving’ as an author for too long ☺

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Thanks very much, Jhay . . . este Jay pala! Hihihi.

And happy happy birthday! *pasabog ng confetti and eats cake*

Connect with the author!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Wattpad | Goodreads | Amazon

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If you want to read Jay E. Tria's books in print, check out the #romanceclassbooks box at UniqubePH (3F University Mall in front of DLSU Taft)!!! 

Lots of freebies (including a free ebook!) with every purchase!!!

Photo from Mina V. Esguerra

Featured Author: Tara Frejas

Hi everyone! I'm making up for skipping a ton of posts by featuring two authors every month until December (#ambitious). But really, it's fun getting to know more about all these Filipino authors!

So this week, we're featuring author Tara Frejas, author of Paper Planes Back Home and The Forget You Brew (#StrangeLit).

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CPS: Tell us about the first story you ever wrote.

TF: I wish you could hear me laugh as I read this first question, but not because the first story I ever wrote was hilarious. If memory serves me right, I was nine when I wrote it, and it wasn’t even straight-up prose or anything badass like that. We had a school requirement wherein we had to turn in comic strips, and because the only thing I could draw rather decently back then was Snoopy, I created comic strips of a dog that looked just like him. And the story was about a dog that baked . . . pies, I think. I don’t remember the premise now, just that he was a baker dog.

CPS: What’s your writing process like?

TF: Not sure I have an actual writing process because I usually start really, really small, like with a sentence or paragraph, or lines of dialogue. Sometimes I start with a chapter and see how that flows before I move on to the next, and the next. Before signing up for #SparkNA, I have never seriously outlined any of the previous fics I wrote, except for when I’m in the middle of writing it and I realize I need to sort out character or event timelines. So yeah, the process usually varies for me.
With Paper Planes Back Home, for example, I started by writing a chapter and then sending it off to a friend who took a look at it and said it was promising. I took her cue and continued writing it until I challenged myself to finish it in time for a Wattys thing last year. It took me around 6 months to finish the entire thing. #SparkNA was outlined, but I did veer away from that when I got to the middle, and my outline for #StrangeLit was completely scrapped when I started writing it.
The thing which is constant, however, would be me looking at photos or watching videos of my character pegs. Research, I say, haha. It helps me figure out how they would react to certain things, how they would move or how their voices would sound like when speaking. Some of those details don’t appear in the stories, but they help motivate me anyhow. Also, listening to music is an absolute must.

CPS: When and where do you write? Do you have a set schedule for writing?

TF: I can write almost everywhere when inspiration strikes, or when a deadline is looming, but I do most of my writing at home. As for schedules, no. I’m very bad at schedules, which was why I signed up for Mina’s workshops. I wanted to discipline myself enough to be able to sit down at a fixed time and just write something, because I am a serial procrastinator who usually juggles way too many things. So far, I’ve successfully finished two workshops, but at the moment I’m resting from fic writing to support other authors (blog tours, etc.) and market my finished work (yay, #StrangeLit!).

CPS: Tell us a little about the books you’ve published so far.

TF: Paper Planes Back Home is a novel where two people—Skylar and Gianna—meet in some sort of limbo while their physical bodies are lying in hospital beds. In the beginning, we meet Gianna, who’s just being “initiated” into this entire realm where paper planes are currency for how much you are being thought of by the people who love you. As the story goes on, we learn from Skylar that you could actually craft a ride out of the paper planes so you could get out of that limbo and go back home. Meanwhile, we are also introduced to two other characters, Aaron and Anna, who become instrumental in getting those paper planes up there for Skylar and Gianna to use in their journey.
For #StrangeLit, I wrote The “Forget You” Brew, which tells the story of Kyle and Allison who stumble upon Nowheretown—essentially a “town of requirement” in that it finds you when you’re in desperate need of something. The thing is, Kyle and Allison are in love with each other but they’re idiots, haha. They’ve been good friends for years, so there’s that thing about getting scared of rejection and having the Friendship Over flag getting waved and all. Eventually, Allison walks into this cafe where you’re supposedly going to get served what you need, and she gets an afforgeto, which will basically wipe out all memories and feelings she has for Kyle. But of course, Kyle doesn’t want that, and of course he finds out after Allison drinks it . . . so he goes on a quest to retrieve her memories of him.

CPS: What are the last five books you’ve read? How did you like them?

TF: I have an all-Filipino lineup! The last five I’ve read are Choco Chip Hips by Agay Llanera, Songs of Our Breakup by Jay Tria, The Year We Became Invincible by Mae Coyiuto, Fall Like Rain by Ana Tejano, and another one of Agay’s, Once Upon a Player. I’ve already blogged my reviews (more of spazz accounts, actually) about the first four, but in general, I really could say that I loved them for All The Feels they made me feel. I am so looking forward to reading more Filipino-authored books because I apparently missed out on a lot these past several years.

CPS: What do you eat/drink/listen to while you write?

TF: Copious amounts of coffee are a must. I already have caffeine immunity, I think, because I can sleep fine even after having it. But that doesn’t stop me from consuming it while I write; I just need coffee to function. As for food, I don’t have a go-to food item . . . I just usually grab what I can from the fridge or the cupboard, or sometimes when I feel like it, I buy certain things like Jalapeno Cheetos (fave!) or hopia or ramen. Depends on what I’m craving, if I am, but coffee usually does the trick.
Sometimes I listen to just one song when I write. You know, that one song that sums up what your characters are feeling, like you can imagine that song playing in the background while the scene you’re writing plays in your head? Yep, I do that. I loop one song and listen to it over and over again until I’m done with a scene (or chapter). I remember looping Marianas Trench’s Beside You and F.T. Island’s Severely a lot while I was writing my #SparkNA novel, haha.

CPS: Of all the characters you’ve written so far, who’s your favorite and why?

TF: Oh why must you make my life difficult? ☹
If I really must choose, I’d go with Filipina Legaspi. She’s my #SparkNA heroine who works as a roadie for a Korean pop-rock band called East Genesis Project. Fi is my favorite because she’s dedicated to her work, but she’s not all about the money—she really does care about her band as though they were her family, and she loves her job not because of its perks but because she feels like she helps inspire people. She has a good heart, and I like that about her, even if it gets her into trouble sometimes.
A runner up would be Anna from Paper Planes Back Home because she’s just a precious, precious soul. ☺

CPS: What story are you working on right now?

TF: Oh god, plenty. I haven’t really started writing them, but I am outlining several things bit by bit. There’s a #SparkNA sequel in the works, and there’s a #StrangeLit spinoff I’d like to finish before our three-month bundle contract with Buqo is finished. Apart from that, my #TalesFromTheMetro stories are begging to be continued, and at the same time I’m doing research for another possible novel that involves theatre people.
I know I should be working on them the soonest, but I’m dallying and I hate myself for it. I will get there soon enough, I promise! ^_^

CPS: Tell us about your latest release.

TF: My latest work is, as I’ve mentioned, The “Forget You” Brew which is part of the #StrangeLit Killer Seasons bundle. It’s available only via Buqo for now, at least up until the end of December, I think.
Little trivia about The “Forget You” Brew: I started formulating the story around bunnies, because in early March, my sister bought a bunny from the street market near us and we fell in love with him. And while the direction of the story didn’t focus much on bunnies, I might do that with the spinoff I’m planning, which should be out by January. Wish me luck!

CPS: Any writing goals you’d like to achieve in the next few years?

TF: There are several, actually, but having my books on shelves at local bookstores would be on top of the list and I’m trying to get there eventually . . . hopefully by next year? I’m crossing my fingers, haha. And I would definitely be working hard to get more stories written, finished and published, maybe have one produced as a stage production—that’s a nakakakilig dream of mine. I also want to work with an artist who could translate my work into art because I would love to have a story book version of some of my stories, like Paper Planes Back Home.
But yeah, basically my goal is to write a lot more stories so I could experiment with them in terms of style, so I could also determine the aspects I’m good at and the ones I need improvement in. Finally, this is not a writing goal, but I would love to be of service to the writing community in any way possible. Getting to know Mina and the other Filipino writers through the workshops opened a lot of opportunities and prospects for me, and as excited as I am for my own growth as an author, I am also very excited to be able to eventually pay it forward.

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Thanks very much for your time, Tara! Hoping to read more from you soon!

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Check out these books by Tara Frejas!

Paper Planes Back Home - Amazon, Smashwords, Buqo

#StrangeLit: Killer Seasons - Buqo

Connect with Tara Frejas!

Facebook

Twitter

Wattpad

Blog

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P.S. I'm reviewing Tara's The Forget You Brew next week, so be sure to check that out ;-)

P. P. S. If you want to read #romanceclassbooks in print, check out our box at UniqubePH (3F University Mall in front of DLSU Taft)!!! Lots of freebies (including a free ebook!) with every purchase!!!

Photo from Mina V. Esguerra

Featured Author (October): Agay Llanera

Okay, so I know I planned to feature a different Filipino author every month, but as they say, life happened. I got so caught up with writing stories (and kindergarten---but that deserves a separate post), that I neglected the blog for a bit. But I hope to change that soon :-) So stay tuned for more featured authors, reviews, and general ramblings :-)

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Our featured author for October is Agay Llanera, author of Vintage Love, Once Upon a Player, and Choco Chip Hips :-)

Agay and I met through a common friend, and we were able to hang out a couple of times in college and after we'd graduated. Late last year, we 'found' each other on Wattpad and have since reconnected on social media.

I actually read her first #romanceclass book, Vintage Love before I realised I knew her. It was such a fun read! The narrative was beautifully textured and the descriptions were really vivid. And the sweet ending was just right :-) And I loooved Choco Chip Hips, which was released just a few months ago (read my review here).

I'm especially happy to hear that print copies of Vintage Love (Visprint) and Once Upon a Player (Spark Books) were released during the recent Manila International Book Fair *hoots, claps, and whistles*

Here's my interview with Agay:

CPS: What's the very first story you wrote? As in ever?

AL: I think I was 5 or 6 years old when I wrote “Bobby Elephant” on a sheet of pad paper. It was around three sentences short, basically describing where Bobby lived and what he liked to do. I remember even illustrating an elephant below the title.

CPS: Seriously, how much chocolate did you eat while writing Choco Chip Hips?

AL: Even when I don’t write, I consume copious amounts of chocolate. They don’t have to be the fancy-shmancy kind (for me, Twix and Mars are fancy enough); in fact, I’m content with just eating bowlfuls of powdered Milo.

CPS: How did you come up with the idea for Choco Chip Hips?

AL: I was taking zumba classes so I wanted to write something with a dancing theme. Also, if you’ve ever been to a gym, you know what the atmosphere is like: people lifting weights, treadmilling, and dancing as if their lives depended on it. I guess all that unspoken mantra of “burn, burn, burn those calories” I was exposed to on a regular basis prodded me to write about body issues as well. Before writing the story, I also consulted some writer-friends, who helped me build the foundation for the story.

CPS: Tell us a little about Jess; who's your peg for her?

AL: I have a zumba-classmate, who seems to be of high-school age. She likes dancing at the very back, and she’s the youngest in our class, composed of mostly mommies. In my head, I’m cheering her on, to not be shy of swaying her hips or twerking.

CPS: What's your writing process like? When and where do you write? Do you adhere to a schedule?

AL: I write in the afternoons when my son takes a nap. I usually aim to write 2 chapters a week. I write the first draft by hand. And then I type it on my laptop. Then I give it another run-through before uploading it on Wattpad. I upload all my works-in-progress on Wattpad because even if at least one reader reads or comments on my story, that’s enough to keep me going. Then when I’m done, I take the whole thing out of Wattpad. save for the first few chapters, and I self-publish it (after it goes through beta-reading and professional editing, of course). I write at the foot of my son’s bed, on the floor.

CPS: In the books you've published, who's your favourite character and why?

AL: (sighs) Must I choose? I fell in love with all of them. But someone puts a gun to my head and demands an answer, I’d choose Jessie from Choco Chip Hips because I love her transformation from wishy-washy to girl on fire.

CPS: You've written NA and YA romances, is there any genre you'd like to experiment with in the future?

AL: I’d like to write more YA stuff, but I’d also like to come up with mommy lit—basically stuff that Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Berg come up with. Novellas that are more adult in tone, dealing with adult issues, and exposing the complexity and vulnerability of the late 30s to 40s age group.

Vintage Love's new cover (Visprint ed.)

CPS: What are you currently working on?

AL: A New Adult something called This Side of Sunny. You can check out its progress on Wattpad.

CPS: Any advice for aspiring writers?

AL: Write, write, write. Learn to be critical of your own work. Listen to feedback. Don’t over edit, and publish as soon as you can. Then move on to the next, making sure you’ve learned from the last.

New releases from Spark Books! Can't wait to get my hands on them :-)

CPS: Where can we get copies of your books?

AL: E-books are on Amazon, Buqo and Smashwords. Physical copies of Vintage Love and Once upon a Player are available in local bookstores.

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Thanks very much Agay!

And hope to see Mela and Paolo's story on Amazon soon :-)

Book Review: Songs of Our Breakup

Whee! Here's another review in time for #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy :-) 

Disclaimer: The author and I first 'met' on social media, but were able to meet up recently when she and a friend visited Tokyo. And though we had tons of fun in the few hours we managed to spend together, this does not in any way affect my review of her book :-) (Naaaks!)

Songs of Our Breakup

by Jay E. Tria

Every breakup has its playlist. 

How do you get over a seven-year relationship? 21-year-old Jill is trying to find out. But moving on is a harder job when Kim, her ex-boyfriend, is the lead guitarist of the band, and Jill is the vocalist. Every song they play together feels like slicing open a barely healed tattoo. 

Jill’s best friend Miki says she will be out of this gloom soon. Breakups have a probation period, he says. Jill is on the last month of hers and Miki is patiently keeping her company. 

But the real silver lining is Shinta. Having a hot Japanese actor friend in times like these is a welcome distraction. This gorgeous celebrity has been defying time zones and distance through the years to be there for Jill. Now he is here, physically present, and together, he and Jill go through old lyrics, vivid memories, walks in the rain, and bottles of beer. Together they try to answer the question: what do you do when forever ends?

Excerpt

April 21, Tuesday, midnight

She could draw his face easily if she had a drawing hand. The straight nose, almond-shaped eyes—rich and deep as dark chocolate, the strong jaw, and the jet black hair that swayed as if remembering the hands of its last stylist. 

Idol, indeed. 

Jill pulled her coffee tumbler closer to her chest with fists—coffee that Shinta paid for, after all—and took a loud sip. Innumerable swarms of girls in Asia would die of heart failure if they could sit around a small round table in front of him, close enough to see that the long lashes were real. Her own heart was playing a mad drumbeat inside her rib cage. Having known Shinta for years didn’t make him any less godlike in her eyes. It only made her less embarrassed to stare at him. 

Already their neighboring caffeine consumers were speaking in rapid murmurs, darting covert looks and batting eyelashes at him. Was everyone updated in Japanese cinema now too, or was it only because he was beautiful? 

Shinta kept his eyes on his own frappe, slurping. “What?”

Jill slurped back, her eyes darting to his full lips, wet from his coffee. “It always feels weird seeing you here.”

His eyes flicked up. A pucker of whipped cream was resting on his upper lip. “At a coffee shop?”

“In this side of the Pacific Ocean.”

“I was here just this New Year’s, remember?” Shinta said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “And hey, I’m part-Filipino.”

Jill’s eyes left his mouth to fix him a glare. She frowned. “Your parents were both born in Kodaira, Tokyo.”

“My mother has been teaching in a Philippine state university for the past fifteen years.” 

Jill began a slow smile. She’s heard this speech before. 

“That has to count for something.”

“Lodging and an easy scholarship, sure.” She bit her straw. “Citizenship too, you think?”

“And a nickname with an extra H.”

“Shintah.”

He laughed. “Jhill.” 

He gnawed his straw, and together they slurped, punching teeth-shaped holes on the green plastic.

Shinta was already a hot movie star when Jill first met him. It was three years ago at a music festival in Tokyo. Trainman had played four songs in two languages their audience did not understand but still jumped and danced to. Shinta had crept backstage afterwards—trailed closely by a line of his fans—and stood there among them, towering, long-limbed and luminous, a stark contrast to their post-set grit and sweat. He spoke to them in fluent English—having an English literature major for a mother must have helped—inviting them for beer and asking for autographs. 

It seemed like a normal occurrence under those absurd circumstances, so a friendship between the six of them was inevitable. There were other music festivals, small gigs, a vacation to Japan that left her and her bandmates broke for six months, Shinta’s visits to his expatriate mother, and blackout nights over the deadly mix of sake and Kirin.

Still, there were times like now when Jill would think, wow, a hot Japanese idol paid for my grande. 

“How’s your mother?” Shinta’s voice broke into her thoughts.

“Still in love with you,” Jill said sulkily.

Shinta beamed. There was a time when Jill’s mother openly stated that she liked Shinta over Kim, as if there was even a contest. Jill thought that wasn’t fair. Shinta must have won her mother over with those matcha products and queer anti-aging implements he always brought her.

“Sometimes I think if she could choose her only child, she’d want it to be you,” Jill mused darkly.

“Better that than I become your brother!” Shinta exclaimed, pulling a face. “Hey we should invite her to my mother’s party.”

“Don’t you dare,” Jill hissed. “I said no,” she said firmly when Shinta opened his mouth to protest. 

Shinta chuckled, then returned to his coffee, slurping while scanning her face. “I wanted to come here earlier,” he said in a quieter voice. “I wanted to see you.” 

“Well you had that TV show to shoot, and that fan meeting. Then you had that stalker situation.” Jill waved her hand in the air as she enumerated. These actor problems. “Did you ever get your sock drawer back from the culprit?”

“No.” Shinta frowned. Jill knew he liked those socks. “But I got a restraining order.”

“Good enough. Anyway, you’re not late for your mom’s birthday. Which I’ve heard is your first one here since you were fourteen, because your mom won’t shut up about it. My mom was never that excited when it was her turn to throw the big 5-0 party.” She paused, thinking. “I haven’t been Professor Mori’s student for three years. I’m breaking some kind of student-teacher code here about post-class relations.”

“It’s your fault,” he said. “You encouraged her too much. She thinks she’s responsible for the success of your debut album.”

Jill grinned. She, Kim, Miki, Son, and Nino took Professor Mori’s Creative Writing class in their sophomore year in university. They wrote songs for homework on fiction, songs for non-fiction, songs for poetry and haiku. They were able to write their debut album in one semester. It was an indie success story.

“Well she kind of is. And I did get a 1.0 for my final project.” 

She felt it was very important to say this. She was as proud of that as of her 1.0 in Development Economics, and her teacher there was an iron lady.

“You bribed her with future concert tickets,” Shinta pointed out. “For when you sell out coliseums.”

Jill grinned. “She might have to hold on to that promise for a while. Although I don’t think she minds. She has a soft spot for Miki.”

Shinta started drumming his fingers on the table to a familiar beat. “While I stumble on the floor of your room/Flushed when you look at me/While I look in the glass and see no one there/Still you’d make me believe…” 

Shinta smiled, leaning towards her. “That’s a great song.”

An easy blush spotted on her cheeks, her hands suddenly cold at the small breathing space Shinta held between them, but Jill’s frown came easier. Why did Shinta have to pick the lines Kim wrote? She wrote the next stanza. He could have sung that.

“What?” Shinta nudged her elbow.

“You’re not a very good singer.”

“Sorry, I’m just a fan,” he said, laughing.

Jill leaned back against her seat and returned to slurping her coffee.  

“You’re glaring at the slushy bits,” Shinta said.

Jill slurped louder.

“They didn’t do anything to you,” he went on.

Slurp. Sluuurrpp.

Shinta planted his chin on one palm. “While I get tangled, awkward in your sheets/ Scared as you come to me/ While I close my eyes and see no one there/Still you say, I’m here.”

Grudgingly, Jill fixed him a stare. His evil smolder was in place and her breath caught in her throat. The words she wrote suddenly sounded sexy. She thought she heard a girl from the nearby table swoon.

“You’re already a famous actor with fan clubs across Asia,” she shot at him. “Don’t be an overachiever.”

Shinta started laughing, raucous peals that echoed through the coffee shop’s walls and drew even more attention from the already ogling patrons. She wasn’t even trying to be funny. Shinta was now slapping his thighs to the tune of his guffaws, and Jill’s only comfort was her coffee jelly.

“I’m taking you home now to your mother,” Jill grumbled.

“Wakata, wakata-ne.” Shinta nodded in efforts to restrain his laughter. “I guess the jet lag is getting to me after all.”

“It was a four-hour flight, you wimp.” 

Shinta pulled her chair back as she stood, catching her car keys before they hit the floor again. 

“At least I know my mother missed me,” he said, depositing the keys on her palm and closing her fingers around them. He pivoted to the glass doors.

“I’m not falling for that,” Jill called out as she followed Shinta to her car.

It was a quiet drive from there as the pains of Shinta’s cross-ocean commute seemed to catch up with him. The Strokes’ Clampdown was on repeat in Jill’s music player, the only sound between them. He worked very hard to keep his eyes open, alternating between watching the dancing lights on the streets and watching Jill shift gears from third to fourth and back. When they parked in front of his mother’s house, he had successfully evaded sleep in the entire 30-minute race.

“Can you please drive slower on your way home?” Shinta peeked at her through the open window as he stood outside, bag in tow.

“But this is the only time when there’s no traffic.” 

“Didn’t you say you’ve had premonitions about dying in a car crash?”

“Fears,” Jill corrected him. “Fears are different from premonitions.”

Shinta frowned. “Fine.” He walked the couple meters past the gate, where the porch light illuminated the door to his mother’s house. 

He looked back. “Jill!”

She looked out the passenger window. “Shinta?”

To Jill, Shinta looked curious from this short distance. “You don’t look very horrible, for a person with a broken heart.” 

“Uh. Thanks?”

His mouth lifted in one corner. “You’re welcome.” He gave her a small bow. “Good morning.”

“Don’t get lost on your way in!”

“I’ll call you if I do,” he said as he went through the door, waving back at her.

When the door closed the porch light went off too, and Jill thought she heard the distinct sound of a mother’s excited squealing. She lunged on the gas and drove off, a smile stretching across her face as she sang the old song that Shinta liked at the top of her voice.

Review

Fact. Breakups are harsh.

They’re even more so when you’re forced to work with the person who broke your heart on an almost daily basis. And that’s the situation that Jill, the protagonist finds herself in.

The narrative starts off a bit edgy and confusing—reflective of Jill’s state of mind as she braces herself to perform onstage with her ex, Kim. The music is an escape, and Jill tries to lose herself in the exhilaration of the performance. But at the same time, the songs are a painful reminder of her past—she and Kim wrote most of their band’s songs after all.

But then Shinta comes onto the scene.

All at once, you feel the dark cloud lift and the narrative picks up as Jill comes to terms with her breakup and begins to move on.

Jill was a complex character---sarcastic and funny, a keen observer, yet was totally clueless about some things. I liked how she was slowly able to let go of her hurt and bitterness . . . showing that moving on is a conscious decision that comes from within. I like how the author showed glimpses into Jill and Kim’s history, thereby justifying the difficulty Jill experienced in letting go of her first love. Their struggles were relatable and real.

I just loved how steady and sweet Shinta’s character was . . . how he waited patiently for Jill, how he was simply there for her, and how he understood her . . . er, not-so-social tendencies. And please, when I learned the author used Oguri Shun as a peg, I fell in love with Shinta on the spot :-)

But really, this book should really come with its own soundtrack :-)

About Jay E. Tria

Jay E. Tria writes contemporary Young Adult and New Adult romances about characters that live inside her head, about people she meets and people she wishes to meet. She also reads, daydreams, and blogs. She loves skinny jeans, sneakers, and live gigs. Also, adopted cats. She is not a cool kid.

Blossom Among Flowers, a Japanese high school love story, is her first completed work.

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