As an eight-year-old child, winning an essay writing contest was the happiest day of my life. My essay was featured in the school newspaper. That’s when I told myself I would be a writer when I grew up. My father always bought us the latest books written by Enid Blyton, which inspired me to write. I wrote poetry and essays in notebooks and on paper napkins, which I’ve kept until this day. As I grew older, I ventured in other directions and kept my writing on the back burner. Nevertheless, it was only in writing that I found true solace – where I felt oblivious to my surroundings, connected to the deepest part of my soul.   I was born and raised in the Philippines by a Spanish Filipino mother and French Filipino father. My heritage has allowed me to embrace both Eastern and Western philosophies. I speak four languages and love dealing with people of different cultures. Growing up in the Philippines taught me a lot of values – respect, kindness, love, sincerity, honesty, hospitality, loyalty and appreciation for the simple things in life. My goal is to include these values in the books I write.   I had the opportunity to work as a contributing writer for a Philippine and London newspaper featuring articles about how people from different sectors achieve their goals in life. I moved to America in 2001 where I met and married my true love. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband, son and two dogs and work at Stanford University.   After trying other ventures, I continued to feel restless as I searched for my true calling. My friends always teased me that I had a wild imagination and entertaining stories. I knew they were right. That’s when I picked up a pen and didn’t stop writing until I completed 10,000 words. The words seemed to flow as the characters came to life. I felt renewed. I knew this was only the beginning of an exciting adventure.   In 2003, I wrote and self-published my first book: Odes, Insights and Stories for all Seasons. I wrote and self-published three more children’s books – Chiwo, The Amethyst and The Forgotten Dinosaurs. After writing these books, I felt a higher calling – writing love stories and women’s issues and that is when I wrote my debut novel, Love Letters which was released in January 2011.     I’ve always been a firm believer that love conquers all and that every woman’s experience is a story in itself. Life is a never-ending journey and my imagination and experiences have inspired me to write powerful stories. Although my books are fiction, my goal is to offer compelling lessons about life and love. The message I wish to convey to my readers is that despite the many challenges we face in this world, we must have hope and faith. Overall, it is love that binds us together.   I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoyed writing them.