Making a wish on a sticky note

Remember when I wrote two short stories last year that were published as part of two separate ebook anthologies? Remember when I said I would expound on them and write the continuation to turn them into novellas? And as for the case of A Sky of Wishes, write more stories in the same universe? Remember when I even showed you the cover of the print edition of Once Upon a Sticky Note? I had such high ambitions, envisioning pages with illustrations and hand-written notes.

Such wishful thinking. Such lofty dreams.

The Manila International Book Fair 2016 officially started today and it's taking all of me to not up and leave everything so I could go to SMX Convention Center and hoard books that I don't really need right now because I'm basically drowning in a to-read pile that's taller than me.

I'm actually feeling a bit downtrodden today because I could have had the chance to sell my books at the Indie Publishers booth together with my #romanceclass and #StrangeLit classmates, but I wasn't able to grab it due to the fact I still haven't been able to finish polishing and creating the artworks I wanted to create for them.

Look at these beauties
Photo by Chi Yu Rodriguez who wrote The Bye-Bye Bouquet which you should read

I am so jealous of them right now. They're all busy women with careers and/ or families to take care of and have so much going on with their lives yet they were able to do it, and I didn't. What's my excuse?

I put it off in my quest for perfection that I ended up with nothing. 

That's not to say I'm not happy for my peers' successes, of course. I am so glad and grateful that local authors are being given this opportunity thanks to Mina Esguerra who paved the way for romance writers and readers to find one another and introduced us to the world of indie publishing. I love being part of this community!

But, yeah, I'm very disappointed with myself right now. I know I can do it some other time, but I just can't help but regret this chance. It would have been lovely to distribute my work to other readers who still prefer print editions instead of ebooks, and it would have been really awesome to hold a copy in my hands.

Sigh.

If I could make a wish on a star, I would wish for courage. 

I think I'll be better tomorrow. Or on Friday. Or this weekend, when I'm finally there smelling all the books and grabbing the copies I want to get. But let me wallow in disappointment tonight.

All that said, I hope you can support indie and visit the Indie Publishers booth!

Indie Publishers booth right by the Hall 3 entrance of #MIBF2016! You can find #romanceclass booth here!

A photo posted by #romanceclassbooks (@romanceclassbooks) on Sep 13, 2016 at 9:24pm PDT

It's beside National Bookstore. You can't miss it.

Are you going to visit MIBF, too? I would love to see your hauls!