BT048. Gio Gahol: Filthy things

Book Thingo

Guests: Gio Gahol, Chachic and Mina V. Esguerra | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 22/08/2017 Manila

We have saved the raunchiest extract from our Manila interviews for our final episode of the year. We wrap up a year of podcasts by chatting with Gio Gahol, one of the first live readers for the #romanceclass community. Chachic and Mina V. Esguerra join us for this interview, and we talk about the experience of live reading from different perspectives — actor, reader and author. Mina talks about having to overcome people’s assumptions about Filipino authors writing English-language romance.

Thank you to author Alma Anonas-Carpio for giving us permission to feature an reading from her Filipino erotic romance, How To Tame Your Tikbalang Without Even Trying. This book is transgressive in ways I can’t even explain, but if you’re a Filipino romance reader, I think you’ll immediately understand what I mean when you hear the reading. (And thank you to Chachic for introducing me to this book. My life will never be the same!)

I mention this in the podcast, but in case you’re reading this and you’re about to start playing the audio in a public place, I feel it’s my duty to remind you to please practice safe podcast listening.

Guests

Gio Gahol — Actor, choreographer, writer and teaser of audiences: @GioGahol; Instagram; Facebook

Chachic — Romance book blogger and our sister in smut: @chachic_; Instagram; chachic.wordpress.com

Mina V. Esguerra — Contemporary romance author and founder of the #romanceclass community: @minavesguerra; Instagram; Facebook; minavesguerra.com

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I finally met the legendary @giogahol. He said some very dirty things. ? But seriously, I'm so honoured that the #romanceclass community went out of their way to let me experience some of what they've been doing. We recorded a podcast with @minavesguerra & @chachickenpie, and then we did this other thing, but you'll have to tune in to the podcast to find out what it is. (Hint: Very NSFW!) If you're in Manila, you can catch Gio, Rachel and Fred at the Philippine Readers and Writers Festival. Check out @nbsalert for details!

A post shared by Kat (@bookthingo) on Aug 22, 2017 at 5:23am PDT

Books

• Amz — Tempting Victoria by Mina V. Esguerra [ live reading ]
• BT | Amz — How to Tame Your Tikbalang Without Even Trying by Alma Anonas-Carpio
• Amz — Another Word For Happy by Agay Llanera [ live reading ]
• Amz — Start Here: Short stories of first encounters (Anthology) [ to be released in 2018 ]
• BT | Amz — The Kitchen When It Sizzles by Chrissie Peria [ review, live reading ]

People

Katski Flores, Rachel Coates, Vanya Castor, Miles Tan, Fred Lo, Gab Pangilinan

Links

• #romanceclass — You can find info on the community and a list of books at romanceclassbooks.com, and you can find videos of live reading events on YouTube. They also have a FB group.
• Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA)
• Manila International Book Fair

Featured book

How to Tame Your Tikbalang Without Even Trying by Alma Anonas-Carpio

Amazon | Author | Twitter

What happens when a Babaylan finds herself a Tikbalang to tame?

Tala Bienvenido can’t help but be curious about a strange book in the attic of her clan’s ancestral home, and she finds herself thrust into a world filled with ancient lore when she takes the old tome.

Buhawi Batumbakal was caught and he knew it. Yet all that was clear to him was that he needed to find a way to make that Babaylan his forever, elemental disturbances and threats to his life (and hers) notwithstanding.

In Philippine lore and mythology, the Tikbalang is a monster hybrid of horse and warrior that is feared throughout the archipelago.

Just as fearsome are the priestesses of the pre-colonial animist religion: The Babaylanes. A Babaylan, it is said, can heal the sick and injured, commune with the gods and goddesses, speak and do battle with otherworldly creatures like the Tikbalang and, yes, strike her foes down with lightning called from the heavens.

So, what does happen when this Babaylan meets that Tikbalang?

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