When Oceans Rise| Author Interview | Book Tour

I’m so excited to be a part of the book tour for When Oceans Rise that is hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. I was really excited to also be able to interview the author for this book!

INTERVIEW

How would you describe When Oceans Rise in one sentence?

A Filipino little mermaid with no mermaids! That one always trips people up.  

Can you introduce us to the main character(s) of When Oceans Rise?

Malaya is a biracial Filipina / Irish American who doesn’t truly embrace either culture at the beginning of the novel but grows to know so much more about her Filipino heritage by the end of the novel. Over the course of a year+, we watch this confident girl deteriorate as she becomes a victim to gaslighting, which completely strips her power. Even when she escapes into another world, she finds that she can’t really trust her instincts and must learn how to believe in herself again.

Do you know from the beginning how your books will end or do you let your characters decide their journey?

It depends on the book I’m writing. Sometimes, I know the end right away, and I let the characters get there. Other times, I let the characters tell me the way it will end, which is fun!

Do you have a favorite scene, moment, or quote from the book?

My favorite scene is when we first meet the sea witch in her underwater cave. There is something about the sensory details that makes me feel like I’ve really been there before. We’re not supposed to love the sea witch, but she is my favorite character!

What is something readers will find in When Oceans Rise that they may not realize based on the
synopsis?

Malaya and her alternate timeline family create an entire web series called Debunking the Aswang! They used this web series to show people that these monsters don’t exist, even though they really do, because if people don’t believe in the monsters, the sea witch loses her power. It was a fun way to get to introduce a lot of different Filipino mythological creatures. I included so many, in fact, that I had to make a reference guide which is in the back of the book.

What’s something you hope readers will take away from When Oceans Rise?

I wrote this book to show people what gaslighting can look like—at least one of the many ways. I want people to see it and recognize it before their power is stripped. I can’t speak to every person in the world, but I’m hoping my character gives people the voice that they might otherwise lose in those situations. I also hope that people with my shared experience find peace.

What are three books you would recommend if someone enjoyed When Oceans Rise?

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len, Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah, and She is a Haunting by Trang Tranh Tran.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Synopsis:

Submerged in a toxic relationship and disconnected from everyone, she turns to the sea to decide her fate. Its decision? Toss her to the sea witch.

Seventeen-year-old Malaya is cursed. In her family, every girl’s first love ends in death after falling for someone evil. Good thing Malaya’s dream guy isn’t monstrous.

Except the curse is real and preventing Malaya from noticing how much he has gaslit and isolated her until she can’t be saved. With no other options, the sea witch is the only one to help her. Bartering her voice for a new life where she and her abusive boyfriend never met, Malaya accidentally swaps places with an alternate timeline version of herself who didn’t make her mistakes. As she tries to undo the switch, the sea witch uses Malaya’s voice to unleash Filipino mythological creatures into the worlds.

Can a champion, an alternate timeline sister, and Malaya fight these beasts and stop the sea witch before she destroys both timelines?

Content Warning: gaslighting, one paragraph with physical abuse

ABOUT THE AUTHOR