Who I Am

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After 21 years, I'm still thrilled at being married to B and having our children, C1 (daughter, 19), C2 (son, 16) and C3 (daughter, 11). As you can see, my primary self-identity is being a wife and mother. It's what I value most about my existence.

Of course, I wouldn't have the chance to be a wife and a mother - and I wouldn't know how to be both - if not for my parents. I am the only child and they gave me everything they could in life. Sadly, they left within a year of each other - my Dad on May 19, 2006 and my Mom on May 11, 2007. I am still deeply grieving their passing.

Another gift my parents gave me is my writing. Both the genes and the nurturing to become what I am today all came from them. (The succeeding inspiration is credited to my real-life hero -- my husband, and our children.)

I was employed as a writer and an editor for five years after graduating from the University of the Philippines in Diliman with a degree in Communication. After that, I have been a freelance writer-editor for various types of publications, organizations and institutions -- both local and international -- since 1989 to the present.

While doing such "serious" writing, I also embarked on a romance writing career. Using the pen name Maia Jose, I began writing romance novels in Filipino in 1991 and have since published 96 bestselling titles.

In this blog, I hope to chronicle my continuing growth as a fiction writer as I explore other genres, as well.