Ron Does Stuff

Another Vibal acquisition, Tara Frejas’ cover reveal, new books from Joan Didion and Ian McEwan, Ateneo book launches and more in this week’s edition.

Vibal acquires Carla de Guzman’s Blooming Love

Vibal Publishing is on an acquisition spree, with Philippine print rights to Carla de Guzman’s Blooming Love being the latest one it’s acquired. Set to be released this year, it is part of Vibal’s new-adult imprint, which has Mina V. Esguerra as its editor-at-large. Find out more about the book on the RomanceClass Books blog!

Blooming Love joins Mina V. Esguerra’s Interim Goddess of Love, which will be launched at this year’s Philippine Book Festival.

Neil Gaiman faces sexual assault, human trafficking charges

Publishers Weekly reports that Scarlett Pavlovich, the live-in nanny that was one of Neil Gaiman’s alleged victims in the bombshell New York magazine story, has filed a civil lawsuit against Gaiman accusing him of sexual abuse, assault, rape, and coercion. Gaiman and his ex-wife Amanda Palmer are also being accused by Scarlett Pavlovich of human trafficking.

The civil suit comes after news of the cancellation of Netflix’s The Sandman and Dark Horse Comics announcing that it would no longer be publishing his works and cancelling the Anansi Boys comic series and collection.

Tara Frejas’ Connect the Hearts cover reveal

RomanceClass author Tara Frejas has revealed the cover for her latest book, Connect the Hearts, on her blog. The art is by artist Lori Rebluna, whose Instagram account you can check out here.

Connect the Hearts is a short story collection that features characters from Tara’s previous books, Waiting in the Wings and Like Nobody’s Watching. The four stories “Tech Week Makes the Heart Grow Fonder”, “Best Days Ever”, “Finding Mr. Swipe Right” and “Happy Endings Please, and Thank You”. Check out Tara’s blog post for more details!

Joan Didion’s new non-fiction, Notes to John

Knopf will be publishing Joan Didion’s new non-fiction book, Notes to John, on April 22 this year, according to Publishers Weekly. The first printing of the book has been set at 250,000 copies.

The book was discovered in a filing cabinet next to Joan Didion’s desk and describes sessions with a psychiatrist beginning in late 1999. The reports are addressed to her husband, John Gregory Dunne.

The Call to Lead book launch

Bluebooks, an imprint of the Ateneo de Manila University Press, is launching The Call to Lead: Ignatian Wisdom and The Journey of Leading this February 22 at the APS Auditorium in Rockwell Makati.

As part of the launch, the Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business and author and leadership professor Jake de Guzman will hold “The Call to Lead: A forum on calling, purpose and leadership.” Scan the QR code in the image above to register or click the link on the Facebook post below.

Ian McEwan’s new novel, What We Can Know

The Guardian reports that Ian McEwan’s new book, What We Can Know, will come out on September 18. The publication quotes McEwan as saying that the new book is “science fiction without the science” and is set in 2119 when Britain becomes an archipelago after parts of ir are submerged by rising tides.

Ian McEwan is perhaps best known for Atonement, which was adapted into a film starring Kiera Knightley, James McAvoy, and Saoirse Ronan.

Pre-orders open for Insurgent Communities: How Protests Create a Filipino Diaspora

Pre-orders for Sharon M. Quinsaat’s book, Insuregent Communities: How Protests Create a Filipino Diaspora, is now open. Those who pre-order will get a 15 percent discount on the book, which “explains the dynamic process through which a diaspora is strategically constructed.” Click the link on the Facebook post or scan the QR code!

New book No Tea, No Shade: Life as a Drag Queen

People reports that RuPaul’s Drag Race alums Alexis Michelle, Nina West, and Olivia Lux along with drag queens Kennedy Ann Scott, Lagoona Bloo, and Julie J, are part of the new book No Tea, No Shade: Life as a Drag Queen set to come out on September 23 this year.

Published by HarperCollins imprint HarperOne, the book will feature 30 essays penned by the queens that “explore a range of topics, such as navigating relationships and bullying, as well as timely subjects like Drag Story Hour and the challenges of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community today.”

The Uninvited Guests Czech translation

The Ateneo de Naga University Press is celebrating the Czech translation of Neni Sta Romana Cruz’ The Uninvited Guests, with illustrations by John Sherwin T. Acampado. The translated work is sold by Golden Dog, a small independent publishing house in Prague that specializes in gothic and horror literature.

Back in January, the Bikol poem Sagkod/Thereafter was nominated for the Best Literary Translations, a special anthology project of Deep Vellum for 2026 to be edited by the poet Arthur Sze. The poem is by Kristian Sendon Cordero and was translated into English by Bennard Cariño Fajardo.

David Archuleta to release a memoir

People reports that American Idol alum and one-time Filipino teleserye star David Archuleta is set to release a memoir that will feature “in-depth reflections on his 2021 coming out journey and time in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before his exit the following year.”

If you haven’t seen it yet — and I don’t blame you since it’s been more than a decade — take a peek at David’s turn as a teleserye star in the Philippines below.