…may or may not be a 7,000-year-old spinster who lives in a small cottage hidden by overgrown Ipil-ipil trees, watching the world from her open windows while also waiting for cool air to pass by (it is very, very hot where she lives). She takes note of everything that happens and records them in a notebook whose pages never run out.

But really, truthfully, Caris Avendaño Cruz is a copywriter for awesome internet brands and cool businesses. Her favorite things to write, however, are magical stories led by kids of color. She lives in the Philippines with her family of humorously named cats and two dogs who love to demand belly rubs. Marikit and the Ocean of Stars is her debut novel.