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 Bulacan, Philippines with her family of humorously named cats and a dog who loves to demand belly rubs. Marikit and the Ocean of Stars is her debut novel.

FAQs

My pronouns are she/her.

I live in a historic town in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. My timezone is GMT+8, so often, when I am about to talk to anyone in the US, I am bound to say, “I am from the future.” And I would be right.

I write! Still! I am a copywriter for lovely online brands and I am happy when my clients’ stories get to shine, too!

Oof. The dreaded question! I am, please forgive me, a chaotic pantser. I love making a mess first before giving it structure! This is not applicable to all writers, but I enjoy writing without knowing what will happen next.

I love stories featuring ordinary heroes with extraordinary adventures. I adore stories from Kate diCamillo, Erin Entrada Kelly, Kelly Barnhill, and Catherynne M. Valente.

I am! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even Tiktok (which I hardly use, my bad) via @carisavencruz.

 

Things about Caris

(which may or may not be useful)