1--What is the title of your latest release?
My latest release is TWELVE HOURS IN MANHATTAN.
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
It’s a tale of two lost souls finding each other and spending twelve magical hours together, both seeking anonymity and freedom. What happened after the twelve hours is where the true story begins.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’ve always been fascinated with New York City. I knew it was the best place to get lost in, which was at the center of the story. Also, I wrote this at the beginning of the pandemic, which cancelled all my plans to do my yearly visit to the city that never sleeps, so I did a trip on my own through my writing.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes. In a lot of ways, though we do not have any similar circumstances, I am her. And she is me. Our feelings and decision making are so aligned. I liked her journey a lot, and I wanted to be there to witness her growth and triumphs. I get it, not everyone is going to love Bianca – saying she is so insecure, uncertain of herself – but that’s what I liked about her story. To see her rise above it all is the true magic.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Resilient, Focused, Love
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Writing never really gets easier no matter how often you do it. And it also made me aware about how I am not in a specific genre, really. I’m still trying to figure that out.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
Just recently, I recognized my pattern where after a break I had to go back and read a couple of chapters before I can start writing again. Because of it, I can’t help but edit.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chicarron and Salt and Vinegar chips. Filipino food, it goes without saying. Also, ramen! Lots and lots of ramen!
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I have an office in my house that holds all my books – it’s my little library. I do everything book related there except…. Writing! Tada! I always say you should find a space where your creative energy is most abundant, and it’s not necessarily in just one spot. I’m writing this in my car as I wait for my son to finish practice. But that’s the beauty of writing, right - the magic and flow of creativity can happen anywhere. Best advice, always have a notebook and pen handy.
10--Who is an author you admire?
I have so many! Taylor Jenkins Reid, Colleen Hoover, Jane Green, Marian Keyes, Sheila O’Flanagan to name a few.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
The Other Side of Midnight by Sydney Sheldon. I think it was the first adult book I read and I was captivated by the intricacies of the story in great detail.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I pitched my first book December 2019, and got the call on February 2020. I cried. Really, like ugly cried. I posted it on Facebook so every year it will pop up and it will remain me of that life changing day forever.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I’m a mood reader so I don’t have a specific genre. Except for gory horror, I like them all.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Oh, so many to name. I’m a movie buff!
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall. The moment you need to let go of old damaged things to make way for new and shiny and inspiring ones. I love the concept of purging.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Without fanfare with the people I love.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Everything Everywhere All at Once – of course! Oscar best picture. But I’m also a big Korean drama fan, which is where the idea of Twelve Hours in Manhattan came from – so I would recommend a few – The Goblin, Crashlanding on You, My Liberation Notes, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Under the Queen’s Umbrella, The Alchemy of Souls, and The King’s Affection to start. My list is long!
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Filipino food!
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I don’t have any free time, but if I do, I like to get lost in a good television series and binge watch.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
Lots of collaboration with other authors, for sure. But also, I am writing a story about a family curse that was loosely based on stories my grandmother used to tell me. It’s a story of four strong women whose lives intersected in search of not just their roots but themselves. I’m so excited for this one!
Two worlds. One heart. Twelve hours.
Bianca Maria Curtis is at the brink of losing it all when she meets Eric at a bar in Manhattan. Eric, as it turns out, is the famous Korean drama celebrity Park Hyun Min, and he’s in town for one night to escape the pressures of fame. From walking along Fifth Avenue to eating ice cream at Serendipity to sharing tender moments on top of the Empire State building, sparks fly as Bianca and Eric spend twelve magical hours far away from their respective lives. In that time, they talk about the big stuff: love, life, and happiness, and the freedom they both seek to fully exist and not merely survive.
But real life is more than just a few exhilarating stolen moments in time.
As the clock strikes the twelfth hour, Bianca returns back to the life she detests to face a tragedy that will test her strength and resolve—and the only thing she has to keep going is the memory of a man she loves in secret from a world away.
Romance Contemporary [She Writes Press, On Sale: April 18, 2023, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781647423957 / ]
Maan Gabriel is a mom, wife, dreamer, writer, and advocate for women’s stories in literature. She earned her BA in communications from St. Scholastica’s College in Manila and MPS in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University. She has lived in Manila, Brussels, Dakar, and Mexico City. During the day, she works in strategic communications. Gabriel, along with her husband and son, currently calls suburban Washington DC home. After Perfect is her first novel.
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