Tiktik

After one summer in the Philippine province, Emily Santos knows the tiktik is real, monsters can be reasoned with, and her notebook has all the answers. This Christmas, she finds out she's wrong about that last part.

Lola's city house is strung with star-shaped lanterns and packed with relatives - and something else. A light that drifts like it's alive. A cry outside the door that isn't a baby. Something old, settling into the furniture like it's always been there. A santelmo. A tiyanak. A batibat. City creatures don't follow province rules, and even Mom seems scared this time.

But the creatures aren't the real mystery. They've come because of something that happened in this house thirty years ago, to someone Emily loves, and it can't be fought, salted, or refused. Getting through this Christmas will take more than the notebook. It will take three names, and the courage to say the one her family has been keeping quiet.

A spooky, big-hearted mystery about city monsters, family secrets, and the kind of brave that looks like coming home.

Book Two of the Tiktik series, following A Summer of Three Names. Includes a glossary of Filipino words and folklore creatures.

A Note on Process

Writers have always relied on tools: editors, critique partners, research, and conversation. This book was created with the help of AI as one of those tools. It assisted me in drafting, revising, and exploring ideas along the way. I also used AI image-generation tools to create the cover and interior artwork under my creative direction through iterative prompting, selection, and refinement.

The story, along with Emily, Ethan, Lola Celia, and the world they inhabit, began in my imagination, shaped by my own research into and love for Filipino folklore. The characters, the plot, the themes, and the countless choices that brought this book to life all reflect my vision and many rounds of revision.

I believe readers deserve to know how a book is made. Thank you for joining Emily and Ethan on their journey. I'm grateful to share it with you.

- Peter