Book Feature: Breaking the Scroll Trilogy + Exclusive Interview with Author Jane Vergara

HARRY POTTER MEETS AVATAR THE LEGEND OF AANG 

As a huge fan of Harry Potter and Avatar, I can't help but be excited about this new trilogy called Breaking the Scroll. 

It is about a boy named Kino Amark who lives in Akea, a place where all the citizens have special abilities. However, in this place where everyone has special gifts, Kino is the only one without any. Now, he dreams of being able to fly, and before the moon's turning (the end of the year), he must present his power to the emperor during the Akean Wine Festival.

He is so determined to fly that he crafts wings from all sorts of leaves, but his efforts have resulted in one failure after another. Little does Kino know that his heritage links him to the former emperor, a clan thought to be long gone, and a princess who can make things happen by writing them.

Kino doesn't know that a great destiny awaits him . . . If only he could get past the daily challenges in school and discover that there is a secret that has been controlling his power from manifesting.

With the help of Kino’s friends, Mayo Calo, the super adventurous boy, and Pyper San Diego, the little ghost girl, will Kino be lucky to survive in Akea without any power? Or will the gods finally grant him his dream during the Akean Wine Festival?

This book series will definitely take us through Kino and his friends' adventures and the fate of Akea. Sounds interesting right? 

Here are some of the testimonials about the book: 

"I read the first book online years back and I still remember how delightful the adventure is. Beautifully written and inspiring. Excited to continue on the second and third books."

"If you read the works of JK Rowling, Brandon Mull, or John Grisham, then you know the feeling of reading a book and not being able to put it down because you want to know what will happen next. The same experience happened to me when I started reading this book." 

-----

By the way, did I mention that this book series has been written by a Filipino author? 

Yes, you heard that right! Author Jane Vergara is a Filipino. She is an IT professional and an accountant, who works in a bank. Today, we are lucky to have the opportunity to have this exclusive interview with her. 

1. Can you share with us something about the book that isn't in the blurb?

Breaking the Scroll is an epic fantasy trilogy. I wanted to ensure that the book touches on relevant events in the country even though this is set in a different world. 

2. What inspired the idea for your latest book?

I always wanted to have a special power. Mine was to straighten hair without going to the salon. lol. And from that idea, I thought, what if there's a world where everybody has a special ability? What would that look like? And so I started the Breaking the Scroll trilogy.

3. How long did it take you to complete the book?

It took me 10 years to finish the trilogy. Book 1 was finished in 1 year, but all the editing and preparation to write the succeeding books took time.

Since the trilogy is set in a different world, there's the challenge of world-building. In the process, new characters were also introduced in the succeeding books, and all of them had to have their own arcs as well.

Finishing the book required me to go back and forth with the other books to ensure that there were no loopholes/ plot holes. So after 10 years, I finally decided to publish all the 3 books.

4. What part of the book was most challenging to write and why? 

The third book, Return to Akea, was the hardest one for me to write. This is because I knew that I had to give the story a good ending. Something that will satisfy the readers. I believe that books 1 and 2 were strong, so I wanted to make an even stronger finish.

And that was not an easy thing to do. Add to the fact that I had to ensure all the plot holes were resolved, and the characters' stories were meaningful.

5. What do you hope your readers take away from this book?

Everybody is special. Regardless of the gifts God gave you, you're unique and will always be special.

6. If you’re planning a sequel or writing the next book, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it? 

I plan on writing stories of the other characters, either as a side-story while all these things are happening, or after all these events in the trilogy took place.

For one, I wanted to explore the love story of someone who died in the book, and what that would have looked like in the afterlife.

7. Where can they buy your books or find out more about you?

My books are available on Lazada, Shopee, and Amazon. If you're on Kindle Unlimited, the trilogy is free to read.

Shopee:

Book 1: Breaking the Scroll - https://shope.ee/1VRQj6EPgX

Book 2: The Dark Unveiling - https://shope.ee/2Ah7WNwiUi

Book 3: Return to Akea - https://shope.ee/3fVvJB80HJ

Lazada:

Book 1: Breaking the Scroll - https://bit.ly/BreakingtheScroll1 

Book 2: The Dark Unveiling - https://bit.ly/BreakingtheScroll2 

Book 3: Return to Akea - https://bit.ly/BreakingtheScroll3

You may also visit my website: javergara.com

I also have a YouTube page where I post interviews with creatives and provide tips about writing. My books are also available as audiobooks on YouTube.

Click here to visit Youtube channel

----------------- 

Thank you, Author Jane, for writing this exciting book series. We are so proud to have a Filipino author write a masterpiece like this. We are grateful to have this opportunity to have this exclusive interview with you.  

--------------------------

We love supporting authors! Do you want your book to be featured? 

Here's how: https://www.mymetrolifestyle.com/p/do-you-want-to-promote-your-book.html

Take Your Passions Further with the New Galaxy S23 Series: Designed for a Premium Experience Today and Beyond

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23, marking a new era of Samsung Galaxy’s ultimate premium phone experience. Samsung Galaxy's epic camera gives users more freedom to explore their creativity, like capturing truly cinematic Nightography videos with transformative AI. The Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy” unleashes premium experiences, including groundbreaking AI, future-ready mobile gaming features, and powerfully sustained gameplay with the world’s fastest mobile graphics. 

On the Galaxy S23 Ultra, an embedded S Pen that many long-time Samsung Galaxy users know and love offer more possibilities for productivity, notetaking, hobbies, and more. All the Galaxy S23 series’ new standard-setting innovations are housed within a striking design that advances the company’s sustainability commitment with more components made using recycled materials than any other Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

“The value of impactful technology is measured, not just by what it enables for people today, but also how it contributes to a better future,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “The entire Galaxy S series lineup is the new standard-bearer of trustworthy premium smartphone experiences. We’re on a mission to redefine peak performance by bringing together powerful, lasting innovations and sustainability."

A Samsung Galaxy Camera with More Megapixels and Extensive Creative Controls, From Day to Night

Galaxy S23 Ultra makes it easier for any level of photographer to capture phenomenal content. It offers Samsung Galaxy’s most advanced camera system, tailored for nearly any lighting conditions and engineered to render incredible detail. Improved Nightography capabilities transform how the Galaxy S series optimizes photos and videos in a wide range of ambient conditions. Filming a favorite song at a concert, snapping a selfie at the aquarium, or grabbing a group shot of friends at dinner — users can get sharper images and videos4. Visual noise that usually ruins low-light images is corrected by a new AI-powered image signal processing (ISP) algorithm that enhances object details and color tone.

In a Samsung Galaxy-first, Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a new 200MP Adaptive Pixel sensor that captures epic moments with incredible precision. It uses pixel binning to support multiple levels of high-resolution processing at once.5 And because selfie cameras are more important than ever to how we communicate today, the Galaxy S23 series introduces fast autofocus and our first Super HDR selfie camera, jumping from 30fps to 60fps, for noticeably better front-facing images and videos.

For users who want the ultimate creative control and customization, the Galaxy S23 series offers a suite of tools that differentiate any photography experience – from the Expert RAW app that enables DSLR-style image shooting and editing, Multiple exposures photo art, to Astrophoto settings that can capture a clear view of the Milky Way

On Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23, the iconic Samsung Galaxy camera also gets an upgraded look. The contour housing has been removed, marking a new era of essential Galaxy design that makes the entire series stand out.

Premium Performance Makes Way for the Future of Mobile Gaming

For creators and gamers alike, the desire to push limits and constantly reimagine what’s possible requires technology that outpaces expectations. Together, Samsung and Qualcomm optimized the Samsung Galaxy experience with the brand new “Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy”, the most powerful and efficient platform ever in a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and the fastest Snapdragon available today. Meanwhile, on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, a 5000mAh battery powers a larger camera than Galaxy S22 Ultra without increasing the device’s size.

In anticipation of the future of ultimate digital realism, Galaxy S23 Ultra comes ready to support real-time ray tracing as it comes to the mobile gaming mainstream. Users will be able to see noticeably more lifelike renderings of scenes, thanks to technology that simulates and tracks every ray of light. Plus, Samsung Galaxy’s vapor chamber, now bigger19 and on every Galaxy S23 series model, keeps your gaming marathon going.

Designed with the Planet in Mind

The Galaxy S23 series raises the bar for premium technology that can enrich people’s lives and help contribute to a healthier planet. Since the Galaxy S22 series, Samsung Galaxy increases its use of recycled materials from six internal components in Galaxy S22 Ultra to 12 internal and external components in Galaxy S23 Ultra. Galaxy S23 series also has a wider variety of recycled materials than any other Galaxy smartphone, including pre-consumer recycled aluminum and glass and post-consumer recycled plastics sourced from discarded fishing nets, PET bottles, and water barrels. The new S series is the first to market Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus® 2, offering durability for long-term use and consisting of an average of 22 percent pre-consumer recycled content25. Plus, every Galaxy S23 smartphone comes in a redesigned packaging box that applied paper made with 100 percent recycled paper.

User-Friendly Security and Privacy Enable a Transparent Experience without Compromise

Secure and private experiences are the foundation of the Galaxy S23 series. Every smartphone comes with Samsung's end-to-end Samsung Knox protection, which has received more government and industry certifications than any other mobile device, platform, or solution on the market. The Security and Privacy Dashboard on Samsung Galaxy gives users full visibility over who has access to their data and how it’s being used. With just a glance, it’s easy to see if personal data is at risk and receive simple prompts to change settings for a more secure experience. Users can also decide exactly which applications and programs get access to their data and how it can be used.

More Freedom and Flexibility for Connected Lifestyles

At the core of the Samsung Galaxy S series’ premium experience is the uncompromising innovation of Samsung Galaxy Ultra. But the power and creative capabilities of Samsung Galaxy Ultra don’t stop at smartphones. With the brand new, first-ever Galaxy Book3 Ultra, and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, users can now enjoy the ultimate Samsung Galaxy’s ecosystem.

Across every Galaxy S series model, connected experiences get added benefits. Samsung Multi Control29, which connects mouse and keyboard functionality between a Samsung Galaxy PC and tablet, now extends to Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 for the ultimate flexibility between devices. Plus, enhanced text usability makes it easy to copy and paste text, like URLs, from one device to another to pick up an activity on another device.

Pricing and Availability

The Galaxy S23 series comes in four nature-inspired matte hues: Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender32. The Galaxy S23 retails for PHP 53,990 for the 128GB variant, and PHP 57,990 for the 256GB variant. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23+ starts at PHP 68,990 for 256GB variant, and PHP 76,990 for the 512GB variant. Lastly, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is available at PHP 81,990 and PHP 89,990 for the 256GB and 512GB variants respectively. A samsung.com-exclusive 1TB Galaxy S23 Ultra is also available at PHP 103,990.

From February 2 until February 23, 2023, customers who pre-order the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, or the Galaxy S23 Ultra through samsung.com will enjoy discounts of up to PHP 76,000, including a FREE Memory Upgrade worth up to PHP 8,000. They will instantly get the higher memory variant for the price of the lower variant within the same model lineup. Those who will trade in their old devices can also enjoy savings of up to PHP 13,000 on top of their old phone’s residual value. In addition, they will get an e-voucher worth up to PHP 5,000, a 50% discount on the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, and 30% off on the Galaxy Watch5 Series. On top of this, they will also get a FREE 1-year Samsung Care+ coverage worth PHP 5,999, and earn double Samsung Rewards points.

As an exclusive samsung.com offer, the Galaxy S23 Ultra 1TB will be offered as part of a limited-edition Samsung Galaxy VIP bundle with total savings of PHP 38,000. The VIP bundle includes the 1TB Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy Watch5 Pro 46mm, Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Super Fast Wireless Duo Charger, Galaxy S23 Ultra Leather Cover, and 1-year Samsung Care+ coverage all for a discounted price of PHP 119,378.

The Galaxy S23 series is also available for pre-order through Samsung Experience Stores, Authorized Samsung Stores, Lazada, Shopee, Abenson.com, and MemoXpress Online. Customers who pre-order through these channels from February 2 to 23, 2023 will enjoy as much as PHP 65,000 worth of discounts. This also includes the FREE Memory Upgrade, additional savings for traded-in devices, 50% off on the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, and 30% off on the Galaxy Watch5 Series.

For more information about Galaxy S23 series, please visit: www.samsung.com/ph/smartphones/galaxy-s23/, https://www.samsung.com/ph/smartphones/galaxy-s23-ultra/, news.samsung.com/global or www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/.