Category Archives: The Lost Amulets

The Lost Amulets: Factoid

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What are amulets?

Amulet – from the Latin amuletum, literally, something that offers protection, and can be found in any form–from gems to statues, to even plants and animals.

Purists might argue that the amulets in The Lost Amulets are more of talismans (bring luck, benefits, and protection). As a matter of fact, the amulets in my book offer the greatest form of protection–not only for the owner, but for specific things in nature. Admittedly, I did not expound on the protective aspects of the amulets in my book and will be revealing more about them in the next book, The Amulet of Fire.

In The Lost Amulets, the third object, the spear of Anlabban, is a magical spear, a talisman that offers protection as well, rather than an amulet. I have to admit that the Amulet of the Tides also behaves rather more like a talisman. But then, I am not a purist–I’m a FANTASY FICTION writer!

Live Radio Interview in Vancouver!

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Hey, everyone! You’re all invited to listen to my live radio interview in Vancouver on 93.1 REDFM or online on Sunday, November 10, 7:30 a.m. Vancouver time (10:30 a.m. PEI time).

Here is the link to the REDFM website, this is the Vancouver station – http://vancouver.redfm.ca/
All you need to do is click on “listen live” when The Filipino Edition is on.

Another review message!

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And another review message – thanks Fay!

Just finished Amulets and am soooo impressed! Written very fluidly; but then I am not surprised after all YOU penned it. Grateful and proud that you chose to showcase our culture to young readers all over the world. Secretly intrigued by the choice of names for the supporting cast, as well as the locations–I try to associate them with things and places that I know (being Filipino). Frustrated that I have to wait for the succeeding editions–how many more books are there to be in this series? Congrats, Cindy! More! More!

Oh, p.s. I liked the use of Filipino in the dialogue, too. (Tasu Wey says “Inutil” out of anger.) Might we see more of this in the coming books, please?

-Fay Balderas Ejercito

Another comment on The Lost Amulets!

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Sharing another message:

Hi Cindy,
I finally got around to reading your book. I just purchased the kindle edition after reading the sample. I could have waited a few more days so I could read your book for free with my amazon subscription but 5 days is too long for me. I guess you could tell I liked your book.
…I’m not done reading the book but it stirs my imagination !!!!

 

-Sol Theh

Meet the ALANON of Dapit-adlaw

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Factoid:

In the folklore of the Tinguian tribe of the Philippines, the ALAN are deformed spirits with wings and fingers and toes pointing backwards, described in some stories as half-bird, half-human. They create human children from menstrual blood or miscarried fetuses to raise as their own. Because of their deformities, humans became afraid of them. According to legend, a human once saw them and ran in fear but because of his panic, fell and was knocked unconscious. The Alan were alarmed and tried to revive the human by offering him golden beads (in some legends, their tears) and other precious stones. When the man came to, he saw the precious stones and gold beads and took them, fending the Alan away. The Alan begged for him to return at least the most precious of beads, a double-magic bead, allowing him to keep the rest, but he refused. As a result, the Alan chose to become invisible to human eyes and showed themselves only to whichever family they presented a magical bead to, which was passed down from generation to generation.

I have taken the liberty to use the Alan in my story as half-bird, half-humans, and call them collectively ALANON–the birdmen of Dapit-adlaw. They are friendly and helpful, albeit deformed creatures. My Alanon also have forward facing fingers and toes, which is unlike several Philippine myths, which have a preponderance of creatures with backward facing feet and hands. That is not to say that none of the Alanon have this unusual deformity.

 

“Where is Book 2?”

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This review just in!

“Where is Book 2?”

The Lost Amulets is the first book in the series of The Amulets of Panagaea. It centres around four children who were chosen to help the Littlefolk (dwarves) find their king and, subsequently, the three missing amulets that would save the land of Dapit-Adlaw. With the company of other mythical beings the young Kingseekers are at once immersed in an exciting and dangerous adventure as they try to solve riddles that would lead them to the amulets.

The book is divided into bite-size chapters which seamlessly weave the characters and adventures into the fabric of the story. The author’s skilful description, particularly of the mythical beings, makes it easy to imagine their appearance and their personalities. This is especially appreciated if you are not familiar with Philippine folklore, myths or legends – the source of Otherfolk and Darkfolk.

The story is fast-paced and easy to follow, with enough excitement to keep you interested and sufficient emotion to keep you engaged.

The ending? Of course it is a frustrating cliffhanger. However, while waiting for the next book of the series to be published you can contemplate on nature: Is that really just a flock of large birds flying overhead? Did that grassy mound you passed make you stop? Will the subtle perfume of flowers reveal a secret?

I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy novels, teenagers, or anyone who would like an easy escape to another dimension.

-Marian Ironmonger

FILIPINA-CANADIAN Publishes Breakthrough Fantasy Novel

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FILIPINA-CANADIAN Publishes Breakthrough Fantasy Novel

Filipina-Canadian Cindy Lapeña recently released her first novel, The Lost Amulets, online through Amazon and CreateSpace in both paperback and digital versions. The novel is an exciting and masterful fantasy written for young adults but sure to appeal to all ages, in the same way J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series did. Already, she is being compared to best-selling authors Lloyd Alexander and Cornelia Funke.

“…your tone and content reminded me of the Lloyd Alexander books. I’ve always been big on folklore and mythology from around the world, so this was fun to read…I liked this very much. You have all the pieces in place for an epic bestseller for your target audience. It’s already better than Cornelia Funke, and she sells like hot cakes.”

                                                                                                                                                       – Paul Bowersox, Pennsylvania

 

The Lost Amulets is the story of four teenagers who are drawn into the magical world of Dapit-adlaw, where mythological and supernatural beings live. They join a party of Littlefolk and Otherfolk, consisting of dwarves, elves, gnomes, and a kapre to seek lost amulets that are instrumental in the controlling natural elements so that they can restore some balance to nature. Their adventure takes them all over the islands of Dapit-adlaw, where they encounter other supernatural beings and mythical creatures, including aswang, sigbin, buwaya, siyokoy, kataw, and more.

What makes The Lost Amulets an important and significant addition to the corpus of Philippine and World Literature is how it integrates classical and ancient Philippine myths into an urban fantasy adventure. It introduces a vital aspect of Philippine culture to the world and presents it in a thoroughly enjoyable manner. It is a refreshingly new concept that is more than welcome as it provides a unique replacement for the tiresome vampires, zombies, and werewolves that are the current mainstay of urban fantasies.

The Lost Amulets is the first book in Cindy’s upcoming trilogy, The Amulets of Panagaea.

Besides being a first-time novelist, Cindy Lapeña is also a past-winner of the prestigious Carlos Palanca National Awards for Literature. She received the 3rd place award for a full-length play in English in 2007, her first entry to the annual Awards. She is the author of the reference series 101 Fun Games, Activities, and Projects for English Classes (also available on Amazon and CreateSpace), which draws on her extensive experience as an English teacher and training consultant in the Philippines. She currently resides in Prince Edward Island, Canada, where she is an arts and teaching consultant, a practicing artist and writer, and owner of Art ‘n’ Words Studio & Gallery.

Cover Design by Cindy Lapena Cover Art by Kitt Lapena

Cover Design by Cindy Lapena
Cover Art by Kitt Lapena

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Online launch of THE LOST AMULETS by C.P. LAPEÑA

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You are all cordially invited to the online launch of the brand new novel,

THE LOST AMULETS by C.P. LAPEÑA on OCTOBER 14, 2013 in celebration of THANKSGIVING DAY in Canada!

Be among the first people to own a copy of this exciting new fantasy adventure set in the mythical world of Panagaea.

Mix and mingle with mythological creatures while discovering the land of Dapit-adlaw!

Available on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.uk starting October 14, 2013.

Reserve your copy in advance and be part of a bestseller in the making!

Cover Design by Cindy Lapena Cover Art by Kitt Lapena

Cover Design by Cindy Lapeña
Cover Art by Kitt Lapeña