Mia P. Manansala

Much like Lila Macapagal, protagonist of the Tita Rosie’ Kitchen Mystery series, author Mia P. Manansala has had a very busy few years. Since her first novel (and first book in the series), Arsenic and Adobo, was published in 2021, Manansala has written and published five additional books in the series, released her first YA novel, and written a second, forthcoming YA novel. And like her protagonist, whose life changes dramatically over the course of the cozy mysteries, Manansala’s own life has changed significantly.

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Before she was published, Manansala says, “I was an English language instructor, so I taught English as a foreign language at a for-profit language school. I got laid off in 2020 for obvious reasons. I found out I was getting laid off the same day I signed my first book contract.” Because publishing can be so unpredictable and success isn’t guaranteed, Manansala got a part-time job at her local library, which she says, “gave me routine. It gave me the feeling of stability. I still got to work with literacy, the thing that I loved.”

Now, Manansala, who has won numerous awards for her cozies, including the 2022 Anthony Award for Best First Novel, the 2022 Macavity Award for Best First Mystery, and the 2021 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, is a full-time writer, which brings its own set of joys and challenges. She says, “There is a lot to be said by taking this thing that you love and making it your job. Again, I'm speaking with a lot of privilege. I get to do the thing that I love, this thing that I never could have even imagined when I was a kid, because I didn’t think it was a real thing. But it doesn’t really help people if we pretend that there are no difficulties and struggles to this kind of life, you know?”