Publishing house Ukiyoto, with company locations in Canada, Singapore, and India, recently published the first novel of music columnist Yugel Losorata, entitled “The Lust Regime.” The tale described as a suspense-thriller is the Filipino author’s first try at long fiction.
The freshly released work follows two e-books by the author released last year, including a collection of flash fiction labeled “30 Midnights” which introduces his style and genre.
The author, whose weekly music column “Touchbass” comes out Thursdays, recalled finishing his manuscript right before the tumultuous 2020 ended, hoping to find a publisher that can also print it in paperback form.
In a chat with the publisher, Losorata, a veteran music writer whose byline has appeared in various broadsheets and online sites, shared, “The setting of the story is a fictional place where romance, obsession, and greed for power clash together. Abuse of power is a subject I’ve always been fascinated about because it’s done by people who think they can always get away with.”
Interestingly, the book’s blurb introduced two main characters who “quickly felt the sexual tension between them which may have birthed a forbidden romance.”
According to the author, the completion of “The Lust Regime” was part of his personal ongoing writing therapy to address the effects of pandemic. Halfway through the book, his older brother who worked as a doctor at a hospital in Pampanga died from the dreaded virus.
His first e-book, put out by local publisher E-Publish Book Hub, is a set of essays called “How To Survive The New Normal.”
Losorata will join Ukiyoto’s highly interactive workshop event “Walk The Talk: Becoming the Next Bestseller” scheduled today (March 21) in India. But due to pandemic restrictions, he will be joining remotely via zoom app and will be given a 15-minute spot (3:45-4 pm) to talk about his book.
“The act of writing alone is healing. It’s a big bonus when you get to have your writing put out there for people to read. I’m really grateful this happened,” he said.
Meanwhile, Losorata’s composition “Next Big Thing,” recorded by his band The Pub Forties where he also plays bass guitar, will be heard as part of the musical scoring for reality TV program “The Final Pitch Season 6: Heroes Edition.” The show premieres on CNN Philippines tonight at 8:30 pm, with replays on Tuesdays (8 pm) and Saturdays (11:30 am).
The track was released March last year during the ECQ period, with the group initiating a music video that featured Metro Manila cities in lockdown mode.