Maika Llaneza
Kidlit Author of Monsters and Mischief
"Gobble up this new picture book inspired by Filipino mythology featuring trinket-stealing goblins whose knack for thievery just might save the day.
Mind your manners; hang on to your toys (and pineapples?)
When Caden and Cailyn forget to say thank you to Lola Mi for their gifts, the famous gobbling goblins come to take the children's treasures. Gobble gobble gobble. It's all in a day's work.
But then a band of mischievous elves swipes some curious VIPs (Very Important Pineapples) from the house . . . pineapples that look suspiciously like Caden and Cailyn. Not saying thank you is one thing, but turning children into fruit? Talk about impolite! Now the goblins are on a rescue mission to get those pineapple-kids back from the elves. Can their latest gobble save the day?"
About
Maika Llaneza is a 1.5 generation Filipina American whose interests include the weird and obscure plus all things spooky and campy.
She has worked with students with disabilities for 20 years and is currently a Special Education Teacher. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion and supporting works created by underrepresented communities.
Maika earned her BA in International Studies and a Master of Science in Accessible Education. She is one Capstone Seminar from a Master of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Theology - Institute for Spirituality and Social Justice Program at Xavier University in Cincinnati. These days she is working on her third graphic novel manuscript.
Represented by Sara Crowe of Sara Crowe Literary.
Writings
Her work can be found in Sojourners Magazine (January 2020 Cover Feature granted 2nd Place for the 2021 Higher Goals Awards by Evangelical Press Association), Inheritance Magazine, HelloGiggles, Stories with Sapphire Podcast, Stories for Change Podcast, Spooked Podcast, Healing the Unknown, and State of Formation. She was also a 2018-2019 State of Formation Writing Fellow and presented at the 17th Biennial Filipino American National Historical Society Conference. She is a book weirdo and monster fanatic.
2025-04-01 Disney's MDLC Studio
2021-10-07 Luminary Podcast
2021-10-07 Inheritance Magazine
2020-01-01 Sojourners Magazine
2020-01-01 Stories with Sapphire Podcast
2019-07-01 State of Formation
2019-03-01 Inheritance Magazine
2019-01-01 State of Formation
2018-11-01 Inheritance Magazine
2018-10-01 HelloGiggles
2018-08-01 Inheritance Magazine
Favorites
Books:
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
Role Models by John Waters
Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald.
Singers:
Nina Simone
Billie Holiday
Judy Garland
Movies:
Gremlins
Beetlejuice
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark
Basket Case
Addams Family
