The Retreat

The Writers' Retreat

What would you be willing to do to secure a publication deal of a lifetime from the biggest publisher in the country?

The challenge: You have to write a true-to-life crime story set in the Philippines. The case should not be completely resolved. At least 75 percent of the manuscript needs to be completed within thirty days. You have to be willing to go on a week-long writers’ retreat in an undisclosed location to discuss your manuscript and be critiqued by the other participants. Afterward, you have to be ready to revise and edit the manuscript for final publication.

The prize: Enough money to retire and just write with a guaranteed platform for release locally and internationally.

The catch: You can’t breathe a word to anyone. Post anything on social media and you are out. You will be asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement and a release that removes any responsibility from the organizers should anything untoward happens to you. You will not be allowed to bring any gadgets to the retreat. You will be completely cut off.

So . . . are you game?

Read an Excerpt

The Trip

Simon

“I’m getting too old for this,” he whispered to himself. Simon was blindfolded, heading God knows where, via an air-conditioned van. He was sure he wasn’t alone, but they had been instructed not to talk. He wasn’t going to start breaking the rules now.

But he shouldn’t complain, because he agreed to this. He signed all the paperwork. I should have asked a lawyer to check them out, he thought belatedly. The invitation was just too good to pass up, and the danger and uncertainty attached to it appealed to his adventurous side. The organizers knew him, knew his background, and yet they still invited him.

“What the hell, I need to know what happens next . . . ,” he told himself, and at sixty years old, with his spanking new senior citizen’s card in his wallet, this might be the last big adventure of his life.

Rodney

She was excited and scared at the same time. She felt the familiar feeling of flying, so she was sure she was on a plane. Going to where, she wasn’t sure. After the two-hour van ride, they were ushered into a plane. She still had a blindfold on, and she was excited. Someone helped her up the steps and strapped her in. Something big was going to happen, she could feel it. The anticipation was in every pore of her body, and her heart was beating fast.

Philip

Philip wondered what the people back home would think when they found out he had gone on a trip without letting them know. He was sure there would be some kind of commotion. Not that he would be missed, specifically, but . . . well, they would need to know where he could be found. The attraction of this retreat for Philip, apart from the deal and the money, was the chance to disappear, at least for a while. To regroup. He needed to regroup, desperately. Plus, there was Stella, of course. An opportunity he just couldn’t pass up.

He felt the spray of water on his face. After the land and the air trip, he was now on a boat, going who knows where. Not too fast, but still pretty fast enough that the sea water sprayed his face from time to time.

Maggie

This is it, Maggie thought, when the motor of the boat stopped. After hours of travel, she had arrived where the retreat was going to be held. Her last manuscript copy was in her bag, with the required seven copies already submitted before the trip started, and although it hurt to write it, she knew she had to confront it when the time came for the reading. She would also need to deal with her gut feeling about this whole exercise and how she had a sneaking suspicion that this was all staged to get her here, at this point.

Well, I am ready, Maggie thought. Bring it on.

Reviews

What I Think About It

Yeyet Soriano likes to make her readers think. Her book Turning Points, though it wasn’t for a quick read was something I just couldn’t put down because I was too curious about what would happen to the characters. Same thing happened here in The Retreat. The blurb itself got me thinking, and I was under the impression that all of the authors would die a tragic death in order for their stories to get resolution in the end. It’s a crime story anyway. But Yeyet had something else in mind. The book contained a lot of stories, stories that were written by her fictional authors, and though all of them were remarkable plots, there were some points that stayed with me and gave me chills. For one, it is just so sad to think that most people think suicide is actually an admission of guilt. There were other books I’ve read which viewed suicide as an act of the guilty, especially when the person is involved or accused of doing the crime. And the police stopping the investigation after someone takes responsibility for the crime committed? What if that person was forced to plead guilty? Maggie and Julian both had unfortunate childhoods, but Rodney? Rodney, the paranormal writer, had a good freakin’ reason why she wrote dark, grotesque stories. It kept me thinking, what if I have a friend who’s just like her? Maybe I could spare all my friends from the writing community but, what if?

In Conclusion

Anyway, is a short read (I was able to finish it in a couple of hours), but packed with scenes that are absolutely beyond what you can imagine in a crime story.

Should You Read It?

Calling the attention of crime readers out there! This book definitely has to find a place in your bookshelf! And even if you are not a crime reader, you still need to read this if you seek redemption.

Happy reading!

— Beth G. , Amazon

Great, entertaining read.

The story of the four authors have already been talked about in this book, which makes me wonder what the other four books will offer that has not been spoiled by book 1. That’s something to watch out for, ye?

— Ana Valenzuela , Goodreads

I have led myself to believe I’m part Nancy Drew/Veronica Mars, so to have found out this book carried an intertwined mystery pleased me beyond expectation. Granted I had a difficult time getting through the first pages—even I got bored when I facilitated sessions (youth development) for work—but once a certain writer participant’s story unraveled, The Retreat became unputdownable~, which is important in sustaining a crime story. (Or in this case, stories.) Oh, the twists and the revelations. I obviously couldn’t get enough, be that I was reading it on New Year’s Eve, for crying out loud!

— kb , Goodreads

Excellent way of weaving together the stories of the main author-characters, and how their lives affect the manuscripts they intend to write. The sneak peek of the “manuscripts” also blend well with the main story, and give a quick look at what works we can expect from them. A fast paced read for those who seek to understand the mind of an author.

— Mark Manalang , Goodreads

The story actually didn’t turn out the way I expected, which makes it a great Crime/Mystery novel–it totally misled me. Good thing though it ended on a positive note. I’ve always been afraid to read Crimes/Horrors because I didn’t want to feel unsettled the entire week after reading it but The Retreat gave me a very satisfying ending.

Honestly, I also thought the plot was a clever idea. Ms. Yeyet, must have enjoyed writing the also-writer characters embarking on a Mystery that could affect their lives forever.

Another thing I want to point out is that I loved the characters–they complimented each other perfectly…each character was well-developed…

— ACD , Amazon

When I started reading the book, I initially thought that it was an easy read and I could finish it in one 3-hour sitting. But as I progressed through each chapter, I found myself slowing down and at times, re-reading some of the paragraphs. I say this as a compliment to the author, as I had to pause in between reads to digest the details that the author have had to weave together to elicit an “aaah” moment from her readers. Having said that, this book is definitely not one you can skim through as you would get quite lost with the different stories and characters of the book. I might just add at this point that I did cheekily try to go to the end of the book to find out who bloody hell Julian is. But I am glad I read this book on cloud reader and was unable to do so.

I am glad that I chose this book as my first Philippine-based fiction book. I am looking forward to reading more.

— Jamie Grande , Amazon

Fabulously written and a refreshing read.

…this story is a note worthy recommendation to anyone who loves to watch movies and write scripts. The approach is definitely a surreal feeling once you turn those pages.

It’s like an anthology of stories all collated in one and yet, still tails into one big story that was carefully thought about.

Without spoiling any of the good parts. Here’s a little reader tip from me to you.

brace yourself for lots of twist and turns because you’ll definitely find yourself immersed not only from the story but also from the Title itself.

A Retreat to your imagination!

Simply amazing!

— Magsi Rover , Goodreads

What I Think About It

Yeyet Soriano likes to make her readers think. Her book Turning Points, though it wasn’t for a quick read was something I just couldn’t put down because I was too curious about what would happen to the characters. Same thing happened here in The Retreat. The blurb itself got me thinking, and I was under the impression that all of the authors would die a tragic death in order for their stories to get resolution in the end. It’s a crime story anyway. But Yeyet had something else in mind. The book contained a lot of stories, stories that were written by her fictional authors, and though all of them were remarkable plots, there were some points that stayed with me and gave me chills. For one, it is just so sad to think that most people think suicide is actually an admission of guilt. There were other books I’ve read which viewed suicide as an act of the guilty, especially when the person is involved or accused of doing the crime. And the police stopping the investigation after someone takes responsibility for the crime committed? What if that person was forced to plead guilty? Maggie and Julian both had unfortunate childhoods, but Rodney? Rodney, the paranormal writer, had a good freakin’ reason why she wrote dark, grotesque stories. It kept me thinking, what if I have a friend who’s just like her? Maybe I could spare all my friends from the writing community but, what if?

In Conclusion

Anyway, is a short read (I was able to finish it in a couple of hours), but packed with scenes that are absolutely beyond what you can imagine in a crime story.

Should You Read It?

Calling the attention of crime readers out there! This book definitely has to find a place in your bookshelf! And even if you are not a crime reader, you still need to read this if you seek redemption.

Happy reading!

— Beth G. , Amazon
Great, entertaining read.

The story of the four authors have already been talked about in this book, which makes me wonder what the other four books will offer that has not been spoiled by book 1. That’s something to watch out for, ye?

— Ana Valenzuela , Goodreads
I have led myself to believe I’m part Nancy Drew/Veronica Mars, so to have found out this book carried an intertwined mystery pleased me beyond expectation. Granted I had a difficult time getting through the first pages—even I got bored when I facilitated sessions (youth development) for work—but once a certain writer participant’s story unraveled, The Retreat became unputdownable~, which is important in sustaining a crime story. (Or in this case, stories.) Oh, the twists and the revelations. I obviously couldn’t get enough, be that I was reading it on New Year’s Eve, for crying out loud!

— kb , Goodreads
Excellent way of weaving together the stories of the main author-characters, and how their lives affect the manuscripts they intend to write. The sneak peek of the “manuscripts” also blend well with the main story, and give a quick look at what works we can expect from them. A fast paced read for those who seek to understand the mind of an author.

— Mark Manalang , Goodreads
The story actually didn’t turn out the way I expected, which makes it a great Crime/Mystery novel–it totally misled me. Good thing though it ended on a positive note. I’ve always been afraid to read Crimes/Horrors because I didn’t want to feel unsettled the entire week after reading it but The Retreat gave me a very satisfying ending.

Honestly, I also thought the plot was a clever idea. Ms. Yeyet, must have enjoyed writing the also-writer characters embarking on a Mystery that could affect their lives forever.

Another thing I want to point out is that I loved the characters–they complimented each other perfectly…each character was well-developed…

— ACD , Amazon
When I started reading the book, I initially thought that it was an easy read and I could finish it in one 3-hour sitting. But as I progressed through each chapter, I found myself slowing down and at times, re-reading some of the paragraphs. I say this as a compliment to the author, as I had to pause in between reads to digest the details that the author have had to weave together to elicit an “aaah” moment from her readers. Having said that, this book is definitely not one you can skim through as you would get quite lost with the different stories and characters of the book. I might just add at this point that I did cheekily try to go to the end of the book to find out who bloody hell Julian is. But I am glad I read this book on cloud reader and was unable to do so.

I am glad that I chose this book as my first Philippine-based fiction book. I am looking forward to reading more.

— Jamie Grande , Amazon
Fabulously written and a refreshing read.

…this story is a note worthy recommendation to anyone who loves to watch movies and write scripts. The approach is definitely a surreal feeling once you turn those pages.

It’s like an anthology of stories all collated in one and yet, still tails into one big story that was carefully thought about.

Without spoiling any of the good parts. Here’s a little reader tip from me to you.

brace yourself for lots of twist and turns because you’ll definitely find yourself immersed not only from the story but also from the Title itself.

A Retreat to your imagination!

Simply amazing!

— Magsi Rover , Goodreads