SMILE FOR THE CAMERA

My upcoming debut book SMILE FOR THE CAMERA is a YA Contemporary Romance set to be released Fall 2026 by Evernight Teen with the audiobook by Tantor Media.

About the Book:
Filipina-American Emilyn Padilla has a secret. While her parents believe their daughter is following her older sister Aprilette’s path toward medical school, Emilyn is actually preparing for a photography competition that could win her a scholarship to art school. Science makes Aprilette shine; through a camera lens, Emilyn finally sees herself clearly.

Every week, she slips away to develop her portfolio and rehearse her presentation with Jase, a guitarist whose calloused fingertips brush against her photographs with the same reverence she feels listening to his music. Her parents think she’s volunteering at the hospital and cramming for the SATs, never suspecting she’s learning to stand before strangers and speak about the images that make her pulse quicken. This summer tastes like freedom, but leaves a question lingering: What costs more; sacrificing your passion or breaking your parents’ hearts? 

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Evernight Teen

Publications

Short Stories

“Autumn Leaves”
(Pomona Valley Review, Issue 10)
Trigger Warnings: Mention of death of a parent (off-page), illness, and grief.

“Here for you”
(California’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction)
Trigger Warnings: Mention of death (off-page) and grief

Poems

“His Hold, His Home”
(The Inquisitive Eater)