Today, I am delighted to welcome best selling poet and writer, Michelle Ayon Navajas, as my August author guest on LatinosUSA.
Michelle Ayon Navajas, is the editor of Hotel by Masticadores and is also one of the editors of LatinosUSA.
Michelle has established her own publishing house which you can find here: https://michnavs.wordpress.com/2026/08/06/michelle-ayon-publishing-house/
Tell us a bit about Michelle Ayon Navajas. How did you become a poet and writer?
I have been scribbling words ever since I learned how to hold a pen and write on paper. My father was the first person who recognized my gift for words and storytelling. He introduced me to various literary figures and gave me my first book of poetry when I was only eight years old. He encouraged me to play with words through Scrabble and puzzles, and those activities became our special bonding moments.
When I reached high school, I began taking writing more seriously. I joined our school paper and eventually became its Editor. I also participated in writing competitions, which further strengthened my passion for storytelling. This passion eventually led me to pursue Journalism in college, as I dreamed of becoming a writer for newspapers or television.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
However, my journey into publishing came much later in life. I published my first book when I was 41 years old. While some may consider that a late start for a writing career, I believe it happened at exactly the right time. By then, I was more prepared, more grounded, and mature enough to embrace both the joys and challenges of the publishing industry.
My journey taught me that there is no perfect timeline for becoming a writer. Every experience, every lesson, and every story we gather along the way becomes part of the book we are meant to write.
What inspired you to write Afternoons that tasted like love in Manila?
I was born and raised in Manila, and I spent most of my adult life there. As the center of the Philippines, Manila is a city that never seems to slow down. People come here to study, to work, and to chase their dreams. I have experienced its terrible traffic, endless chaos, overwhelming noise, and the constant movement of people from all walks of life.
Yet, beneath the chaos, there is a quiet tenderness that often goes unnoticed. Manila carries countless stories waiting to be told—stories that exist beyond the noise, beyond the traffic, beyond the crowded streets, and even beyond the flooded neighborhoods during typhoon seasons. There is a softer side of the city that deserves to be seen and understood.
This inspiration stayed with me for a long time. I had so much I wanted to write, but I could never seem to bring all my thoughts together. Until one day, I had the opportunity to return to Manila and see it again through a more mature perspective. With time and distance, I was able to look beyond what I once saw as chaos and discover the beauty, resilience, and humanity that had always been there.
What is your aim with this particular collection?
My goal is to bring Manila to the world with tenderness—to share the city that shaped me as a woman and as a poet. Through my work, I hope to reveal a side of Manila that goes beyond its familiar images of chaos and struggle: a city filled with stories, resilience, beauty, and humanity. It is the Manila that raised me, inspired me, and continues to live within me.
I love the title of this collection – what does it mean to you?
“Afternoons That Tasted Like Love in Manila” is a title that holds a very personal meaning for me. It represents the quiet, tender moments I discovered beneath the city’s familiar chaos—the golden hours when Manila seemed to slow down and reveal its softer side.
The word “tasted” is intentional because memories, like food, can linger. They carry the flavors of places, people, and emotions long after the moment has passed. For me, Manila is a city of contrasts: loud yet gentle, restless yet deeply human. It is where I experienced love, loss, longing, and the many encounters that shaped me as a woman and as a poet.
This collection is my way of honoring those fleeting afternoons—the ordinary moments that seemed small at the time but left lasting imprints on the heart. It is a love letter to Manila, told through stories of tenderness, vulnerability, and the quiet beauty found in everyday life.
An extract from Afternoons that tasted like love in Manila
«Exit
The hardest goodbyes are often the calmest.
That afternoon, I let you in. I was standing by the window, the sunlight pooling in like a golden invitation, when you knocked. I hesitated only a moment before I opened the door. I should have known better. I should have felt the weight of what letting you in really meant.
You walked past me as if it were your place to be, and I followed, trying to ignore the quiet unease gathering at the edges of my thoughts. We talked, and each word you spoke seemed to weave a tighter net around my heart—the threads pulling taut with every shared laugh, every fleeting touch, every glance that lingered just a second too long.
Outside my window, Recto Avenue throbbed with its usual restless life. Jeepneys groaned under the weight of passengers, their engines coughing into the thick afternoon air. Vendors called out over one another, voices sharp and practiced, selling books, street food, and small necessities to students weaving through the crowd. The movement never stopped—only shifted, like a tide that refused to settle. Across it all stood a high-rise building, its glass façade catching the fading sun, scattering light in fractured reflections. It loomed above the chaos, distant and self-contained, as though untouched by the lives unfolding below.
When you finally stood to leave, something tightened in my chest—hope or fear, I couldn’t tell which. I watched you step out the door, and when it closed behind you, the silence felt unnatural, almost violent in its suddenness. I had let you in only to watch you walk away. It felt rehearsed, inevitable, like a scene I had unknowingly agreed to perform.
The city didn’t pause for me. From above, Sampaloc carried on—tricycles rattling through narrow gaps, horns clashing in uneven rhythm, voices rising and dissolving into the thickening dusk. One by one, lights flickered on inside the high-rise, small, distant lives stacking into view. None of them lingered. None of them held.
I replayed the moment endlessly: the fading sound of your footsteps, the hollow space you left behind. It was a mistake I couldn’t undo. I had welcomed you with an open heart, only to be left with an empty room and the quiet, sinking realization that I had let both the best and worst of it slip through my fingers—just as Manila surrendered to night, I, too, was left to endure the ending of something that had once felt impossibly, fleetingly beautiful.
Just like that, I let go in silence—no yelling, no tears, no begging.»
What’s next for Michelle Ayon Navajas?
I recently started my own publishing house with the goal of providing a platform for emerging writers to share and develop their work. The publishing industry is highly competitive, but I believe there is always room for fresh voices and meaningful stories.
I am also exploring the technical aspects of screenwriting, with the hope of adapting my own works and seeing them come to life on the big screen as films. This journey allows me to bridge the worlds of publishing and cinema while creating opportunities for stories to reach wider audiences.
My review of Afternoons that tasted like love in Manila by Michelle Ayon Navajas
This collection of vignettes and poems has been compiled like a reflection on a long past romance in a fascinating and mystical city. The book is divided into four parts with each part depicting the stages of a failed romance from the first exciting thrill of new passion and love, through the slow disillusionment of reality and differences imposing on the illusion of perfect love, to the sharp pain of ending and loss and, finally, transitioning into acceptance and memory.
The emotional rollercoaster contained within this short book will be relatable to many people who have loved someone who isn’t quite our perfect match, even if it seemed they were in the beginning. In order to grow, most of us need to walk through the valley of love, loss, and pain and often we emerge stronger and wiser on the other side. The heady days of passion and joy remain with us as sweet memories we look back on with pleasure in our later lives.
The writer uses beautifully descriptive language to draw the reader into the moment in a way that makes you feel as if you are sharing the experience with the narrator. I was engaged from the very first poem that described the fascinating city of Manila that I have never seen. Manila Skyline describes Manila as follows:
«Manila burned in orange
or pink, they said.
it never mattered.
all i remember
is you.
that afternoon,
sunset caught in your eyes
love, fierce and fleeting.
glowing like the sky.»
Another paragraph that snared my attention was from Distance:
«You never realize how deeply distance can unsettle you until it leaves you missing someone you love so much it feels like you’re losing your way.»
The first poem in the second section poignantly describes the soft ending of love. From Soft as the Leaving:
«and just like that,
you slip away
soft as a secret the daylight won’t keep,
while the sun lingers low in the afternoon,
gold unraveling at the edges of you.»
I recommend this exquisite collection of flash fiction and poems to anyone who has ever felt the intensity of first love. It is a delightful stroll down memory lane.
Purchase Afternoons that tasted like love in Manila from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Afternoons-that-Tasted-like-Manila-ebook/dp/B0GYZG81ZB/
About Michelle Ayon Navajas
Michelle Ayon Navajas (born June 23, 1976) is a Filipino poet, writer, and educator. She is a Best-Selling international Poet known for her books reaching the #1 spot within days of their release. Her 8th poetry book, “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark,” went straight to the top of both the best-sellers list and new releases on Amazon on short notice. Her 7th poetry book, “It Ain’t Winning If Without You,” went straight to the best-sellers list on Amazon in less than 24 hours of release by pre-orders alone and eventually became the number Poetry Book on Amazon India on its actual release day, soon after the book rose to the best- sellers list as well in all other Amazon Markets worldwide.
Currently, Michelle holds the title of having 4 books published in a row to have made it to Amazon’s Best-Sellers List («I Will Love You Forever, Too,” “After Rain Skies, 2nd Edition,” “It Ain’t Winning If Without You,” and “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark”) and 3 books on Amazon’s #1Hot New Releases/New Releases («I Will Love You Forever, Too,” “It Ain’t Winning If Without You,” and “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark”.)
Her poetry appeared in several international literary magazines and anthologies such as Spillwords NYC, MasticadoresUsa, and MasticadoresIndia. Her poems “Holding Hands” was voted as Spillwords Publication of the Month for November 2021 and “Love Happens” was voted as Spillwords Publication of the Month for December 2022.
She is also part of the award-winning ensemble of authors in two Poetry Anthologies, that are both Amazon Best-Sellers: Hidden In Childhood and Wounds I Healed.
Graduated with a Master of Education majoring in English in the Philippines (University of San Agustin, Iloilo City). Michelle was a former college professor, teaching literature, speech & oral communication, creative writing, drama, and theatre arts. She is also a graduate of Mass Communications major in Journalism (Centro Escolar University, Manila).
Michelle is active in her writing profession and works as a freelance creative writer.
Follow her online:
About Robbie Cheadle
South African author, photographer, and artist, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated seventeen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, written and illustrated four poetry books and written and illustrated one celebration of cake and fondant art book with recipes. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Social Media Links
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
TSL Publications: https://tslbooks.uk/product-tag/robbie-cheadle/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robbie-Cheadle/author/B01N9J62GQ
Unsplash profile: https://unsplash.com/@r_cheadle
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