THE world might be able to heal not just from the ongoing pandemic but also from other existing pandemics in the history of humankind only if people believe it will as well as take actions.
This is the message that author Carlston Maglangit, who writes to make people feel life, aims to convey in his new novel titled “The Demon Who Prays” published in London, United Kingdom by Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers Ltd.
It is about a woman who fell in love with the devil’s offer to make her beautiful, and then accused of spreading a flesh-eating disease — that eventually became a pandemic — in a town when she broke the deal.
Maglangit, marketing and promotions officer at the Department of Tourism (DOT)-Northern Mindanao, started writing the new book almost three years ago, but didn’t finish on time due to his job function as one of the hardworking DOT employees who travel most of the time.
It was just two years ago, pre-pandemic, that he was able to finally finish it for just three consecutive days when he got stranded on the beautiful island of Camiguin because of the tempestuous weather that time.
The author said his masterpiece was based on a true story with a creative twist added during the writing process as he was unable to reach the original narrator.
Despite the evils, people can receive blessings that could either be beneficent or devastating. “Progress can be destructive to our environment, fame can affect our privacy and greediness can cause obsession,” he said, adding they entail negative consequences if abused.
Maglangit couldn’t believe that what he wrote in the book is actually happening now. It was only in March 2020 that he was able to absorb everything when it was already taken by the publisher.
He said the pandemic could serve as a blessing as it is a chance for the world to heal. “This is because we are stopping the advancement as well as receiving destructive blessings,” he said, adding that it is a wakeup call for those who are after fame, extravagance, success and idolatry, among others, without caring about the possible costs.
With his new book, he aims to target readers who understand faith and life’s blessings. It is coincidental that the message of the book fit the times, as his real intent had been to convey the messages of healing and repentance to the readers.
“I fervently prayed so that I would know how to tell the core messages before the readers,” he said. “How will you accept healing if you are not sick?”
Maglangit, who caught the COVID-19, said, “The world needs to believe in the power of faith and healing.”
“My purpose is to be the light to those who live in darkness and be the bearer of good news to everyone,” he added. The up-and-coming author writes stories that are imaginable and impart significant life lessons for readers, creating the opportunity for new realizations.
For Maglangit, the hardest scene to write was how the virus can spread from one person to another as well as portraying the three faces of only one person, while the most fun part to write was about healing.
“You must know who you are first, so you won’t get to copy another person, as well as the intention why do you want to write,” Maglangit advised to those who are working on their first book.
“If you lack the spirit or passion to write the book, you might end up copying others who probably have written your story or it may turn out unlikable,” he added. “It is not the fault of the publisher if your book fails, and it is also not the publisher that makes you successful but yourself.”
A great story, for him, is life-changing and makes readers feel better and capable, among others. Maglangit also said being an author in the pandemic “is a journey to yourself.”
The new book can be bought from Amazon, Pegasus, Foyles, Waterstone, WH Smith, Gardners and Nielsen.
Maglangit has likewise started writing his new book titled “Festivity of Silence” last July 2020.
