Lexie Bautista is a sixth-grade homeschooler from Manila, Philippines, who never runs out of things to do. When she isn’t writing a new story, she enjoys painting, crocheting, playing the violin or just being silly with her mom and dad. She is afraid of heights, spiders, and walking alone in the dark. Two Hours Before Midnight is her first published book. Buy the book here or via Shopee.
Hi, Lexie! Congratulations on your book. When did you first realize you wanted to write?
I realized I wanted to write when I was six years old. I started writing short stories in little Do-It-Yourself (DIY) notebooks and shared them with my friends and family. When I was nine, my mom got me into a writers club in my school. There, I wrote stories with other kids who soon became my best friends, and I learned that I was destined to be a writer.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get my ideas from a lot of things. Sometimes, I look for photos and prompts online to write about. When I’m outside, I also take photos of nature and my surroundings. But most of the time, inspiration just hits instantaneously.
What was the hardest part for you in writing your book?
As someone who does not normally write in chronological order but in fragments that are later stitched together, I found it quite challenging to put together my random thoughts and ideas that lead up to the end.
Did you have anybody in mind when you wrote your story?
I wrote this book for my grandmother who passed away in July 2020 due to Covid-19, and although she won’t be able to read it, I hope she did so she would know how much of an inspiration and ray of sunshine she was to many people, including myself. 
Tips for aspiring authors?
Never take anything for granted and learn to see the beauty in everything. In my few years as a writer, I have learned that the best place to find inspiration is where you are. For me, nothing is ever too mundane to be put into words.
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Two years after their grandmother’s disappearance, Chloe and her sister, Tilly find themselves in the middle of a quest to bring back their grandma. They suddenly stumble upon a mysterious family heirloom seemingly left for them to discover.
HIGH SEAS, CURIOUS DREAMS and A LOT OF BURNING QUESTIONS—Will this heirloom prove to be a gift? Or a curse?
Buy the book here or via Shopee.
☁️
BOOKBED 
Anything to share? :)