At the press launch and book signing, Wurtzbach shared how long she had wanted to release her work and revealed that they decided to stall it because of the restrictions due to the pandemic.

“This is really how I envisioned the launch would be,” she said while being overwhelmed with the congratulatory remarks of guests and fans both onsite and online. In doing a face-to-face event, Wurtzbach felt the warmth of the people and excitement in the air. “In this way, I could appreciate everybody’s reactions towards my work and be able to sign them with much enthusiasm,” Wurtzbach continued.

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The decision to wait for the right moment allowed Wurtzbach and her team with ABS-CBN Books to work with Tuttle Publishing during the pandemic. The author shared that her novel since then underwent tweaking to improve its writing further and have a more appealing cover.

With Tuttle’s guidance, Wurtzbach improved the story of Cleo, particularly in depicting Metro Manila’s glittering urban life and distinct Filipino culture among families.

“If you’re a foreigner reading this, you would have a mental picture of what it’s like to live in the Philippines, how Filipinos communicate with each other, and what it is like to be in the entertainment industry and pageant world,” Wurtzbach explained.

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While writing the novel, Wurtzbach realised how important inspiration is and to have free hours dedicated solely to writing. “I would have to regularly remind myself to go back to the desk and write my book because I tend to multi-task,” Wurtzbach said.

Another realisation of the author is how far she can go in revealing her vulnerabilities. “Since it’s loosely based on my life story, I had to be willing to share what happens in my world,” she explained. Although she did not reveal anything controversial or degrade real persons, Wurtzbach had to consider her storytelling must not have gaps. The author clarified that all the characters were fictional.

Above all else, Wurtzbach had to have faith in the project as there were times when she thought it would never be finished.

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Cleo’s story is filled with crossroads, which challenged Wurtzbach. She had to prove to her estranged film director father that his family had done better than survive even without his presence. “Her road is riddled with frustrations, dashed hopes, and the age-old question—what is the price of fame and fortune?” Wurtzbach read the book’s blurb. What challenged Wurtzbach the most in the process was how to write and resolve later the conflicts Cleo faced, where the character had to decide if she was still doing the right thing.

“I was very particular on how the story would end because I don’t want the readers to think that the only way to call yourself successful in this career is when you are Miss Universe,” Wurtzbach said. “You wear your own crown and you determine what kind of queen you are,” she emphasised.

Wurtzbach explained that she titled the book as such because she wanted to impart to her readers that “You are the queen of your own universe. You may not be a beauty queen but maybe you are an entrepreneur, medical officer, educator, student, homemaker—it doesn’t matter what crown you wear, it’s still your universe and you are the queen.”

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The author confessed that Cleo and her do not necessarily agree with the decisions they each made in life, although they share the same fighting spirit and the unquenchable thirst to reach their goals.

“I don’t agree with the mindset of giving up on a dream when it’s too close to reality after you’ve invested time, resources, and energy in the span of a long time,” Wurtzbach said, looking back at Cleo’s story, hers, and the journey of her debut novel. Resilient as always, Wurtzbach believes that failures do not exist as they become lessons for you to get closer to your goals.

Now married to Jeremy Jauncey and with all her plans and dreams already falling into place, Wurtzbach only wishes for happiness and strength to continue doing the things she loves. She later revealed that she’s already starting to conceptualise a sequel for Queen of the Universe, with pageantry having changed since she open-endedly wrapped Cleo’s story in 2019.

“I think the next book would be filled with more drama,” she teased.

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