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Racquel Sarah A. Castro's Blog, page 12
August 18, 2016
#BuwanNgAkdangPinoy: Tara Frejas
Tara Frejas is a cloud-walker who needs caffeine to fuel her travels. When she’s not on work mode, she keeps herself busy by weaving her daydreams into stories.
Aside from her obvious love affair with words and persistent muses, Tara is very passionate about being caffeinated, musical theatre, certain genres of music, dancing, dogs, good food, and romancing Norae, her ukelele. She owns a male bunny named Max who sometimes tries to nibble on her writing notes. Scandalized is her second novel after Paper Planes Back Home.
Fun fact: She’s a Piscean. Go figure.
Books
Paper Planes Back Home
The “Forget You” Brew
Scandalized
#Strangelit: Killer Seasons
Facebook: facebook.com/taratriestowrite
Twitter: @tarafrejas
Blog: taratriestowrite.wordpress.com
East Genesis Project’s website: bit.ly/EGProject
Twitter: @eastgenproject
Tara and I became friends during the #SparkNA days. We stayed as friends until now. I love her because she made me swoon to Yihwan ahaha. I love you girl!
#BuwanNgAkdangPinoy: Stella Torres
Stella Torres is the author of Save the Cake and the short story “Be Creative” from Kids These Days: Stories from Luna East Arts Academy (Vol. 1)). She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and worked briefly in public relations, but has chosen to pursue her post-graduate studies in the field of education. She loves dark chocolate, hates flyaways, and is constantly in search of comfortable shoes.
Books
Save the Cake
Kids These Days
Crushingly Close
Love in any Season
Connect with the author:
Blog: http://thegreatbigjump.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/StellaTorresAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheStellaTorres
Instagram: http://instagram.com/stella_meimei
I met this wonderful woman at the RWP’s Facebook Party. We talked recently because I wanted to support her. I think we will hang out soon. Right Stella? Hahaha
August 17, 2016
Precious Pelikula: Special Advanced Screening
In April 2016, Precious Pages Corp., the publisher of Precious Hearts Romances, called on amateur filmmakers nationwide to participate in this momentous project. A total of 40 applicants, from students to film enthusiasts sent in their portfolio in the hopes of being able to enter the competition.
Ten applicants were shortlisted. They chose from a selection of PHR titles on which they formulated a film concept as out-of-the-box as they could while still maintaining the romantic personality that Precious Hearts Romances has embodied. From their pitches, five applicants and a “wild card” were granted a much-coveted spot. They each were given P15,000 to produce their respective films by August 12, 2016.
Marco Mata of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila – Fallin’ For You by Heide Colette;
Ian Abaya of Asian Pacific Film Institute – Her Own Brand of Hero by Sofia;
Paolo Pascual of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila – Angel Bautista’s Dreams Café 4: Dream Master;
Miguel Potestades of Collosus Films – Mga Apo Ni Rustica: The Girl in His Arms by Rose Tan;
Richmond Cadsawan of Far Eastern University – Me, Myself and Peregrine by Jamie Black; and
Carl Ruiz of De La Salle College of St. Benilde – Kensi’s Unconventional Love.
On September 3, 2016, 2pm, their films will be screened and then uploaded online as the readers are called to vote for their favorite.
The top three films will be awarded at the Manila International Book Fair on September 18, 2016. Winners will also receive the following cash prizes:
1st place – P100,000.00
2nd place – P50,000.00
3rd place – P25,000.00.
Loved the version on paper? Now it’s time to see it for reel. Watch it with us!
Do you want a complimentary pass for the special screening of Precious Pelikula?
How to Get Passes?
Complimentary passes will be distributed in Precious Pages outlets at SM Manila, SM North Edsa and SM Mall of Asia. Readers only need to buy any 3 of the 6 books included in the competition from August 19 to August 31, 2016, and they will automatically receive one (1) complimentary pass for the screening.
#BuwanNgAkdangPinoy: #HeistClub What We Hide Authors
Arlene Manocot
Arlene Manocot, author of The Gung Ho Lady, is a fiction and poem writer. She writes stories in English and Filipino with a fusion of fantasy, mystery, thriller and romance. Writing stories keeps her going. The Gung Ho Lady is her second published book.
Blogsite:www.writinganddlovinit.blogspot.com
Facebook:www.facebook.com/manocot.arlene
Twitter: @arlenemanocot
Arlene, my friend, is so nice to me. Yes, we bonded mostly on Facebook but the friendship is there and will be there. As a fellow author from Laguna, we are pretty and talented! ahahaha
Jessica E. Larsen
Jessica E. Larsen, author of The Flame Squad: Sly Prince, is an author of contemporary romance, YA, NA and Paranormal stories. She’s a hopeless romantic, who will forever be young at heart. She enjoys traveling a lot, drawing inspiration from places she visits and interesting people she encounters. She loves to read and writes in different genres and spends hours arguing with her characters. At times, she likes playing the villain and gives them a taste of hell when they refused to listen to her demands.
http://www.jessicaelarsen.com/
https://www.facebook.com/authorJessicaELarsen/
https://twitter.com/jessicaelarsen
Jessica and I have been friends since buqoYA days. We just rekindled and became close when I kept on bugging her. hahaha
Mark Manalang
Mark Manalang, author of Sampaguita, describes himself as a “news writer by day, amateur novelist by night, food writer on call, foodie by calling.” He maintains a food blog called “Unlimited Grub Grabs”, and writes on Wattpad under the pen name “Tenkouken”. He also writes news stories for TV5. His dream is to dine at the Shin Yokohama Raumen Museum in Japan, and to write a romance series and a crime series.
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/MTJManalang
WordPress: https://unlimitedgrubgrabs.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @mtjmanalang
Instagram: @unlimitedgrubgrabs
Mark has always been close to me since JustwritePH days. We hang out often nowadays on Facebook. I haven’t been so visible because of work. Sorry Mark. Talk to you really soon.
Farrah F. Polestico
Farrah F. Polestico, author of Let’s Play Murder, wanted to be a lot of things in life— an engineer, a nurse, an astrophysicist. But it wasn’t until she was thirteen when she knew for sure she was going to be a published writer. And now she is. When she’s not up all night writing her next book, you can find her reading anything and everything from a Charles Dickens novel to old grocery receipts
Stay updated on the latest news about Farrah’s new releases by subscribing to the newsletter at http://eepurl.com/by3w01 or following her on Twitter @bookskeepmesane
Bianca Mori
Bianca Mori, author of Snakehead, writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She loves watching fantasy movies and reading anything she can get her hands on. She lives in Manila with her family and a hyperactive pug.
Connect with Bianca:
Twitter – @thebiancamori
Facebook – www.Facebook.com/thebiancamori
Blog – www.thebiancamori.blogspot.com
Goodreads –www.Goodreads.com/thebiancamori
Bianca! She’s been so nice when I finally met her last April. I have been swooning her because I like her works. ahahaha
Porcupine Strongwill
Porcupine Strongwill, author of Corpus Delicti, is a Messiahn artist from Manila, who adores cats, milk-coffee, and the sound of heels clacking on wooden floor. She is currently the editor of and a contributing writer for PSICOM Publishing’s bestselling series Heartbreakers: Season 2. Her debut book, a poetry collection called “Forgotten Things To Say,” was released in 2014.
“Corpus Delicti” is her first published crime fiction.
Porcey, my lil sister. We bonded during the promotion of the #heistclub launch. I added her as an author coordinator but we ended becoming close friends.
August 16, 2016
#BuwanNgAkdangPinoy: #HeistClub What We Fear Authors
Cassandra Javier
Cassandra Javier, author of Dressed to Kill, is a cat lady and pop culture geek who graduated with a degree in Broadcasting and now works as a web content writer. When not writing articles, she writes novels, fanfiction, short stories and blogs at sheflieswithfaeries.wordpress.com.
Her first novella, THE PATH OF US is available on Buqo. As LC Mills, she has published STORMY HOLLOW: THE HUNT FOR THE DIVINE NECKLACE, also available on Buqo.
Cass and I Haven’t met in person but I know and believe that she will be my friend no matter what happen. Maybe someday, if time permits, we are going to hang out.
Irene Recio
Irene Recio, author of Till Death Do Us Part, is a stay-at-home mom with a degree in BS Applied Economics and BS Business Management. She found her happiness teaching pre-nursery children and was taking her Masters in Education when she had to put her career on pause to focus on her amazing daughter. She used to do freelance writing for a parenting website and magazines. Earlier this year, she finished her first romance novella, Breakfast with Brie. She has always been fascinated with mystery and crime fiction, and her love for the genre started with Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys.
I met this wonderful woman during the planning. As an author coordinator, I was assigned to bug them. Haha. It started with me being funny on my emails that Irene complimented my humor. I met her during the launch and she is one of the sweetest friends I now have.
Chris Nava
Chris Nava, author of High Stakes, graduated with a degree in AB Literature from UST. She has written for several media outlets. She is currently taking her Master’s from UP.
Chris and I met during a launch but didn’t have a chance to talk. Haha Now, we are talking a bit often. This wonderful lady is one of my treasured friends.
Georgette S. Gonzales
Georgette S. Gonzales, author ofClassified (A Prologue to Les Dames des Fleurs), is a full time author, residing in a small house somewhere in the Visayas. She has been writing for 12 years now under the pseudonym Edith Joaquin for My Special Valentine (Bookware Publishing, Corp.). This is her first English story to be published online.
Contact her through:
Email jette1013@yahoo.com
Website http://pinaynobelista.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/georgette.pinaynobelista
Twitter @Gette_aka_EJmsv
Instagram @neferjetjet
I met Gette during my takeover in the RWP’s facebook Party. We talked and we shared a lot of stories about life and love. Naks ahaha I am so blessed to finally met her in person. As expected, she is so accomodating! I love you Gette!
J. Guibone
J. Guibone, author of Soul Makers: A Golden City Mystery, decided to pursue her lifelong goal of writing stories for a living, after teaching for three years as a high school English teacher. While obtaining a Master’s Degree, she runs a book blog, The Book Tales, while working on her stories.
I haven’t met J in person. It was hard for me to add her at first. But she added me on Facebook. Yehey!
August 15, 2016
#BuwanNgAkdangPinoy: #HeistClub: Why We Run Authors
Justine Camacho-Tajonera
Justine Camacho-Tajonera, author of Bayawak’s Trail, was born and grew up in Cebu City, Philippines. Despite starting a corporate career in telecommunications, she pursued her masters in Literary and Cultural Studies to keep her close to her first love of writing. She has had her poetry published in several anthologies and local publications and she has published three books: Artemis Lets Go (novella), A Portrait of Jade (novella) and Gift: Poems, her first collection of poetry. She maintains a blog, Claiming Alexandria. She works full time at a corporate job in the Philippines, is married, and has two children whom she homeschools with her husband.
Follow Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Justine-Camacho-Tajonera-Author-Page-144071125674206/
Twitter: @justine_tajo
Justine and I became friends in Twitter because we were bundlemates during #buqoYA days. She is so nice to me.
Racquel Sarah A. Castro
Racquel Sarah A. Castro, author of The Fraud Hunter Book 1: Chasing an ATM Schemer, is living with Cerebral Palsy. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from AMA Computer College-Binan Campus. She wrote When Fate Speaks Big Time,Second Sight to Forever, Encyclopedia Mystique, Stockholm Syndrome: A #WriteBreakUpSongsAbout Story, and The Real Me: An Autobiography. Racquel is a geek, a math tutor, a food addict, a web designer, and a freelance programmer.
Follow Links
Follow her on Twitter: @rsacastro017
Like her Author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/racquelsarahcastro
Blog: https://racquelsarah.wordpress.com/
Email her: racquelcastro2884@gmail.com
Instagram: @rsacie
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11574447.Racquel_Sarah_A_Castro
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00RTBGT62
Wattpad: @RacquelSarahCastro
This is me! ahahaha
Yeyet Soriano
Yeyet Soriano, author of The Retreat, has been writing her entire life. Though the themes of her written works have changed over the years, she held on to one truth—she needed to write to keep the voices in her head at bay. Her day job is that of an IT manager in charge of the Asia-Pacific region for a multinational corporation. She is married to a man who reads only to fall asleep, and they have three wonderful kids—two of whom love to read and one, only starting to learn how to read.
List of published works: Turning Points, In My Dreams, The Retreat, Until . . . Whenever. She has also contributed the following stories to published anthologies: Yeyet (Life in the Middle, A Discovery, 2011); Fairy Queen-In-Waiting(Talecraft Presents Master Story Creators’ Anthology 1, 2016); He Loves Me . . . Not (FLESH, Fixi Novo, 2016).
Follow Links:
http://facebook.com/Yeyetsorianowrites
My soul sister, Yet, has been a blessing to me. She pushed me to write well because she loves me ahaha Yeah! I love you too! haha
Sette Luis
Sette Luis, author of Inertia, is a technical specialist based in Iloilo City. She enjoys the challenge of using Iloilo as setting for her stories.
I met Sette online. I was currently bugging them to submit some stuff for the launch and she was very accommodating.
Michael Recto
Michael Recto, author of Come With Me, is a lover of stories, no matter what medium they came from. His ultimate dream is to be able to tell a great story someday. That is why he toils, he sweats, he loses sleep, he bangs his head against a wall, and he jumps over cliffs, just to write the best story he can think of. And so the next time you see Michael Recto talking to himself, gazing up at the sky, dancing to a tune only he can hear, and smiling out of the blue, just approach him and say “hi”. Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite (yet).
email: mogerus@hotmail.com
I met Mike during the #JustWritePH Book Launch. We mostly hang out online. ahaha (Hi ahahaha)
August 14, 2016
When Sparks Fly by Ines Bautista-Yao [Excerpt & Giveaway]
When Sparks Fly by Ines Bautista-Yao
Genre: Sweet Romance
Twenty-four-year-old photographer’s apprentice Regina has always felt like the plain, dull orange next to the shiny red apple that is her best friend Lana. But then she meets Ben—the first guy to ever break Lana’s heart, and the first guy to ever make Regina feel that he only has eyes for her. As Regina finds herself falling hard for Ben, she also finds herself breaking all the rules of best-friendship. Will she give up the love of her life for Lana, or will she finally realize that she deserves her share of the spotlight, too?
Giveaway
EXCERPT TIME
Regina Salvador wasn’t too sure what she was doing at El Tomador on a work night. She had to be up and on location early the next morning, which was going to be in, oh, maybe three hours—the Philippine sun did have a habit of rising before six a.m. But she had promised her best friend Lana Lucero she’d be there to support her. To support her as she drank three boys under the table in a freaking drinking contest. Which just so happened to take place in a dark bar, hidden along one of the shadier streets of Makati, reeking of smoke and blasting grunge. What was this? A throwback to their college days?
Through narrowed eyes, she watched Lana chug down another tumbler of beer, the frothy amber liquid dribbling down the sides of her mouth, running down her neck, and soaking through the neckline of her white tank top, probably staining it forever. Why her friend thought she had to do these things, she would never know. When Lana triumphantly held the tumbler up and turned it face down to the whoops and cheers of the thickening crowd, Regina felt someone jostle her arm, causing her to lose her balance.
“Watch it!” she snapped, feeling the beginnings of a tirade gathering in the middle of her chest, just waiting to be released. She was tired and worried about Lana. She didn’t want to acknowledge it, but she thought she knew why her best friend was there. Regina didn’t even want to admit it to herself because that would mean her best friend had it really bad, but at the back of her mind, there was a nagging voice whining for attention, chanting one name: Ben. Ben. Ben. Ben Marquez who didn’t call her back after turning her world upside down and making her believe that she was the one—the one who was going to change him, the one who was going to make him forget about all the other girls in his life, the one he was finally going to settle down with—at their ripe old age of twenty-four. Right.
Regina had no idea who this Ben Marquez was. She had been out of town on another shoot when it apparently had all taken place. She was training to be a photographer under Paulo Javellana, one of the most sought-after lensmen in Manila. When she had gotten back from a beach shoot in Boracay, a gorgeous island of powdery white sand and clear blue water that was gaining popularity, Lana was already in tears. She had fallen in love, she said. She had finally found him. The one. The guy she was going to give up her wild, carefree days and take up an apron and a spatula for. Regina was sure Lana didn’t even know what a spatula was.
Lana had met him at this very bar, El Tomador, where their college friends hung out every Wednesday night after work. He was someone’s friend from high school and had wanted a change of scene. They’d had a drinking contest and he’d won. Lana was smitten. No one had ever beaten her before. That was all it took. She was his. But a few days later (“Days? How can you know you’ve found forever in a few days?” Regina was incensed. Her irresponsible best friend had always been flighty but this was the worst she’d seen her), he was gone. Not a call, not a text message, not an email. She actually began stalking him, driving by his apartment and dropping by places she thought she’d find him in. This was one of those places. And when Regina heard what she was planning to do, she insisted on coming along. No way was Lana going to make an utter fool of herself without backup, without someone to take her home at the very least.
So here she was, ready to snap someone’s head off just because he had bumped into her. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?” He had puppy dog eyes. Round, dark brown, and piercing. Regina blinked, imagining herself getting lost in those warm pools, the angry words fizzling out on her tongue.
“Uh, no, I…” she stammered, unable to tear her gaze away. Well, he didn’t seem to be looking anywhere else either.
When he broke into a relieved grin, she found herself smiling too, the tirade all but a distant memory. What was wrong with her? She’d seen cute guys before, kissed a few of them too. But this one’s eyes made her feel as if she weren’t in a noisy bar worrying about her best friend drowning her brain cells in alcohol.
“Did you want another drink?” He gestured toward her empty glass. Which had been filled with water earlier.
Regina twisted her lips in a grimace. “No, I can’t. I have to be at the bus terminal at five.”
“Five this morning?” His eyebrows shot up. “That’s like three hours away.”
“Yeah. I like living dangerously.” She felt her lips twitch.
He laughed. And she felt as if she had hit all three cherries on a slot machine. She usually didn’t talk to strange guys in a bar, especially those with eyes that pulled you in like magnets. But then again.
“I think a cup of coffee is your best bet.” He didn’t even wait for her to agree. He wove his way through the heated bodies cheering someone else on and asked the bartender for the unexpected drink.
Regina watched him walk away. He was in a long-sleeved blue shirt and dark pants. He probably worked in an office or something boring like that. She rebelled against what she called the corporate life. She hated dressing in clothes people wore to an office. She had no idea what they consisted of anyway, unless Paulo had to shoot them for a magazine spread. But otherwise, she lived in jeans, oversized t-shirts, and Doc Martens. With the ease in his movements, this guy looked like he lived in office clothes. She could easily picture him in jeans and a tee though. And that made her smile.
“Reg! What are you smiling at? Why weren’t you watching me?” a slightly slurry Lana yelled in her ear.
Regina’s smile dropped from her face and she grabbed her best friend’s upper arms, shaking her slightly. “Are you okay?”
“God, Reg, what’s wrong with you? Of course, I’m okay!” Lana swung herself free from Regina’s grasp. “I won! And you didn’t even see!”
That’s right. She didn’t. She was too busy being charmed by… where was he anyway? She looked behind her, convinced that Lana would understand once she met him. But he seemed to have disappeared. Was she that exhausted that she had imagined him?
“You!”
“Hi, Lana. Congratulations.”
Regina spun around to see who Lana was shooting daggers at with her wide, flaming eyes. Her heart sank to her stomach when she saw who it was. He was smiling at her best friend, holding coffee in a paper cup.
“Is that for me?” The anger in Lana’s face was receding, as if she was willing to accept a peace offering from him. Any peace offering.
But he didn’t take the hint. Or maybe, wouldn’t.
“No, this is for…” He turned to Regina and smiled again. “I’m sorry, we never introduced ourselves. I’m Ben.”
Holy Crap.
Giveaway
About Ines Bautista-Yao
Reading and writing are close to Ines Bautista Yao’s heart ever since she was a child. She graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in AB Communication Arts. She has been a teacher at the Assumption College San Lorenzo and the Ateneo de Manila University’s English department.
Her debut novel One Crazy Summer was first penned in 2007 when she was pregnant with her first daughter Addie. Being a mother has taken much of Ines’ time so she was only able to write 13 pages of her novel. She completed her story in April 2011, while three-year-old Addie was sleeping and inspiration struck her again. Two months later her story was complete. After eight months, her dream of publishing her own book came true. The book was only launched last January 26, 2012, but Ines is already writing her second novel.
Most readers can remember Ines as the former editor-in-chief of K-Zone Magazine and Candy Magazine . At present, Ines is working as an editor of Summit Books. She is also married to photographer Marc Yao, whom she says she consults whenever she’s stuck in the middle of a story she’s writing.
Giveaway
#BuwanNgAkdangPinoy: Ana Tejano
Ana Tejano has been in love with words and writing ever since she met Elizabeth Wakefield when she was in Grade 3. She has contributed several non-fiction pieces in print and online publications, and has been blogging for years. When she’s not writing, she works as a communications manager for a payroll outsourcing firm, and serves in CFC Singles for Christ in every other time that she doesn’t spend reading or sleeping. She lives in Metro Manila and is also known by another name in her other circles (but it’s not a secret identity, really).
Books
Fall Like Rain
It’s A Match
Keep the Faith
I met this author (One of my favorite authors) during the #BuqoYA last face-to-face class. But I am too shy that time ahaha
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Website | Personal Blog | Book Blog | Wattpad
#BuwanNgAkdangPinoy: Aileen Santos
Aileen Santos is a Relationship Coach and Transformation Trainer with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology.
She’s also been writing stories since she was 14, and published her first magazine short story AND won a national love story writing contest in the same year (because of course her stories were about love).
She has published two love-related books to date: “Seduction Secrets That Really Work!” is a chicklit-novel-and-love-workshop rolled into one, while “Seventeen: A Collection of 7 Teen Love Stories” contain the short stories she wrote when she was a teen, and is a sort of time travel machine for anyone who’s even been that age.
Aileen is also the author of the SPRG Trilogy, a teen paranormal romance series set in Manila, Philippines, under the name A.S.Santos.
SPRG stands for “Student Paranormal Research Group,” which is the same fictional school org that protagonist Samantha Davidson joins to make sense of the strange things she hears and sees.
Website: http://www.aileensantos.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Aileen-Santos/e/B01B0HUA9C
I haven’t met Coach Aileen in person and I am looking forward for that! She’s been s0 nice to me online.
#BuwanNgAkdangPinoy: Agay Llanera
Agay is a freelance writer for TV and print. In her spare time, she enjoys writing Romance, New Adult, and Young Adult novellas.
Books
Vintage Love
Once upon a Player
Choco Chip Hips
This Side of Sunny
Sol
Love in All the Right Places
Coming of Age
Twitter: @agayskee
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/agayllanera
Blog: http://agayisagirl.blogspot.com/
