Racquel Sarah A. Castro's Blog, page 20
February 29, 2016
Review+Giveaway+Excerpt: SONGS TO GET OVER YOU (Playlist #2) by Jay E. Tria
Songs to Get Over You (Playlist # 2) by Jay E. Tria (Playlist # 2)
It’s harder to get over someone who was never really yours.
They say rock stars get all the girls. But Miki knows that’s not always true. He, for one, though the guitarist of popular indie band Trainman, just can’t seem to get the girl. It’s kind of his fault, really. No one told him to fall in love with Jill. No one told him to stand still and watch as she moved on from a terrible breakup into the arms of another guy—a Japanese celebrity with the face of an angel and the body of a god.
So when someone else comes along, someone who finds him cute, smart, and funny (sometimes in the haha sort of way), will Miki finally move on? Or will he continue to pine for Jill?
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Review Time
5 STARS for Songs to Get Over You (Playlist # 2)
Racq Says: I love the way it is written. I love MIKI so much that I want to find him. I even twitted Jay about it. I can relate to Miki more (Loving so near yet so far). What I love about this contemporary romance is the incorporation of music to a book. The way Jay describe Miki made me fall in love with him. TEAM MIKI FOREVER! I wish I could see this book on TV. It is a well-planned romance! Good job! I love when Ana stalk the band in a radio program. (Good job!) The words from the band’s songs made me swoon more.
Giveaway Time!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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The Author
Jay E. Tria
Hi! I’m a writer of contemporary Young Adult and New Adult romance. These days I’m writing paranormal/fantasy too, and it’s a fun exercise. I’m often inspired by daydreams, celebrity crushes, a childhood fascination of Japanese drama and manga, and an incessant itch to travel.
NEW RELEASE: Songs to Get Over You | That Thing Called Closure #WriteBreakupSongsAbout
Also by Jay: Blossom Among Flowers | Songs of Our Breakup | Majesty
Official site: www.jayetria.com
Email: jayetria@gmail.com
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Wattpad: jayetria\
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EXCERPT:
May 29, Friday, night
The guy on the screen was rambling while his best friend focused on wolfing down his bacon. He must have been saying something relevant to the plot of this movie; he was the lead guy after all. But the actor had grown a thick sandpaper beard to match his stringy hair that he kept raking away with his hand. And Miki was distracted.
Ana was leaning forward in her chair beside him, a cluster of wasabi-cheddar popcorn frozen in her mouth. Her palm was cupping her chin, eyes intent on the screen. At least one of them was enjoying the price of admission. There was a smidgen of salt dangling on the corner of her lip. Heaven, make me understand why girls bother with lip gloss, he thought as his thumb moved to de-salt her skin.
Ana’s head jerked towards him, but her lips curved into a smile under his thumb.
“Sorry,” Miki muttered, a little too loudly. He moved his hand back to the safety of his lap. “Salt.”
Ana’s eyes seemed to be laughing. She thrust the popcorn bag at him. “So I can return the favor,” she murmured.
Miki’s mouth inched into a small smile, glad that the darkness of the movie theater hid his rising blush. He took a large scoop of the greasy fluffs of popcorn just as his phone vibrated in his pocket. Finally. He stuffed the popcorn into his mouth and chewed as he read Jill’s reply, exactly thirty-two minutes since his last text.
“Where are you?” Miki texted back.
“Airport.”
“What time is your flight?”
“Wait. Immigration.”
Two minutes. Four.
“Done with immigration?”
“Yes but now running to”
Jill had left the text hanging, which Miki thought could only mean she was sprinting to the gate to catch her flight. Miki blamed Shinta. Wasn’t he usually prompt to the last minute? He probably exhausted the final second of Jill’s company before he drove her to the airport, or maybe they were mauled by his rabid fans at the terminal. In any case, he was sure it was Shinta’s fault that Jill was running to meet her boarding time, and if—worst case scenario—she missed her plane.
Miki growled under his breath. I’m on to you, you selfish god of a human.
Ana turned to him again. Apparently, Miki didn’t just make that sound in his head.
“You’re not liking like this movie very much, are you?” she whispered.
“Ah no, it’s not that,” he muttered, plunging his phone into the depths of his jeans pocket. He gestured at the screen with pursed lips. “I think that guy is a jerk.”
“He is,” Ana agreed. She took the popcorn bag from Miki and dunked her hand in for another handful, her attention back on the big screen.
Miki pulled his phone out again, placing his faith on auto-correct as he typed in the dark. “Did you make it? What time do you land?”
His phone lay still in his hand for an entire scene and a half of the movie. In his mind, Miki was already strangling Shinta Mori.
The phone’s vibration tickled his thigh.
“Made it,” read Jill’s text. Miki released a sigh through gritted teeth. “Never again am I going to let myself be escorted to the departure area by a frigging celebrity. Girls screaming everywhere.”
So it was the rabid fans after all. Miki scowled, thinking she should have known better, and he told her so.
“Answer my question, woman!” he demanded next. “What time does your plane land?”
“Will be back in Manila by the time you wake up from your cranky mood. Sheesh. Plane is taxiing. Have to go. Later.”
Miki glared at her message until the screen blinked off, the phone in his hand melting into the darkness.
He wasn’t being cranky. He was just being a friend. Wasn’t it normal to ask for the details of a friend’s flight? Wasn’t it normal to want to pick up a friend from the airport? To make sure she doesn’t get harassed by a lawless taxi driver? Especially since he had not seen and had hardly spoken to said friend for a week now?
Not when you’re on a date, you idiot. Nino’s voice in his head called him out. Miki ignored it, the same way he ignored Nino when he spoke the words to him—albeit a longer, more aggressive version—earlier today. Since his breakup with Suze, Nino had been running around like he knew every life hack in love. As if having been in a failed relationship and living to tell the tale made him a relationship expert.
Miki told Nino that wasn’t really the way expertise worked, but Nino swatted the argument away like an irksome fly. And now Miki was left with Nino’s words circling inside his head. He sunk deep into his seat, thinking his intentions to pick up Jill from the airport were perfectly justified, thank you very much.
“So the lead guy just died,” Ana said, her breath on his ear.
“What?”
“Yeah, a guy with an electric axe came and sliced his head off, and his limbs too for good measure in case he could resurrect. Now the girl is crying because she just found out about the morbid death of her one true love.”
Miki stared in horror at the screen. True enough, the girl was sniffing, tears flooding down her cheeks, her pretty head on the shoulder of another girl that Miki assumed was her best friend. Wasn’t this supposed to be some light, girly movie? The pink cursive font on the movie poster was cruelly misleading.
He turned to Ana as the cogs in his brain started working.
“Maybe a horror movie next time?” she said as realization dawned on his face. “It seems that would keep your attention for much longer.”
Miki wanted to punch his own face in. “I’m sorry Ana, I—”
Ana reached over and squeezed his hand, then shushed him as she returned her attention to the movie. The lead guy was not beheaded after all, his now clean, shaven face reappearing on the screen. The girl had stopped crying.
Miki’s heart took its slow time to skip a beat at Ana’s touch. Her hand was cold; no surprise there as the theater was built like an icebox. He thought about his own numbing hands as his head registered her words, the promise of next time. He wondered if linking his fingers with Ana’s would make them both feel warmer.
Ana shifted closer and dipped her head to fit between his chin and his shoulder.
Miki sighed as his heart stuttered to an uneven beat. Ana’s arm was snug against his, but he decided against taking her hand. For one, recent history would show he didn’t deserve it.
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February 24, 2016
Review: Waiting for Whatever by Fay Sebastian
Waiting for Whatever by Fay Sebastian
Denise knew pain at an early age. She has been waiting for her true love since she was 11, but she never gave up, knowing she’d meet him someday.
What she didn’t know was that she already met the man she’s been waiting for, and that he’s sitting beside her at the airport. The thought never crossed her mind because she’s seated between two guys who broke her heart before.
REVIEW TIME!
FOUR STARS!
Racq Says: The hope of a happily ever after is what this is all about. The young Denise saw her two schoolmates, Robin and Seth on the airport. She enjoyed the trip to Paris while she was thinking about the past. Was destiny mistakenly put her on the thinking chair to resolve her issues between Seth and Robin?
It is a story of choices between friendship and love. Fay constructed it with such power that I couldn’t put my ipad down until i realized that it was already 4 in the morning. Good job.
Although the story is simple, Fay made sure that her reader would end in a giddy mood.
About Fay Sebastian
Fay started writing stories since she learned how to write with a pencil, but she only rediscovered her love for writing when she was a high school freshman. Since then, writing has become her life.
Now a Speech Communication student at the University of the Philippines, she writes even during the busiest of days because writing prevents her from being a college zombie.
Why she holds writing instruments in an odd way will always be a mystery to the world.
Blog | Twitter | Facebook
February 22, 2016
February 18, 2016
Author Starter Pack in Lazada
Lazada is one of the trusted online shopping sites in the Philippines.
As a writer, I have no time in going to the mall to shop. Thanks to Lazada.
If I am going to add 5 items in Lazada that will be included in the author starter pack, I suggest you buy the following:
Lenovo IdeaPad 100s-11 80R20033PH Intel Atom Z3735F Quad-Core 11.6″ Windows 10 Netbook (Silver) Check it out! – You will be needing this laptop to be able to write a story.
Toshiba Canvio Simple 2TB Portable Hard Drive (Black) Check it out! – Save your manuscripts and back up files here.
Prolink PM0712G Super Mini Nano Wireless Mouse (Red) Check it out! – To make life easier, you have to get this!
FORTHPACK ML14001 Luggage 22″ (Lavender/Lilac) with FREE Travel Bag, Backpack, and Sling Bag Check it out! – Travel a lot to get fresh observations and new experiences.
For Women: Mango Saffiano Zip Around Wallet (Beige) Check it out! – Wallet for your future income as an author.
February 17, 2016
February 14, 2016
#BayongNgKuting : Let me try to write for kids
I thought everything is going to be easier. But writing for kids is a tough challenge. Last MIBF, Mina told us that she would be handling a class based on an award-winning children’s book. I was so excited that I signed up the moment I saw Mina’s post about it.
We were told that we have to base our story to a book, Bayong Ng Kuting (A Bagful of Kittens) by Mae Astrid Tobias.
I was once a Sunday School teacher and I felt it was time to write for them.
It was hard to write for kids. But the #BayongNgKuting Class and its mentors made it a little easier.
I received my copy of the #BayongNgKuting book one week after the face-to-face class which i regret not attending.
God provided me wisdom to conceptualize a story a day before the submission of the story concept. Yes, He is truly faithful.
I finished my first draft and send it to my buddies, Mark and Yeyet. Then, Yeyet offered me a very advance birthday gift. (SEcret!) Thank you Yeyet!
I also sent copies to my friends (Thank you!)
I successfully finished and submitted my final manuscript to Mina.
I was so inspired by the author of Bayong Ng Kuting, Mae Astrid Tobias. Her life will always be an inspiration. I want to write more for kids because of her passion.
The Tough Parts of Writing for kids
Choice of words. – I think when you are writing for kids, you must choose the right words to let them know your point. Being a romance author, it was so hard for me. But through the help of God, my friends and family, I finished it.
What words can you introduce to kids – Widening children’s vocabulary is a writer’s goal when writing for children. It was so hard for me to select the perfect words to introduce.
Choosing the lessons to teach – I love to teach kids about God. That is my ultimate goal. God’s love has been the lesson I imparted to kids. Respect for elders is also a lesson that I include in my story.
I had so much fun in writing for kids. I learn that repeating phrases is important to have retention.
Watch out for the new breed of Cat stories soon. My Cat Story is entitled Cariño And The Three O’Clock Habit.
February 11, 2016
February 9, 2016
Happy Hearts Day!
Click here
Sweet treats for you!
Get 50% off when you buy Encyclopedia Mystique and Second Sight to Forever until Feb. 14. Buy it for only PHP 22.50!
Enjoy! Happy Hearts Day everyone!
February 8, 2016
Happy 32
Thank You Lord God for another year! Your gift for me this year is amazing! A Career. The Career I am longing to have. Thank You Father God! Thank You for Jesus! Thank you for my future… :P I love you Father God!
Thank you to my family! They keep me going because of their unconditional love. I can really feel it!
Thank you for my schoolmates, friends, and teachers in Escuela de Valle Verde, Greenville Academy and AMA BInan!
To all my best friends, I am so thankful for you all!
To my JCRBCC Family! I love you all so much!
To Lisa Kingsley and Basics Global, we are so thankful for your concern for Filipinos.
TO VCBA and Hope House Centre! Thank you for the opportunity!
To Buqo, Thank you for the opportunity. Special Mention to John(Alden ng buqo), Maxine, and Ariel
To my bookbed family! Thank you! Keep Reading!
To my future… thank you! Intay ka lang. May tamang panahon na! haha
I thank the Lord for being an author because it is the way of meeting wonderful people like my co-authors in #buqoYA, #sparkNA, #JustWritePH, #heistclub, #writeBreakSongsAbout, and #BayongNgKuting.
Thank you for the friendship guys!
I love you all!
Special mention to our mentors: Mina V. Esguerra, Liana Smith-Bautista
I will be focusing on preparing for my writing class again #romanceclass2016.
I love learning. I have a teachable heart. I love writing. And I love the writers who inspire me to continue. Thank you!
Thank you for the visit Yeyet, Magsi and Mark! I know that our friendship will be forever. (Naks)
What do writers talk about when they were together?
The Talk about politics
The TV-Script-React thing
TV Script scrutinized LOL
Small talks about film making
Tapis exposure.
Anthology possibility
Bo0k launch, NBI, PGH ahaha
Heart Heart
Racquel Sarah A. Castro
