Racquel Sarah A. Castro's Blog, page 22

Productive Year 2015

2015 - Books

EBooks
When Fate Speaks Big Time

It is the world of Information Technology and Software Testing that Reese Sophia Castillo, a witty geek with mild cerebral palsy, is into. Observe how her optimism and her relationship with God really help her survive the daily judgments of the people around her. Every Juliet has her Romeo. True love waits for the right time. As far as Reese’s concern, she waited for the small box man for almost 9 years. But upon hearing that the man will be engaged, her trust was shaken. Take a glimpse on how fate will speak big time. Is God providing better options?

Nominated in the 2015 Virtue Christian Book Awards – Christian Fiction Category

Second Sight to Forever

Sasha Salazar, a passionate A-Girls dancer, met her ‘crush-at-first-sight’ in the stairway of Escuela de Rojo. She ignored him because she was still into Norman Gil. The second sight at the EDR’s rooftop began the daily rooftop moments (RTMs) of Sasha with the famous basketball varsity player, Joshua Bonifacio. Take a glimpse on how their relationship bloomed as they both found out the spy.

Encyclopedia Mystique

Amelia Agustin is a digital converter in the National Library of the Philippines by day and a digital artist by night. At 24, she supports Filipino Authors by buying and reading their works. She rates the books honestly but she didn’t have the courage to write a review. She has this habit of doing digital art inspired by her favorite scenes. She loves to go to Korea to visit Incheon, the newly proclaimed book capital of the world. She admires Jay Diaz, a popular newscaster/bachelor in town. Serendipity pulls them together in an embarrassing incident. Take a glimpse on where their relationship would go.

EBook Bundles
BuqoYA 1 – Taking Chances

Whether looking for closure, proving their worth, or wondering what happens after a moonlit night, the characters from these stories will invite you to take a chance for love. Will they find what they’re looking for? Or will their hearts get broken? Step into their shoes and find out.

JustWritePH – For Redemption

In “Just Write for Redemption,” the characters have a chance to right previous wrongs and redeem themselves. These stories don’t necessarily come from one particular genre.

Redemption doesn’t come easy. It involves hardship, righting wrongs, and making tough choices. This four-story bundle showcases characters who made wrong turns in life, and want nothing more than to make things right.

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Published on January 11, 2016 22:00

#romanceclass Podcast #4 Songs of Our Breakup by Jay E. Tria

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Published on January 11, 2016 05:31

Review of We Go Together by Carla de Guzman

I want to post my review on her birthday because I am so blessed to meet her.

Revisiting Bea and Ben’s love-hate story was so refreshing for me. As I read chapters after chapters, I believe this is a MUST READ novella. The different POVs helped a lot in finding what the characters think about, what they feel about during the time when conflicts occurs.

I started reading and I cannot stop until I saw the phrase “The End.” That took me eight hours I think? or maybe 10. I love the way Carla presented Bea and how Ben cannot believe what he heard from Claudia’s lips.

GRAB a copy when it’s out!

I even post on Facebook that

You had me at mysteryguy69.

Lastly, the ending made me cry. It made me believe in forever!

Watch out for it!

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Published on January 07, 2016 00:11

New Year Promo + Giveaway from Amae DeChavez

My good friend, Amae, has a new year’s promo and a giveaway.

Promo:

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Giveaway: Click here

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Published on January 06, 2016 23:42

A blessed 2016

We started 2016 with a family gathering. I am so blessed seeing my loved ones in one roof laughing. As we enter a new year, expect new stories from me of course. I will start my year with editing and writing. I am now starting to edit some unpublished stories I wrote last year.

I am currently enrolled at edx again for Developing International Software Part Two. I will try to rekindle my programming skills again :) But will be writing more stories of hope, love, friendship.

We will be busy packing toys for kids. Thanks Lisa and Basics Global for the trust!

I have many plot bunnies in my head right now.

Happy New Year everyone! May this year be as good as 2015!

God loves you! May He bless you and your family!

Heart Heart
Racquel Sarah A. Castro

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Published on January 01, 2016 23:41

A Productive 2015

Icare and Socks for tots

We are a ground v0lunteer for Basics Global. This year, we have two projects with them. ICare is a project with EyeQ Opticals. They provided reading glasses for Filipinos. Socks for tots is a project with Bounce Middle East. The company provided socks for Filipinos.

January

Release of When Fate Speaks Big Time
BuqoYA Class
Friendship with the authors
Friendship with Kaith (my pretty editor)

February

BuqoYA class
Survey with JCRBCC’s Youth Ministry
I turned 31 on Feb 8.
Submitted the buqoYA story

March

JCRBCC’S 27th Anniversary
Signed up for #SparkNA class
Submitted the final manuscript plus book cover
Youth-YA Acoustic Night

April

Start of #SparkNA class
Release of BuqoYA 1 – Taking Chances
BuqoYA Blog Tour
Friendship with Anne, Kristel, Krissy, Liana, Fay, AC, Justine, Six, Raffy, Kaye, Jen, and other buqoYA authors

May

BuqoYA Blog Tour
SparkNA class
Vacation with the family (Pangasinan-Baguio-Benguet)
Daily Vacation Bible School (Sunday School Ministry)
Friendship with #sparkNA classmates like Tara, Chi, terese, criselda

June

Submitted my SparkNA story
Rei’s Bridal shower
Mark and Rei’s Wedding
Submitted my BuqoYA story for standalone novel
MoreLoveInPH by Romance Writers of the Philippines
Release of Second Sight to Forever (buqoYA story)
Crazy me to search for my name in Google and found out that my first novel has been nominated. When Fate Speaks Big Time was a nominee in the Virtue Christian Book Awards – Christian Fiction Category.

July

CampNanoWriMo
JustWritePH class by PinoyWriMos
July 6 and 7 feature on Virtue Christian Book Awards
Bookbed.org posted my first article.

August

Writing my Autobiography which will be release March 2016
Release of JustWritePH-For Redemption

September

Attended my first MIBF (Manila International Book Fair)
Friendship with Yeyet, Niki, and Jesse
Friendship with Rulers of Spade and Wasabi Warriors (RAWR!)
Friendship with Magsi, Kim, Loid, Pau, Mark, Mike, and Beth.
Planning for YA Ministry
Facebook Party JustWritePH
JustWritePH Blog Tour

October

HeistClub Online Class
World CP Day: I am here
Best Nanay Awards Night

November

HeistClub Online Class
HeistClub Submission of Final Manuscript
NANOWRIMO
#WriteBreakupSongsAbout

December

Submitted the Encyclopedia Mystique for JustWritePH Standalone
Release of Encyclopedia Mystique Standalone
buqo25DaysofChristmas promo Day 7
JCRBCC’s Family Night
Engagement of my dear Sister, Ken
I am found? LOL

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Published on December 30, 2015 20:30

#romanceclass Blast from Two Pasts by Kristel S. Villar

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Published on December 26, 2015 05:03

Jesus Christ: The Reason why we have Christmas

The Reason We Celebrate Christmas

Christmas bells . . . Christmas Mass . . . Christmas trees . . . Christmas Gift . . . All of these symbolizes Christmas . . . But the main reason why we commemorate Christmas is because of God’s love through a Suffering Savior, Jesus Christ.

God loves you so much that He gave His one and only Son to die. John 3:16 says that:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

A single sin hinders us from coming to God. It says in Psalm 5:4,

“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You.”

But He gave a solution. That is to send His Son as an atoning Sacrifice for all our sins.

Why would a loving father send His beloved Son to die? It is because He is thinking of you. It is because He knew that He needs to judge us in the end. God is love but He is also just.

Free will . . . it is a gift . . . a gift that can lead us to destruction if we chose not to believe. That is what God only requires . . . to believe in His Son. To trust Him. To accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior. If you hear His voice calling you now, will you let your ears hear His cry . . . His cry of wanting to be in your lives?

Let Jesus Christ be inside your heart. He can do little miracles every day. You just have to come to him and say, “I will claim Your gift of salvation.” Do not let your gift be unclaimed.

Before greeting your family and friends, you should pray and greet Jesus Christ first a happy birthday. He is the reason why we have this celebration.

You will probably have a question in your mind right now. Why do Racquel keeps on reminding me this? Because every Christian has the responsibility to share this fact. That Jesus Christ died for our sins and He rose again. If you are reading this, I want to tell you that I love you. But God loves you more than I do.

God loves you so much! Merry Christmas!

Let me end with a passage from John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life,and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness,and the darkness has not overcome it.