Arlene Manocot's Blog, page 20

I Found You Cover Reveal + Giveaway

It's time for I Found You, Cover Reveal! I hope you are excited as I am. This is the day I'll finally show you the full book cover of my latest book.

First, let me tell you something about the book.

I Found You is a poetry anthology that is basically about finding the one, searching until you find nothing, feeling lost like something is missing, moving forward in spite of being broken, fixing and picking up yourself, and all other things that drag you down because of that empty space in your heart. But you never give up! You never quit. Instead, you just rest. You hibernate, preparing for the next chapter your life.

PRODUCT DETAILS
Size: 5 x 7
Cover: Matte
Paper: Cream Paper
Bind: Softbound
No. of pages: 100
Colored pages: 7 out of 100

Book price per copy is 250 pesos, but the pre-order price is 280 pesos. So don't miss this chance.

i found YOU in print soon!

Hi! Finally, now is the time to tell you that the writer of this account (me, myself, and I) is finally releasing her latest book 'i found YOU' in print. Yep, in a form of a physical book!

Vengeance Returns with Retribution and Redemption

Vengeance Series is finally on my desk, and I decided to revise and edit this story at last. After 3 years, I think, I have now the courage to continue the series. So help me God.

It is three part series. Vengeance revolves around the lives of

Cleo and Ikeda, and some other vital characters in the story. More or less, it talks about the end of the world, of the human race because of their sins. The sinful nature of man is too much for the heavenly creatures. The Father as the creator of all things will reboot and destroy the ways of the sinners.

I assume I am not giving away much of the story by blogging my writing journey here as I continue the Vengeance Series. Below are the themes/titles of the three part series:

The Awakening (already published and available on Amazon.com)

The Retribution (on going on Wattpad.com)

The Redemption (soon...)


Get a copy or read it for free!

I look forward on posting my progress here on my blog.

Ciao!

To God be the glory!

Laguna de Bay: The Good Old Days

en.wikipedia.orgPhilippines is a tropical country, and summer season is now hitting the country. So, prep your summer outfit and sunnies and gear up to hit the beach.
Wait, forget what I said.
We're not hitting the beach.
Instead, let's talk about our very own sanctuary of the creatures under the sea, the Laguna de Bay.
Laguna Lake was once a source of clean water of the people from the three barangays in the first district. Caingin, Aplaya and Sinalhan were located beside the lake and the settlers of the said barangays mostly relied on the lake as its source of food and incoming. They used it for their living, but sadly they never returned the favor.
When I was just kid, my mom used to tell me how clear the water in Laguna lake, they often used it to wash their clothes and took a bath during summer season.
Sabado de Gloria was a holiday I always looked forward to along with my cousins all for the reason that it was also our chance to go swimming and enjoy the water without paying any fees. The water in the lake was already polluted during those days, but Sabado de Gloria was a day of miracle for us. The muddy water became lighter and we could see the stones and dead shells. It was a simple delight we always indulge ourselves into.
Then, something happened.
I saw a yellow submarine.
That day, I stepped out of the and I stopped going to the lake for a swim since then.
It was a poop. For the lake sake! It was a fresh yellow poop, about three inches long probably.
And as I grew older, the water condition got worse. I had hopes that may be, just may be the water would turn clear during Holy Week, but it didn't.
I never got a chance to dip my foot in the lake since my encountered with Mr. Yellow Submarine, and I just had this thought that I might visit the lake one of these days. You might want to check out Laguna lake too, and an idea might pop out to save or at least minimize the destruction of Laguna de Bay. Wasn't that a bit hopeful for such a hopeless bay? I think not.

i found YOU, and it's been a while...

(Drum roll, please) 
My new book is out, and you can get it for free.
And hey! It's been a while. I'll try to update this blog from now on. You'll see more postings here, in God's will.
Things happens in life, and it gets out of control. Everything is uncertain. 
I decided to publish this book, #ifoundYOU, hoping that in some way it can help you or anyone. 

And here it is! Book cover reveal of #ifoundyou, it is simple and black.

#SummerFeels Blog Tour: Beth G.'s Playlist

Welcome to #SummerFeels blog tour!
Summer loving happens so fast, as you'll find with Summer Feels, an anthology of 23 stories of love under the summer sun by #romanceclass authors. Savor the candied thrill of firsts—first loves, first kisses, first solo vacations—and the bittersweet triumph of second chances. Tour the Philippines as the stories take you to mountain retreats and island paradises. Let the magic of the hot sun, clear blue skies, and lots of love take you on a roller coaster ride of feels. With stories ranging from sweet to sexy, there's sure to be something for any fan of romance.

Featuring stories by:Elea Andrea Almazora • Erleen Alvarez • Ella Banta • Rachelle Belaro • H. Bentham • Halina Cabrera • Charlie Dio • Mina V. Esguerra • Elizabeth Galit • Georgette S. Gonzales • Ami Granada • Irene Jurado • Catherine Lo • Arlene Manocot • Bianca Mori • Eris Peñaluna • Farrah F. Polestico • Kit Salazar • Miel Salva • Fay Sebastian • Kate Sebastian • Yeyet Soriano • Marian Tee
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y51NJ9H Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... Print copy preorder links (Philippines only): http://bit.ly/summerfeels-pof
Blurb:
“The Game of Twenty Questions” by Elizabeth Galit
Charlemagne Villegas hasn’t gotten over her breakup with Dave. But it has been three years since the breakup happened. Everybody (maybe except for her) has moved on. And so there’s nothing wrong in going to the beach with Dave and their old friends, right?
But what if Charlie discovers otherwise? What if like her, someone else hasn’t gotten over what happened three years ago? Would it be another heartache? Or a second once-in-a-lifetime chance?
Here's Beth G.'s Playlist. 
Beth said:I just recently updated my playlist, and that's after almost fifteen years! I don't know if it improved, but then, most people do not understand my taste in music. Thing is, when it sounds good and the words are relatable, then it's good for me. So here are the songs I've been listening to these days. 
1. Mula Sa Buwan album. The songs in this heartbreaking musical invaded my heart like no other. I wasn't into this kind of music until I learned that Ultimate Crush likes it so much! LOL! Kidding aside, though, the songs ultimately sums up everything I feel inside, especially Ikaw and Tinig sa Dilim. 
2. Korean Drama OSTs. My Love From Another Star (Kim Soo Hyun is ❤) and Legend of the Blue Sea OSTs are great. I mean, I know I have to Google the romanized version of the lyrics so I know what it means, but the melodies are just... superb! 
3. Backstreet Boys songs. Some things never change, and once a BSB fan, always a BSB fan. :-) 

Author's Bio:
Elizabeth Galit’s friends call her Beth. She is a book hoarder, romance writer, a chocolate sucker, a coffee addict and a hopeless romantic.To learn more about this author and for updates on new releases, pleaseVisit her website, bethgstories.comFollow her on Twitter @bethgstoriesLike her Facebook page, facebook.com/bethgstoriesFollow her on Amazon at amazon.com/author/elizabethgalitFollow her on Goodreads at bit.ly/2oaLzwR

Cover Reveal: Summer Feels (a #romanceclass anthology)

Summer Feels: 
A #romanceclass anthologyGenre: Romance
Release Date: April 30, 2017
Blurb:
Summer loving happens so fast, as you'll find with Summer Feels, an anthology of 23 stories of love under the summer sun by #romanceclass authors. Savor the candied thrill of firsts—first loves, first kisses, first solo vacations—and the bittersweet triumph of second chances. Tour the Philippines as the stories take you to mountain retreats and island paradises. Let the magic of the hot sun, clear blue skies, and lots of love take you on a roller coaster ride of feels. With stories ranging from sweet to sexy, there's sure to be something for any fan of romance.
Featuring stories by:Elea Andrea Almazora • Erleen Alvarez • Ella Banta • Rachelle Belaro • H. Bentham • Halina Cabrera • Charlie Dio • Mina V. Esguerra • Elizabeth Galit • Georgette S. Gonzales • Ami Granada • Irene Jurado • Catherine Lo • Arlene Manocot • Bianca Mori • Eris Peñaluna • Farrah F. Polestico • Kit Salazar • Miel Salva • Fay Sebastian • Kate Sebastian • Yeyet Soriano • Marian Tee
Edited and compiled by Kate SebastianCover and interior design by Miles Tan

About the Designer
Miles Tan likes inhabiting imaginary worlds, from fantasy books to sci-fi shows to cheeky mysteries to role-playing games. She works with websites, plays with graphics, and is now currently painting with words. 
Finding X is her first published novella. Her short story “Something Real” is included in the YA Luna East anthology, Kids These Days.
To learn more about her books, visit milestanbooks.com. To see more of the cover art she’s designed, check out milestanbooks.com/works. 

Book links:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y51NJ9H Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... Print copy preorder links (Philippines only): http://bit.ly/summerfeels-pof 

Stories included in this anthology:
“All about That Bass” by Fay Sebastian“Alter Christus” by Catherine Lo“Fall for Me” by Miel Salva“The Game of Twenty Questions” by Elizabeth Galit“The Summer You Said Hello” by Ami Granada“At the Bermuda Triangle” by Elea Andrea Almazora“Beachin’ Summer” by Arlene Manocot“Buddy System” by Yeyet Soriano“Busy out of the Friendzone” by Charlie Dio“Flying with You” by Rachelle Belaro“Guide for a Day” by H. Bentham“Ready to Run” by Kit Salazar“Secondhand Wanderlust” by Erleen Alvarez“The Search for the Kissing Monster” by Ella Banta“Anything Can Happen” by Marian Tee“Four Basic Principles” by Bianca Mori“Love after Summer” by Irene Jurado“Lucky in Paradise” by Farrah F. Polestico“The Swimming Instructor” by Eris Peñaluna“Wedding Night Stand” by Mina V. Esguerra“An Overdue Adventure” by Kate Sebastian“Buttered Sunset” by Halina Cabrera“Then Derrick Was Back” by Georgette S. Gonzales

My Firsts in 2016

A lot happened this 2016, it was a year of first times. First April Feels Day, first Heist Club Launch, my first Manila International Book Fair, and first October Feels Day were the highlights in my writing endeavor. 
...and I still have a long way to go. Aja!

AprilThe April Feels Day was the first #romaceclass event I attended and also where I met Elizabeth and Kim. Yay!

JuneThe Heist Club Launch was the first book launch I was able to attend to. It felt surreal. There were question and answer portion about our books. I was so thankful that I delivered answers during my turn. Heist Club people were amazing, hand-in-hand we could achieve goals set by the group. We also started writing Book 2 of our Heist Club Series and it was set to be launch on the first or second quarter of 2017.
SeptemberMIBF! Finally, I was present during the 37th MIBF. It was a dream come true. Being surrounded by lots of books was like a taste of my addiction to paperback copies.Link: http://writingandlovinit.blogspot.com/2016/09/my-first-mibf-and-all-feels.html?m=1
OctoberFeels Fest of #romanceclass was a day of kilig and book launch. Once Summer Days was blessed to be one of the books and the 5 minutes given to me at the event to speak about my book in front of readers and writers was nerve wracking and blissful experience.Link: http://writingandlovinit.blogspot.com/2016/09/my-first-mibf-and-all-feels.html?m=1
I met lots of awesome people because of #romanceclass. Yey!

Resilient Puerto Galera after Typhoon Nina

December 28-30, 2016
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Typhoon Nina hit the Philippines on Christmas day until the 26th of December. There was a storm signal #1 on the 25th in Mindoro and it escalated to signal #3 the next day. We were supposed to visit Masasa beach in Batangas, and planned to board on the 27th going to Puerto Galera, but that did not happen.
We felt hesitant to push through with the plan for Puerto Galera before the year ended because of the effect of Bagyong Nina. A lot of pictures flashed on Facebook taken during and after the surge of the typhoon. I suggested that the plan should be moved instead of cancelling it. We were supposed to be four, but I guess plans sometimes never really happen. Probably, next time there would four of us or more, for this trip I was with Arra and it's also our second beach getaway. It was a 3 days and 2 nights trip.

1st Day

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From Laguna, a van took us to Batangas port. We bought tickets from Puerto Galerians Shipping Lines. Tamaraw express was the name of the boat of PGSL. It was bigger and not too crowded compare to the one from Cagbalete Island. The boat ride felt light this time. The dizziness I experienced last time in Cagbalete Island was gone. I enjoyed the ride this time. The sea seemed endless again and the water looked green, not the blue color I yearned to see.
We arrived at Muelle Port at 11 something, the boat ride took more or less 1 and 1/2 hours. Kuya Boying from Sandra Taylor Lodge fetch us at the Muelle Port. A ride on a tryk took us to the lodge we rented ahead of time at Batangas Port care of Miss Angelic, she was kind enough to give us discount. We paid 1,000 pesos each for a 3D2N stay at Sandra Taylor lodge with free transport from Port to White Beach.

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We had a look of the White Beach first before deciding what kind of activities should we do during our stay. There were lots of restaurants and carinderia enough to feed a bunch of tourists, souvenir shops for pasalubong and also they had water sports like jetski, banana boat, parasailing and more.

In the afternoon, Ate Baby one of the masseuses roaming around at the beach braided our hair for 125 each. We loved the finished product. And at night, we tried henna tattoo at the Intensity Henna Tattoo. Kuya (I forgot to ask his name) did not give us discount though we're persistent. Haha.

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2nd Day

Close encounter with nature. My favorite part...


Kuya Boying, the care taker of the lodge we checked in, prepared water activities and Island hopping activities. Having a close encounter with sea creatures during fish feeding and snorkeling was the best. The beauty underwater was undeniably just one of the magnificent pictures of nature, though some corals were damaged due to the typhoon surge.
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Kuya Elmar guided us through out all the activities (thankies Kuya!), though my power bank, connector and head set experienced tragedy at the beginning, still fighting! (Hoping they would still work

Styling Serendipity by Racquel Sarah A. Castro

Styling Serendipity
by Racquel Sarah A. CastroBlurb:
Birthdays are normally celebrated, but that is not the case for 26-year-old fashion designer, Olivia Rose Salvador. She doesn’t like birthdays, much less her own. She considers October 1st as a jinx, because all through her life, all the important people in her life have left her right smack on that day.
As the heir of the international Style Rose fashion brand, she is in charge of preparing for Style Rose’s first appearance in Philippine Fashion Week. During her stay in the Philippines, she meets 31-year old pediatrician, Jake Ocampo, who is literally the “boy next door” as he lives right next door to her temporary condo unit in Bonifacio Global City.
They start to get to know each other and everything seems to be going smoothly, as both, who have been burned before in terms of love, start to open up again and start living life to the fullest.
But what happens when it seems the jinx is strong and the ghosts of their painful pasts start coming back and making themselves felt? Will these ghosts threaten their very new and very fragile relationship?
Or will Jake’s love for Olivia break the October 1st curse?
Get it on
Amazon | Smashwords | B&N | ITUNES | KOBO | SCRIBD
Review it on GoodReads

Excerpt: Olivia

I looked at my wrist watch as I walked toward the arrival area and saw that it was still on Italy time. it was 8:15pm. When I looked at the airport’s clock, it read 3:15 am.

I saw my cousins, Sandy and Joey with Aunt Toni, right outside, waiting excitedly for me. I waved and together they shouted, “Welcome back, Olivia!”
I approached the three with a smile and gave each one of them a hug and a kiss. I asked, “How’s Lolo Lito?”
“Lolo is waiting for you, Olivia,” Joey responded with a big grin.
I felt the humidity of Paranaque City as we walked to their rented van. I saw a few media people coming our way. They asked me a few questions, which I gamely answered, plugging our store and the fashion show.
After the encounter with Filipino media, we traveled from Paranaque to Taguig where I would be staying in Sandy’s condo unit for my 3-month stay. After the successful staging of the fashion show this month, I would be going on my Calaguas trip.
When I arrived at the lobby of the condo, I noticed a cute guy and he held a bag with a stethoscope hanging on one side. He looked like a pediatrician because of his Bugs Bunny necktie and his child-like vibe. His companions waved at him.No distractions please . . . focus, Olivia, focus on your goal. 


Excerpt: Jake
I think I ruined her night. I should have just stayed in my unit and try to reflect rather than going to her event and ruining it for her. I was so down when I found out that my patient had intracranial hemorrhage after a series of MRIs. 

But I chose to show up to let her feel my support. When I saw her saying goodbye to the crowd, I felt a massive bundle of sentiments in my chest. I didn’t want to burst her bubble . . . but I needed her more than ever.
Call me selfish . . . call me inconsiderate. I have to because I need her. I need her kiss, her hug, her love . . . I need her.
“Let’s go . . .” She smiled at me and asked for my car keys. 
I asked if she had a driver’s license. She laughed and shook her head. She pouted while I opened the door for her.
While we were in my car, I asked, “Your unit or mine?”
She meditated for a while and smiled, “Mine.” And as soon as we arrived at the condo, she hugged me. I whispered, “Thank you.” 
She stated, “I am going to cook for you.” She asked if we could go to the nearby convenience store. Everyone was staring at us. I forgot, we were still wearing our formal attire.
“Back in Venice, I cooked dinner for Mommy Ellie. Her favorite dishes are bigoli and cacciucco.” She was stunning in her little black dress and white stilettos.
“What do you want for dinner?” She demanded an answer while holding my hands.
“Anything . . .” I was so distracted by the fact that I failed as a doctor.
She sighed and rubbed my chin with her forefinger, “He will be fine. Don’t worry too much.” It was almost nine in the evening. She smiled and stated, “I will cook Carbonara ala Olivia.”
I faked a smile because I wanted her to know I was okay. She asked, “Anything else? You want chocolate ice cream?” I nodded. We got to the soda section. Olivia requested, “Honey, can you get a bottle of soda?”




About Racquel Sarah A. Castro
Racquel Sarah A. Castro is living with cerebral palsy. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in information technology from AMA Computer College–Biñan Campus. She always wants to inspire people in every way she can. She also desires to prove the goodness of God through her life. Racquel is living with her parents in Biñan City, Laguna, Philippines. She is a geek, a blogger, a math tutor, a food addict, a Web designer, and a freelance programmer.
Her family is currently a ground volunteer of Basics Global, a nonprofit organization based in Dubai, UAE. She also leads the music ministry branch of Jesus Christ Rules Bible Christian Church. She aspires to be an emissary of people with disabilities. She started the campaign called Novel Cerebral Palsy Awareness Drive by featuring her disability in her works.
Contact the Author
Email:  racquelcastro2884@gmail.com
Blog: https://racquelsarah.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @rsacastro017
Facebook page: Racquel Sarah A. Castro
Wattpad: RacquelSarahCastro