Mina V. Esguerra's Blog, page 13
February 5, 2022
#RomanceClass NomCom: A foodie romance anthology for charity
#RomanceClass is a community of Filipino authors of romance in English. This anthology features all-new romance short stories from 14 #RomanceClass authors. Each author was assigned a trope and a shared setting {the fictional Nomnom Commons Food Park in Ortigas, Metro Manila).
All proceeds will be donated to charity*. If you’ve purchased this anthology, you will receive an update on the donation in your email through Gumroad. Pre-order at gum.co/nomcom!
Alternatively you can purchase via Paypal , Gcash (QR here) and Paymaya (QR here) and BPI (QR here) , by sending a minimum of P350 and emailing minavesguerra@gmail.com with the subject line “NOMCOM” and a copy of the transfer notification.
Available for $7 (or the price that you set), in EPUB and MOBI, only until April 14, 2022.
*We are donating the proceeds to For Our Farmers, a youth-led non-profit organization that helps farmers in the Philippines. Visit their Instagram.
I wrote one story in this anthology (“See You Under the Counter”) and the introduction. Sharing the intro here:
The post #RomanceClass NomCom: A foodie romance anthology for charity first appeared on Mina V. Esguerra.This is the third year that we’ve bundled our work for a cause. In September 2021, we met to talk about releasing a new anthology in 2022, and (easily) agreed on a food theme. If you’ve read any of our books, you might have noticed that we mention food a lot. It’s never required, but always present. It makes sense! To us, food is history and culture. It’s home and where we’ve traveled. Food can be the catalyst for character reveals and plot shenanigans. We thought we’d make it easier for everyone and set our stories in a food park—the perfect place to hang out, eat the best food, and find HEA.
“Nomnom Commons” (named by Brigitte Bautista) is our fictional food park, located somewhere in Ortigas, minutes away from St. Tropez, the condo complex that was the setting for Tropetastic #1. Some stories describe the food park and its various dining, performance, and employee areas in detail thanks to the complete floor plan and schematics from architect/novelist C.P. Santi, who…designed our food park. Each author picked a stall or two and decided what kind of food it sold, and readers will see how these stalls and food items appear and re-appear as needed (craved?) in different stories.
There’s also a lot of music in this, a natural pairing when a Philippine food park is the main setting…and you have authors who are into musicians. [insert eye emoji] Some songs are originally created by the authors, or part of established fictional discographies. Some are real songs and artists we love (sometimes not-so-love), from our past and present. We’ll put together a playlist, maybe.
There are 14 stories in this anthology, and I’ve divided it into three volumes (“Combo Meal A, B, and C”). You can choose to read this by author, by trope, heat level, or by “combo meal.” I hope you discover a new author to love!
All proceeds from the sale of this anthology will be donated to a youth-led non-profit organization called For Our Farmers. They were established at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and continue to support Filipino farmers and their families. Visit their website: forourfarmers.com.
We do not mention Covid-19 in the stories, but the way Nomnom Commons was designed, it will be allowed to re-open and the businesses we wrote about can continue to operate at present, with the utmost care and consideration for employees and customers. In-person Open Mic and Acoustic Nights are on pause…but I’m not surprised if virtual events became a thing.
This project was organized by Ansela Corsino and Mina V. Esguerra.
January 23, 2022
Reading Southeast Asia
I’ve probably mentioned the word “community” on this website a zillion times, because I think about it a lot. We’re often told that our stories are for a community; the idea of it permeates every part of the writing and publishing and marketing/distribution process. Over time I notice that certain books are “for communities,” other books are “for everyone.” Oh–so I have to take yours, but you will only take mine under certain conditions? Wait a second. That is a deep and uncomfortable thought for another time (haha sorry) but I only bring it up because I like to adapt, and now and then think about what communities mean really.
And I’m reminded yet again that I said I’d read more contemporary books by Southeast Asian authors, set in Southeast Asia. Ideally I want to read romance genre, because if I’m thinking of the writing community that could really learn from and support each other, that would be the genre group I can help the most.
Please rec contemporary romance in English by SEAsian authors? (Reply with buy links if possible, ok to self-promote!) Thank you!
— Mina V. Esguerra (@minavesguerra) July 27, 2018
It hasn’t been easy! Not because people are not writing it. I only read in English and Filipino, and that narrows what I can read from the region. I’ve also refused to read the English language fiction and non-fiction of white men about marrying a Southeast Asian woman, and those books are so much of what you find if you do a simple search of “[Southeast Asian country] + romance.” I’ve previously referred to this as “gross” but this is what I meant.
If I want to read more of my peers from the region, I realize I have to find the books wherever they happen to be, and it might not be on Amazon or the usual retailers. I might also have to be open to reading fanfic that is written like romance novels, if that’s what they’re doing. So I’ve been exploring on Wattpad, doing regular searches for completed stories (and checking the last chapter for romance HEA/HFN).
As of today, this is what I’ve read on Wattpad:
4-Eyes: An Online Malaysian Love Story by haiyatothesky
The Ballad of Citra Sidek and Her Terrible Taste in Men by Ellie Purnama
Someone who has done really interesting work in romance (and probably closest to what we do in #RomanceClass) is Aisha Malik in Brunei. I was in a session with her at the Tiny Lit Festival in 2019, and blogged about it here.
Jewel: An Attempt at Halal RomanceAnyone interested in reading more, but of the “chick lit” variety (romance adjacent but HEA not guaranteed) can check out the Asian Chic books published in Singapore in 2008 (and had local Philippine print editions shortly thereafter). While set in Singapore, the authors are all Filipino.
Recent reads that are not romance:
I’ll be looking for more to read. Open to recommendations! I will prioritize indie contemporary romance or online serial fiction, set in Southeast Asia, author is Southeast Asian.
The post Reading Southeast Asia first appeared on Mina V. Esguerra.January 18, 2022
January 12, 2022
Saved by Hope [audio/ebook edition]
My short story Saved by Hope now has an audio edition! This was a short story serialized in the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s digital edition in 2021. It now has an ebook edition, and an audio edition narrated by Sonja Serania.
Hockey players Hope and Elias are hanging out at the rink on a Friday night because they’re each avoiding something, so they decide to make a game out of it.
A short story involving characters from my Six 32 Central series. Heat level 0. Elias Esteban Miller appeared in Kiss and Cry. Hope Garces was in So Forward.
Short story:
6,400 words, epub/mobi
56 minutes, mp3 audioBonus audio Q&A with author and narrator:
19 minutes, mp3 audioThis special audio and ebook bundle of my short story Saved by Hope is still available to claim free if you donate a minimum of $5 or P250 to Kids for Kids PH (https://paymongo.page/l/ktf-donate). Just email your proof of donation to minavesguerra at gmail.
gum.co/hopeaudio
Buy link for ebook and audio bundle: gum.co/hopeaudio
Buy links for audio edition: Kobo | Google Play | Scribd | Libro.fm | Audiobooks.com | Overdrive
The post Saved by Hope [audio/ebook edition] first appeared on Mina V. Esguerra.January 8, 2022
January 4, 2022
January 2, 2022
January 1, 2022
July to December #MinaReadThisIn2021
Closed my reading year at 85 titles. After looking through all of this, made only one firm resolution for #MinaReadThisIn2022: read more Southeast Asian romance. I try to do that periodically, and my finds are not always exactly what I need. It’s not that the stories aren’t out there, but they probably aren’t in the retailers I use. In 2022 I’ll search more popular regional platforms (Amazon, Kobo, Scribd et al are not the most popular here) and possibly explore different fiction formats.
This was January to June 2021. I got out of the habit of writing detailed reviews but I DNF (did not finish) whenever I’m not into a book, at any point, so if I finished a book it’s at least okay, or I like it, or I love it. Sometimes I end up finishing a book even if I really am not enjoying it because it’s helpful to me to process why it’s not working for me, but that only really happened with one title listed on this page. (Not a romance.)
Thread on Twitter with links to purchase the books:
Books Read in 2021 (thread)
— Mina V. Esguerra (@minavesguerra) January 3, 2021
1. Birthday Shot by Rilzy Adams https://t.co/jufeJGn3Ob
Books read in July: The Duke I Tempted by Scarlett Peckham, In the Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard, The Fisherman King by Katherina Mohd Daud, Love Scammed by Rilzy Adams, Pulling Doubles by Christina C. Jones, Meet Cute Club by Jack Harbon, The Book of Firsts by Karan K. Anders, Tales from the Gunpowder Chronicles by Jeannie Lin, XOXO by Axie Oh
Books read in August: The Mythology Class by Arnold Arre, Takeover by Anna Zabo, Comfort by Chace Verity, Five Stars by Dawn Ranfast, Inheritance by Katrina Jackson, Forbidden Promises by Synithia Williams, Janine His True Alpha by Chencia C. Higgins
Books read in September: A Taste of Her Own Medicine by Tasha L. Harrison, Trese Bloodlines (anthology), Saint by Sierra Simone, For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes, Off Limits Attraction by Jayci Lee, 40-Love by Olivia Dade
Books read in October: Twinkle Twinkle by Tori Tadiar, The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham, Truth or Dare by Brianna Ocampo, The Earl I Ruined by Scarlett Peckham
Books read in November: The Tea Dragon Society, Princess Princess Ever After, Aquicorn Cove by K. O’Neill, I Think I Might Need You by Christina C. Jones, Holiday Honey by Chencia C. Higgins, Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas, Noted by Dawn Ranfast, Aunty Lee’s Delights by Ovidia Yu, The Demon Next Door by Chace Verity
Books read in December: SuperLiked by Russell Ramey, Aunty Lee’s Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu, Gingerbread Kisses by Lucy Eden, The Age of Umbrage by Jessica Zafra, Beyond Benefriends by Chencia C. Higgins
The post July to December #MinaReadThisIn2021 first appeared on Mina V. Esguerra.December 28, 2021
December 21, 2021
2021 My Year in Writing and Publishing
Looking back at 2021, I almost said “ah I just released two books this year” and then…realized I did a lot more than that.
Writing year!
“Pleasure to Meet You” is a short story I wrote for our charity project, the Tropetastic Kindness bundle. It has since been republished on my site here: Pleasure to Meet You.
Totally Engaged is a novella and the last book of my Six 32 Central series. Had so much fun writing a fake engagement romance involving characters who are 41 and 39 years old. In general, enjoyed writing “tita romance” and based on emails I’ve gotten we have readers on board with this! And most of all, I wanted it out there that we should question the “green card marriage is HEA” trope, because that reinforces a lot of colonial mentality that in the real world keeps real people from being treated well and flourishing where they are. More here: Totally Engaged.
Saved by Hope is a short story I wrote in 2021, that was serialized in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It’s part of the Six 32 Central series and involves national hockey team captain Teban (Elias Esteban Miller in this one), and goaltender Hope (Lexa from So Forward’s best friend). It’s available here (type zero in the price field to get it free): Saved by Hope. UPDATE: There will be an audio edition! Narrated by Sonja Serania and it’ll come with a bonus conversation between us author and narrator!
Your Place Next Year is a novelette about reuniting with a summer fling, if your summer fling was interrupted for a few years because of the lockdown. Still writing characters in their 40s, and being 40 matters a lot in decisions made, and where they are in their lives. More about it here: Your Place Next Year.
New editions!
Better at Weddings Than You now has an audio edition narrated by Rachel Coates and Gio Gahol! I produced this and it was our first time with two narrators. I really would love to be able to do more of this. Love it love it. More info here: Better at Weddings Than You audiobook.
Interim Goddess of Love 2021 edition! I did a new edit pass, and added a Content Notes page that identifies content/trigger warnings. Another thing that I considered changing but did not change: This book was first published in 2012, and the Philippine educational system has since shifted to K-12. That means in the present day 18-year-old Hannah would be in senior high school (grade 12), and not a college sophomore. Rather than completely redo the school system in the book or age them up, I just…explained this fact in the Content Notes. These changes have hopefully been implemented in all retailers, including the Wattpad edition. I’ve also started serializing this edition here on my website: Interim Goddess of Love. There’s also a NEW illustrated edition available only on Gumroad! More info here: IGoL 2021 Illustrated Edition.
The post 2021 My Year in Writing and Publishing first appeared on Mina V. Esguerra.
