Mina V. Esguerra's Blog, page 35

Guest post from author Audrine Pascal [Blog Tour and Giveaway]

Welcome to my stop on the #buqoYA Perfect Moments blog tour! This ebook bundle is available from buqo now at this link: bit.ly/buqoya5. Taking over the blog today is author Audrine Pascal! But first:

Join the giveaway (powerbank for PH residents!) here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dc42906e273/

Check out the other posts on the tour here: http://www.oopsireadabookagain.com/2015/05/blog-tour-invite-buqo-ya-bundle-5.html

How different ANYTHING YOU WANT ME TO is from my other work

Audrine Pascal

The last time I attempted to write Young Adult was back when I actually passed as a young adult. So to answer how different Anything You Want Me To, my #BuqoYA manuscript, would require a nice, long chat over coffee and maybe three slices of blueberry cheesecake. However, I’ve condensed the lengthy discussion to three points, as a guest post here in Mina’s blog.

1. Help!

My main character, Via, is almost half my age – she’s 18; I’m 33. She’s worrying about being properly dressed for a year-end party; I’m worrying about my nine-year-old son winging middle school. I’m so much different now than my teenaged self. And the world is understandably different too.

Yes, I needed help. I asked beta-reading assistance from three people whose ages fall under Young Adult: a #BuqoYA cowriter, a Wattpad follower-reader and my management trainee at work. One had nothing but praises for the manuscript; one made one comment that I arrogantly brushed off at first; and the last one echoed the critique of the other, which made me do an overhaul of my story mere hours before the deadline. Just take a swipe at guessing who did what.

The whole point is this: I couldn’t consider myself a subject matter expert, so I got some help from my target market. And I listened. I almost didn’t, because I almost never do. But that one input completely changed the tone of the manuscript – and I’m so thankful it did.

2. Epic cramming.

I expect myself to cram whenever I write fiction. This time around, though, the cramming reached epic proportions, precisely because of that one comment I chose to ignore initially, but persistently gnawed at my brain until I caved in and gave it some serious thought.

I wrote the entire night. With three hours to the midnight deadline, I was nowhere near done.

My brain was fried, my eyes were bloodshot. But I continued to type like a frenzied fiend, intent on finishing my story. At 1:30AM, I emailed my manuscript, crossed my fingers that Mina would allow the slight delay and immediately fell asleep.

The whole point is this: I will not do this ever again. It is not healthy. A little bit of cramming is fine, because it amazingly works for me. But I was a zombie at work the next day and there’s no acceptable excuse for that.

3. No NA stuff.

When I rekindled my affair with writing romance some five years ago, I wrote about what I knew and that meant New Adult. Until this very day, I write in default New Adult. So imagine my dismay when my #BuqoYA beta told me that my manuscript was too “mature”.

No swearing, particularly the F word. No sex. Not even the mere mention of it. No wild party antics, like wet t-shirt contests or making out for the sake of making out. No minors drinking.

And it is an absolute sin if the main character shows signs of being shallow.

Wait, what? Isn’t Via supposed to be a teenager? Don’t high school kids have raging hormones? Can’t her tumblr posts be about cute polka-dotted sneakers instead of an economic forecast for the election year that is 2016?

In the end, I didn’t delete everything my betas prescribed. The final manuscript is so much tamer than its original draft, though. I tried on a high school senior’s shoes again – and yes, joining a wet t-shirt contest wasn’t really part of that world… yet.

The whole point is this: I thoroughly enjoyed writing outside my so-called comfort zone, including the massive overhaul and the steamy sex-less outcome. But then again, I am still me, so don’t be surprised that Anything You Want Me To is not as wholesome as the usual Young Adult fare. Wink, wink!

***

PERFECT MOMENTS

Sometimes you’ll meet your match: at detention, on the badminton court, in a resort hotel in Davao, at a lab, in a foster home, at an epic party. You’ll never know. But always keep your heart ready for that perfect moment. Read these stories and experience the bliss of first love.

A Moment Like This by Sue Donymko

Kris Mercado and Noel Abad are trapped in a posh resort hotel in Davao City during a particularly bad flood. After spending almost everyday together, they realize that they are undeniably attracted to each other. But reality bites as usual, and they now have to decide whether to chalk their romance up to forced circumstances or to explore what could be the sweetest love they’ve been looking for…

Anything You Want Me To by Audrine Pascal

Oh, Via. Such in a hurry to have a boyfriend. Now look who got dumped on social media, just before the epic party happening tonight.

So why is she hanging out with Franco Castañer? It’s all good – Via’s always been immune to all that yummy goodness, him being her best friend’s brother and all.

But is Franco actually being flirty? Or is she just reading too much into this? How exactly do you decode the species they call boy?

Vodka shot, anyone?

Something Real by Charm Jacinto

Hailey’s principle is heart over mind. It’s Rick or nothing at all. Brett’s scholarship comes first. His, was mind over matters of the heart. A laboratory experiment in Physics brought them together making their lives entangled with each other. From lab partners to having a crossfire of misread signals to friendship. Will they ever find the perfect formula when it comes to the principle of love?

Match Point Mishap by Madelyn Tuviera

“Shit happens to the best of us,” goes a saying, and Lester Torres, a now-starving student-artist, cannot agree more. The family business has reached a steady decline. His parents are distraught. His education is at the risk of being put on hold because tuition’s too expensive, impractical. Something they are no longer able to afford. Unwilling to give up, he tries to apply for an athletic scholarship in the hope of keeping the dream alive. He was in the high school badminton varsity team, after all. Might as well put his dormant skill to good use, right? He aces the first few matches, winning them in a breeze, and thinks that he’s got this scholarship in the bag already. Easy as pie.

Enter a talented player by the name of Wency David, and Lester lands the first missed service of his game.

Someone to Care by Jessica Larsen

After her parents die in an accident, Jennelle is passed around by her relatives. Hindi siya tumatagal ng isang taon sa piling ng mga kamag-anak bago siya itulak ng mga ito patungo sa iba. At fifteen, nalibot na yata niya lahat ng isla sa Pilipinas. Not that she cares, because she has learned from the moment she loses her parents that not getting too involved with anyone will keep her from getting hurt. Subalit nagbago ang lahat ng iyon nang makilala niya si Valentine, ang adopted son ng distant relative niya kung saan siya sunod na titira. Like her, Valentine has been orphaned at a young age, but unlike her, Valentine loves to keep everyone close—except her. And as if sharing a home wasn’t enough of a torture, they would also be attending the same school.

The Offside by KZ Riman

All I wanted was to move on to sophomore year. And, of course, to have Soccer God Mattheus Estevez back into my life, despite my brother’s incessant demands that I stopped dating jocks. What I didn’t count on, though, was to go through detention work with Geovanne Estevez, Mattheus’ identical twin brother, just so I’d realize both. And what I found baffling about it all was how Geovanne seemed to be putting a lot more effort into it than we had all bargained for, making this detention the best one yet.



Purchase link: Buqo

About the authors

Sue Donymko
 
Sue Donymko lives and works in Manila, Philippines. When not writing or working, or working some more, she eats, watches a lot of television, sings — much to the neighbors’ dismay — and reads until she falls asleep.

Blog | Twitter

Audrine Pascal
 
My heels are sky high. Always.

Twitter | Wattpad
 
Charm Jacinto
 
Charm Jacinto’s first choice of books are historical romances written by Barbara Cartland, Julie Garwood and Jude Deveraux way back in college. She graduated as BSBA major in Human Resources Development but had an epiphany that her path leads to still helping people but more on the medical side. Her life became more meaningful because of her husband and daughter who encourages her to be the best that she can be.
 
Twitter | Wattpad
 
Madelyn Tuviera
 
Madelyn Tuviera is a twenty-something woman whose ideal way of spending a day is sipping coffee while writing (and trying not to spill coffee on said output). She started writing when she was in fifth grade and hasn’t looked back since. She’s grossly fascinated with drama, romance, and tiny creatures that can be tamed and kept in capsules. She does not grammar on weekends. But she does think of writing 99.9% of the time.

Blog | Twitter
 
Jessica Larsen
 
Jessica E. Larsen is 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.

Jessica was born in the Philippines and lived in Spain since she was eighteen.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

KZ Riman

This romance, erotica and fantasy author spends each moment of her days writing. She spends her free time — if she ever gets any pf that — inside her room, where she reads steamy novels and watches romantic comedies.

KZ is a pure-bred Filipina who lives with her family in Tarlac City, Philippines. Growing up, she has dreamed of becoming a novelist and screenplay writer, and has written countless stories, which she shares with her friends. Now, she dreams further by sharing her imagination to the world.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

OMF Lit talk on May 29

See you on May 29, at 6:30 PM! Will be giving a talk on writing romance at OMF Lit, and it’s free. Details here (see poster, via the OMF Lit Facebook page).

Dream Cast for #buqoYA story “On The Outside Looking In” [Guest post by Claire Du]

Welcome to my stop on the #buqoYA HEART CHOICES blog tour! Taking over my blog today is author Claire Du, and she tells us who her dream cast would be, if her story were to become a movie.

Buy the HEART CHOICES bundle here: http://bit.ly/buqoya4 (6 stories included!)

Visit the rest of the tour: http://www.oopsireadabookagain.com/2015/05/blog-tour-invite-buqo-ya-bundle-4-heart.html

Join the giveaway (PH residents): http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dc42906e270/

Claire Du’s dream cast for her #buqoYA story

Last month, I joined a writing class with Ms. Mina V. Esguerra as our mentor. It has been running for more than a month now, and sometimes, writing a novel – composed of 20k words or more, that is, can be draining. Especially if you’ve reached that point when you’re already starting to hate the story you’ve created and you just want to throw everything in the nearest trash can (yes, it happens). To cut the story short, Ms. Mina sent words of encouragement thru an email, wherein she reminded us why we joined that writing class and what should keep us going. She gave us a list of her own dreams for the books she has written. One of the things that struck me the most was her dream of Nick Bateman dressing up as one of her characters (I’m rooting for Lucas!).  And so, I got very excited upon receiving an email for a guest post regarding the topic. A lot of authors today have their books being turned into movies. That, happening to me, would really be awesome. Could anything be cooler? I think, having your pegs portray them in the big screen would be a dream come true for all writers!

My #buqoYA short story On The Outside, Looking In was created with these real-life pegs in mind:

Main Character – Freya Mahilum. Freya is kind, intelligent and brave. She’s shy at times but she’s strong-willed. When I think about her, I see Lily Collins.

Lily totally looks at home in the library, don’t you think? Though Freya for sure wouldn’t be made up like her in that picture.

Love Interest – Ezra Montelibano. People see him as this I’m-a-jock-so-that-means-I’m-cool type of character but what made me love Ezra, aside from his passion for his sport, was his close relationship with his family and his ways of making a girl feel kilig of course!

Steven Mcqueen’s gaze and that half smile. Need I say more?

The support group –  In every story, there’re the bad guys and there’re the good guys. How would Freya be able to face the challenges of teenage life without the help of her friends? Lucky her, she’s got dependable ones ready to be there, may it be for a writing competition or just a sleepover playing Scrabble and Uno!

Alex Newell’s energetic +  bubbly personality suits BFF Francis’ character. Not to mention, Freya could always use that kick of energy to wake her up from her usual day dream of Ezra.

Freya and her friends have a bond as tightly-knit as these girls’ closeness. And that would make Anna Sophia Rob, Katie Findlay and Ellen Wong the best soul sisters for her.

The Villain – Claudette. Two words – polished and pretty. Behind that sparkling surface, lies one spoiled, jealous girl. Poor Claude, she wanted all the attention in the world. Which includes the attention of almost every popular guy in school. But we can’t have it all, can we?

Bella Thorne would be the perfect fit for this role. She’s like the modern version of Regina George.

So there you have it! I really had fun putting up the list of characters for you. And ’til now, I still have the feels  ~eeek! An author can dream, right?  How about you? If you’d get the chance to cast the characters of your favorite novels, who would you want to portray them?

More about the HEART CHOICES bundle!

HEART CHOICES


Sometimes it’s hard to choose. Do you stay or do you let go? Should you become friends, more than friends, or stay strangers? Would you risk love for popularity? You’re invited to explore these stories and find out each character’s choice from the heart.

Until the Race is Over by Lyka Caparos

Rico wishes Lianne back in his life, but because of that viral article that Traecy posted on their school paper’s website, it appears to be impossible for them to be together again. Traecy on the other hand, had only one wish for her birthday, to spend it with the one she admires since high school – Rico Avila. How can fate brings the two together in a race that would definitely reveal small discoveries that can lead to two choices: either to tear them apart or hope for a more unexpected relationship?

In That Summer by Jayen San Diego

Senior high school student Jane Enriquez is the ‘dream-girl’ of all male students at Southridge Montessori. Well, except the geeky student leader Sean Villamayor. Opposing from the start, Sean never expected Jane would become his partner for this year’s Summer Camp Immersion. Will this be their worst summer? Or will it turn out to be different?

On the Outside Looking In by Claire Du

Seventeen-year-old Freya Mahilum has always been in love with football hotshot Ezra Montelibano. Ezra, who’s too caught up with family pressures and his so-called girlfriend to pay attention to a geek obsessed with him. Freya knows she’d never stand a chance with him, but then fate conspires to bring them together. Will getting to know each other prove that love knows no boundaries or will they find that they’re better off existing in two separate worlds?

What About Today by Dawn Lanuza

Aiden’s stuck working for his family’s amusement park, Funtastic World, for the whole summer. Nothing amuses him, until he met this terrified girl.

Gemma’s stuck in Funtastic World thinking she could handle the park’s rides. She couldn’t. Good thing she met someone to guide her.

As the day comes to a close, Aiden and Gemma ask themselves if one day is ever enough to decide if they were better off as friends or strangers.

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.

Barely Even Friends by Kristel S. Villar

For pretty and athletic Emily Fonseca, nothing’s better than getting invited to join Luna East Arts Academy’s most popular crowd, the Elites. She only has to fulfill a list of dares to prove that she’s got what it takes. But will it cost Emily her rekindled friendship with language tutor and childhood friend Noah Calderon?



Purchase link: Buqo

About the authors

Lyka Caparos

Because I want something in my life that I think is better than pursuing a degree that is far beyond the expectations of my heart.

Blog | Twitter

Jayen San Diego


Who I am?

I’m Jayen San Diego, a twenty-something who write stories mostly about love. I’m a news archivist by day, fiction writer by night and a self-confess Fangirl in between.

Why I write?

“In order to write about life first you must live it.”
― Ernest Hemingway

They say when we want a moment to last, we close our eyes. Well, for me, I prefer to write it down. Reliving the moments through writing is what I do.

What I write?

Sharing my thoughts about life and love and writing.

From personal anecdotes to life opinions, you can read it here. When my melancholic side is on, you can read poetic post but generally it is a mirror of what’s happening in my daily life.


Blog | Twitter | Wattpad

Claire Du

Claire has been a bookworm ever since she can remember. Her passion for reading started when she met Archie Andrews at the Airport Bookshop. Aside from writing short stories, she also enjoys reading and reviews athttp://thebookjunkie.weebly.com, playing the keyboard, and just cuddling with her dog Frou. She’s the author of He Loves Me… Not?, one of the short stories in an anthology called Luna East Vol.1 : Kids These Days.

Blog | Twitter | Wattpad

Dawn Lanuza

Dawn Lanuza started writing stories when she was just a kid (the drafts weren’t good or even finished). She works for the music industry by day and writes meet cutes and snappy comebacks by night. She currently lives with her family and an adopted dog.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

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

Kristel S. Villar

Kristel S. Villar covers sporting events for a national broadsheet by day and tries to write fiction by night. In between, she takes care of her husband and son. She has penned “Blast from Two Pasts”. a contemporary romance novella, and “The Rumor About Me”, her first short story for the Luna East anthology. He second Luna East short story, “One on One” is featured in the quarterly online romance journal, Clara (www.clararomance.com).

Twitter | Facebook | Wattpad

Finding Fairytales, a YA romance ebook bundle [Blog tour]

Buy these six YA romance stories at buqo! bit.ly/buqoya3

Last week was a busy one for me so I missed the actual tour for buqoYA’s Finding Fairytales bundle, but I’m making up for it now! Visit the other posts at Oops! I Read Again.

***

What inspired my story by Ana Valenzuela

At first I wanted to recreate some of the scenes from my own high school, experience. However, when I got into the Best Day Ever category, I couldn’t because the story I had in mind had a lot of my characters breaking the rules.

So, I tried to think of an event in my life wherein I was having fun all day and all night without any help of alcohol, caffeine, or whatsoever. Plus, Mina did say that the location is an integral part of the story, sort of like a character (although I admit, I failed in this part).

That was when I thought of a college friend’s debut, which was in an out of town resort. Of course it’s a party so you expect to get to know new people and for the energy to be just there. However, when it got to probably two to three in the morning, the people by the pool area playing cards were dwindling in number (me, fortunately, included with those who stayed behind). So, I thought of these characters and putting Mayumi and Micah into that situation wherein they would be the only ones left in a big space. What would have happened and what would they do?

***

FINDING FAIRYTALES

We all want the happy ending, the dream come true. But what if it doesn’t happen? How far would you go to get that “ever after?” Would you change who you are? Would you swallow your pride? Is the story really going to be as perfect as you think? Follow the path of these characters and see where they lead.

Fall for Grace by Anne Plaza

Aso’t pusa, away-bati…

Sino sa inyo ang unang aamin?

Meet Grace Almeda—the darling of Luna East Arts Academy—maikukumpara sa isang artista sa hitsura, reputasyon, at katarayan. At heto si Jason Jacinto—the resident school genius—kilala rin sa pagiging go-to person ng mga estudyanteng problemado sa pag-aaral. Nang magkabanggaan ang kanilang maliit at magkaibang mundo, napilitan si Grace na hingin ang tulong ni Jason sa isang mala-life or death na sitwasyon. Mukha ngang pumuti na ang uwak dahil dumating ang araw na kinailangan ni Little Miss Spoiled Brat si Boy Genius. Pero ang hindi alam ni Grace ay may dahilan ang lahat sa likod ng pang-aasar at pambubwisit ni Jason. At sa ‘di inaasahang pangyayari, may isang mahuhulog ang loob para sa isang naghihintay lang ng tamang pagkakataon.

Just the Way You Are by Kat Sales

Rica Valdez has always been one of the guys, so it was hard for her to find a prom date. When her new friend and crush Joshua Fernandez volunteered to take her to the prom, she wondered if he liked her back too, or was he just being nice?

Love in the Time of Viral Videos by R. Linea

Like. Retweet. Follow. Fall in Love?

They say that that the things we own tend to own us in the long run. Today, at a time when we’re connected 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, social media has helped shaped who we are, how we want to be seen and how we deal with other people. And if that’s the case, then who knows us better than our own social media accounts? This is the story of Patch and Sebastian who met in real life, as told by their digital selves. This is their story in the time of #hashtags, inspiration boards, and viral videos.

The First Time They Met by Ana Valenzuela

What’s making Mayumi anxious on her best friend’s birthday party?

Is it her long time best friend Marie? Marie is now in college, and Mayumi starts to doubt their friendship as Marie meets new people and gets closer to them.

Or is it this basketball player named Micah? A guy she recently met and who has turned into an overnight confidant.



The Path of Us by Cassandra Javier

Are our paths already laid out for us, or can we make them ourselves?

Can fairytales actually come true?

Clara has always been fond of fairytales and grand gestures. She always had a plan of how she’d like her life to turn out, and that’s why she worked hard to be on top of the class, and make sure that she has her real life Prince Charming to boot.

And then there’s Andrew.

Andrew’s always been the easy go lucky guy, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not smart and appealing; it’s just that he chooses to go through life in a fuss-free, no nonsense way.

When Andrew and Clara’s paths meet, things don’t exactly go easy. They hated each other with a passion, but then they got to share unexpected moments, and end high school with a memory that they’ll never forget. In college, they lose each other, and Clara has to go through the hardest things on her own–until a trip back home sends them to each other’s paths again.

Will they ever be able to understand their role in each other’s lives?

Or will they just get out of each other’s lives for good?

When Cocoy Became Kikay by C. P. Santi

Cocoy’s not-so-secret dream is to one day become a gun-toting, ass-kicking secret agent. But she has another dream—and this time, even her best friends don’t have a clue—she dreams of being with someone.

Problem is, she finds out that Jaime Arguelles—a.k.a. the guy she’d been secretly crushing on for years—likes girls who . . . well . . . like pink.

To Cocoy’s logical mind, there’s only one solution: it’s time to go girly. After all, how hard can it be?

Purchase link: Buqo

About the authors

Anne Plaza

Si Anne Plaza ay mula sa Lungsod Quezon at nakapagsulat ng isang chick lit novella, ang In Over Her Head (2013). Ang Fall for Grace ay ang una niyang kathang YA romance. Nagtatrabaho siya bilang isang marketing associate para sa isang ad agency at malimit siyang nagsusulat kahit hindi pa tapos ang kanyang shift. Nakahiligan na niyang magbasa ng Tagalog romance novels (noong kapanahunan pa nina Helen Meriz, Jo-An Solis, Gilda Olvidado, atbp.) at nakapag- publish na rin ng apat na akda sa ilalim ng My Special Valentine.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Kat Sales

Writer :: Thinker :: Problem Solver

Blog | Twitter

Ana Valenzuela

 

Ana Valenzuela is a graduate of AB Literature from UST. She has written for several magazines and online news blogs.

Blog | Twitter

Cassandra Javier

 

Cass is a cat lady who graduated with a degree in Broadcasting and has worked as a copywriter, a researcher in an IT company, a call center agent and was even a trainee for a time in a television network. She writes articles for a living. When not writing articles, she writes novels, fanfiction, short stories and whatever she may think of. She loves TV series, movies, music, and is a very big bookworm. She’s also addicted to butterflies, faeries and Ice Cream.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

C.P. Santi

C.P. Santi is a Filipina author based in Tokyo, Japan. She is a wife to an engineer/musician/jokester and a full-time mom to two energetic boys. She loves cooking and baking, and enjoys feeding people, gorging on chocolate, watching J-doramas, belting it out in the karaoke box, and running around the house playing tickle tag. She also loves dreaming up stories about the people she meets.

In another life, she is also an architect and academic.

Her first book, Be Careful What You Wish For, is a contemporary romance based in Tokyo.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Rules We Like Breaking: My inspiration board on Pinterest

Something I do to keep track of places, people, events I have planned for each story. Check out the Pinterest board I made for Rules We Like Breaking.

Follow Mina’s board Victoria and Nathan on Pinterest.

Guest Post by author Kristel Ann Cruz [Blog tour + Giveaway]

Welcome to my tour stop on the #buqoYA Sweet Complications bundle blog tour! This tour was organized by Oops! I Read Again. Visit the buqo blog for more recaps!

I’ve asked author Kristel Ann Cruz to take over the blog today. Here’s her post on movies that give us feels!

===

Movies that Bring the Teen Feels

Kristel Ann Cruz (krissyfied.com)

When I was in my pre-teens, I spent my summer vacations at my aunt and uncle’s house in another town. I quickly became friends with the other kids there, particularly with this boy who barely talked to me, but would call me on landline all the time even though he lived next door! We liked each other, but nothing came out of it because, well, we were just kids. In one of our phone conversations though, he promised me that when we grow up, he would pursue me and then we would have a ‘mature’ relationship. When I got to high school, my uncle and his family left their house there and moved nearer to us. The boy would still call me but very rarely, mostly to remind me about his promise, until eventually we lost touch. I wondered what happened to him but didn’t bother to do a quick Facebook search.

Imagine my surprise when he contacted me just a couple of months ago! He wasted no time in declaring that nothing has changed and he still has feelings for me, which made me go, “Huh.” I changed, and I’m sure he has, too. We’re no longer the kids we were, and instead of the intended kilig, I was bothered by his proclamations. I don’t respond to his messages anymore, and I wish he just let things as they were so I could have those sweet summer memories to look back to.

Oh well.

ANYWAY. Mina asked me to write a short article about movies that bring the teen feels, and as much as I would like to include cult favorites Mean Girls, 10 Things I Hate About You, and The Breakfast Club, I figured I should point the spotlight on other movies that deserve to get more attention than they’re currently getting.

FLIPPED

The movie is about the love-hate relationship between cutie Bryce (Callan McAuliffe) and spunky Juli (Madeline Carroll) that started when they were still kids. At first Bryce hated the attention Juli gives him and how desperate she was to be noticed by him, but after a series of events that involve a wish for a first kiss, a sycamore tree, chickens, a yard-makeover, a sit-down dinner, and a fund-raiser by their school things kinda flipped. Suddenly, Bryce couldn’t stop thinking about Juli. There was only one problem: Juli stopped wanting to talk to him.

Loved the book and the movie. The actors did a great job in portraying the characters they played, but what I specifically liked about this film is the he said-she said style of the narration. It was nice to see both sides of the story, and it offered new insights at what’s going on in both characters’ minds. It’s the equivalent of a glass of ice-cold lemonade and honey on a hot and humid summer afternoon. So refreshing and light and nice, this movie is.

Choice quotes:

“Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss; but every once in a while, you find someone who’s iridescent. And once you do, nothing will ever compare.”

LAGGIES

Megan (Keira Knightley) is in the verge of a quarter-life crisis: she doesn’t like her job, she discovered her dad cheating on her mom, and she feels she doesn’t know her friends anymore. Things intensify when her boyfriend proposes and she takes a sabbatical on her new friend Annika’s (Chloe Moretz) house.

I wasn’t expecting much from this film, but it managed to pull on my heartstrings because I recognized being in Megan’s situation. Although it’s more of a coming-of-age movie than a teen film, it deals with issues teenagers face, and I liked how it depicts the reality of being someone who felt lost and managed to find herself back again.

Choice quotes:

“Okay, I’m gonna tell you two things that I’ve gotten some perspective on after being out of high school for a while now. The first is that a lot of the math they’re teaching you that they swear you’ll use in your life, you won’t. You’re never going to need to use parabolas and you really, really don’t need to know shapes that have more than eight fucking sides. The second, which I’ve only got some perspective on recently, but it’s this. You can’t keep putting aside what you want for some imaginary future. You’ve just got to suck it up and go with your gut.”

IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY

Based on a book by Ned Vizzini, It’s Kind of a Funny Story is about a teenager named Craig Gilner (Keir Gilchrist). He finds himself wanting to kill himself one night so he dials the Suicide Hotline who then advises him to go to the hospital. He is diagnosed with suicidal depression, and we see his everyday struggles with himself as well as the struggles of the people in the psychiatric ward.

I appreciate movies that deal with real issues like this because it opens conversation and spreads awareness. I may prefer the book version more, but I liked the dream sequences and that the movie was able to translate Craig’s city map artwork visually. Him and Noelle (Emma Roberts) has an easy chemisty, and I just couldn’t help but root for two broken spirits who found each other in the unlikeliest of places.

Choice quotes:

“The difference between today and last Saturday is that for the first time in a while, I can look forward to the things I want to do in my life. Bike, eat, drink, talk. Ride the subway, read, read maps. Make maps, make art. Finish the Gates application. Tell my dad not to stress about it. Hug my mom. Kiss my little sister. Kiss my dad. Make out with Noelle. Make out with her more. Take her on a picnic. See a movie with her. See a movie with Aaron. Heck, see a movie with Nia. Have a party. Tell people my story. Volunteer at 3 North. Help people like Bobby. Like Muqtada. Like me. Draw more. Draw a person. Draw a naked person. Draw Noelle naked. Run, travel, swim, skip. Yeah, I know it’s lame, but, whatever. Skip anyway. Breathe… Live.”

There you have it! Hope you can check these movies out the next time you find yourself with nothing to do and time to kill. Enjoy!

===

buqo is giving away a powerbank! Join here.

===

Buy the SWEET COMPLICATIONS ebook bundle on buqo!



Would you do a set of dares to prove someone wrong? Would you risk your friendship so you can find love? Would you admit your real feelings? There are a lot of complications when it comes to finding love. Get the feels when you read these sweet stories.

D’01 by Sassy Fova

Kat Arcanghel has just turned 18 and she feels that it is the right time to fall in love. She finds herself falling for Alech Crisologo, but she has always thought of herself as adeviant/rebel and there’s nothing more mainstream than crushing on the guy that everybody loves, thus she fights her feelings and tries to search for the right one—just not him.

Will Kat continue rebelling against her own heart, or will she let her heart conquer the battle and let it lead the way? She’ll find the answer when she meets D’01.

One Lovely Summer Day by Amae Dechavez

Kwento ng Pag-Ibig, Pangarap, at Pag-asa…  Sa Pila, Laguna, bakasyon at abala ang lahat sa bahay nila Tiya Isidra—“general cleaning” ika ng matanda. Bukod pa roon ay darating si Maylie, ang paboritong pamangkin niyang galing ng Maynila. Gaya ng inaasahan, naroon si Ethan para tumulong sa paglilinis at paghahanda. Bagamat mukhang tahimik ang dalaga, unang sulyap pa lang ay agad na nagandahan at nabaitan si Ethan sa kaniya. Naging matalik na magkaibigan ang dalawa. Sa isang di inaasahang pangyayari at proyektong kailangang lutasin nilang dalawa, lalong napalapit si Ethan at Maylie sa isa-isa. Gayun pa man, alam ni Ethan na isang araw ay aalis din si Maylie at maiiwan siya. Sasabihin ba niya kay Maylie ang nararamdaman niya?

Once Upon A Sticky Note by Kristel Ann Cruz

Nate and Tanya have been “talk all day, every day” best friends for years but on the eve of Nate’s birthday, Tanya realized she has started developing more-than-platonic feelings him. They’re going off to college soon so confessing anything that might make things complicated between them doesn’t sound like a good plan, especially now that Campus Sweetie Armi has entered the picture. What would Tanya do? Could she? Should she? Grab a sticky note and place your bets.

Plain Vanilla by Ines Bautista-Yao

Despite her quirky name and equally quirky family, 16-year-old Tempest Juan knows she’s ordinary. After reading a comment on Facebook which likened her to vanilla ice cream, Tempest decides she has to do something about it or be forever branded as plain, lukewarm, and well, vanilla. It doesn’t help that the comment was made by Paco Lorenzo, her cousin’s cute friend (no longer cute in her book!). When she happens upon a book of dares, she decides to attempt each one, no matter how hard. This is her personality at stake, after all. But somehow, Paco, the cause of all this, finds a way to be at every dare Tempest attempts, confusing her and forcing her to question what’s really going on inside her heart.

Same by Charm Lee

March 2.

Of all places, Atasha never thought that she would end up in a hospital on this specific day. Rush was looking forward to just enjoying the day.

But with the white walls and medical noises around them, two young and very different souls cross paths. Rush and Atasha discover that even if they are as alike as night and day, they aren’t as different as they thought after all.

Travel of Two by Irish Fleur

Biyahe mag-isa? Check! Isa na namang item sa bucket list ni Isobel ang matutupad. Sino bang hindi magiging masaya kapag nagawa mo na ang gusto mo? Pero hindi lang pala si Isobel ang nagso-solo travel–si Arty rin. Si Arty na suplado, na-friendzone, makulit, at nakilala ni Isobel sa paglalakbay niya. At kahit ganito si Arty, mas naging exciting ang pagbiyahe ni Isobel.

So, magka-boyfriend… mache-check din nga ba ito ni Isobel sa sa bucket list niya?


About the authors

Sassy Fova


Sassy Fova is just your average girl from Ilocos Norte, PH. Sassy is a hopeless romantic who’s got her head in the clouds, and comes back down just long enough to write about it. Being an Ilocana, she is thrifty, but she spares none when it comes to sharing all the love.


Facebook | Twitter

Amae Dechavez

Amae Dechavez (amaeauthor) is a blogger, fiction author, YA novelist, and children’s book writer. She was born in Quezon City, Manila in 1983 and has a Penn Foster diploma in Child Daycare Management. She has been authoring for several digital distributor hubs in (the Philippines) and has been writing for many free online/ social media platforms. When not hugging or arguing with her dog, you can find her at Writerscafe.org.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Kristel Ann Cruz

It boggles the mind how someone so shy and awkward found herself in Public Relations, but somehow Krissy makes it work. If she were a fictional character, she’d be a female Ted Mosby. Whether it be prose, poetry, a watercolor painting, or a craft project, she is happiest when she makes. Talk about books, movies, and lipsticks with her on www.krissyfied.com.

Twitter | Instagram

Ines Bautista-Yao
 

Ines Bautista-Yao is the author of One Crazy Summer, What’s in your Heart, and Only a Kiss. She has also written two short stories, “Flashbacks and Echoes,” which is part of a compilation called All This Wanting and “A Captured Dream,” one of the four short stories in Sola Musica: Love Notes from a Festival.

She is the former editor-in-chief of Candy and K-Zone magazines and a former high school and college English and Literature teacher.  She is also a wife and mom and blogs about the many challenges and joys of motherhood at theeverydayprojectblog.com. She has recently launched The Author Project, a section in her current blog devoted to the stories in her head: http://theeverydayprojectblog.com/inesbyao-author-project/

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Charm Lee

aspiring hero wanting to save the world. tv show addict. all around shy girl.

Twitter | Instagram

Irish Fleur
 
Irish Fleur is a Licensed Pharmacist, cat lover and travel junkie who loves writing since she was seven years old.

Twitter

 

Reading on Scribd

Seven out of the last ten books I read recently have been on Scribd. My free trial year ended last month, and when the time came to decide to renew, I did. Right away.

Scribd is a book-streaming (“read all you can”) service, like Oyster Books and Kindle Unlimited, which charges you a flat fee per month for access to all the books in their catalog. Oyster is not available in the Philippines (but my books are there because of Smashwords), and Kindle Unlimited didn’t have the titles I was hoping for. I tried Scribd because of the generous one-year trial offer given to Smashwords authors, and it worked. In that year, I saw their selection get better, growing to include books I know I want to read, and audio books too. I’ve become a bit of a binge reader lately, doing a marathon of an author’s backlist once I discover one I like.

If you’re on Scribd you’ll be able to read my books there too! Let me know what the reading experience was like. Did you prefer paying a fee per month to read everything? Or is that too much of a commitment, and you still want to decide to pay per book, when you want to read it?

#buqoYA bundle 1: Taking Chances [Excerpt + Giveaway]

 

Welcome to my stop on the #buqoYA blog tour! Check out the other stops over at Oops! I Read Again.

An Excerpt from “A Portrait of Jade” by Justine Camacho-Tajonera

“I’m the semiprecious stone in the family,” Jade thought as he climbed up into the bus. She was still affected by the car ride conversation she’d had with her dad, who had interrogated her on the courses she planned to take when she went to college.

“Dad, I don’t know, okay?” She looked straight ahead.

“Jade, why didn’t you start thinking about this earlier? Ruby was gunning for business management as early as her junior year of high school.”

“I’m not Ruby.”

“I know. We’ve been over that. But it wouldn’t hurt you to prepare for college early, right?”

By that point, Jade had already zoned out. Any mention of Ruby tended to make her hear white noise.

She adjusted her black-rimmed glasses as she looked for a good seat. It looked like she was the first one on the bus. That was because her dad liked to over prepare. It was a good thing, really. She decided to move to the back of the bus. That way, she could observe everyone coming in without being conspicuous. Or she could just ignore them. She was good at that. She chose a spot by the window. She was looking forward to enjoying the view. She settled into her seat and took out her headphones and portable neck pillow. She had a whole playlist picked out. She was ready to chill out and get some snooze time, especially because she’d woken up so early.

About 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.

A Portrait of Jade by Justine Camacho-Tajonera
Jade Alverio is dying to get to summer art camp in Baguio, far away from her demanding parents and her ultra-perfect sister, Ruby. She thinks it will be a haven of likeminded spirits until she gets her first critique from Alexander Santamaria III, who seems to have converted all female camp members into his groupies.

Things get worse when she’s paired up with him on a major project. Will she survive dream-turned-nightmare art camp, or will she go running back home, the very place she wanted to escape in the first place?


Loving You All My Life by Rafael P. Pascual
Isang ulirang estudyante, kaibigan at anak si Danielle Natasha Lastimosa. Ang kanyang pagsisikap, talino at kabutihan ang nagdala sa kanya sa Philippine Institute of Arts, Entertainment & Culture (PHINAREC), ang pinaka-una at natatanging paaralan para sa mga nagnanais makapasok sa larangan ng sining, kultura at libangan. Maayos na sana ang kanyang buhay-estudyante nang isang Jairus Roman Vera-Perez ang biglang nagpagulo rito. Ang lalaking iyon ang anak ng may-ari ng PHINAREC, pero ito rin ang pinakalider pagdating sa katamaran, kayabangan at kakulangan ng disiplina. Pagtatagpuin sila ng isang kakaibang proyekto para sa kursong kanilang pinag-aaralan. Maging mitsa kaya ito ng lalong paglala ng kanilang bangayan, o ito na kaya ang magsilbing daan para sila ay maging magkaibigan – at magkatuluyan? Masabi kaya nila sa isa’t isa ang katagang “I’LL KEEP ON LOVING YOU ALL MY LIFE”?



Never Too Late by Jen C. Suguitan
When Cass goes to a trip to Corregidor, she thinks that it’s the key to finding closure over her sister’s death. But things change when she gets mixed up with the wrong tour group where she meets Noah, a budding filmmaker and photographer who wants to relive his grandfather’s war stories through the tour.

As they explore the historic island together, will Cass and Noah find what they are looking for? Or will they find something more, like a chance to fall in love, too?


Second Sight to Forever by Racquel Sarah A. Castro
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.

After the Moment by Six de los Reyes
Under the most normal of circumstances, Aria de Luna could never imagine herself kissing the boy she has always considered to be miles and miles out of her league. She’s known as their year’s resident emo-girl and she plays the part flawlessly with her violet hair, scuffed boots, and her alleged angst from living under the shadow of her over-achieving, perfect, older sister. Meanwhile, Kristoffer Li is living the perfect life. He’s popular, next year’s captain of the basketball team, attractive, if maybe a little too frowny for people’s liking, but he looks very pretty on a chocolate-milk drink carton.

So it is only under the most unusual circumstance that Kris shows up at the Arts and Culture Festival Aria has been looking forward to all year. But does a morning of awkward conversations, an afternoon of provoking discussions, and a moment under the moonlight really change three years of oblivious coexistence? Or will everything go back to the way it was after the moment?

When a KISS Falls by Kaye Dee
Do you know someone tagged as a KISS?

Nastasha and Stefano are both aware of the uncanny relationship they have as best friends. Nash has always been the KISS or knight-in-shining skirt – always so protective of Stef. In her, Stef found a personal on-call heroine. Stef, on the other hand, is often seen as vain, weak and feminine, making him the perfect bully target. Until one day, Stef realizes it should be the other way around. It is time to switch their roles and be his best friend’s protector and defender. But being the strong-willed girl that she is, Nash just cannot deal away with her tough nature.

Will Stef prove his worth and fulfill the new role in their friendship? Will this be the bridge that can take their friendship into something more?


Purchase link: Buqo


About the authors

Justine Camacho-Tajonera
Justine Camacho-Tajonera was born and grew up in Cebu City, Philippines. Despite starting a corporate career in telecommunications, she pursued an M.A. in Literary and Cultural Studies to keep her close to her first loves: reading and writing.

Her poetry has been published in several anthologies and local publications and she has published two books: Artemis Lets Go, a novella, and Gift, her first collection of poetry. She maintains a poetry blog, Claiming Alexandria.

She works full time at a corporate job promoting e-reading in the Philippines, is married, and has two children.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Rafael P. Pascual
Rafael P. Pascual is a 20-year old Mass Communication student at Universidad de Manila. He is a reader of romance, teen fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery and history. He is currently writing under the username raffythequizzard on Wattpad.com.

He also loves to read Wattpad books, particularly those published by Summit Media’s Pop Fiction imprint. He has attended the Wattpad seminar at the 35th Manila International Book Fair, the Pop Fiction Academy at the 1st Philippine Literary Festival, and the 3rd Pop Fiction Festival.

He currently lives in Navotas City with his mother and six other siblings.
Twitter | Instagram

Jen C. Suguitan
Jen C. Suguitan is a PR practitioner by day and a storyteller by night. Her love affair with words and letters led to a Journalism degree and stories cramped in her hard drive that the world has yet to see. She started writing professionally for a local broadsheet when she was seventeen, and she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. When she’s not writing, she’s probably thinking of what to write about next.
Twitter | Instagram

Racquel Sarah A. Castro
Racquel Sarah A. Castro is living with Cerebral Palsy. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology in AMA Computer College-Binan Campus. She always wanted to inspire people in all ways. She also desires to prove the goodness of God through her life.

Racquel is living with her parents in Binan City, Laguna, Philippines. She is a geek, a math tutor, a food addict, a web designer, and a freelance programmer.

He family is currently a ground volunteer of Basics Global, a non-profit organization based in Dubai, UAE. She also leads a music ministry branch in Jesus Christ Rules Bible Christian Church. She aspires to be an emissary of People with Disabilities. She started the campaign on Novel Cerebral Palsy Awareness Drive by featuring her disability on her works.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Six de los Reyes
Six de los Reyes has been reading and making up stories for as far as she can remember. In fifth grade, she learned to wield dragons and phoenixes through written word. Her day job has absolutely nothing to do with creative writing, and she wishes it did.
Twitter

Kaye Dee
Some people say actions speak louder than words. But actions are temporary. Words are forever.
Twitter | Instagram


Join the giveaway! buqo is raffling off a powerbank for a lucky reader. (And resident of the Philippines) Go here: Rafflecopter giveaway.

 

That book launch (Thanks, Spark Books!)

More photos at the Spark Books Facebook page.

I had a GREAT time at the Spark Books launch. Thank you: Spark Books/Anvil Publishing. Powerbooks. Bloggers and friends Liana, Anne, and Marian (from  Will Read for Feels ). Friends, readers, readers who are friends, curious readers, those who showed up for the first time, and those who are always at these events. Thank you for being so supportive and encouraging. You know I’ll do the same for you!

First Chapter Friday: Someone Else’s Fantasy

Hi, everyone! Some authors and I have joined up to give you something new. Today we’re posting the first chapters of our work in progress, and we’re offering a personalized copy of this first chapter as a giveaway prize. Yay!

**Join my mailing list at bit.ly/list-minavesguerra and join the Facebook event to participate in the giveaway. You could win a personalized copy of this excerpt, and ebooks!

My contribution is (part of) the first chapter of the book I’m working on, called Someone Else’s Fantasy. If you’ve read my other books The Harder We Fall and Playing Autumn, you’ll recognize Grayson and Steph. Yes, they get a story too!

==Start of excerpt==

Sera’s Live Like Fiction Challenge

October: Go out with a stereotypical romance novel hero WHO ISN’T YOUR TYPE

Well, of course I was going to ask him out. I was looking for my October challenge, and he was right there, stripping in front of me. It was like the universe sent him over for me, special delivery, because yesterday I wasn’t only on time for all my classes, but held it together long enough to eat right and spend an hour on yoga.

“Are you sure you’re okay with the room temp?” I asked again.

It was cold, recently. At least I thought so, being used to Texas Octobers, and still clinging to that despite spending my fourth October in northern California. Even for a Texan I was sensitive to cold. This particular Friday, the weather sites said high fifties, but I was in a sweater like a shivering tourist.

My guest for that morning’s class had begun to take his shirt and pants off. Not bothered at all.

“My name is Steph Bennett, by the way.” I ended up speaking to his back, because he had turned away from the window and me when he pulled up his plain white shirt. “I’m the student teacher assigned to the class on Fridays.”

He turned to me, the last of his shirt coming off his arms. A tattoo on his right shoulder, dropping down to his bicep. There was another, somewhere on the other side, on his upper back. It seemed familiar somehow. Why again?

“Hey,” he said. He smiled and I immediately, irrationally felt all warm. He had a really nice, big smile. It was sunny, for a guy who had dark ink on his body and muscles carved out of rock. “Grayson Price. Where’s Molly?”

Molly Imahara, the actual digital arts instructor.  I was working under her advisement in the Addison Hill University fine arts program, and part of my workload/punishment was to shadow her as she taught some of her classes. Digital Arts Free Study on Fridays didn’t require instruction, but enrolled students spent two hours in the studio on a workshop style class, doing whatever Molly assigned that day.

Today was the human body, and Molly had invited her friend, and Addison Hill alumnus, Grayson Price to be the model.

“She couldn’t make it today,” I told him. “But we usually don’t need her on workshop Fridays.”

He smiled at me. Again. If the first smile had been a “hello, Teacher,” this one was a bit more playful. If that was possible.

“Molly told me the drill, don’t worry,” he said. “I don’t mind taking my clothes off. But what exactly won’t get me arrested?”

“Oh. That. Do you have athletic shorts, or something? You don’t need to be completely naked. It’s not that kind of class.”

“That’s a little disappointing.”

“What I mean is,” and god was I sounding like some kind of idiot, “we have a few artists in the class who are doing studies on book cover art. You know how you see book covers of male upper bodies sometimes? They need that, mostly. And maybe bare legs.”

“Molly invited me here to be Fabio?”

I blushed at that, like I was thrown right back into high school as I read those novels at night, in the privacy of my room. But also, had the world not moved on from Fabio? No offense to the man, but as visual representations of a female’s sexual fantasy went, he was not the only guy. There have been many guys. There are so many other guys.

“What I’m saying is, take your pants off, Fabio,” I said instead.

“Yes, ma’am.” He did. This time though he faced me, and the window, as he unbuckled his belt and undid the button on his jeans. And then it was just him, and me, a room that was a little too cold for me, and his red boxer briefs.

Thanks, Molly.

***

My medium of choice was still the pencil. On drawings I often used soft, dark lead, smudgy lines, but as a student I worked on harder lead and cleaner patterns. My dad once joked that I never left the first grade, and he was right, in more ways than one. Art had always been encouraged in my family. My older sister Victoria was a music nerd, and had flings with different instruments throughout. But she gave up a professional career in music to do something else, which was boss people around via her events business. My brother Josh skipped that crossroad entirely by deciding early on to be an architect. I moved to California to study art, without a clear plan really of turning this into something that could pay the rent.\

Notice that I said art was encouraged by my parents. They also encouraged self-sufficiency and not having to bail out their starving artist children. Then I messed up, and didn’t want to be a burden to my parents who were still handling a mortgage, car loans, and expenses from a medical procedure my dad went through years ago.

I went to Josh for help.

Josh, my \brother, is a good guy. We just didn’t agree on a lot of things. The work accident that put my dad in the hospital for a few days, and then left him with leg pain that hadn’t really gone away, affected the family in different ways. Josh immediately became paranoid about his own health and what would happen if he didn’t have the right insurance or savings, and poured his time into his work. Victoria admitted that she didn’t really want to play music anymore, and spent more time organizing events. Meanwhile, I took off in the other direction entirely and headed west, away, to draw all day. It seemed like.

Josh was against it. Tried to convince our parents not to pay for it. I may have yelled at him to leave me alone and get the fuck off my case, a few times. The happy ending at the time was that my dad, whose own accident made him realize that he should live life without regrets, told me that I could go to Addison Hill.

In the end, when I needed to be bailed out, Josh happened to be the only person in the immediate family who had some money to spare. I didn’t want to take out a loan that my parents might have to pay for. Josh relished being in this position and offered to cover the rest of my tuition and maintain my allowance. It came with strings though.

I thought I had a plan. The rabbit hole I fell into that was book blogging started when I befriended a publishing assistant who spoke at Addison Hill — fully intending to find out if I had any internship opportunities as an illustrator. She gave me a copy of the book she was promoting [Live Like Lisa, 5 stars] and I felt so strongly about it that I reviewed it, sent her the link, and then that led to more books, more reviews, and not so much illustrating.

The Friday class art studio was the largest one in the Ellerbie-Katz building, comfortably seating the eight students, myself, and the nearly naked Mr. Price. He spent the better part of the first hour standing in the center of the studio, his back perfectly straight, head bent in the direction of the stool we had placed in front of him, so he could use his phone and read from it. From my spot I could see the tattoo that ran down his upper arm, or maybe I deliberately sat there to see it, whatever.

In any case the pattern of it was what filled my pad. I did one pass simply copying the ink, attempting to recreate how it flowed along the bulges of his skin and body. The design looked snake-like when I first saw it, but as I studied its lines and twists, I realized that it was knotwork.

We worked in silence, usually. This class in particular didn’t want music playing as they worked. Instead we heard a chorus of things: brush tips against glass jars, murmured questions, Ricardo (who did mixed media) tearing paper with his hands, the faint snap of Tammy’s digital camera shutter, keyboards, chair legs against the floor as the students shifted slightly to vary their perspective.

Grayson was in the center of all of that. He cleared his throat, still looking down to read from his phone. He didn’t speak the entire time, didn’t ask for anything.

Crap. I was a horrible host.

There was always a pot of warm coffee in Molly’s office, two doors down. I slipped out for a sec to get him a mug, and handed it to him.

“I’ll get you a chair,” I told him. “Not that I’m implying you can’t handle the standing. But we’ll need an angle change anyway.”

The way he accepted the mug, cupping the bottom of it with his big hand that his fingers sort of closed over mine, god.

I didn’t like guys like him. I want to say something profound about it, like I had been hurt by a jock in the past, or I had a type, but it’s not that. I could look at his bod, the way he towered easily over six feet, and appreciate it on an objective, sort of distant level. Sure, his dirty blond hair looked like it had been cut by a lawn mower, but it suited him. Sure, his teeth were perfect, and to avoid getting blinded by them you’d have to look at his stubbly jaw instead. That was a plus for anyone else. My physical reaction was that, but it was because he was a specimen, almost engineered to push my buttons, the way a cute kitten makes anyone go awwww. It didn’t mean I liked him, or could even fall for him.

As someone who nearly threw away her college career by reading, I read my fair share of books with heroes like him. Not exactly my thing. But that was what made him perfect. October Challenge, there you are.

“Thank you,” he said. “I usually don’t do it this way, you know.”

“Um, posing for an art class?”

“First dates. There usually aren’t a dozen people watching.”

“Don’t move, Steph.” Rama, a senior, snickered from somewhere behind me. “I want to capture this part.”

“Which Pantone number is that blush on her face right now, you think?” went Janey, across from me, behind Grayson.

“At least two-one-nine,” said Ricardo, from somewhere on my left.

I rolled my eyes. “God, art school comedians are the worst,” I said this to Grayson, but he wasn’t exactly pulling his hand away. Neither was I. Until it felt a little weird, so I extricated my fingers gently.

“Hey,” Rama said, “I wasn’t done yet.”

“Take a picture,” I snarked.

“I did,” Frances, a sophomore, said. “Will send it to you, Rama.”

Grayson looked like he was enjoying this. But so was I.

==End of excerpt==

Read more first chapters and join their giveaways too!

Elizabeth Barone: Savannah’s Song

Noree Cosper: Pandora Principle

Molli Moran’s first chapter

Join each author’s mailing list to get the chance to be one of 5 winners of a personalized copy of the first chapters posted. Winners from my set who are based in the Philippines will get a print copy of the prize + ebook. International winners will get a digital version + 2 ebooks. Thank you!