Alexia Praks's Blog, page 3

In the new house, launching YouTube channel, and books

Hey, everyone. It's been a while since I last posted and here I am. ^_^So, me and my sisters, along with our elderly dad, are finally in the new house after a three long year of living in a cold, dammed, leaky-roof, collapsed-ceiling rental home. If I haven’t mentioned this before, I had been house hunting for ages, and finally, I found one back in February of this year. Needless to say, the process took a lot of my time away from my writing and publishing. I’m not sure if that’s normal when you’re looking to buy your own home or not, but for me, house hunting was a lot of work, along with headaches. LOL! It was stressful work, I must say.Anyways, it took us, and particularly me, a while to finally settle down after moving in and now I can get back to concentrating on my work, such as writing my books, for example. LOL!First off, I just wanted to notify those waiting for Chained to You Vol. 6 that it’s going to be delay yet again. And I’m really, really sorry about that, guys. I was just too busy with life taking over me writing books. And also, as you know, my health is not the greatest, though I am getting better. I must admit that Feng Shui in this new house is a lot better compared to the rental house we were previously in. That was part of the stress when I was house hunting. LOL! I had to make sure the new house has good Feng Shui. Or at least pass the bare basic. You have no idea that most homes in New Zealand were built with very bad Feng Shui. I mean, making sure the front door and entrance of the house have a clear vibrant space for qi to collect is the most basic of the basic and more than 50% of the house I saw already violated that rule. LOL! Anway, enough about house hunting and Feng Shui.So, the expected release date for Chained to You Vol. 6 is now the 27th of June. Or close to this date, at least.Another thing I want to notify you guys also is that I’m launching a YouTube channel where I will be posting videos of my audio novel, along with vlog and other stuff. You can check out the ABOUT section on my youtube channel to know more. So far, I’ve already completed chapter 1 of The Blood Alchemists Chronicles, Vol. 1: An Intended Murder, which coincides with the ebook releasing on both Google Play and Apple iBooks today.You can watch the Audio Novel – The Blood Alchemists Chronicles, Vol. 1: Chapter 1 below. Or go to YouTube HERE.You can get yourself a copy of the ebook from Amazon, Apple iBooksand Google Play.Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel for more of my videos HERE. Also, my first vlog is available to watch on YouTube as well.That’s all for now. Will post again soon. ^_^ P.S. If you would like me to do an Audio Novel for any of my romance books and post the videos on YouTube, simply make your request in the comment section on my YouTube Channel. ^_^Audio NovelThe Blood Alchemists Chronicles, Vol. 1: An Intended MurderChapter 1My First Vlog: New Glasses, New House, Feng Shui, and Books

April Update: Upcoming book and a newly launch online novels website

I know I haven’t been updating this blog post for a while and thought I’d do one for the beginning of April.First, I sincerely apologize for delaying the release of Chained to You, Vol. 6 again. I did plan and promise you guys that the book will be out sometime this month of April. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of time to concentrate on writing the book as a) my thyroid autoimmune condition decided to come back, which made me pretty sick and tired for the last few months, and b) our rental contract for this house is ending soon, which means we have to hurry up and find another house, otherwise we’d be homeless. Since me and my sisters don’t feel like renting anymore, considering all the shits that went through like leaking roof and the ceiling craving in in my sister's bedroom and the owner not doing anything to fix those for a whole of two years, we’ve decided to buy a house instead. For the last couple of months, it’d just been me running around like a headless chicken trying to find a suitable home. We’ve recently found one we liked and have bought it. I say we, but it’s just me buying that house. LOL! Yay! My very first home. I will keep you guys updated on that one. We’ll be moving in this month, so I’m currently busy sorting stuff out and packing. By stuff I mean bank, lawyer, and the transfers of power, phone, and many more. You know, the stuff you need for daily living.So needless to say, Chained to You, Vol. 6 will not be done and out until the end of May. I’m so sorry, you guys. And since I don’t want you guys to feel like I’m leaving you in the dark and waiting for ages to read any of my books, I’ve launch a new online novels website for you guys to read some of my books. If you’re keen to read my books for free, never mind that some of them will be a first draft, you can visit the website at alexiapraksnovels.com and sign up to that website’s mailing list HERE for chapter update.Once we’ve moved into the new house, I’ll start an audio novel and post the chapters on YouTube. The ones I’ve planned to record are the Falling for Sakura trilogy, The Billionaire’s Hired Girlfriend, The Billionaire’s Love, and all of my young adult fantasy ones. I hope you guys will support me in this endeavor by watching the YouTube clips. Of course, It’d just be my voice reading my books and I do have an accent, which you my not like. LOL! But I’ll do my best to make is clear and entertaining.Thanks, and that’s all for now.

Sakura Paperback

Hey, guys. So finally the Falling for Sakura Trilogy is now available in hardcopy (paperback) on Amazon. Not only that but all of my other books (Chained to You, Chained by Love, The Billionaire's Brides series, and A Demon's Wrath) are also now available in paperback on amazon as well.To get your paperback copy of any of my books, just go to this page HERE. It has direct links to the books on Amazon. ^_^You can click on the image below to get your paperback copy of A Secret Affair.Get A Copy of A Secret Affair Paperback Version

Sakura: A Secret Affair is available on Google Play as well as Amazon and iBooks

Hey, Guys. Sakura: A Secret Affair is now available for pre-order on Google Play as well as Amazon and iBooks. The release date is February 11th.Here are the linksGoogle Play | Amazon | iBooks

Sakura: A Secret Affair is Done and Ready for Pre-Order

Finally, Sakura: A Secret Affair is done! I’ve finished writing it a few days back. Had stayed up until 3am to complete the book. LOL! And yes, the book is long, with a total word count of 115,000 words. The print (paperback) version is going to be around 450 pages or slightly longer. And yes, I'm going to be doing a print version (paperback) on all of my books. They will be available through Amazon. The released date for those will be sometimes in February as well.Anyways, the pre-order links for Amazon and iBooks stores are ready. Google Play is coming soon.Pre-Order Sakura: A Secret Affair(Release date: Feb 11th)Amazon | iBooksNow, I’m going to start writing Chained to You Vol. 6.That’s all for now. ^_^

Happy New Year and Books Release

Happy New Year, everyone. It is now 2018, and on February the 4th, it will be officially the Wu Xu (Earth Dog) year.I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year. Anyways, I’m here to announce that my new YA Fantasy website is now live. If you’re interested in reading my YA Fantasy books (it does have romance in it, by the way), you can visit the website HERE and subscribe to my YA mailing list HERE.My first YA Fantasy book, The Blood Alchemist Chronicles (Vol. 1): An Intended Murder is now available for pre-order on Amazon for 0.99c. The book will be under Kindle Unlimited, so if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you get to read it for FREE! Cool, right?Pre-order The Blood Alchemist Chronicles (Vol. 1): An Intended Murder on AmazonIf you would like to read The Blood Alchemist Chronicles but is not an Amazon buyer, you can read the book for free by joining my YA ARC Team. Please note that to become my YA ARC Team, you must write a review of the book on either Amazon or Goodreads. To join, simply go HERE and sign up.Sakura: A Secret Affair. This book is almost complete. I only have two more chapters to write. I already have 75% of the MS back from my editor, so it shouldn’t be long until the book is ready for pre-order. Stay tuned for that. Currently, the planned release date is Feb 11th. ^_^COMING SOON FEB 11THThat’s all for now.Alexia

Sakura: A Secret Affair Teaser and My Weekend In Oamaru

As the title of this blog post states above, there’s going to be a little teaser of Sakura Book 3: A Secret Affair. But first, I just want to share with you a bit about my weekend trip to Oamaru with a friend of mine.Needless to say, the trip was both interesting and fun. Oamaru is a small town on the east coast of New Zealand and is about an hour and a half drive from the City of Dunedin where I live. I went with my longtime friend (we've been friends since high school) as her plus one for her work Christmas function, since her husband couldn’t attend.The day was hot, just like the previous few weeks or so, which is rare for New Zealand in early summer. To be honest, I don’t like the heat much, and by the end of the trip, I acquired myself some sunburn. As I’m writing this post, I’m slightly uncomfortable at the pain of the burn along my arms and neck. Of course, I should have put on some sunscreen, but being the scatterbrain that I am, I had forgotten to take it with me on the trip. Although my face is fine as I had on some BB cream that has SPF 4, which is a blessing. Missha BB Cream, you not only make my face look nice and flawless but also protect me from the harsh New Zealand summer as well. Thank you very much. ^_^Anyway, back to the small town of Oamaru. What surprised me most on my trip was that I found the town charming. Before I went, I expected it to be dull and uninteresting, but whoa, I actually enjoyed myself exploring the place. The old part of the town especially captivated me, with the old buildings and historical feelings of the site. Not to mention the town decided to brand itself a steampunk Victorian town, what with all the wonderful displays of the steam train and various Victorian stuff in the museum. Some small shops even have displays of steampunk gadgets and costumes, which pleased me during my visitation, and furthermore, inspires me to continue with my young adult fantasy books even more. I mean my book series, The Blood Alchemist Chronicles, isn’t exactly steampunk but rather Gaslamp, though the tone of the story is similar and is set in the Victorian era.Anyway, I have a few pictures of the old part of Oamaru below, which I thought you all might find charming as well.While I’m talking about Oamaru and steampunk, and of course, my YA fantasy series The Blood Alchemist Chronicles, I thought I’ll mention that in early January, I will turn the first few parts of book one of the Blood Alchemist Chronicles into a free novella for everyone to enjoy. It will only be available on Google Play and the Apple iBook store. Unfortunately, it will not be out on Amazon until September of 2018, since I want to have at least three books done before I release the series on Amazon. Anyway, please look forward to the free novella in January. I will do a blog post about it then, with links and everything.Okay, now about Sakura Book 3: A Secret Affair. I’m getting there writing it. The last few weeks have been a marathon of writing, to say the least. Of course, I still have many more chapters to write yet, but hopefully, I’ll get there and finished everything on time for the planned release date in early February of 2018.To keep you happy, I've posted another chapter of Sakura. Please note that this is a first draft only and has not been professionally edited. I apologize for the grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.Sakura: A Secret Affair TeaserSakura & the Prince of HeartsAn hour later, the flustered Jane had managed to calm Tara down and brought the woman back into the makeup room. Of course, the photoshoot was delayed, which made Mr. Tachibana, Miss Ruka, and Jason the photographer more than a little stressed out because of the tight schedule. In the end, Jane suggested they do Sakura with Tristan and Logan first since she was all ready to go. This would also give Sakura plenty of time after for a retouch and wardrobe change before her session with Sebastian started while they photographed Tristan and Logan with Tara and Alaina.The three heads agreed after a short discussion, and hence, some fifteen minutes later, Sakura found herself in the ninth-floor restaurant, along with the crew, the Princeton brothers, and some of the hotel staff.“Let me just say you’re an eye-candy, darling Princess,” Tristan said, brushing his fingers across Sakura’s perfectly coiffured hair.Logan nodded in agreement as he tilted her face to the left. “Simply stunning.” Then his eyes scanned her in appreciation from head to toe, noting the perfectly made-up face, the stylish chignon, the expensive rubies jewelries that adorned her ears and neck, and of course, the sexy long gown that not only enhanced her slim waist, but showed off the shape of her beautiful bosoms as well.Sakura removed Logan’s hand from her chin and said, “Thanks for the compliments, guys. But to be honest, it gets boring and meaningless when it comes too often, especially from you two.”Tristan raised a brow. “Are you saying our praises are shallow?”Sakura chuckled. “I don’t mean that. What I’m saying is that if you give out praises too often and so nonchalantly like that, it might make the other party think that it’s just an empty compliment, words without meaning.”“Oh, but we do mean every compliment we give out,” Logan said.Sakura sighed. “What I’m trying to say is that if you compliment every girl you take a fancy to, how would the girl who likes you knows that you really meant it when you say it to her?”Logan shook his head. “Good lord, you’re confusing us.”Tristan said, “Are you implying that you are confused? That you don’t know if our compliment to you are for real? Because we compliment and flirt with every other girl who comes our way?” He leaned closer and asked softly, in a challenge, “Are you trying to tell us that you like one of us?”Sakura couldn’t help herself and chuckle in amusement. God, trust them to smoothly turn the table on her. “No. That’s not what I mean at all.”In the corner of her eyes, she noted Mr. Tachibana, Miss Ruka, and Jason heading their way from the other side of the restaurant. She assumed they must have finished with their discussion. She said, to distract the brothers’ attention from her, “Oh, look, Mr. Tachibana, Miss Ruka, and Jason are coming.”Tristan and Logan turned to look in that direction. Tristan said in disappointment, “And we’re having such a lovely conversation too.”Logan nodded. “Sakura was about to confess to one of us.” He turned to her. “Unfortunately, that’ll have to wait, darling princess.”Sakura shook her head. “I wasn’t about to confess.”Tristan said, “Don’t be shy. We’ll continue with this after work this evening.”Sakura stammered. “Just to be clear, I wasn’t about to confess and I have no intention on confessing to either of you two. And no, there will be no continuation with this chitchat this evening after work. Understand?”Tristan whistled in appreciation at her stipulating statement.Logan said, “Princess Sakura is hot when she’s demanding.”“You two, stop it.” She ordered.Mr. Tachibana, Miss Ruka, and Jason reached them then, and Mr. Tachibana said to Sakura, “You’re blushing.”Sakura touched her face. “They were teasing me.”Jason laughed. “Well, it can’t be helped. You are very beautiful today and those two are a pair of flirts, after all.”Miss Ruka said, “Why didn’t you two flirt with me like that?”Logan said, “Sorry, Miss Ruka. We pick and choose who we flirt with.” He then winked at Sakura.Tristan cleared his throat and then asked, “So, are we starting now?”Mr. Tachibana nodded. He said, “We want you in the bar area.”Hence, Mr. Tachibana instructed the trio on the poses they wanted from them while the other Princeton brothers, Akira, Sosuke, and Jane watched on from the other corner of the restaurant.“Those two still hasn’t stop flirting with Sakura, even when they were being instructed on what to do,” Conrad said.Hayden nodded. “They are pretty annoying. I’m surprised Sakura isn’t bothered. And are they even listening to what Mr. Tachibana is telling them?”Akira chuckled. “I’m sure they are. And anyway, would anyone be bothered if the person they like flirts with them?”Her comment drew the brothers’ attention to her, including Sosuke, who asked, “Are you implying Sakura likes one of those two?”Akira raised her brows at her brother. “My, Sosuke. You sound disappointed.”Jane eyed Sosuke as well, with interest.Sosuke said, “Don’t be ridiculous.” He folded his arms across his chest as he stared straight ahead.Akira continued saying, “I’m just implying that Sakura likes the Princeton brothers very much, that’s all.” She eyed Sebastian and Darcy sharply, to indicate to them that she knew what was happening behind closed door.“I mean I personally wouldn’t be so patient if I were to be pestered all the time.” She chuckled. “I mean there’s so much pestering that there are even bite-marks on the neck. I feel sorry for Sakura.”At her words, Sebastian and Darcy looked at each other, knowing what she meant.Sebastian suspected that Darcy must have done something to Sakura because Akira had said bite-marks in plural. Of course, he had been one of the culprits to leave the bruise on her skin where everyone could see, to claim her as his so to speak, but for Darcy to brand her as well?Sebastian silently turned away to look at Sakura again, who was attentively nodding her head as Mr. Tachibana was explaining things to her, which he found adorable.So, Sebastian thought with a smile playing about his lips, his younger brother was openly challenging him, eh? Well, this would certainly be interesting indeed.Darcy was frowning darkly as he stared at Logan who was playing with Sakura’s earring while listening to Mr. Tachibana. Of course, he did not miss the smirk playing across Sebastian’s face either, nor the fact that he felt a sort of challenging vibe emitted from the older brother. He knew Sebastian must have suspected that he Darcy was the other person who had given Sakura the hickey. Then he wondered what move Sebastian was going to play next where their endeavor to gain Sakura’s heart was concerned.Nicolas said, “I didn’t know two of my brothers had turned themselves into pests, sneaking around and giving Sakura hickeys.”Conrad was flabbergasted at the very idea. “What? Tristan and Logan gave Sakura hickeys? Those two sure needs to be taught a few lessons! I think I might just go and punch them after their photoshoot is done.”Hayden chuckled as he slapped the youngest Princeton. “No need to get yourself involved, young pup. And no, I’m sure it’s neither Tristan nor Logan. Sakura wouldn’t let them touch her. She’s tough, you know. If I remember exactly, she slapped Tristan when he tried to kiss her when we were young.”Conrad was even more astounded this time. “Really? Tristan tried to kiss Sakura? And she slapped him?”Hayden shrugged nonchalantly. “It was a bet between Tristan and Logan. And they were in their teens. They didn’t get very far, so there’s nothing to worry about.”On the other side of the room, Mr. Tachibana said, “Sakura, you sit there.” He was pointing to the bar’s benchtop that was as high as her midriff, even with the four-inch heels on. “Now, let’s get things moving.” He clapped his hands a couple of times to tell everyone that they were ready to go.Sakura raised a hand as everyone shuffled about to their positions. “Excuse me, Mr. Tachibana, maybe a chair?” She requested.Beside her, Tristan said, “No worries, princess.” He moved, wrapped his hands around her waist, and effortlessly lifted her into the air like a doll.“Oh.” Sakura made the sound as Tristan popped her on the benchtop. “Thanks,” she said, wiggling her body about to get into a comfortable position. “That was easy.”Watching, Hayden said, “Sakura must be pretty light.”Nicolas, Sebastian, and Darcy said in unison, “She is.”Akira teased. “Sounds like you three had experience?”The trio nodded in unison, too. “We have.”Sitting on the benchtop, Sakura noted the other Princeton brothers watching her. Sebastian and Darcy especially were frowning. Why were they frowning?She moved to the left a little as per Mr. Tachibana’s instruction whilst both Tristan and Logan, in sleek, powerful suits, stood on either side of her, oozing so much hotness that the female staff was gawking. Tristan rested his arm on the bench and wrapping around her waist. Meanwhile, Sakura was directed to wrap her slender arm around Logan’s neck as he leaned in toward her. Their position set, the camera started clicking away enthusiastically.“Move a bit to the right now, Sakura,” Jason said. “Closer to Tristan.Sakura shifted a little.“Good. Lift your head a bit more and turn slightly to the right. That’s it. Toward the light.”Sakura did so, and then the camera went click, click, click. Of course, she did her best to look elegant, but the dress was tight, constricting on her tummy and chest, which made it hard for her to breath. So, it was rather uncomfortable. Thank god she hadn’t eaten much during lunch, which would have been worse if she had.The camera clicked continuously as Mr. Tachibana said, “Good. Move a bit to left now, Sakura. Logan, move closer.”Logan did and even rested his handsome face close to Sakura’s breasts, which only made Sebastian’s and Darcy’s frown turned darker.Sebastian said from where he stood at the corner of the room, “Play nice, Logan.”Logan chuckled and did a thumb up. “Understood.”Jason paused and said, “Okay, Sakura, now move and cross one leg over the other.”“Cross my legs?” she asked.At Jason’s nod, Sakura sucked in a deep breath and then move her body as she tried to modestly move, crossing one leg over the other. But of course, the side slid of the dress wasn’t helping as she was trying to cover herself.“This damn thing,” she muttered under her breath.Jane said loudly, “Sakura, are you okay?”Sakura nodded. “I’m fine.”Mr. Tachibana said, “You’re supposed to be showing off your legs.” He came over and helped her arranged herself by parting the slid even more.In the end, Sakura thought she probably looked like a sexy showgirl wearing this dress and posing in such a position on the bar’s benchtop, with two hot men beside her. Man one Logan, was wrapping one arm around her waist while his face was half buried in the crook of her neck. Man two Tristan, was resting his hand on her bare leg while her hand, in turn, was resting over his shoulder.“Perfect!” Mr. Tachibana said, and hence, more photo shooting continued with the lights flashing enthusiastically.Jane giggled. “It looks like Sakura is hoarding all the hot men to herself, isn’t it?”Akira nodded in agreement. “Yep. Like I said, it’s a real-life reverse harem, Jane. It can’t get better than this.”When Jason finally said, “That’s it, guys. It’s done,” Sakura sighed in relief and remembered to breathe properly again.“That went far too quick,” Logan said.Sakura wasn’t listening to the man as she carefully wiggled her body trying to make her way down from the benchtop. She was halfway when Logan said, “Be careful, darling.” He helped her by wrapping his arms around her waist and guiding her down.Once her feet were planted safely on the floor, she said, “Thanks.”It was then that Jane came to whisk her away again to change. As they headed toward the door, Sakura noticed Tara and Alaina, who were ready for their photoshoot. Tara was, of course, glaring at her. Sakura ignored the woman and hurried away, thinking of only the relief that she would have after she took the dress off.Some twenty minutes later, her relief was short-lived as she stared at her image in the mirror, particularly her breasts that looked as though they were about to be spilled out of the cocktail gown.“Are you sure this is the same one I tried on when I had the fitting back in New York?” she asked Jane. “I mean, it’s awfully tight now and the length seems shorter…” She glanced down at herself, noting the flounced tulle skirt that she was sure would probably show her panties if she were to bend over, so short it was.Jane said adamantly, “Yes, it is the very same one. It’s a little tighter and shorter because Mr. Tachibana changed the design a bit last week. But that’s the world of fashion for you, Sakura.” She chuckled. “Bear with it.” Sakura sighed. “All right. At least it’s only with Sebastian, so I wouldn’t feel too uncomfortable.”Jane cocked her head to one side. “So if it’s not with Sebastian, you’d be uncomfortable then?”Sakura blushed. “Yes, of course. And Darcy, too.”Jane giggled. “I’m sure the two will be pleased to hear that.”After the initial shocked of seeing herself in such a provocative cocktail dress finally wore off, Sakura found that she had gotten used to her looks, and more importantly, to the tightness and bareness of her flesh. This was because she had time to relax in the makeup room while Tristan and Logan had their photo shoot with Tara and Alina.“It’ll take some time,” Kay said, smiling at Sakura. “They just finished the last one and then they have to set up equipment in the other room.”“I see,” Sakura said, nodding her head.It was half an hour later when Jane finally came to call her, and by then, Sakura felt rather sleepy. Her eyes were droopy and her cheek flushed pink as she got up from her seat.Jane giggled. “Sorry, but you look like you’re about to doze off.”Sakura nodded. “I was. I didn’t know setting up the equipment was taking so long.”Jane said as they headed out the door, “There was a bit of an issue with the lighting. But everything is fine now.”Sakura nodded, and a few moments later, they came into the President suite, one of the most expensive rooms in the hotel.“Wow!” Sakura said as she eyed her surroundings. “This place is beautiful.”Everything in here was tastefully furnished with gold and white theme; the antique sofas and armchairs, the mahogany desk, the coffee table, the elegant vase of bouquet sitting near the window, and of course, the double glass door leading outside to the balcony that no doubt had a great view of the sea.Jane nodded. “It is, isn’t it? I heard it’s one of the most expensive rooms in the entire hotel. I wish I could stay here.”Sakura nodded in agreement. “Me, too.”“Really?” Sebastian asked softly behind her.Sakura gasped in surprised at the sound of his sensual voice. She licked her lips, finding them run dry suddenly. She turned around to face him. “Hello,” she greeted. “Wow.” Her eyes widened in appreciation once she had a good look at him. “You look different.”“Different good or bad?”She smiled. “Both, I guess. I must say you look rather superior. Like I mean way out of most girl’s league is my meaning.”She wasn’t lying there. In that expensive suite with his blonde hair combed back and that blue stud on his left ear, Sebastian looked handsomely powerful and arrogant, a man on top of the world, and indeed, ruling the world. Not to mention the fact that he was so striking that she found she couldn’t stop staring at him.“I could say the same about you,” he said teasingly. “Wow. You look like a spoilt little princess who’s allowed to be seen but not touch.” He eyes seductively appraised her from head to toe.Sakura did not miss the fact that his gaze lingered about her neck and breasts for a bit too long, which affected her in a sensual way.She blushed and turned hastily away. “Are we ready to go?” she asked Jane, avoiding Sebastian’s eyes.She knew he found her reaction amusing, what with that smirk playing across his face. But she couldn’t help it. The way he looked at her unsettled her. And damn, her heart hadn’t stopped racing either.It was then the other Princeton brothers came in through the door and Logan whistled. “You look hot in that dress, Sakura.”“Smexy as hell!” Tristan said, which was followed by a whistle.Sakura wasn’t paying attention to the brothers simply because she was too aware of the vibe Darcy was giving her. Again?She glanced in his direction and saw his impassive face. Suddenly, the right side of her neck tingled and she touched the spot gently and carefully as if it was hot.Sebastian noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”Sakura shook her head. “It’s nothing.”Of course, Sebastian knew it wasn’t nothing when he saw Darcy gawking at her. And damn, but what man currently in the room wasn’t staring at the girl? She was hot to boot wearing a strapless cocktail dress with flounced tulle skirt that showed plenty of rosy pale skin, slender legs with feet in a pair of glittery gold heels, and gorgeous boobs that was perfectly adorned by the sweetheart beaded satin top.Yes, Sakura was an eye-candy and certainly very hard not to notice. She was strikingly beautiful, and Sebastian knew it was hard for Darcy, as well as him, not to feel just that little bit fearful that some other guy might just come and snatch her away, just that little bit insecure that they would lose her while she was in the midst of gaining so much attention.Sebastian glanced at Darcy again, noting the impassive face. Suddenly, Darcy flicked his eyes to him, and Sebastian gave his brother a smile.Darcy waved in return and move along with the others to the back of the room where it was safe to watch the photo shoot without interfering with their work.Some fifteen minutes later, after Mr. Tachibana had finished with his instruction as to how he wanted them to pose, Sakura found herself half kneeling on the antique sofa while Sebastian was wrapping one arm around her small waist.“Wow,” Akira said, chuckling. “That is one very intimate pose.”Jane nodded in agreement while the Princeton brothers frowned darkly, especially Darcy.“All right,” Jason said. “Ready?”At Sakura and Sebastian nodding, the camera began clicking and the light flashing.As they pose, Sakura did not miss the fact that Sebastian’s hand around her waist was indeed firm, and the heat exuding from his body was intoxicating. She tried not to look at his face, but of course, that was impossible since they were nearly nose to nose.“Sakura, move closer and wrap your arms around Sebastian’s neck,” Mr. Tachibana directed. “And stick your cute ass a little higher.”Sakura blushed. What?Sebastian must have guessed she didn’t like the sound of Mr. Tachibana’s instruction and chuckled with amusement. He said, “It’s only a photo shoot, Sakura. Do as Mr. Tachibana said.”She sighed and reluctantly moved about on the sofa. Of course, her tight, short dress wasn’t helping either, showing way too much of her legs. God, she hoped her panties wasn’t showing.In the end, she found herself half reclining on top of Sebastian as she had one arm around his muscular neck while the other resting on her hip, posing. Whereas Sebastian, he seemed very comfortable indeed resting back on the sofa, one hand tight about her waist while the other about her bare thigh. And then click, click, click.Throughout this pose, Sakura was very aware that Sebastian had his eyes fixed on her, which made her nervous and more than aware of his presence. When she couldn’t stand it anymore, she whispered, “Sebastian, stop staring at me.”He chuckled in amusement. “It’s hard not to stare when you’re so close.” He whispered seductively. “If you move in closer, we’ll be kissing.”She blushed. She whispered back, through a disguise of a beautiful smile, “I thought I’ve told you to stop seducing me, Sebastian Princeton.”“Indeed you did, Princess,” he retorted. And just to show her who was the boss, he tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her to him.Sakura gasped in surprise and lost her footing. She found herself collapsed against him, saddling him in a very unladylike position.“Sebastian!” Tristan shouted from the distance. “What the hell are you doing? Act professional, you damn flirt.”Chuckles of amusement from the spectators followed this while Mr. Tachibana said, “I like the new pose. Keep going.”The camera continued to clicked while Mr. Tachibana and Ms. Ruka encouraged them to act even more intimate.Sebastian took everything in his stride and, in fact, dare to be even more cheeky by slipping his hand under her skirt. Of course, he didn’t go any higher than the mid-thigh, but the implication was clear enough. He wanted people to see how far he could go and how close he was to Sakura.Indeed, people did see, especially Darcy whose frown was indeed dark. The brother had had enough watching and decided to leave the room to get some fresh air.While all this was happening, Sakura whispered to Sebastian, “You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”Sebastian gave her a grand smile that made most females in that room drool and wished that he was smiling at them instead. But of course, Sebastian only had his eyes on one girl, and she was right in there before him, currently being intimately embraced by him in front of the camera and about twenty other people in the room.He said, “Yes I am. And you?”“Not really,” Sakura replied. “Do you have any idea how tight this dress is on me?”“I can see that,” he admitted. “Though the view from here isn’t bad.”Sakura blushed at his suggestive words. Indeed, he was currently eyeing her breasts that were barely contained by the sweetheart cocktail dress.“Stop being such a flirt.” She demanded as she raised her head and turned slightly to the left, away from him. Then she posed elegantly as she smiled at the camera.“Good,” Jason said.Mr. Tachibana nodded. “Sebastian, move up a bit more. Sit straighter. I want you to look more possessive this time. Be in command. Sakura is your girl. Show us who's boss.”Sebastian was only too happy to oblige. He moved, and in a split second, he made Sakura sit on his thigh and he was in control of her. And then the camera continued to click.Throughout this new pose, Sakura tried to be as relaxed as she could possibly be, but being so close to Sebastian wasn’t easy, especially with him touching her so intimately like that and his warm breath fanning on her skin. Her body became weak and too warm for her liking, not to mention the fact that she simply wanted to snuggle up in his arms and just let him kiss her until she was senseless. But of course, she couldn’t possibly let her guard down and succumb to her own desire, since this was a professional job, after all. Hence, she dismissed the sensual thoughts from her mind and continued to pose and gaze at the camera as the photo shoot continued and Mr. Tachibana and Jason instructed her on her next pose.Finally, when Jason said, “Done,” Sakura sighed in relief and move to get out of Sebastian’s arms.The man, however, wouldn’t let her go and asked, “What’s the hurry?”What’s the hurry indeed, Sakura thought. Had he any idea that if she were to stay in his arms a moment longer, she’d lose all her common sense and let him do the unthinkable? That was to let him kiss her right here in front of so many people.She sighed. “I have to get change for my next photo shoot, Sebastian. Please let go of me.”“All right,” he said reluctantly, though his arms were even tighter around her waist. “In a moment. I’m currently enjoying this position.”Sakura eyed him, noting the passionate azure-blue eyes that never ease to fascinate her, eyes that made her fall even deeper in love with him. It was then that she came to realized Sebastian Princeton was a very possessive man where she was concerned. What was he trying to show to the world? That they were dating? That she was his?Dating indeed. His indeed.Suddenly, Sebastian’s possessiveness reminded her of Darcy. She realized then that Darcy, too, was very possessive where she was concerned, clearly shown by the way he had passionately kissed her at lunchtime and him wishing that she would be his. However, she felt that his form was more of the submissive fragile type whereas Sebastian was dominating in-control type. Needless to say, they were the complete opposite of one another.The very thought about Darcy made her eyes darted around the room in search of the man. When she noted that he was nowhere in sight, she breathed in relieve at the fact that he had not witnessed her intimate scene with Sebastian. She didn’t know why, but the thought of him seeing her intimate with Sebastian didn’t sit well with her. Was it because she knew he’d be upset? Or jealous? And she didn’t want to hurt him?Oh, God, she didn’t know and felt her heart ache at the thought.Sebastian noticed her eyes scanning the room and then her pained expression. He gently removed his arms away from her waist. “Are you looking for Darcy?” he asked.Sakura licked her lips as her eyes flicked back to his face. “Erm…”“I saw him left a while ago,” he said. “Are you worried?”Sakura didn’t know Sebastian was so perceptive, especially where her feelings were concerned. She nodded her head in the positive. “I don’t want him to be upset seeing us like this,” she said.Sebastian said, “I’m sure he can handle it. He’s a man, after all, and a Princeton at that.”Sakura was about to say something when Jane appeared behind them then, cutting her off.“Come on, Sakura. Time to change wardrobe,” the woman said.Sakura nodded and then moved out of the sofa. As the two girls left, Nicolas, Hayden, and Conrad came up to Sebastian.Nicolas said, “Sakura looks a little troubled there.”“And Darcy left a while back,” Hayden said. “He probably didn’t feel comfortable watching you acting so intimate with Sakura.”Sebastian nodded as he said, “I know. I’ll find him and talk to him.”That's all for now. I'll post more soon. ^_^

Sakura Book 3 Is Coming Sooner Than Expected

So apparently, as stated in the title of this blog, Falling for Sakura Book 3, the final book, is coming out sooner than anticipated. Why? Because this past week I have been writing my pants off, that’s why. Firstly, thanks to my health, which is getting so much better, and second, because I have a burst of inspiration. This can only be explained by the strong water plus strong metal elements in this month November. In BaZi, this November is a Xin Hai (Metal Pig). Xin to me is the 7 Killing while Hai, which contain the element yang water, is the Direct Resource star. So, as you can tell, determination plus lots of inspiration and ideas. Hehe. I’m hoping that next month in December, which will be a Ren Zi (Water Rat), will be even better because the water element is super strong as it is rooted. But then again, it could also mean that I’ll become super lazy because resource could also mean procrastination and laziness. Wood is easily uprooted and floated by too much water, after all, such as in the case of a flood.Anyway, enough about BaZi. I’m supposed to be telling you guys who have been waiting for Sakura Book 3 for the longest time that it is nearly here. I’m sending the first half of the manuscript to my editor today and the second half by the end of this November or early December. The editing should be done by maybe early January of 2018. After proofreading, I predict that the book will be able to come out in early February of 2018. Once I have the professionally edited version back, I'll put up the pre-order links to Google Play and Amazon. Apple iBook is already available for pre-order, but I'll change the release date when I know the set date.Of course, I have yet to write the synopsis of the book, but meh, I’ll do that once everything is done. I’ve posted a snippet of the book below. Please note that this a first draft only and has not yet been edited. I apologize for the grammar, spellings, and punctuation mistakes. Enjoy. ^_^* * *Falling for Sakura TrilogyBook 3Sakura: A Secret AffairSome twenty minutes later, Sakura and Michael were wandering along the private beach, taking their time and enjoying themselves. Michael was skipping along happily, and now and again, he’d pick up seashells and show them to Sakura with glee. Sakura, on the other hand, would snapped photos of him in mid action as well as the scenery of the beach and mountains that surrounded them; photos of the waves washing onto the sandy beach, of Michael knees-deep in water, and of seashell on the sand. There were photos of the deep blue sea itself that stretched to the endless horizon, and the mountain in the distance, lush and green.Sakura was so concentrate on taking a photo of a crab by Michael’s feet that she didn’t notice a man appearing beside her as if out of the blue.“Hi,” came the manly voice.Sakura jumped in surprise and glanced up. She narrowed her eyes against the bright glare of the sun as her heart raced. The image of handsome Sebastian came into focus, and Sakura felt her breath caught at the back of her throat.“Hi,” she said, straightening up. She licked her lips unconsciously. “I didn’t hear you coming.”“I saw you and Michael,” Sebastian said. Then his face became dark and serious. “You didn’t tell any of us you were leaving the house.”Sakura knew he was worried about her safety. She understood that, but then again, they were in Hawaii now, so the threat that existed back in New York City couldn’t have possibly followed her here, right? But then again there was Tara, and neither Sakura nor the Princeton brothers knew if Tara had anything to do with Mr. Clarke, Tara’s mother.She supposed it was better to be vigilant, and knew it was her bad for wandering off without thoughts.“Sorry,” she said. “I… I completely forgot about that.”Sebastian understood her meaning. He understood that they were now in Hawaii and so the danger that existed in New York was unlikely to follow Sakura here. However, Sebastian was a cautious man, and he was even more so where Sakura’s safety, the woman he loved, was concerned.“That’s all right,” he said, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers.Sakura sighed at the gentle contact as she gazed up at him. She licked her lips again, suddenly wanted to kiss him.Sebastian must have thought the same, and leaned in his head. His lips found hers in a scorching kiss.Sakura groaned as she parted her lips for him, allowing Sebastian to plunge his tongue into her mouth. Their kiss was passionate and gentle, and by the time Sebastian terminated the kiss and pulled back, Sakura was blushing red from the experience.Gosh, she thought, to be kissing Sebastian here out in the open of all places, and with Michael not too far away, too.Sebastian understood her embarrassment and decided to help ease her discomfort by striking up a conversation. He asked, “So, how’s the trip so far? Are you enjoying yourself?”“It’s lovely here,” she replied. “But to be honest, the eleven hours’ flight was difficult, and I still haven’t gotten used to the heat here yet.”“It does get very hot here in Hawaii,” Sebastian said, nodding his head. “St. Thomas would be the same, unfortunately.”“I’ve never been there before,” she said.Sebastian turned to gaze off into the ocean beyond. “It’s smaller than St. Joseph Island. It’s very private. Only for families and friends. You’ll like it there.”“Wow!” Sakura made the sound. “Very secluded, huh?”“Hmm.” Sebastian nodded.They were quiet for a moment when Sakura said, “So it’s your turn to be my bodyguard now, is it?”Sebastian cocked his head to one side, his eyes twinkling. “I’d be glad to be your bodyguard for the rest of my life.” He was teasing, of course, but there was a hint of truth that was hard for Sakura to miss. “In fact, I’d be glad to guard your heart for the rest of my life.”Sakura laughed, pleased. “You are an outrageous flirt, Sebastian Princeton.”It was then when Michael appeared before them again, looking at them seriously. “Are you Sakura’s boyfriend, Sebastian?” he asked.Sebastian was taken aback by surprise at the question. Then he chuckled. “What if I am?” he asked teasingly.Michael folded his arms across his chest and frowned. “That’s not fair. What about me?”“You’re too young, Michael,” Sebastian said.“I’m not that young.” Michael protested.“Hmm…” Sebastian leaned forward. “Your new mom Katherine is Sakura’s age, isn’t she?”Michael looked as though he had just realized that. “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.” He humped in annoyance. “Fine, whatever,” he said and then marched off ahead of them.Noting that Michael was a little upset, Sakura looked at Sebastian.He laughed. “I think he’s very protective of you.”Sakura chuckled. “I haven’t seen him for a whole year after all. I better go after him.”Sebastian nodded.Sakura caught up with him a few moments later. Instantly, he grabbed her hand and held it tight. “What’s wrong?”“I missed you,” Michael said. “Now you have a boyfriend. I can’t compete with Sebastian. He’s totally awesome. How can I compete with somebody that awesome?”Sakura laughed. “Michael, you’re awesome in your own way.”Michael stopped and turned to look at her for a moment. “Really?”“Really,” Sakura replied.“Cool!” he said, and he hugged her again.Sebastian came up behind them and cleared his throat. Michael stepped back and said, “You have an awesome girlfriend, Sebastian.”Sebastian said, “Thanks.”After that, Michael ran up ahead of them. Sebastian took a hold of Sakura’s hand and brought her closer to him.Side by side, Sakura said, “Since when did you become my boyfriend?”Sebastian said, “Fake it until you make it.”Sakura blushed. She came to the realization that this very handsome man was very cunning indeed where she was concern.~ ~ ~Sakura, Sebastian, and Michael returned to the holiday house some ten minutes later, and by then, the sun had already set. At the foyer, the trio was greeted by Tristan and Logan who had been waiting for them.“What make you so damn arrogant as to steal Sakura away for such a long time, Seb?” Tristan demanded the moment the trio stepped into the threshold of the holiday house. “It’s not like Sakura has already chosen you over us.” He turned to Sakura and asked, “Isn’t that right, darling?”Logan shook his head as he tsked in disapproval. “And to be out until dark, too. Who knows what naughty things you did to Sakura behind our backs just so you can have advantage over us? You certainly need to be discipline by your elder, Seb.”Sebastian ignored his brothers teasing and asked instead, “I’m starving, when’s dinner?”Sakura said, “Just so you know, your brother didn’t do anything naughty, Logan. You need to have some trust in Sebastian more.” She cocked her head to one side and smiled with narrowed eyes. “I personally think it’d be you and Tristan who’d be doing questionable things behind you brothers’ back, right?”Sebastian laughed, as Sakura was spot on in that regard. Meanwhile both Logan and Tristan managed to look guilty at the allegation.Michael asked, with a look of confusion, “What’s so naughty about Sebastian kissing Sakura? She’s his girlfriend, isn’t she?”Sakura blushed bright red at the boy’s innocent comment while both Tristan and Logan turned to glare at Sebastian.“Care to explain, Seb?” Logan asked.Tristan nodded in agreement. He said, “You even spout such nonsense that you’re Sakura’s boyfriend to Michael. This is beyond redemption, Seb.”Sebastian cleared his throat and said, “Well, we were at the beach and the sun was setting.”Tristan said with a sour face, “You don’t even bother to lie? You bastard Sebastian! Shit! My heart. My poor heart.”Michael said, “Tristan, are you okay? But you don’t look like you’re about to have a heart attack though.”Tristan decided to teach young Michael a little bit about love. “See here, Michael, what I mean is I like Sakura and that bastard Sebastian is stealing her away from me in front of my eyes, and that hurts me deep inside.”Sakura said teasingly, “That’s profound, Tristan.”Logan pulled Michael to one side and asked, “They didn’t do anything more than kissing, did they?”Michael thought about it for a moment and said, “Actually, they did.”Tristan looked like he was about to come down on Sebastian and strangle him while Logan gave him a death ray glare.“They were holding hands,” Michael said in explanation.That drew the brothers’ attention, and Tristan said, “Oh, is that all?”Michael nodded. Then he continued, “Sakura took loads of photos of me, too.” He grinned from ear to ear, obviously pleased. “It was so much fun.”“Did she now?” Tristan asked, eyeing Sakura’s digital camera in her hands with a twinkle in his eyes. He moved closer toward her and said suggestively, “How about you and I go out to the beach tomorrow evening and you taking loads of photos of me, too? And then while the sun is setting, we do a little dance and kiss?”Logan decided to chimed in. “And me.”Sakura couldn’t help herself and chuckled with amusement. “I’m sorry I have to spoil your romantic plans, Tristan. Remember there are already arrangements made for tomorrow by Mr. Tachibana and Ms. Ruka?”“True,” Tristan said. “Ah, I do wonder what sort of funs games we’re going to be having. If we must pair up, I’m claiming you first, Sakura.” He leaned in and asked, “Will you be my partner?”Sebastian said coldly, “Are you actually proposing to her?”Tristan said cheekily, “What if I am?”“Over my dead body,” Logan said.“I can join in, too, right?” Michael asked. “I like games.”Ignoring Tristan expectation of her answer of his proposal, Sakura said to Michael, “Of course. I’m sure there’d be no problem. The more the merrier.”“If we have to pair up, then I’m going to pick Nicolas, cause he’s smart and strong,” Michael said brightly. “He’s totally awesome. I’m going to find him now and ask him if he wants to be my partner.” With that, he rushed off in excitement.Sebastian said, “I guess the only Princetons he looks up to are Dad and Nicolas.”Tristan nodded his head in agreement.Sakura said, “Well, Daddy James is a wonderful person and Nicolas is the perfect Princeton, after all. He is smart mentally and strong physically, as Michael said, a perfect partner in any sort of games if you want to win. Also, he’s a gentleman.”Sebastian eyed her with interest. “And I’m not a gentleman?” he asked curiously.“Only slightly,” she said, smiling. Then she turned to Tristan and Logan who looked at her expectantly for compliments. She suspected they wanted her to tell them that they were the perfect Princeton, too, and gentlemen to boot, which made her want to laugh because they were certainly not.She shook her head in the negative at them and said, “Sorry, you both are far from it. But then again, I’m not particularly into the perfect gentleman sort of man.” With that, she turned on her heels and started heading away.Tristan placed his palm on his left chest and made a lovey-dovey expression while Logan grinned from ear to ear. Sebastian couldn’t help himself but smiled at her suggestive comment.As she climbed the stairs, Tristan said loudly, “Wear something nice for dinner, darling.”Sebastian snapped at Tristan, “Don’t call Sakura darling. She’s not your girlfriend.”Sakura secretly smiled at Sebastian’s show of jealousy, which she found rather amusing.~ ~ ~That's it for now. I’ll post more later. ^_^

YA Fantasy The Blood Alchemist Chronicles Is Up For Pre-Order

Hey, Guys. Good news. Hehe. Finally, I got my act together and have put up my YA Fantasy series The Blood Alchemist Chronicles for pre-order. The release date is January 26th, 2018. It is now available on iBooks and Google Play. The links to pre-ordering the ebook are below. Amazon link is coming soon in early January.Here are the linksiBooks | Google PlayI hope you guys are still interested in reading it. I had fun writing the book. I mean it's really different from my romance and I know the audience is different, but I just thought because I wrote the book that you guys might like to give it a go.Also, my health is a lot better now and I have been doing more writing. Hopefully, it stays this way. Here's what I'm currently working on: Chained to You: Vol. 6, Chained by Love: Vol. 2, A Secret Affair, The Blood Alchemist Chronicles Vol. 2, and Haru to Aiden.Haru to Aiden is my side, fun project. It's Boys Love. Well, because I love reading BL manga. LOL! Can't help myself. It makes me smile like a silly woman when I write the book. It's the type of book that I write when I get depressed, very much like The Billionaire's Hired Girlfriend. I started writing that one when I was depressed and wanted to write a story about a cute couple. I personally think Jayden and Alexandra is a cute couple. Same goes for Haru and Aiden, except for they're boy x boy.Okay, just because I wanted you guys to like my story, I'm going to post a chapter here. Mind you, I haven't gotten very far with the story yet and also, it has not been edited. This is the ultimate draft of my draft. The raw of my work. It's embarrassing actually. I feel like I'm actually naked presenting your my first draft to you guys. LOL!Anyways, I sincerely apologize for the grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. I totally suck at spotting mistakes in my own work. I'm good at the feel and love of the story but is totally blind to mistakes. LOL! Also, if you don't like, or don't want to read boy x boy novel, you can stop reading here. I know BL is only tailored to a small percentage of readers, and well, I'm one of those minority and I love it. Personally I think Yaoi (BL) novels and manga have very good story line, and you bet that the bedroom is extremely hot. ^_^Without further ado, here is Haru to Aiden.Haru to AidenThe Brothers Series(Boy x Boy)Eighteen years old Haru Ono has been in love with Aiden Davis, his older step-brother, since he was in middle school. Trying to keep his feelings under wrap is annoyingly hard when they’re living under the same roof with four other brothers in such close proximity, more so since Aiden is so caring and selflessly showering him with brotherly love.Haru knows that family is important to Aiden, who has been shouldering the burden of raising five younger siblings since the death of their parents, and it’s best Haru never reveal his forbidden feelings to Aiden. Then again, an eighteen-year-old teenage boy with raging hormones can only bottle-up so much until everything starts to burst.Welcome to the world of the Davis and Ono brothers, where family means everything to these young men and love is a forever thing.Chapter 1HaruThe first time I met Aiden Davis was when I was eight years old, when Mom, my older brother Reo and I had just arrived in New York and landed at the airport. It was during the midst of winter, and I had a terrible cold during the entire trip of the flight.Aiden, who was sixteen years old at the time, walked straight up to me, took my small, cold hands into his large, warm ones, and said, “Hello, Haru. My name is Aiden. I’ve heard so much about you from Dad and I’m glad to have finally meet you. We’re going to be brothers soon. Isn’t that great? I’m going to take good care of you.”All I was able to do at that moment was to stare at his refreshing smile, mesmerized.For an eight year-old Japanese boy who had lived in a small town all his life where there was hardly any westerner around, I found the sight of Aiden fascinating. I thought his light blond hair and deep blue eyes beautiful.I instantly felt drawn to him.Brothers? We were going to be brothers, he said. And it made my heart swell with joy that we were going to be one big, happy family; Mom, my new dad Mister Michael Davis, new brothers Aiden, Noah, Mason and Isaac, and Reo and I.That joy, however, only lasted for five years because just after their fifth wedding anniversary, Mom and step-dad passed away in a motor vehicle accident. That joy had swiftly and unapologetically turned to sorrow. Slowly and surely though, that sorrow turned to determination, hard work, and eventually, joy again because us six brothers had stuck together through thick and thin. For me personally, that joy started turning to agony three years ago, all for a different reason, and the handsome face that had used to mesmerize me now pissed me off.“Haru? Haru? Wake up! It’s already half past seven.” Aiden’s voice—deep and timbre—insistently nagged at me.I flashed my eyes open and stared at the face that never failed to pleased woman, face that made my heart ache.My heart skipped, which only managed to annoy me even more at such an early hour of the morning.I rolled over and gave my back to him because I didn’t want to see him so cheerful, grinning at me with that ridiculous smile of his. If affected me in a bad way.I muttered, “Didn’t I tell you not to come into my room? Privacy, Aiden, privacy.”Aiden, my eldest step-brother, laughed wholeheartedly. “Sorry, but I can’t help myself. Old habit dies hard since I’m always the one to wake you up. You always sleep so deeply, which is adorable.” He chuckled, as if he found that amusing.Whoever found an eighteen-year-old teenager sleeping so deeply adorable anyway?“You better get up, otherwise you’re going to be late for your part time job,” he said as a reminder.I said, “I’ll get up once you’ve made yourself scarce.”I knew I sounded harsh, but I couldn’t help myself. Seeing him first things in the morning was the best and worst thing to happen to me. Damn, but my heart still hadn’t stop racing since he’d appeared.Aiden chuckled merrily. He was always like that with his easy-going attitude, taking everything I said as a joke and lightly brushing it aside.He said, “You know, you used to like my face, a lot. You used to always stare at my face and comment on how much you like it.”I felt him sitting on the side of my bed and then leaning himself on the lump cocoon of my body.He continued, as if perplexed, “What happened?”What happened? Really? What the hell happened? I wanted to yell at him, ‘You happened!’ I fell for you, for God’s sake. Hard!Hiding my feelings I had for my own step-brother deep inside me, I grumbled into the pillow, “People changed.”“What was that, Haru? Did you say something?” he asked.I flipped the duvet away from me, sat up straight, and muttered, “I said people changed.”Aiden gave me a warm smile and said, “So you’re finally awake. About time.” He reached his hand out and tousled my bed-hair. “Good morning, Haru. How was your sleep?”I brushed his hand away from my head, my face felt hot with embarrassment. If I tell him that I had masturbated while thinking about him last night before going to sleep, and the fact that during sleep, I also dreamt of doing him, which made me so deliriously happy, would that count as a good night sleep?I muttered, “It’s okay. Sleep is sleep.”Aiden cocked his head to one side. “You’re moody today.”I put my hand on his chest and pushed him off my bed.Damn, but I felt so uncool that I had to put in quite a bit of effort just to make him move. The fact that he was bigger than me was something that always riled me up. He was over six feet tall and just as muscular. With that type of athletic physique and such a gorgeous face and charming smile, who wasn’t going to fall for him? Ever since high school, there had always been strings of girlfriends attached to him.Sometimes I wondered what happened to me; the midget of the family. Reo, my own blood-brother, wasn’t like me. He, like our step-brothers Aiden, Noah and Mason were at least six feet tall and had athletic build. Isaac, although wasn’t sternly framed like the rest of his brothers, was still a head above me.And me? I was barely over five foot five. Barely. And was as scrawny as a mouse. Who was going to find me attractive?When they, the girls, referred to us brothers—the Davises and the Onos—Aiden was always the gorgeous one, Noah the broodingly handsome one, Reo the hot Asian one, Mason the stunning one, Isaac the charming one, and me the cute one.Why was I cute? Just because I was below average height for male didn’t mean they should refer to me as cute.Once Aiden was finally off my bed, I said, “I’m getting ready, so just leave already.”“I got it. I got it,” he said. Before shutting the door behind him, he asked, “Do you want me to drop you off at work?”I shook my head. “I can bike there. I’m old enough to look after myself. Stop treating me like a kid.”The fact was, Aiden was the only person in our family who pamper and treat me like a kid. My mom, Sana Ono, had never spoilt me when she had been alive. Reo, who was four years older than me, and our three other step-brothers Noah, Mason and Isaac, didn’t either. They treated me like any normal brother would; close but not too close. Although I seemed to remembered that step-dad had been a little bit like Aiden, overly fond of me and dotting on me.Aiden chuckled. “See? Old habits die hard,” he said before closing the door.Yeah. I guessed old habits do die hard. Like me always running off to him seeking for reassurance and comfort whenever I got into trouble despite being a grown adult. Well, teenaged young man, to be precise.It couldn’t be helped. Aiden had been the one solid rock I had been able to lean on when we lost our parents. In fact, as the eldest of the family, he was the only strong brother everyone could lean on for support during that painfully difficult period, despite himself being only twenty-one years old at the time of our parents’ passing.I sighed, feeling depressed all of a sudden.Shit! Here I go again, feeling angsty.Hormones. I decided to blame it on the hormones. I was eighteen years old and had never had a girlfriend. Let alone an all-out sex. I was still a fucking virgin. I could have gone to parties like most guys my age did, pick up some random girl and just do a one-night stand like I had tried previously, but the thought didn’t sit well with me. The few times I had the courage to take action, I had never managed to go farther than saying hello before walking out again, feeling sick to my stomach.Why the hell couldn’t I just be like a normal guy? Why couldn’t I just like girls and want to do them? Why couldn’t I find boobs attractive?Fuck! Why did I have to fall in love with Aiden, my own step-brother?Why?Like hell I knew why!My chest felt tight and painful. It fucking hurt.I took another deep sigh like some really depressed old man and then got off the bed. After grabbing for a pair of jeans, T-shirt, and underwear, I headed out my tiny, closet-size bedroom.At the hallway of our crammed six-bedrooms, no living room, one kitchen and one bathroom apartment, I met Noah, the Davis’s second brother who was five years older than me and was currently sitting at the age of twenty-three; a brand new university graduate.“Morning, Haru, you’re up later than usual today,” he said.It looked like Noah had just returned from his intensive, morning run. His shirt was soaking wet with sweats. Not to mention his forehead and face.“Yeah,” I said. “I didn’t go to bed until very late last night.”“I know it is summer break and all,” Noah said, “but it’s only your first week on the job, right? You really don’t want to give your employer a bad impression.”Noah, the perfectionist, never failed to lecture me on my too chillax attitude where life was concerned. For him, life needed to be taken seriously. Well, to be fair, life had been hard for all of us since our parents’ death, and ever since, Noah had taken it seriously.I said, “I won’t be late. I’ll bike there as soon as I’m done with showering.”After all, I couldn’t afford to lose the job since I needed money. I refused to solely depend on Aiden where that was concerned. As the only one with a stable income in the family, he had to pay a shit load of bills and not to mention there were six very hungry mouths to feed. Boys’ appetite could be extra expensive.“After showering and then breakfast, you mean,” Noah said firmly. “Breakfast is an important meal of the day, Haru. You just don’t eat right that’s why you don’t grow properly.”His words hit me right where it hurt most. My size.I said, “Well, excuse me for dramatically bringing down the family’s average height, but I can’t help that I stop growing at fifteen.”Noah must have realized that his words pissed me off because he took a step forward and patted my head, like all the brothers did. It was their habit to pet me when I lost my temper. I guessed that was how you get treated when you were the youngest in the family.“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just watching out for you.”“I know,” I said.Yes, I knew that he was watching out for me, as all the brothers did. After all, that incident when I had collapsed at school from severe malnutrition had scared them shitless. Not to mention the dramas that followed with the social service.“I’ll have breakfast before I go,” I said as a promise.Noah tousled my hair as he said, “Good boy.”I brushed his hand away and asked, “Can I use the bathroom first? I have work at nine today.”Noah nodded. “Go ahead.”“Thanks,” I said as I turned on my heels.At the bathroom door, I knocked, knowing one brother or another was currently in there using the facilities.The door opened a moment later, and Isaac, the Davis’s fourth brother and a year older than me, appeared.“Oh, Haru. Morning. The bathroom is all yours.”“Thanks,” I said, nodding.Once Isaac left, I slipped in, gladly shutting the door behind me. Honestly, I thought, once I had saved enough money from my part time job, I’d find myself a small, very affordable apartment to live in while studying. Sharing a place with five other brothers was no fun at all, especially when you’re sickly in love with one of them.Yep. I’d be leaving this apartment before summer ended, any brothers’ protestation be damn!* * *Well, that's all for now. I hope both of my YA Fantasy and my BL novels are of interest to you and you'd go on to buy the when they're out. ^_^

NOVEMBER BLOG UPDATE: SLOWLY RETURNING TO WRITING AND PUBLISHING

It’s funny how I always find it hard as to how I should start my blog post. I mean I know beforehand what the content is going to be about, but the first sentence is always the hardest. Should I go “Hey, Everyone” or “So here I am again” or something along that line of “Hello, people, it’s Alexia here” etc. Anyway, I’m sure that’s not important, but I find it strange and wonder if I’m the only person who has trouble with the first sentence of a blog post and even writing emails. LOL!As the title of this blog post states, I’m slowly coming back into writing and publishing. It seems I can’t stay away for long before I come running back. I mean I just can’t help myself. LOL! It’s like there’s a force that keeps pulling me back. Even when I’m supposed to be resting, I’m constantly thinking about books and writing and publishing. Weird.Anyways, first off, I just want to say hello to all of my wonderful fans. You guys are super awesome for sticking around and supporting me. Without you guys reading, loving and buying my books, I just don’t know how I’d function. Honestly. LOL! So once again, arigatou gozaimasu (thank you very much). Okay, there’s some Japanese language going on here. Can’t help myself since I’ve been watching too much anime. ^_^Secondly, I’m updating you guys on my health status. As I have previously stated in my blog post back in September I decided to take time out because of my bad health. I was constantly sick this year, and extremely so between May and October. As some of you guys suggested, I might have an adrenal problem. I thought so, too, and even went to see my GP about it because I was constantly tired and sick that I was literally tired and sick of it. LOL! No pun intended. It’s true that I felt that way.Anyways, the first thing my GP told me after I’ve listed her my many symptoms was that I might have depression and anxiety. I was like, umm… Okay? Apparently, I have depression? But of course, being the stubborn person that I am, I told her that I don’t think that is really my problem. I think it’s something to do with my thyroid and some blood tests would be a good idea. When I left, I didn’t feel in the best of mood because that was already my second time visiting a GP and there seems to be no solution to my sickness, which annoyed me. I mean if I feel that shit, surely there’s something wrong with me, right? And I’d know if I’m depressed. I mean you’d know, wouldn’t you? When you’re depressed? Also, my BaZi chart has very little to no metal and water elements to warrant for any sort of depression. (BaZi Note: If your BaZi chart has a lot of water and metal elements, you’re prone to depression and anxiety problem. It’s the emotional thing. The same thing with water and earth, then it’s the contamination thing. For that one, think of blood disorder and tumors/cancer.)So anyway, I waited patiently for my blood results. I admit that the first few days was disappointing as there were nothing on the blood results that told me I have any problem with my health. Then again, those were the basic screens. After a few more days, I gave up waiting and decided that my tiredness was in my head and that my GP was probably right in that maybe I might have depression which in turns led to my tiredness. It wasn’t until two weeks passed by that I received an email notification of a new blood result. I wasn’t the least bit interested and put it off. Then, of course, one night, I was curious about it and decided to log in the manage my health system to see what it was. And then behold! It was one of the antibodies that sky-rocketed. Needlessly to say, I was both overjoyed and freaked out at the same time. I was like SHIT!I check in the diagnosis section and my GP wrote that I have Thyroid Autoantibodies. Another word, I have Thyroid Autoimmune Disease, which was confirmed by my GP in person when I went to see her again this week.So there you go, this explains everything, this autoimmune disease thing. Apparently, my body decided to make a type of antibodies that destroy its own cells. For now, there’s nothing I can do except for just having to deal with it. Not until my Thyroid Stimulating Hormones is so out of whack that it warrants for some treatment. At the moment, I’m kind of stuck in a limbo having to deal with feeling fine one day to extreme exhaustion the next. I’m talking about the extreme exhaustion that you can’t even get out of bed.So that’s my health. I have an autoimmune disease now, which confirmed my fear. Yes, I knew beforehand since I started learning BaZi that some sort of health problem is going to crop up sooner or later as I have a fan yin in my chart. A fan yin is a heaven and earth clash, a complete clash so to speak, and it’s between my output stars and my resource stars. Relating that to BaZi makes sense to me. The output stars are what you produce, hence, my body produces the antibodies. The resource stars are your health amongst other things. A clash is easy to understand. It’s basically an attack.Once the idea that I really do have autoimmune disease sunk in, I thought there’s no point in waiting to get better because I don’t know when my own body decided to stop making those antibodies and killing its own cells. I just have to deal with it as a part of my life and work on my books during the days that I feel fine. So what I’m basically saying is that I will do my best to write and publish my books, although it will be slower in term of release because it all depends my health, which fluctuates like a yoyo. ^_^MY YA FANTASY BOOKSTalking about books, now I will mention about my young adult fantasy series, The Blood Alchemist Chronicles, which I plan to release in early February of 2018. I mean I’ve already finished volume 1 and it’s already edited, completed with covers and everything. So I thought I might as well release it even though volume 2 is a long way off yet. I mean I have to release something, right? Since it’s been awhile since I published a book. LOL!For my YA Fantasy, I will be writing under a different first name along with the same last name. The author name is Akari Praks. I decided on a different first name because I don’t want people to get confused with the my romance genre. I mean some of my romance books are pretty hot and sexy and I certainly do not want young adults to read those.Why do I choose the name Akari? The name Akari is Japanese, and it means light or glimmer. That sounds awesome to me already. Also, Aka means red. To me, the meaning is deep and it relates to my YA fantasy well. It’s all about people who can transmute blood into powerful weapons as well as changes and transformation and leading/lighting the way to a different world etc. Or something along that line. LOL! I have lots of ideas in my head that I hope will translate well in term of execution in books form when the time comes. ^_^The official website for Akari Praks, along with the details and links to buy the book is coming in January of 2018. I will notify everyone when it is published. I do hope that you guys will give the book a go even though it will be completely different from my romance ones. ^_^Below are the book covers for volume 1 and 2. I hope you guys like them. ^_^You can check out the details of the book here, along with the characters introduction. I hope they sounded kick-assed enough for you guys to want to at least read the first volume. LOL!MY ROMANCE BOOKSI'm currently writing Falling for Sakura Book 3: A Secret Affair along with Chained to You Volume 6 and Chained by Love Volume 2 at the same time. I'm hoping to finish those and have them published by mid-2018. Please look forward to them. ^_^That’s all from me for now.Alexia