Bianca Mori's Blog, page 2

Check your lipstick

Lipstick bouquet

And now for something not super book-related…

You all know about the Lipstick Effect, right? Ever since the pandemic started, my lipstick buying has doubled. I used to have four or five tubes in my bag at a time. Since 2020, I’ve added 13 more to my collection. Mind you, this is pretty tame for many women I know, who have loads of lip products. But I’ve felt a correlation between my lipstick purchasing habits and the pleasantness of my mood. Never mind that I am in the house the whole day, and going outside requires a mask which will cover the lipstick anyway. If I need a quick perking up, I swipe on some lip product and I feel ready to conquer the world.

Colourette budol: Top, left to right: Colourtints in Celeste, Lola, Cherry and Zola; Colourbalm in Morena. Bottom: Coloursnaps in Waves, Milk and Mood.

Part of the reason for my lipstick binge is Colourette Cosmetics. I’ve been hearing fans rave about this Filipino-owned company for the longest time, but it wasn’t until their CEO’s tweets critical of the administration’s handling of the pandemic and subsequent backlash from trolls that I decided to buy from them in support. (Yep, lipstick is political!) I tried the Cherry Colourtint and immediately fell in love. It glides on smoothly, stays put, smells beautiful and doesn’t make my lips chap (something I experienced with other local brands). From my first Colourtint purchase I went on to try their Coloursnap, a multi-use tinted lip balm: it’s the first time I’ve ever liked a creamy cheek tint, with its lightweight finish and color payoff; and then added a Velvetint lipstick as well as their Colourbalm to my collection. The Colourbalm, by the way, is addictive; it smells like watermelons and leaves my lips feeling conditioned.

(I learned about Coloursnap by the way from my fellow #romanceclass members–we did a date night/make up Tambayan episode and everyone raved so much about it I just had to try it.)

Peripera lip inks

My second favorite lipstick brand is Peripera, a Korean brand I started following around the time I was watching Itaewon Class and fascinated with Kwon Nara’s smashing gradient lips. They looked so soft, the lip color so gradual. My research led me to Peripera’s Ink Airy Velvet lip products. Reviews are mixed – some people hate how they smell – but I love them! They remind me of kisses, which are scented little blobs of…I don’t know exactly (plastic?) that we used to collect in elementary school and coaxed to ‘give birth’ by placing them in little containers with moist cotton balls. Ahhh, youth.

Ahem. Anyway. Yes, they smell like kisses, or floral air freshener, which I, again, particularly like. The formulation is very light, almost fluffy or mallow-like. They give that soft, gradient effect but don’t wipe off super easily. I have Ink Airy Velvet 05 (Genius Rosy, which alas disappears on me but looks good combined with a nude, like Happy Skin’s Shut Up And Kiss Me in Lost in Paradise) and 07 (Heart Grapefruit, a fun blood-orange shade). I also have the Ink Matte Blur Tint in Maroon Berry, because I am forever searching for that perfect berry-vampire look and, on the other side of the spectrum, the ASMR Sugar Jelly Tint no. 5 – an absolutely sweet (in looks and taste) lip gloss.

Here I am enjoying my favorite lipsticks

In short, lip products just bring me joy. What about you? Are you a lipstick fan? What brands are rocking your world?

Rich People Problems

Please join me, Suzette de Borja, Carla de Guzman, Mina V. Esguerra and Ansela Corsino live on June 5, Saturday at 3:00PM Manila time for the #romanceclass podcast Rich People Problems. Click on this link to set a reminder. Don’t worry if you can’t make it – you can catch the replay! Don’t forget to like and subscribe to the #romanceclass YouTube channel to watch the replay of this podcast as well as previous episodes.

By the way, have you subscribed to my newsletter? I send free stories to my subscribers and sometimes a little extra something, too–like a sketch from my Alta-verse ficlet! Check out the June issue here, and sign up if you like it!

#RCReadathon2021: The Love We Deserve, Chasing Waves and Dare to Love

Join us in this year’s #RCReadathon2021 – MommyLit edition as we read these three books featuring mothers as protagonists.

Chasing Waves is the featured book for May 17-23 and it is on sale for $0.99 in Amazon, Google Books, Smashwords, Scribd, Kobo, B&N , Apple and more. It’s also up on Radish. You can also get the Chasing Waves local print edition here, and internationally via Amazon.

Chasing Waves

Thirty-two-year-old Mags Abarquez is a single mom to a preschooler with golden ringlets, and by God, she is going to be good. After a lifetime of only being interested in catching the next wave, she tries out for her company’s training faculty, determined to be serious and make it work this time. The only catch? Luke, her hot, younger training mentor. With a sexy nape, a penchant for paper-thin T-shirts and a disarming smile, he’s Mags’ personal brand of kryptonite. Can she stay the course when temptation loves to banter and is so good with her son?

A contemporary romance set in the Philippines about motherhood, workplace attraction and finding that sweet spot between passion and vocation, Chasing Waves will make you swoon and smile.

The Love We Deserve is also on sale this month on Amazon. Dare to Love is on Kindle too. Come read with us and you can win an Amazon gift card at the end of this month!

#romanceclass things in April

#AprilFeelsDay2021 is happening at 4PM on April 24, Saturday, at kilig.pub/twitch, #romanceclass’s Twitch channel. Come join us! This will be our second April Feels Day on lockdown, huhu, but the good news is that you can all join from the comforts of your home. Replay of the event is available to Tier 1 Twitch subscribers.

On April 10, I joined #romanceclass authors Ana Tejano, Suzette de Borja, Brij Bautista and Mina V. Esguerra on episode five of the Romanceclass Podcast, ‘Fancasting our books.’ We had so much fun thinking of our dream cast if (when??) our books ever get screen adaptations. If you missed it, you can catch the replay on YouTube here or find where you can listen to the podcast here.

Finally, thank you to everyone who purchased the Tropetastic Kindness Bundle. I hope you enjoyed all the short stories featuring various romance tropes and heat levels. As you know, all proceeds go to charity and we thank you all for your support!

The #Tropetastic Kindness Bundle – Available until April 14

 

The #Tropetastic Kindness Bundle has 15 short stories from #romanceclass authors, each tackling a specific trope (assigned to us by lottery!). My story, Wanna Bet, tackles the wager/bet trope, between two competitive neighbors whose one-upmanship turns sweet and sexy. Lots more of various heat levels are in the bundle! Get your copy at https://kilig.pub/tropetastic starting at US$5. All proceeds to be donated to Rock Ed Philippines, Gantala Press and Project Propel. Available until April 14 only! 

Out Now! One Night At The Penthouse Suite

 

One Night At The Penthouse Suite, book two of the One Night series, is available in various ebook retailers. It is also available in print paperback, internationally from Amazon and in the Philippines via Romanceclass books. 

Buy links:

Amazon (Createspace print edition also available)Romanceclass Books (local print edition)SmashwordsGoodreadsApple BooksKoboScribdBarnes & Noble
Blurb:All her life, Cora Ciacho was trained by her father to be one thing: CEO of Ciacho Group, the company he built from the ground up. She assumes the role six months after he passes away, but must face new challenges: a borderline hostile board, a too-good-to-be-true investment offer, and a mother and sister who deal with their grief in different ways. Thank goodness for Stephen Cruz, the sweet, sexy man who’d rescued her from a party eight months ago and has stayed by her side ever since.
Stephen knows that he and Cora are worlds apart. He does his best even if he wonders if a worker bee like him is enough for the queen that she is. Their relationship sizzles in the bedroom, but as they go through a trial by fire, can his love overcome their challenges? Or will it fizzle as Cora tries to conquer the boardroom?
One Night At The Penthouse Suite is the second book in the One Night series, which feature high society romance tropes, HEA/HFN, and is categorized as Heat Level 3 based on the #romanceclass heat level classification on romanceclassbooks.com.

One Night At The Penthouse Suite: Cover reveal and excerpt

 

One Night At The Penthouse Suite 
Bianca Mori

All her life, Cora Ciacho was trained by her father to be one thing: CEO of Ciacho Group, the company he built from the ground up. She assumes the role six months after he passes away, but must face new challenges: a borderline hostile board, a too-good-to-be-true investment offer, and a mother and sister who deal with their grief in different ways. Thank goodness for Stephen Cruz, the sweet, sexy man who’d rescued her from a party eight months ago and has stayed by her side ever since. 

Stephen knows that he and Cora are worlds apart. He does his best even if he wonders if a worker bee like him is enough for the queen that she is. Their relationship sizzles in the bedroom, but as they go through a trial by fire, can his love overcome their challenges? Or will it fizzle as Cora tries to conquer the boardroom?

One Night At The Penthouse Suite is the second book in the One Night series, which feature high society romance tropes, HEA/HFN, and is categorized as Heat Level 3 based on the #romanceclass heat level classification on romanceclassbooks.com.

***

One Night At The Penthouse Suite is now available for pre-order at Amazon. The book comes on out on November 14, 2020. Get your copy now--click the link to buy. You can find the book in other ebook retailers after November 14. 

Excerpt from One Night At The Penthouse Suite

Cora settled on a stool and propped her chin in her hand. “You haven’t eaten?”

“Had some cup noodles, and then I fell asleep watching this.” Stephen nodded to the muted, flickering TV, playing an episode of the show they were marathoning. “Don’t worry, I repeated season one.” 

“Good.” She picked up a piece of kimbap and offered it to him. “I wouldn’t want you spoiling me.”

His mouth closed on her thumb, and then he picked up a piece of the rice roll. “Your turn.”

“Wait.” She held her hand up and squared her shoulders. A crease appeared between her eyebrows. Like a summer rainstorm, she was suddenly on the verge of tears. “Stephen, I’m so sorry for earlier today. I feel awful.”

“Hey.” He dropped the kimbap and stood to knead her shoulder. “It’s okay.”

“No it’s not. You took the shift off and didn’t sleep and I couldn’t even enjoy a bubble tea with you—”

“It’s in the freezer.”

She scrambled off the stool and rooted in his mini-fridge until she unearthed the sludgy mess that, a few hours ago, had been her favorite frozen drink. She sipped at it and tried not to look too disappointed. 

“You don’t have to drink that. I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow.”

“But I have to. Because you went through all that trouble to get this for me. And because—”

A pang of disappointment bloomed in his chest. “Lunch tomorrow is canceled?”

She nodded, the crease deepening between her eyes. “Elena really wants to hammer through the Carthas Asia expansion and I kind of showed interest so tomorrow we all need to meet with the money guys and—" A deep breath shuddered through her body. Another sip of bubble tea. She tried to sit up straighter. “I shouldn’t bore you with this.” 

“Nothing you say could bore me. Come, the chapchae’s getting cold.”

“Let me,” she said, finally abandoning the ruined tea in his sink.  

He watched her spoon the noodles into his dish and arrange his utensils. Her prosaic movements reminded him of Ate Nina. His dutiful sister-in-law with her lemon chicken and recycled ice cream take-home containers and tray of Folger’s coffee and solid opinions on who he should date. 

“You really don’t need to do that. I’m not a baby,” he blurted out. 

The stricken look on her face made him want to kick himself. 

“I—Cora—I didn’t mean it that way.”

“How did you mean it?” Her eyes were soft, but there was a slight compression around her mouth. She was being patient, giving him the benefit of the doubt. But explaining would mean telling her all about Kuya Benedict and Ate Nina’s dire predictions, and she didn’t need to know that his relatives were being dicks.

She also didn’t need to know that the seed of that conversation had taken root inside him like a particularly noxious weed. He kept uprooting it, tossing it over his shoulder into a mental fire, but it kept poking its green head.

You’re supposed to take the lead. Do you really think Cora will be happy with a call center manager?

“I just don’t want to be that guy,” he said, to drown out the thought.

“What guy?”

He squirmed under her gaze. “You know. The guy who feels like he has to take the lead all the time. Insecure because his girlfriend is more powerful than he is.”

Her hand, which had been arranging a pair of chopsticks on his plate, stilled and withdrew. “You don’t want to be that guy. But you’ve thought about it.”

“No!” His face burned. 

“I mean…I know this isn’t easy for you at all, Stephen.”

“Stop.” He waved the air around them as though shooing away a pack of marauding pigeons. “This is all wrong. I misspoke. Forget it.”

She looked doubtful. “But Stephen, if this is how you feel, we need to talk about it.”

“That’s not how I feel.” Another wave of heat overtook him when he realized how harshly he had spoken. Cora’s shoulders had slumped just enough to tell him she was bothered. 

He took hold of her hand and gathered himself. 

“You’re amazing. I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I want you to know that I want to take care of this.” He pointed to the space between them. “I know it’s precious, what we have. And taking care of this means not becoming the toxic masculinity dinosaur.”  

That coaxed a smile through the worry on her face. 

“Let’s not fight?” He tried an apologetic grin. 

She shook her head. “Talking isn’t fighting, Stephen.”

He picked up her hand and kissed it. “There isn’t anything to talk about. I knew what I was getting into. I knew that what we had these past eight months would change as soon as you went full force as CEO, and that is totally okay. I just want to support you until we get through this.”

Her other hand landed on his own, warm and soft. “Thank you.” 

***

NEW BOOK ALERT Alta: A High Society Romance Anthology

Pre-order Alta: A High Society Romance Anthology (launching October 31, 2019) at bit.ly/highsocietylandian
You’re invited to the most awaited party of the century!
Climb up the dizzying altitude of Manila’s high society where the air is never thin enough, the view is always spectacular, if a bit vertigo-inducing, and the summit is crowded with well-heeled elite jostling for the top socialite spot. Scandals, sexy shenanigans, and sizzling romance happen as the filthy rich Aritz family don their diamonds, designer gowns, and bespoke suits and gather to celebrate their matriarch’s ninetieth birthday!
LONGING FOR by CARLA DE GUZMANEveryone knows that Allie Medina is in love with Logan Aritz Hilario. With his sexy hair and Aritz nose, it’s a miracle she’s managed to keep her feelings a secret from him every time they cross paths. But her boss, Doña Carmen has had enough of secrets and hatched the perfect plan to throw Allie and Logan together on an all-expenses paid trip to romantic Vienna.
Together in a foreign land and far away from Logan’s family’s influence and wealth, could this be Allie’s chance to finally be on equal footing with the man she’s always thought of as out of her league? And will Logan finally see her for what she’s truly worth?
SAFE PLACES by BIANCA MORIHeiress-slash-performance artist Natalia Aritz turns up in Manila after a disastrous Italian sojourn, heart too wrung out to even want to leave the house. That is, until a surprising meeting with her college classmate and old friend, Nicky Aventado.
He's asking for a favor she can't refuse. But his connections to her family's past isn't the only reason why she agrees to sneak him into her grandmother's birthday party. There's just something about those lips she can’t resist…
HERE COMES THE ONE by SUZETTE DE BORJAIntensely private Joaquin Aritz abhors attention. Especially the kind where the Aritz Corporation heir gets a special mention in a video gone viral featuring vlogger and D-list celebrity Kelly Monago. She’s young, brazen, and turns heads wherever she goes, including Joaquin’s.
He thinks giving in to their simmering desire is a bad idea. Kelly is on a mission to convince him they should explore the attraction-and each other-before coming to a conclusion.
***This 82,000 word anthology has three stories, a prologue and an epilogue with an all new cast of characters. All stories have a happily ever after guaranteed, and is categorized as Heat Level 3 (based on the #romanceclass heat level classification on romanceclassbooks.com).***
I can't wait for all of you to read ALTA: A High Society Romance Anthology! I had a blast working on this book with my Alta sisters Carla De Guzman and Suzette de Borja; coming up with the ultra rich Aritz family and their whole backstory; and finally, writing Safe Places, featuring artists Natalia Aritz and Nicky Aventado. It's artsy, steamy, cheeky and fun. Pre-order now and get this in your Kindles on October 31! Yay!!! 

New Book Alert: Chasing Waves (plus a short excerpt)

Chasing Waves
Thirty-two-year-old Mags Abarquez is a single mom to a preschooler with golden ringlets, and by God, she is going to be good. After a lifetime of only being interested in catching the next wave, she tries out for her company’s training faculty, determined to be serious and make it work this time. The only catch? Luke, her hot, younger training mentor. With a sexy nape, a penchant for paper-thin T-shirts and a disarming smile, he’s Mags’ personal brand of kryptonite. Can she stay the course when temptation loves to banter and is so good with her son?

A contemporary romance set in the Philippines about motherhood, workplace attraction and finding that sweet spot between passion and vocation, Chasing Waves will make you swoon and smile.

OUT MAY 14, 2017. Pre-order on Amazon.
Excerpt:
I should know better than this… I settle on one of the long benches at the back of the store with a cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant, Auntie Tilde’s pasalubong safely deposited by my side and Magnus’s napping head curled on my lap, when I notice someone very familiar browsing through the baskets of bread. 
I can I.D. that distinctive nape (And back. Especially that flimsy T-shirt) anywhere. The nape’s owner turns and Luke’s eyes crinkle into a smile.
“Hey there!” he approaches.
“Hey yourself.”
He glances down on my table. “More Cinematic Bread?”
“Oh no.” I take a huge, flaky, chocolate-y bite. “I’m trying to unlearn that. This is simply for pleasure.”
He leans and brushes a pastry flake from the corner of my mouth. There’s a brief flare in my belly at the contact of his fingertip with my lip.
“Just out of curiosity,” I ask, a tad breathless, “how old are you?”
“Me? Twenty-seven.” He gives me a puzzled grin as he pulls a free chair to our table. The sound of the leg scraping against the tiles wakes Magnus up. His curly head pops up from under the table, rubbing his eyes with chubby paws.
Luke takes in the sudden appearance of a tiny human in stride. “Oops, sorry little guy!” He ruffles Magnus’s hair affectionately. “Is this your son?”
“The very one.”
“And how was nursery school, my man?”
Magnus’s eyes squint at him, and then back at me.
“I’m sorry,” I chuckle. “He’s not used to being sociable so soon as he wakes up.”
“You and me both, man. What’s your name?”
He clings to me but mumbles “Magnus” at the relentlessly cheery intruder.
“That’s a real nice name. Magnus. Like a king’s name.” Luke puffs out his chest and stares around the room imperiously. That gets a giggle from my son. “I bet you’re the king in your house, aren’t you?” Magnus nods shyly. “Ha! I knew it. You say the command and your mom and da--”
I shake my head, quickly and furtively. Luke glances at me, looking stricken. ***
Wheeee! 

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I'm an indie author and publisher, and while all my books are available online, I also prep actual, printed, physical books. These are ~artisanal~ (lol), done in small batches and with minute flaws to make you appreciate their authenticity. Ha! Usually you can get these books at #romanceclass live events, like #AprilFeelsDay (on April 30, plugging!), but if you can't make it there, you can now get One Night At The Palace Hotel, Snakehead (#heistclub) and the three-in-one edition of The Takedown Trilogy (combining In Too Deep, Peyton Riley and Scorched Earth) at Bookbed!

Get them now, shipping included!

Tame The Kitten, published by Spark Books, is still available at all National Bookstore outlets.