ICYMI || My Author AMA for Buwan Ng Mga Akdang Pinoy

#RomanceClass author Tara Frejas organized a series of virtual panels and author events for #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy. I participated in an Author AMA (Ask Me Anything) during my birthday last week and I’ve compiled the questions and answers in this post for anyone who missed it.

You can find the original twitter thread here!

Continue reading ICYMI || My Author AMA for Buwan Ng Mga Akdang Pinoy

Scenes From The Shredder || No Two Ways, The Party

In my most recent book, No Two Ways, there’s an empty space between AJ buying a dress and AJ heading home (-ish) after Axel’s mom’s party. I swear there was something there when I first wrote this book. But alas, in the process of beta reading and developmental editing, the chapter was removed and replaced with a condensed version. (Yes, it was an entire chapter.)

I loved that moment though. So true to “001.doc 002.doc 003.doc” culture, I didn’t delete it. I just plucked it out and moved it somewhere where all the feelings can remain safe and existing but hidden… until now!


Continue reading Scenes From The Shredder || No Two Ways, The Party

How We Do || #RomanceClassCovers

Before anything else, if this is your first time reading about #RomanceClassCovers, Mina V. Esguerra has written multiple posts about where it began and how we just kept on growing.

The Cliffs Notes version of it is that we needed something that wasn’t being made available to us, so we just did the thing and made it available ourselves. (Which is a running theme with us over here at #RomanceClass.)

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Writing || The Thing About Fear

It’s a scary thing to begin with, writing. You’re pouring your soul into this piece that other people will end up reading, consuming, absorbing, criticizing. There’s always a hope in there somewhere that someone will fall in love with your words, your story. But along with it is the fear that someone will close your book feeling disappointed.

The standards we set for ourselves as writers, however, are far more terrifying. I used to think it’s the opinion of other people that will hold me back. But right now as I sit here struggling to write this blog entry, not able to write a lick of anything since the day I didn’t finish something I promised I would last April, I’ve been proven wrong.

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#SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: The Art of Shifting Gears by Chi Yu Rodriguez

First things first: Don’t forget to follow #SparkPlugs on Twitter to see the rest of the Spark Books line-up in this blog series!

Do take that trip to your nearest National Bookstore or Powerbooks or go ONLINE to get your print copy of The Art of Shifting Gears, then add and/or rate it on Goodreads.

See you later at Ayala Museum!


The Art of Shifting Gears by Chi Yu Rodriguez
Rae de los Santos was en route to a perfect adult life. She knew what to major in, she knew what career path she was going to pursue, and she knew who she was going to be with all the way to the realization of her dreams—until her seamless journey made a turn for the unimaginable and skidded to a stop.

All of a sudden she was facing every roadblock possible, and the people she held dear ended up running over her heart.

For a year, she distracted herself with hot lead and burnt rubber, using karting as a lifeline until she was strong enough to face the world that shunned her.

But during Rae’s junior year in college, she was again blindsided by signs that weren’t supposed to be there. Will Rae go full speed ahead? Or will the seduction of the past slow her down?

Excerpt:
Continue reading #SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: The Art of Shifting Gears by Chi Yu Rodriguez

#SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: Rules of Non-Attraction by Andrea Soto-Pionilla

First things first: Don’t forget to follow #SparkPlugs on Twitter to see the rest of the Spark Books line-up in this blog series!

Do take that trip to your nearest National Bookstore or Powerbooks or go ONLINE to get your print copy of Rules of Non-Attraction.


Rules of Non-Attraction by Andrea Soto-Pionilla
It wasn’t love at first sight. It wasn’t even lust at first, second or third.

Alexa and Ivan are just friends – roommates, at that. For him, she’s a scheming, social-climbing she-devil. For her, he’s a stiff, boring know-it-all. Should be fun, right?

Of course, things don’t ever go as planned.

Quitting the high-paying dream job, squandering rent money, and getting unceremoniously dumped pale in comparison to the bigger problem of falling in love with the most unexpected person.

Excerpt:
Continue reading #SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: Rules of Non-Attraction by Andrea Soto-Pionilla

#SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: The Problem With Being Laura by Ava Feliz

First things first: Don’t forget to follow #SparkPlugs on Twitter to see the rest of the Spark Books line-up in this blog series!

Do take that trip to your nearest National Bookstore or Powerbooks or go ONLINE to get your print copy of The Problem With Being Laura.


The Problem Withe Being Laura by Ava Feliz

Excerpt:
Continue reading #SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: The Problem With Being Laura by Ava Feliz

#SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: Bucket List To Love by C.P. Santi

First things first: Don’t forget to follow #SparkPlugs on Twitter to see the rest of the Spark Books line-up in this blog series!

Do take that trip to your nearest National Bookstore or Powerbooks or go ONLINE to get your print copy of Bucket List To Love, then add and/or rate it on Goodreads.


Bucket List To Love by C.P. Santi
Aya Contreras is thrilled to be studying in the land of sakura and sushi. Tokyo is a fascinating city to live in—vending machines, cosplayers, karaoke boxes, and bright, colorful conbinis on every corner. And the architectural design program she’s in is everything she dreamed it to be.

The only problem? Her tutor doesn’t seem to like her.

Well, she doesn’t like him very much either. Sure, Ryohei Mori is talented, and there’s no denying he’s hot. But he’s also a surly, bossy know-it-all who eats too many cookies.

Another annoying thing about him is he’s nosy. And when he stumbles upon the crazy bucket list Aya’s sisters forced on her, he teases her mercilessly about it.
But when their professor pairs them up for a design competition, things get . . . interesting.

Fueled by beer and a whole lot of cookies, can Aya and Ryo cross out some items on her bucket list without killing each other? Or will they realize there’s much more to each other than they’d originally thought?

Excerpt:
Continue reading #SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: Bucket List To Love by C.P. Santi

#SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: First To Fall by Farrah F. Polestico

First things first: Don’t forget to follow #SparkPlugs on Twitter to see the rest of the Spark Books line-up in this blog series!

Do take that trip to your nearest National Bookstore or Powerbooks or go ONLINE to get your print copy of First To Fall, then add and/or rate it on Goodreads.


First To Fall by Farrah F. Polestico
Georgina Harrington knew right from the start that she and Matt Bishop were meant for each other. He was The One. Or so she thought, until she caught him making out with his co-worker—in their sofa! Now Georgie has to face the music and start packing her things and look for a new apartment, because she can’t bear to stay in the same roof with a cheating bastard.

And then, the newly hired software developer, Atkins Rosenfeld, came strolling into the firm where she works. He had everything a woman would want from a man—angular jaw, day-old stubble, long lashes. What’s not to like? She can’t deny her attraction to him but is she ready to jump into a new relationship after her last one ended so disastrously?

Meanwhile, Matt comes crawling back to her. Will she forgive him? Was five years of being together that easy to toss to the curb?

Georgie is terrified to entrust her heart to someone again after Matt cheated on her. But deep down she knows she loves Atkins. Just when everything is falling into place, Atkins screws up big time and breaks her heart all over again. Will Georgie and Atkins be able to fix it before she finally throws down the towel and turn her back on love?

Excerpt:
Continue reading #SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: First To Fall by Farrah F. Polestico

#SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: All That Glitters by Ines Bautista-Yao

First things first: Don’t forget to follow #SparkPlugs on Twitter to see the rest of the Spark Books line-up in this blog series!

Do take that trip to your nearest National Bookstore or Powerbooks or go ONLINE to get your print copy of All That Glitters, then add and/or rate it on Goodreads.


All That Glitters by Ines Bautista-Yao
When they have nothing better to do, college students Billie Santiago and Carlos Angeles enjoy imagining what their lives will be like five years into the future. It’s never serious—just a whole lot of teasing and poking fun at each other. Until blindingly handsome, PR professional Iñigo Antonio saunters into the university bookstore where Billie works. All of a sudden, she finds herself face to face with the physical manifestation of the very dream she tells Carlos about.

Captivated by Iñigo’s magnetic personality, Billie is lured into his dazzlingly glamorous world—much to Carlos’s frustration. But as Billie notices Iñigo might not be playing by the rules, Carlos begs her to stay away from him. When Billie doesn’t listen, she realizes too late that she is in over her head and it may take a miracle (or a boy who cares deeply about her) to help get her out of it.

Excerpt:
Continue reading #SparkPlugs || EXCERPT: All That Glitters by Ines Bautista-Yao