Sssssteamy!

It was a natural progression, I guess. After getting my fill of romance novellas that was on the "awww" side that barely touched on the big S word (steamy--what were you thinking??), I was drawn to the steamier side of romance, mainly because my #romanceclass-mates were trying their hand in writing it.

Sure, I tried crafting my own, but darn it, I was already reaching the end of the story with no steamy scene in sight. I threw in the towel and settled for the next best thing: reading steamy stories.

I started with the foreign ones: Tessa Bailey, Victoria Dahl, Melanie Harlow, Liliana Rhodes. And they were really well-paced, well-written and the S-word was done in  unabashed and at (times, barely bordering on) tasteful ways. These authors were a brave breed, I thought.

Soon after I found myself reading Chrissie Peria's The Kitchen when It Sizzles, and I loved how it melded the steamy with the cooking. The phrase that did it for me was really "Chinese sticky pork ribs" when the guy cooked it for the girl the first time. As soon as I read that phrase, I immediately thought of something that was dark-sauced and sweet and savory at the same time, and would go well with rice--lots of it. It's this type of imagery that got me hooked because Peria knows how to craft words that make specific images to pop in your head, making you crave, not only for the dishes mentioned in the book, but also for that...uh, other thing.

I loved how the novella wasn't just about the S-word, but also gave out actual cooking tips on the fly. It read as naturally as how the romance between the two characters developed. It's hard to believe that it's Peria's first steamy novella attempt--which is why, I think, it's only proper for her to serve up seconds, and thirds and more of her work.

Then I picked up Mina Esguerra's The Harder We Fall and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't full-on, oh-yeah-give-it-to-me sssteamy. It was an effective transition from her former sweet romance novellas so loyal readers won't be shocked at Esguerra's sexified writing style.  As always, dialogues read effortlessly as did the plot development. And I have to tell you, you have to watch out for The Shower Scene. I really loved how it was handled--so subtle yet so...there's no other word for it but hot.

The story's romantic but definitely more mature, and I think Esguerra's fans, who have matured with her writing style, will have a squeal-fest over this one.

IT'S OUT!

My second novella baby, Once upon a Player, is now available on Amazon and Smashwords.  I've also set up its Goodreads page. And if you want, you can read the first three parts on Wattpad.

I'm starting another new romance novella, This Side of Sunny, also on Wattpad,  but without the hurried frenzy of last time. I took on some writing projects (yes, I write for a living, too!) that will keep me busy for the rest of the year. Still, I'm hoping to finish This Side of Sunny this year.

Oops, my toddler is awake! Gotta log out.

Cover Reveal!

The book is still in the revision stage but big thanks to hubby, who designed the cover, I can already do a cover reveal. Can't wait to release this baby :-)

Meanwhile, I've taken down the complete novella from Wattpad, leaving only the first three parts of the book. 

In other news, I'm starting a new project, a YA fantasy this time and I plan to enter it in this really cool thing that might get it published. If you're into writing YA stuff, you should join, too!

Life is too short for just wishing and planning. Go ahead and take that first step in fulfilling your dream. :-)

Once upon a Player--coming soon!

These days, it's all about revising, revising, revising.

My second romance novella, Once upon a Player, will hit e-book stands hopefully in July (next month!).  It's been one helluva ride finishing it because like I mentioned in my previous post, I uploaded each chapter on Wattpad as soon as I wrote it. At first, I was finishing one chapter a week. But towards ACT 3, I had a sudden burst of writing energy and I was finishing two a week!

I just want to get the birthing process over with because a new season, at least here in the Philippines (Shakey's V-league), is coming up and I want the story to coincide with all the volleyball feels fans will be drowning in once it starts.

The whole thing, raw version, is still actually up on Wattpad. Once the e-book is ready to make its grand entrance, I will be taking down the story except for the first three chapters. So if you want to take a look at it, with all the typos and inconsitencies in all their written glory, check out my story here. So far it has 5,000+ reads and I'm happy to note that they're not all local readers.  A lot of them come from Brazil, where v-ball is this HUGE thing.

Also, my first romance novella, Vintage Love is free on Amazon for two more days! It's bundled up with two other terrific stories: Cover (Story) Girl by Chris Mariano and All's Fair in Blog and war by Chrissie Peria. Download it now and join the other 500+ readers who did. We got downloads from all over (UK, US, Brazil, etc.) Mina Esguerra, our awesome mentor, who's just as awesome in writing romance novellas (do check out her work) made this happen. Click this to get your copy!

finally, an update!

After finishing a short story for children, I'm finally working on a new romance novella project. It revolves around a sport--quite a challenge since I've never been involved in one, though I've always dreamed of being an athlete.  The closest I've gotten to this goal is doing a few years of yoga and my current love affair with zumba.

The story is basically about a collegiate volleyball player and her quest for romance. Now, college volleyball is something the hubby and I have followed avidly, and this season, I've been inspired to restart this writing project because my favorite team has finally won the championship after three consecutive years of being second best.

You can follow its progress here.

I thought of uploading each chapter as soon as I finished it just so I could fool myself into thinking that people are actually reading the story, and are waiting in delicious anxiety for the next installment. It helps minimize the dilly-dallying.

Thanks, friends, for the support. :-)