Reality TV meets Romance

Synopsis: Charlotte Bertram is the star of Marry Me, Charlotte B! A reality show that follows her as she plans the biggest weddings of the year. Together with her assistant, Nellie Canlas and her son, Robert Bertram, see how she handles crazy client requests, bridezillas and more!

Based on the title, I thought the book's main character would be Charlotte, the middle-aged woman who ran the company that planned weddings. But it only took a while for me to get that the book title was also the title of the reality TV show, and that its real star was Charlotte's unassuming, frumpish assistant.

 I work in TV so I was pleasantly surprised that the story opened with terms I was familiar with--Zoom-Ins and Close-Ups and Cut-TOs. I felt like I was really watching a reality show, being introduced to characters in which at first, I wasn't emotionally invested. But scene after scene, I started to care. When was Nellie going to wise up? Did Robert really care--or is he just a really sweet guy?

But I think the clincher for me was how the story was written. The author's a wordsmith. I loved how she described places and scenery, and sweet moments matter-of-factly; no need to go overboard with the racing heartbeats and swoony glances. Everything unfolded in the right time, in the right way. In fact, the plot was so natural, it felt like real life--or a really good reality show.

Get it on Amazon or for free on Smashwords.

Mina Esguerra's best work (IMHO)

My son is taking a nap, and I should be writing the next chapter of my project, but I just finished Mina Esguerra's Greedy and Gullible, the last of her Young and Scambitious series, and I had to take a deep breath, switch on my laptop and write a review.

As soon as I read the first few lines of the first book, i was hooked. It had a different flavor  that distinguished it from all of Mina's past work. I liked the snappy, classy and not-a-word-wasted kind of writing. And because Manila was its main setting, it made me see the capital in a different light--one seeped in intrigue and secrecy.

I liked that I had to think while reading, especially since the books were fast-paced and jumped from one subplot to another, which was good brain exercise. Though I read what the characters were saying out loud, I wasn't privvy to their innermost thoughts and intentions. This technique made me turn page after page, and snap up the next book until everything slowly started to make sense. And despite all the high action, criminal acts and witty exchanges of words, there was still a touch of romance, which I found satisfying until the very end. 

If you want to know what the books are about, do check out the blurbs on Amazon. Better yet, buy the whole series. If you like books that don't waste words and are smart, these are for you.

Fil-Jap Fun

Now that my story is in the hands of able beta readers, I have more time for my other passion, which is reading.  Aside from devouring books from my fave genres--YA, Fantasy, Romance, and Mystery, I also make it a point to read local authors. Here's a recent one I read:

Be Careful What You Wish for - C.P. Santi
I bought this e-book two months ago, and only got to read it a week ago. It was a pleasant surprise of a book, because I absolutely had NO expectations when I bought it. 

A bit of disclaimer though: I know the author because of a common friend. But the last time I saw her was probably around 15 years ago when we bar-hopped in Malate with my friend and her college barkada, which included C.P. Recently, we re-connected in Wattpad (of all places). She added me to her contact list (not knowing who I was; she knew me by another name), and when I read her profile, I thought, hey, I think I know this girl. So we exchanged a few private messages, squeeing over the fact that yeah, we knew each other!

Back to the book--there was a time (when I was still childless) when I'd spend my free time marathoning koreanovelas and j-doramas. So imagine my delight when I discovered that Santi's novella read like a j-dorama from start to finish. But the refreshing twist was its endearing Filipino elements (the MC is a Pinay working in Japan). It was like something straight of my daydreams when I still had the time (and energy) to fantasize about my ultimate Jap actor crushie, Mokomichi Hayami (I wonder what happened to him. MUST google later). I also liked how Santi injected both Pinoy and Japanese expressions in the conversations, and thoughtfully included a glossary of the terms used at the end pages.

Despite the foreign setting, the story reads and feels authentic because the author currently resides in Japan. So aside from the love story itself, you also get to learn some interesting facts about Tokyo, including a peek into its thriving night life.

If you want a fun, kilig read, and you're a bit of a Japanophile, I highly recommend this read. In fact, I hope someone produces it as a TV series in Japan. :-)

Buy it on Smashwords and Amazon.
Author's blog: The Japayuki Chronicles

Will be reviewing more local novellas in the coming days!

Choco Chip Hips

Two more chapters to go and I'm done! Then another wave of work begins--having it beta read, revising, sucking it up and showing the story to a no-holds-barred editor, formatting it into an e-book, etc. But hey, I'm not complaining. It's a privilege to be able to write what I want. I hope that eventually, I will earn from it, but for now, I do this.

Title: Choco Chip Hips
Genre: Young Adult
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Jessie has everything going against her. She is shy, overweight, and worries too much about what people think. But one summer, a family emergency makes her realize that life is too short to live it on autopilot. Taking her life by the reins, she embarks on a summer-long journey that involves cake, sweat, being friends with a guy she had been secretly crushing on, and lots of awesome street dancing.


You can read the first 18 parts here. :-) Apologies for the rawness. I still have a LOT of fixing up to do.

Sidenote: I didn't plan for this novella to be this long. I originally aimed for 15 chapters, tops. But stories have a way of unfolding at their own pace so I had to respect this particular novella's rhythm. We'll see after it goes through the editing stage.

I am writing again!

It took me a while to get a new thing started, but finally, I'm doing it and feeling good about it.

The new novella is a bit different from the previous two since I've decided to take on the Young Adult genre. It won't be as heavy on the romance and I hope to keep it short this time--not like Once upon a Player, which was almost double the word count of Vintage Love. :-P

Feel free to join me on my writing journey, the progress of which will be posted on Wattpad.

And can I just say, I love Wattpad's new design. So much prettier and more professional!

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.