My Work – Tara Tries To Write

Title Reveal: #ProjectIsagani is LOVE AS YOU ARE!

June 22, 2026 No Comments

Because you don’t need to change a thing,
to mask your flaws,
to be someone else
to love
and be loved.

LOVE AS YOU ARE is a contemporary romance novel about thirty-somethings Isagani and Moe, who try to figure out their feelings for each other, and heal their inner child in the process. The book is set in the Philippines, in the first half of 2022, when the world was just beginning to open up and Filipinos were feeling hopeful about change.

This book is for
🍩 all the panganays who had to grow up so fast
🍩 anyone who’s ever been ridiculed for their looks
🍩 hopeless romantics who still believe in love
🍩 romance fans who don’t mind a bit of spice
🍩 everyone who’s simply looking for a light and (mostly) fluffy read

The book comes out in August! In the meantime, if you are interested in an ARC, the sign up form will be open until June 29 only.

My Work, The Writing Community

Kindle deal for June: Like Nobody’s Watching

June 8, 2026 No Comments

Hello, hello friends! While we’re waiting for the release of #ProjectIsagani, I’d like to invite you to get to know Isagani Alvez’ youngest brother, Pio, through his book, Like Nobody’s Watching!

Like Nobody’s Watching is a fake dating romance between Pio, a charming TV/film actor and Audrey, a feisty advertising creative nursing a broken heart. The ruse begins when Audrey asks Pio to be her date to a company party, wanting to show her cheating ex-boyfriend (who is hosting the party) that she has moved on.

Like Nobody’s Watching is only $0.99 on Amazon until June 30! Get your copy today.

My Work, The Writing Community

Hello, I’m looking for ARC readers!

June 1, 2026 No Comments

I feel like I’ve been talking about this book forever, but I have been working on it for forever (six years on and off, actually), and now I’m finally really really close to releasing it!

The book I’m talking about is #ProjectIsagani (actual book title to be revealed soon), AKA the book where Pio (Like Nobody’s Watching) and Datu’s (Keeping Miss Kalila) big brother gets his HEA. I’m planning to release it mid-August and I’m looking for ARC readers!

This book is for you if you are into contemporary romance and:

Filipino characters in their 30s (she’s 36, he’s 37)
eldest children of Filipino families and their emotional journeys
awkward meet-cutes that turn into friendship, then something more
a fitness buff hero who helps the heroine get in shape for an upcoming date but ends up falling for her
a forever single heroine who thinks her workout buddy is completely out of her league

Are you the person I’m looking for? If so, please sign up for an ARC here. Please take note of the CWs and other details on the page.

Applications will be screened and approved applicants will be receiving the ARC around the end of June or early July 2026.

Thank you very much in advance, and I can’t wait to share Isagani’s story with you all! <3

My Work

I’ve got two Kindle book deals for you!

March 27, 2026 No Comments

Hey, hey! Just popping in here quickly to say I’ve got two Kindle book deals happening right now, because I’m celebrating the 1st book birthday of Connect the Hearts, and today is World Theatre Day! Check out the details below:

Waiting in the Wings
$1.99 on Amazon until Sunday, March 31

At twenty-three, theatre actress Erin Javier has yet to fall in love or kiss a boy offstage, away from the klieg lights. She is the perfect leading lady—whose heart men would fight for, win, and protect—unfortunately, only until the curtains fall and the lights go down. In real life, Erin is a certified NBSB whose heart has been hoping for a song to dance to.

But when two (two!) men enter from stage left and right, Erin is confused. Who deserves to take center stage in her heart—Mr. Theatre Royalty whose attention and displays of affection make her pulse race, or a good friend whose steady support has helped steer her to success and fulfill her dream?

Buy it here.

Connect the Hearts: a short story collection
$1.99 on Amazon until Tuesday, March 31.

Connect the Hearts is a collection of four short stories that explore the many ways we find, forge, and foster our relationships using the technology available to us.

Tech Week Makes the Heart Grow Fonder is about Erin and Ramon (Waiting in the Wings) navigating a semi-long distance relationship for a week when they work on separate theatre productions in busy, traffic-riddled Metro Manila.

In Best Days Ever, an invitation to celebrate a dog’s last day on earth reunites childhood friends David and Gita, who now live starkly different lives thousands of miles apart.

Forever-busy talent manager Cleo Gascon meets an unexpected match in Finding Mr. Swipe Right when she goes on a rage-swiping spree upon learning her date wasn’t going to show up.

And finally, Happy Endings Please, and Thank You has Pio and Audrey (Like Nobody’s Watching) checking in on each other during the 2020 lockdown via video call. (This is the script to Episode 4 of #RomanceClass’ Hello Ever After series produced in 2020.)

Buy it here.

Please feel free to share this with your friends or anyone you think would like to add one of both of these titles in their library. Thank you very much! <3

Book Tours, My Work, The Writing Community

3 Takeaways from the Waiting in the Wings book tour

November 11, 2025 No Comments

So… this is two months late, but I can’t not write about my amazing experience with Talk Bookish To Me, AKA the community of readers and content creators who organized the book tour for Waiting in the Wings.

Yup, I had another book tour this year! (Check out my BookLoverTitas collaboration for Connect the Hearts~)

I just figured that since I’m planning to release another book next year, I should reintroduce my backlist to new readers. So I reached out to Talk Bookish To Me for a collaboration, and they did a week-long feature for my theatre babies Erin, Ramon, and Pio on the first week of September.

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I remember having a Zoom meeting with some of the TBTM members and their admin, Emman, asking me: “What are your expectations from us?”

I was a little stumped. What did I expect nga ba? Honestly, the only thing I wanted out of this book tour is new readers who would be interested in my books, so I just told them to do whatever they wanted and to surprise me. 🙂

And surprise me, they did. For seven days, Avy, Obi, Shian, Ceej, Jesh, CL, Nyz, Mark, and Veron featured my book in various creative ways. I was so kilig! One of them even made me cry. *points to the post below*

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So yeah—here are my three takeaways from the Waiting in the Wings book tour with Talk Bookish To Me!