Deleted Scenes | “FIVE: Time Out” from Hustle Play

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In time for the Emerald Pep Rally (Settle the Score/Hustle Play blog tour) happening this weekend, I’m sharing a scene that didn’t make it to the final version of Hustle Play.

settle the score hustle play cover

Settle the Score/Hustle Play

SETTLE THE SCORE

College senior Garnet Figueroa lives and breathes basketball. A reliable asset to her varsity team, she is equipped with the skills and smarts to get the De La Sierra Lady Hunters closer to this year’s championship title. But Garnet soon finds out that her good friend (and long-time crush), cheerdancer Charles Crisostomo, is being cheated on by his girl, and she lets her emotions get the best of her.

Will she be able to come up with a game plan to save herself from heartbreak before the buzzer signals Game Over?

HUSTLE PLAY

Running on pure adrenaline and working with game strategies is something a basketball player like Garnet Figueroa is trained for. On the court, she is unbeatable. Off the court… that’s a completely different story.

Because falling in love is trickier than a ball game, and Garnet finds herself fumbling over her feelings for Charles Crisostomo. The fact that her attention gets divided between him and rival school hard-court hottie Chris Barcelo doesn’t help.

Or does it?

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Click on the Continue Reading button to read the deleted scene, and why I decided to do away with it.

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Review | Cover (Story) Girl by Chris Mariano

cover story girl review

1) She has amnesia.cover story girl cover
2) She’s on the run from her father’s creditors.
3) She’s enjoying her last days on earth.

Ever since Jang Min Hee walked into Gio’s small museum, she’s given him one excuse after another about why she’s vacationing at scenic Boracay Island. Rarely has Gio’s neat and organized world been shaken like this. Soon he finds himself scrambling over rocks, hiding in dressing rooms, and dragging her out of bars. But how can Gio tell what’s true from what isn’t? Their worlds are getting unraveled — one story at a time.

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Paperback versions available at National Bookstore branches
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What Drew Me In

I think that by now, it’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I am a bit of a koreaboo. Just a bit now, because I’m nowhere near the fangirl I was several years ago, when Dong Bang Shin Ki were THE hottest boys on the block. (I still enjoy my Korean dramas every once in a while, but now I’m a little more choosy as to which ones I watch. So many things to do, so little time, after all.) So of course, when I saw that one of the characters in Chris Mariano’s Cover (Story) Girl was Korean, I knew I had to read it. It took me a while to get to it–the book had been sitting on my TBR pile for a good couple of months before I started reading it–but I did, and boy, I was so happy I did. ^_^

Click on the Continue Reading button for the rest of the review. May contain spoilers–y’all have been warned.

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Title + Cover Reveal | Make My Wish Come True

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Get ready for feels this holiday season with Make My Wish Come True, a Christmas anthology by #romanceclass authors. Join a Kris Kringle and receive the perfect gift, or learn how to survive your first Christmas in Manila and the steps you need to take to be with the one you love. Go to parties that will not go according to plan, feel the cold (and probably humid) December air as you explore city streets, and count down to five minutes to Christmas. Meet kind strangers and friends that remind you of home, and discover that the one who’ll make your holidays better has been beside you all along.

With seventeen stories, there’s something for you here no matter what feels you want and need. Fall in love this Christmas with #romanceclass!

Featuring stories from:

Ysa Arcangel * Ines Bautista-Yao * Racquel Sarah A. Castro * Suzette de Borja * Carla de Guzman * Six de los Reyes * Mina V. Esguerra * Tara Frejas * Dawn Lanuza * Chris Mariano * Bianca Mori * Chrissie Peria * Chi Yu Rodriguez * C.P. Santi * Kate Sebastian * Miles Tan * Ana Tejano * Jay E. Tria * Celestine Trinidad

Cover by Miles Tan
Edited by Rix Forto

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About #RomanceClass

#romanceclass is a community of authors who attended various writing workshops organized by Mina V. Esguerra, readers of books by those authors, and readers of English-language romance books by Filipino authors. Visit romanceclassbooks.com to see the full catalog of books!

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Deleted Scenes | “Chapter Fourteen – Max” from If the Dress Fits

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Carla de Guzman’s latest book, If the Dress Fits is featured in this week’s Deleted Scenes.

If the Dress Fits

if the dress fits coverMartha Aguas kind of has it all–she’s an accountant who loves numbers, an accident-prone puppy that loves her, and the perfect wardrobe.

Yes, she wears a dress size 24, her bras don’t fit and she’s never had a boyfriend, but so what?

It becomes a big deal when her perfect cousin Regina announces her engagement to Enzo, the only boy she’s ever loved (he doesn’t know, so don’t tell him!) Suddenly Aguases from all corners of the globe are coming for the event, and the last thing Martha wants is to be asked why she still prefers her lattes with a waffle on the side.

Thank god for Max. Goofy, funny, dependable Max, who finds himself playing the fake boyfriend at the family festivities. But why does it feel like only one of them is pretending?

Buy If the Dress Fits on Amazon
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Click on the Continue Reading button to read Carla’s message and the rest of the deleted scene.

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Design Talk: Book Cover Edition feat. Porcupine Strongwill

design talk book cover edition

For indie authors such as myself, one of the best ways to capture a prospective reader is to have a kickass book cover. Let’s face it, we can’t really expect everyone to not judge a book by its cover, especially if you’re a relatively unknown author competing against big names. I remember having a conversation with author and #romanceclass mentor Mina V. Esguerra during the recent Manila International Book Fair about the factors that get people to pick up our indie titles when there are literally thousands of other books at the SMX Convention Center that week. The top factor? Book covers.

It makes perfect sense when you think about it. We are very visual beings, especially nowadays. We like scrolling through our Instagram feeds and Tumblr dashboards and pin photos on Pinterest. We like taking selfies, OOTD photos, photos of our food, and of course, books! You can’t deny the power of the #bookstagram hashtag! I’ve personally met readers who found my books through Instagram and decided to give them a try because they found the cover/s pretty or interesting. There was already an “I need to have that book!” thought in their minds before they could even read what it’s about. I think that’s amazing.

For the next three weeks, Design Talk will be featuring interviews with three different book cover designers whose work you may have already seen (especially if you’re a #romanceclass suki). Let’s learn more about them and how they work, and who knows–if you’re an indie author yourself, you might get ideas for your next book cover or meet your next book cover designer. ^_^

Click on the Continue Reading button to meet our featured designer this week, Porcupine Strongwill.

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