Tara Tries To Write

A #SparkNA Update: We’re on Wattpad!

September 8, 2015 No Comments

So . . . remember that online writing workshop I took from April to June of this year? Yep, the one for which I wrote a (gasp!) novel about a KPop band and their road manager? Nope, no publishing deals have been handed out yet, but we’re given bite-sized #SparkNA treats–AKA short, kilig, snippets from everyone else’s works–on Wattpad!

There are currently eight different scenes from eight different stories (mine included) up right now, each of them promising, with varying degrees of kilig . . . because hey, when you’re writing romance, that’s what we’re looking for, right? The compilation is updated every few days so you won’t have to tear your hair out waiting for the next one. Simply click on the cover to your right and read to your heart’s content.

My #SparkNA novel is entitled Scandalized, and if you ever find yourself interested in taking a sneak peek at it, I have the first four chapters up on my Wattpad account too.

And now, a quick (and shameless) intro before we segue to a Read More link.

Scandalized
Tara Frejas

Somewhere in Apgujeong, Fi Legaspi’s heart is racing wildly.

No, not because the universe has compelled bright-eyed East Genesis Project band leader Jo Yihwan—the personification of her silent heartbreak—to see her as more than just their group’s reliable Girl Friday. It’s because one good deed unexpectedly backfired overnight, and now she is in the middle of a hostile fangirl witch hunt, one she elects to ignore in favor of professionalism.

But even as PR representative Gabriel Park holds her hand while taking careful steps away from the glaring limelight, the bullying continues to worsen, affecting Fi and the band members as well. When Amethyst Entertainment decides it is not willing to sacrifice EG Project’s marketability for a mere roadie, Fi is clueless on how to proceed. Does she fight for the job (and the people) she has come to love, or concede to a force more powerful than the dictates of her own heart? [ Click here to read Scandalized ]

Of course you are more than welcome to leave me comments on Wattpad, or here. Whatever floats your boat. ^_^

And thank you in advance! <3

Reading, Review

{ Book Review } Choco Chip Hips | Agay Llanera

September 8, 2015 No Comments

The thing about high school is it’s never easy. Ever. Anyone who’s gone past that phase will remember how we struggled with a number of things: puberty, algebra, the whole fitting in business, being cool/uncool and suffering the consequences, and the constant bickering with our parents because they can’t seem to understand us, among others. High school is rough, and Choco Chip Hips takes us back to that time–the time when we were awkward teens trying to find our place in the world– through the eyes of Jessie, an overweight girl who decides to turn her life around one summer.

Choco Chip Hips
Agay Llanera

Sixteen-year-old Jessie, a baking aficionado, 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 journey that involves ditching the apron for her tank top, as she hip-hop dances her way to new friendships, stronger family ties, and into her school’s most elite club.

BUY A COPY OF CHOCO CHIP HIPS!
Amazon | Smashwords

My review of Choco Chip Hips is right under the cut! Word of warning: I will try my best to be as spoiler-free as possible but THERE MAY BE SPOILERS. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Excerpts, The Writing Community

#JustWritePH: Do it #ForTheFeels

September 7, 2015 No Comments

Early this year, I have slowly immersed myself in the Filipino writing community, thanks to the publishing and writing classes I’ve attended (#SparkNA and #StrangeLit, waddup!?), and it always amazes me to see new work coming out every couple of months. I feel like I’ve been saying this over and over since I started this blog, but I’ll say it again just the same because it’s true: This is a very exciting time for Filipino authors, published or yet to be. Just this summer, Buqo released the BuqoYA bundles and I eagerly joined a book blog tour for the first time in my life, my little way of helping create noise for the featured fictional pieces. I had a lot of fun with that, and learned a lot of things too.

Very recently, a workshop called #JustWritePH challenged participants to write a story and prepare it for publication. It ran from July 1st to August 8th, giving the participants a little under six weeks to finish their manuscripts! The result: a total of twenty new Filipino-authored stories grouped into five different bundles now available via the Buqo app for only $0.99/P45! Isn’t that just amazeballs?

Here’s a quick peek at the first bundle called For the Feels. Story excerpts, blurbs, and author information are available under the cut.

JustWritePH-ForTheFeels-Cover-Correct — The feels come in all shapes and sizes, with a million different unique stories for every kind. Experience bitter feels, forbidden feels, pretend feels and young feels in this four-story bundle that’s sure to tug at your heartstrings. Features “13th Prayer” by Lee Miyaki, “Never the Princess” by Maria Criselda Santos, “My Ampalaya Story” by iamloid, and “A Bump in Athena’s Life” by Kristine Cuevas. [ CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BUNDLE. ]

Personal, Writing

The #StrangeLit Struggle, Conquered

September 6, 2015 7 Comments

Yep, you read that right, folks. All the sleepless nights have paid off because as of 4-ish in the morning today, I have officially turned in my #StrangeLit manuscript! *insert canned applause here*

Instagram will load in the frontend.

Now to be completely honest, I didn’t think it would happen. Somewhere along the way, I’d already thought of throwing in the towel and cheering everyone else on Twitter, but I’m really glad I decided to soldier on and put in several hundred words per day until my story’s roadblocks were cleared by a goddamn motorcycle. I’ll probably elaborate on that someday, maybe when the book bundles have come out and are accessible to readers–that’s going to happen really soon, and I’m really excited!–but for now let me save that story for another day and tell you all about what I learned in this class.

Writing

The #StrangeLit Struggle

August 15, 2015 No Comments

I don’t understand what’s going on. Around forty-eight days ago, I was so pumped about this #StrangeLit plunny, I even felt the urge to flood Rix’s Twitter DM because of it.

But now, two weeks into the class and I still have a blank manuscript.

Sure, I got distracted by a little #TalesFromTheMetro, but that shouldn’t have kicked my plunny away. I have been plotting and outlining all this time and I’m still not getting anywhere. This is one of those times I wish my muse/s would come hug me and leave me inspired enough to sprint through 5,000 words or more.

I’ll even take my muse hugging AND stabbing me right after, if that’s the only way to get me to bleed sentences on my manuscript.

~~Can I please take a sabbatical from work?~~

Ah, well. Let’s see what I can come up with these next two weeks. Aja, fighting!

Curious about what the #StrangeLit peeps are talking about? We’re being all noisy (sometimes whiny) on Twitter!