Cover Reveal – Tara Tries To Write

Cover Reveal, Featured, The Writing Community, Theatre

Teatro Lakambini has a new face!

November 4, 2023 No Comments

Waiting in the Wings has a new cover! How much do you lab it?

Say hello to the new cover of Waiting in the Wings! The cover now features MNor Madamesila and Gio Gahol, photographed by Chi Yu Rodriguez. Design and lettering by Miles Tan.

It’s been six years since the release of Waiting in the Wings, my romance novella set in Manila’s musical theatre world, and while I didn’t have any urgent plans to change its cover, the idea had been simmering in my mind for a while. In February this year, PETA Theater opened its doors to a new Filipino musical entitled Walang Aray (an adaptation of Severino Reyes’ Walang Sugat), and it captured my heart instantly and prompted all of this madness.

Cover Reveal, Personal, The Writing Community

[ Cover Reveal ] What If We Fall In Love?

October 24, 2022 No Comments

I love cover reveals. I do. Especially when I know the author doing it and I trust them to “deliver the goods,” so to speak. And also when I’m the one doing the reveal.

In the #romanceclass community, we have a project called #romanceclasscovers where we (or actually, our resident photographer, Chi Yu Rodriguez) takes photos of Filipino models (sometimes they’re actors, sometimes they’re friends of friends!) and we put these photos on the covers of our books. It doesn’t sound quite revolutionary when you think about it, but it’s a statement. It says, loudly, that we want to see Filipinos on the covers of our books. We want to see not just faces, but faces with real emotion. Poses that entice and tickle the imagination. The whole she-bang.

It’s a representation thing. It’s an aesthetic thing. It’s a choice.

My choice for my upcoming book, What If We Fall In Love?, is a playful, happy photo of Gab Pangilinan and Gio Gahol taken way back in 2017, when we still did regular studio shoots for #romanceclass covers. It’s been hidden away for so long, I’ve just being waiting and waiting and waiting to see where I could use it, and the opportunity presented itself after deciding on releasing a romance anthology.

And here it is—the cover of What If We Fall In Love?:

Projects, The Writing Community

COVER REVEAL: Keeping Miss Kalila

March 22, 2020 No Comments

Here’s some good news for those of you who read and love my books: I’m releasing a new title on the 1st of April!

Keeping Miss Kalila has been in development since late 2018, but I only went full steam ahead in terms of writing the novel April last year. I wrote another blog entry about my struggles to finish it here.

But finally, everything’s on track and I’m very excited to share this beautiful, beautiful cover created by the amazing Miles Tan. This was based on the original photograph shot by Chi Yu Rodriguez (for @romanceclasscovers) which featured models Gab Pangilinan and Gio Gahol. Check it out!

Keeping Miss Kalila

With a job that she loves, an adorable senior dog, and a baby she fought hard to conceive on the way, life is going well for thirty-one-year old school teacher Kalila Rayos. That is, until her ex-boyfriend and first love, filmmaker Datu Alvez asks if they could try again.

Saying yes shouldn’t be too difficult. After all, she’s still also in love with him and Datu’s efforts to be there for her make her feel she truly has it all. But on top of her worries as a soon-to-be mom, a crisis that hits her school forces her to shift her priorities away from her own desires.

Will the one who got away be strong enough to stay, or will their second chance at love crumble and break her heart once more?

Please note the following content warnings for this book: miscarriage (backstory), casual sexism, and verbal and physical abuse from a parent.

This book follows #romanceclass guidelines requiring HEA/HFN for romance, and is Heat Level 3 (at least one “open door” sex scene).

Keeping Miss Kalila will be released digitally on April 1, 2020, but you may already pre-order a copy on Amazon. If you have already bought a copy, thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy reading Datu and Kalila’s love story.

P.S. If you’re posting about Keeping Miss Kalila on social media, please use the hashtags #romanceclass, #KMKNovel, and #ProjectDatu. ^^ See you all on April 1!

Blog Tours, Cover Reveal, The Writing Community

COVER REVEAL + BLOG TOUR: No Two Ways by Chi Yu Rodriguez

April 3, 2019 No Comments

It’s the season of new #romanceclass releases once again, and it is with great pride that I present this exciting new book from good friend and fellow #romanceclass author, Chi Yu Rodriguez! ^_^

(**Models:** Rachel Coates, Gab Pangilinan, and Gio Gahol. **Photography:** Chi Yu Rodriguez. **Styling:** Alex Lapa. **Title art:** Carla de Guzman. **Cover design:** Chi Yu Rodriguez.)

I’ll give you a couple more seconds to take it in. Go ahead. Take it all in. Isn’t that cover beautiful? <3

*snaps fingers*

All right, now — deets!

Cover Reveal, Personal, The Writing Community

COVER REVEAL: Second Wave Summer

April 30, 2018 No Comments

Sometime in the future, I feel like no one’s going to believe Jay, Six, and me when we say we have nothing up our sleeves.

But honest to god, we really didn’t have one until mid-February (unlike the time we were planning Summer Crush, which went on for almost a year) and we were even doubtful we’d make it because everything was such a struggle lately.

Anywayyyyy… that’s not the point. The point is this: WE HAVE A NEW BOOK COMING OUT THIS MAY!!!