#feelsfest – Tara Tries To Write

The 16 Sweetest Moments of 2016

December 31, 2016 No Comments

Honestly, I hadn’t really planned on writing a yearender blog post for reasons that are relatively mababaw (i.e. my internet connection S U C K S here in Baguio City), but I thought it would be nice to cap this mostly WTF year with a look back at the moments I was most thankful for. After all, happiness stems from having a grateful heart, right?

And so without further ado, here are the 16 sweetest moments of my 2016.

1. Being able to write for kids. (Bayong ng Kuting Workshop, January 2016)

Being able to write is, in itself, a blessing, but at the end of 2015, I decided to challenge myself and enroll in the Bayong ng Kuting Workshop. The workshop required us to craft an original children’s story around the Bayong ng Kuting universe. And if you think writing children’s lit is easy, think. again. No news yet about our submissions, but no matter the outcome, I’m so glad I took on this challenge. ^_^

2. Dipping my toes in uncharted waters. (#romanceclass @ Komiket, February 2016)

Instagram will load in the frontend.

Another first for #romanceclass and myself was being one of the participating merchants at the Komiket, an event that featured and celebrated indie komiks and the talented people behind them. We probably stood out like a sore thumb then, selling romance novels alongside comicbooks and art, but it had been fun, and we actually sold books! I believe this was where the idea for #4 came up (though I could be wrong, heh).

BONUS ROUND: I met Manix Abrera for the first time in this event! He is SO COOL. <3

Events, The Writing Community

#FeelsFest: Spending Saturday in My Happy Place

October 24, 2016 No Comments

video © Chi Yu Rodriguez

I’m not sure where to start with this blog post, to be honest, because I feel like I haven’t fully recovered from what happened last Saturday. But first things first: October 22nd was #FeelsFest day, a #romanceclass event held at the Glorietta 5 Atrium from 12 noon to 6 in the evening. There were books (lots of them–20 NEW TITLES in total!), cute merch (stickers, bookmarks, shirts, bags, mugs, decals), fun games, and, most importantly, the live readings.

The live readings.

*stares dreamily into the distance*

Right. Where were we?

*clears throat*

Events, The Writing Community

[ PRESS RELEASE ] Romancing October: #romanceclass FeelsFest at Glorietta 5

October 10, 2016 No Comments

Ghosts, skeletons, and cobwebs might be decorating the windows of shops these days, but why give in to fear when you can celebrate love in October? And why drown your sorrows and stress in beer at Oktoberfest when you can go on a rollercoaster of emotions at #FeelsFest? At least that’s what the folks from the #romanceclass community of authors and readers figure!

Mark your calendars: The #romanceclass #FeelsFest will be on October 22, 2016, at Glorietta 5 in Makati. Authors will be on hand to meet readers and sign books. They’ll be selling indie romance books—many of which you won’t find in your typical bookstore. There will also be games, giveaways, the launching of over 15 new titles published by indie authors just this month, a book donation drive for Ayala Malls’ Little Free Library, and the much-anticipated live readings!

In fact, #romanceclass live readings are show stealers, thanks to the feels delivered by actors invited to read excerpts from romance novels. Previous live readings have been punctuated with shrieks and sighs. #FeelsFest will mark the fifth official live reading event, the last one held just last month at the Manila International Book Fair. #FeelsFest will feature new live readings from #romanceclass books. (Visit http://romancepodcast.com to get the audio versions.)

The #FeelsFest live readings will feature performances by Gio Gahol, Rachel Coates, Hervin Alvarez, and Gabriela Pangilinan. Expect to hear scenes from books by Mina V. Esguerra, Ines Bautista-Yao, and more.

“The #romanceclass community is all about encouraging each other to read, write, and publish books we love,” says author Mina V. Esguerra, whose books include Tempting Victoria, What You Wanted, and Iris After the Incident, all of which and more will be available for sale at the event. “#FeelsFest is our chance to give back to the community of readers and friends who’ve supported us. We get to have a little fun, and maybe meet some new people who love a good love story as much as we do.”

So if you like to hug your hugot close and are addicted to happy endings, drop by Glorietta 5 on October 22. Selling will begin when the mall opens, and the official program is scheduled for 2PM to 6PM.

For more information about #romanceclass, visit http://romanceclassbooks.com, where you’ll see a catalogue of the authors’ books along with other information about the community. #FeelsFest is brought to you by Ayala Malls.

CONTACT: Mina V. Esguerra
minavesguerra@gmail.com
Twitter, Facebook: minavesguerra

Events, The Writing Community

#RomanceClass is about to serve more ~feels on #FeelsFest this October!

September 26, 2016 No Comments

Right on the heels of #AllTheFeels at the Manila International Book Fair (I’m pretty sure a lot of us haven’t gotten over this yet), #romanceclass is serving up even more of the good stuff in October! That’s right, we’re on a roll–because #FeelsFest is coming right at you on October 22 (2:00-6:00 PM), at the Glorietta 5 Atrium!

Here’s a quick list of things you can expect from the #romanceclass #FeelsFest:

NEW #ROMANCECLASS BOOKS! I’ve lost count of how many new titles are going to be launched because my brain stopped at 15. Yes, there’s more. I wouldn’t be surprised if we breach 20. But gah–yes! These are titles that weren’t around yet in April when we had #AprilFeelsDay, or in July when we had #FeelsRushIn. This is your chance to call dibs on our new babies, people! <3 (If you haven’t been able to buy previous titles, don’t worry. They’ll be available at the event too!)
AWESOME MERCH! Aside from books, we will have partners and friends who will be selling shirts, tote bags, bookmarks, stickers, decals, and more! So if you’re looking for a Trainman shirt, or a #TeamDiego decal, or maybe even want a cute keepsake of our #FeelsFest mascots, come join us.
FUN GAMES & PRIZES! We are preparing some fun games and other activities for everyone coming, so be sure to bring your enthusiasm with you. We promise to make it worth your while!
LIVE READINGS! The highlight of every #romanceclass event thus far has been the live readings, and we’re doing it again this time, of course. Which scenes from which books are going to be read, I wonder? And which of your favorite #romanceclass book characters will be brought to life by our actors? If you’ve experienced a live reading before, you know what to expect. If you haven’t, then I suggest you come see–I mean, feel–for yourself.

Hope to see you guys there! <3

P.S. I don’t think I can even begin to do a full blog post about my MIBF2016 experience, so here are my daily ramblings, via my Facebook page: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 & 5