My #FilReaderCon Feels

December 1, 2015 No Comments

I revisited (part of) my old alma mater last Saturday, November 28, for my very first Filipino ReaderCon experience, and to say that I was overwhelmed is an understatement. Granted, it took me several years to return to DLSU-Manila, but I still wasn’t prepared for how different it looked. The Henry Sy Sr. Building was HUGE. Escalators and elevators were everywhere. When I attended college there more than ten years back, the only buildings that had an elevator (if memory serves me right) were the Saint Joseph and SPS Buildings. Gokongwei? Not so sure; I didn’t frequent that area of the campus even if there was a walkway connecting it to Miguel.

Anyway, I digress.

This year marks the 5th year of #FilReaderCon, and I am so glad to have been part of it. I would’ve loved to have participated in more of the sessions, but I was happy to have spent time at the #romanceclass booth anyway, helping to sell and restock books. Also buy them.

Reading, Review

{ Book Review } Learning to Fall by Mina V. Esguerra

October 17, 2015 No Comments

Oh, if only I were brave enough to live like fiction. Then again, that’s what living vicariously is for, right? I’m good at that. I’ll leave the Live Like Fiction challenge to the braver ones. Yes, I can feel you shaking your head sadly at me, universe. I know your feel. I can be brave over something else instead, okay?

Learning to Fall is the fourth Mina V. Esguerra book I’ve finished so far, after Never Just Friends, My Imaginary Ex, and The Harder We Fall. Does that officially make me a fan? ^_^

Learning to Fall
Mina V. Esguerra

“Go out with a stereotypical romance novel hero WHO ISN’T YOUR TYPE.”

Avid reader and art student Steph is participating in a monthly blog challenge to Live Like Fiction, and this was the task for October. When Grayson, former co-captain of her university rugby team, walks into her class, she knows it’s meant to be – she has to go out with this guy. Even if she’s never been attracted to big, hunky, athletic types. With Grayson’s “player” reputation off the field, Steph thinks he’ll be good for one date that’ll be worth blogging about, and that’s it.

But you know how it goes: Soon, it becomes more than just one date – and Steph and Grayson are caught up in “living like fiction.” How long can they keep playing their roles before reality steps in?

BUY A COPY OF LEARNING TO FALL!
Amazon

Click the Read More link below for my review of Learning To Fall. Not spoiler free, I’m warning you.

Excerpts, The Writing Community

#JustWritePH: Claim it #ForTheWin

October 5, 2015 No Comments

It’s the fifth and final week of the #JustWritePH blog tour and I would like to congratulate all the authors who participated and put their work out there. Finishing a piece is an accomplishment in itself, and having the courage to have it read by many is a huge feat, so CONGRATULATIONS! You guys are all winners.

Speaking of winners, here’s a sneak peek at the fifth and final #JustWritePH bundle: #ForTheWin.

Insurmountable challenges from supernatural beings, political scandals in vast kingdoms, post-apocalyptic survival, and...dealing with the extended family? All in a day’s work for the characters in this thrilling bundle of stories about overcoming obstacles and testing their resolve. Features “Hunter Zero” by Viai, “The Seeker’s Inn” by Maita Rue, “A Solarpunk Fairytale” by Mary Beatrice Ponce, and “Her Highness, The Handmaiden: Ascension” by Saelynne G. LeClerk. [ CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BUNDLE. ] — Insurmountable challenges from supernatural beings, political scandals in vast kingdoms, post-apocalyptic survival, and…dealing with the extended family? All in a day’s work for the characters in this thrilling bundle of stories about overcoming obstacles and testing their resolve. Features “Hunter Zero” by Viai, “The Seeker’s Inn” by Maita Rue, “A Solarpunk Fairytale” by Mary Beatrice Ponce, and “Her Highness, The Handmaiden: Ascension” by Saelynne G. LeClerk. [ CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BUNDLE. ]

Click the Read More button for story blurbs, excerpts, and author follow links.

Personal, The Writing Community

Our #StrangeLit Game is Strong!

October 4, 2015 No Comments

They are here! Forty-one paranormal/urban fantasy pieces from forty-one Filipino authors, bundled into four collections–Killer Seasons, Darkest Dreams, Fateful Turns, and Incredible Truths–are now available on Buqo for only P90/$1.99 each! I’ve yet to purchase all the bundles (I bought Killer Seasons the other day to check the formatting and everything, and I’m not even done yet), but please, please, please help indie Filipino writers get their works read and noticed. With this awesome introductory price, I’m pretty sure you won’t get shortchanged!

Bundle 1: #KillerSeasons

A werewolf chef, a cursed family, a spell to forget. You’ll meet these and more in the ten stories of the KILLER SEASONS installment of #StrangeLit, featuring:

Resto Rescue by Maita Rue
The Last Night of Her Wake by Chrissie Peria
House of Silver: A Cursebreaker Novel by C.P. Perez
The Myth Menagerie by Lana Garcia
Vengeance: The Awakening by Arlene Manocot
At The Wishing Well by Amae Dechavez
Intersection by Den Lim
Disappearing Act by Roselle De Guzman
The “Forget You” Brew by Tara Frejas
Aurelia by Japonicus

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BUNDLE.

Follow #KillerSeasons on Facebook and get to know more about the ten stories in this collection! Feel free to interact with us, authors, too! ^_^ We might have a werewolf in our midst, but promise . . . we won’t bite! 😛

My novella, The “Forget You” Brew is part of Killer Seasons. Here’s a quick look:

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

Shall I make this fun? If you’ve already bought the Killer Seasons bundle and read The “Forget You” Brew, follow me on Twitter (@tarafrejas) and I shall be posting giveaways starting tomorrow, October 5th. Metro Manila only–so sorry to those who are living somewhere else, but I can’t do overseas giveaways for now.

I’m preparing little gifts as giveaways and will be posting photos of them on Twitter very soon. JOIN JOIN JOIN! ^_^ (I might really go overboard with this because I won’t be at the launch, so . . . might as well create some noise before then, right?)

Click the Read More button for introductions to the other three bundles, as well as buy links.

Excerpts, The Writing Community

#JustWritePH: What would you take #ForRedemption?

October 2, 2015 No Comments

#ForRedemption

Redemption doesn’t come easy. It involves hardship, righting wrongs, and making tough choices. This four-story bundle showcases characters who made wrong turns in life, and want nothing more than to make things right. Features Era by Jesse David, Turning Points by Yeyet Soriano, A Fateful Encounter by Cali (Angie Sanchez), and Encyclopedia Mystique by Racquel Sarah A. Castro.

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BUNDLE.

Win this bundle by joining this giveaway! Click HERE.

Click the Read More link for the excerpts. If you want to read my take on Turning Points by Yeyet Soriano and A Fateful Encounter by Cali, plus story blurbs and author links, click HERE.