Let's not forget email

The last post was full of shoutouts to people who talked about my books on the internet. I try to round those up and link as often as I can, especially now that I've admitted that I'm out there reading them too. :)

Now I'd like to devote some space to thank those who've emailed me directly recently, for one reason or another. Through them I've learned that:

- Ruel De Vera (hi, Ruey!) has read at least two reviews of my books for his class. I wonder if he has identified me as author from the last name and the choice of genre. (ie CHEESE)

- It is possible to meet "a Dante" in Boracay, if Dante were a Geneva-based Italian/British banker and REAL.

- I talk a LOT about college in my books, despite the characters all being in their twenties. It's like I have a college fascination or something.

- Atom Araullo is someone's idea of "a Dante." Not the guy I modeled the character on, but that is brilliant.

- Though I never named the church where the Ellie and Don scene happened, I did base it on a real one, and someone got it right.

Also, I was asked if I have ever written about me. No, never. I write about other people. Not that my own life is blah. It's quite nice, actually.

First round of thanks for No Strings Attached readers

No Strings Attached has been out for a week, and here's my first round of shoutouts to the people who've been so generous with their time (and money).

Thank you, Chachic, Tina, Lee, Layla, Hazel N, Tin, M and popandcrackle!

And to address a few things that I read/heard in the first week:

From Chachic's review: "The focus isn’t the build up of the love story but rather the complications involved in their relationship."

Very true, although not what I intended. Let me just share -- when I got back into a romance groove, I decided to write three love stories based on the three different love interests I felt I could write about. (My Imaginary Ex, Fairy Tale Fail, and Love Your Frenemies represent all that.) No Strings Attached was a fun thing I tried based on a friend's suggested concept, but it happened to get noticed first.

From Tina's review: "I liked how Carla seemed like a very real person, and her friends offer enough contrast to her for the readers to see the different sides of the story without telling it to them in a long monologue of sorts from the heroine."

Thank you. I did base her on a real person, who would likely never do what Carla did. Oh well, fiction. :)

A good year

My Imaginary Ex was reviewed at Sumthinblue's blog, including other Summit chick lit books. Feedback from readers feels great every time, but it's a tiny bit cooler when they hit on something I totally intended, or point out something that I didn't even realize. Her review has a bit of both.

Also, a shoutout to Chessie, who sent a lovely text message this week after reading the book.

Will consider these words of celebration. It's been a year since I first saw My Imaginary Ex on a bookstore's shelf (the Bestseller branch in Galleria). Happy bookstore birthday, MIE!

Here it was, a year ago! Beside my friend Katrina Ramos Atienza's book.

One More Page's review

So I feel a little weird because I started composing a post about one of the coolest things to happen to me this week, which is Tina M's review of Fairy Tale Fail and My Imaginary Ex at her book blog, One More Page.

And then I remembered that I also, I don't know, participated in the first automated elections in my country's history. I still have indelible ink on my finger! The results were so fast, and each little bit of news was discussed by so many people, it feels like so days ago. Or maybe I'm just all electioned out and my brain is recovering by moving on to other things.

I've decided that this will not be the place for discussing politics though. Instead, this post is a shoutout to Tina, who pointed out a few things that'll surely be helpful for other stuff I plan to write (because at this point I can't really go back and change the published work unless... well I can't). I'm thankful for her review and subscribing to her blog has inspired me to read more already. (How long have I been in the middle of Persuasion? Grrr.)

Fairy Tale Fail is out!

Of all the twenty-something women who are hopeless romantics, Ellie Manuel is more “hopeless” than “romantic.”

Even after her Prince Charming broke up with her, she just won’t give up … because fairy tale heroines don’t live “happily ever after” right away, silly, they’re tested first!

Determined to pass the test, she spends the next year restoring herself to the girl Prince Charming had fallen in love with in the first place.

Until she discovers that life without him might not be so bad after all: her career is taking off, her confidence is back, and the cute guy at work is no longer a stranger.

So when is it okay to quit on a fairy tale?

My second novel, Fairy Tale Fail, is now available as an ebook on Amazon.com! It's another light romance for women in their twenties (or whatever, I won't judge!).

An account at Amazon is all you need to purchase it and start reading, yay. :)

Other fun stuff:

- You don't need a Kindle! Ebooks from Amazon can be downloaded and read via a special app for the PC, Mac, iPhone, Blackberry etc etc. Just install the app, purchase the ebook from Amazon, sync it up, and start reading.

- You can get a sample (equivalent to a chapter and a half) sent to you for free before buying.

- If your Amazon account is US-based, the list price of $1.89 will apply to you. Isn't that reasonable! :)

- Readers from Asia-Pacific will have to pay $3.89 (Amazon seems to be adding $2 as a rule for sales to this side of the world), but I hope you won't mind and try it anyway because you love me.

Update: Readers who use Stanza, Sony Reader, B&N Nook, Palm, and web browsers can now purchase Fairy Tale Fail for $1.89 via Smashwords.com!

All of this was made possible with the help of:
- Amazon and SmashWords (I love the Internet!)
- Bianca Pascual (for the cutest cover photo among other things)
- Louie Pilapil
- Michael Co (awesome husband, but I already said that)
- superfriends Chris Eugenio and Hazel Bernardo
- Ursula

And a shoutout to Vanessa in Trinidad, for making me consider other ways to publish. Hugs!