Anne Plaza

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Book Review: Ghost of a Feeling by Celestine Trinidad

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Ghost of a Feeling Book Cover Ghost of a Feeling
Celestine Trinidad
Romance
October 31, 2017
e-book
The Author

All Cris Villareal had ever dreamed of was becoming a doctor. But after the death of a patient under her care and the subsequent humiliation she suffers under a senior resident in her hospital, she begins to lose faith in herself. And no one else could understand her and her despair.

So one Halloween night, up on the rooftop of her apartment building, she decides to end it all.

She is stopped from jumping by Emilio, the ghost of a young man who haunts her building, who also committed suicide there many years ago. Eventually, Cris finds herself opening up to him, in a way she had never before, with anyone living or dead.

There is only one problem.

Emilio isn’t really a ghost.

He is actually a living young man named Nathan Morales, and Cris was just one of the unwitting victims in a prank he had once played on the tenants of her apartment. But being Emilio was the only way he could think of to stop her that night, and the only way now he could get her to open up to him. As Emilio, he was someone she could trust enough to help her, in a way Nathan himself never could.

As their relationship grows deeper and their feelings grow stronger each day, can he finally help her find a reason to keep living?

But how long can he keep lying to her?

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Disclaimer: I’ve known Celestine Trinidad’s brand of magical writing in the many speculative fiction anthologies she’s part of. Her stories were the ones that have always stood out and became memorable to me that she’s become one of my auto-buy / auto-read authors in the genre. Her first foray into romance was sort of an exciting thing for me as a fan of her work. But let me tell you nothing…and I mean NOTHING braced me for what was to come when I started reading Ghost of a Feeling.

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Book Review: Activated by E.K. Gonzales

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Activated Book Cover Activated
Tales of the Activated 1
EK Gonzales
YA High Fantasy
January 30, 2015
Kindle
Amazon

In two regions where elements are controlled by programs, four young people must work together and save Pendi from an invasion by Selatan. Fire programmer Lan has given up on life. Heal programmer Beika has to prove her worth and her friendship. Futuretell Marceau must defend her new authority. Ice programmer Soji must seek his reason to live. They will have to work together to get back Pendi’s new Crimson Master before it is too late.

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I could definitely see this as an anime.

E.K. Gonzales’s Activated is a YA high fantasy story of young programmers who control the elements. I honestly think it’s a creative way of presenting magic apart from what we’re used to. E.K. has a way of telling stories that resound well because of the interesting characters that come along with it. E.K. has been writing since forever, mostly for speculative fiction anthologies both here and abroad. Her short stories have always been a personal favorite precisely because of the characters that are pretty much complex and three dimensional.

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Cover Reveal: Ghost of a Feeling by Celestine Trinidad

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Ghost of a Feeling Book Cover Ghost of a Feeling
Celestine Trinidad
Romance
October 31, 2017
e-book, print
The Author
All Cris Villareal had ever dreamed of was becoming a doctor. But after the death of a patient under her care and the subsequent humiliation she suffers under a senior resident in her hospital, she begins to lose faith in herself. And no one else could understand her and her despair.
 
So one Halloween night, up on the rooftop of her apartment building, she decides to end it all.
 
She is stopped from jumping by Emilio, the ghost of a young man who haunts her building, who also committed suicide there many years ago. Eventually, Cris finds herself opening up to him, in a way she had never before, with anyone living or dead.
 
There is only one problem.
 
Emilio isn’t really a ghost.
 
He is actually a living young man named Nathan Morales, and Cris was just one of the unwitting victims in a prank he had once played on the tenants of her apartment. But being Emilio was the only way he could think of to stop her that night, and the only way now he could get her to open up to him. As Emilio, he was someone she could trust enough to help her, in a way Nathan himself never could.
 
As their relationship grows deeper and their feelings grow stronger each day, can he finally help her find a reason to keep living?
 
But how long can he keep lying to her? 

I may have taken a break from romance writing, but I’m still lurking more or less at the #romanceclass group. Writing classes within the group have always been there, always bringing about a fresh batch of authors with new stories. Last year when Celestine Trinidad joined the group and had her story pitched, I was hooked.

I came to know of Celestine when she was (and still is) a regular contributor to most speculative fiction anthology publications that I follow. I know for a fact that this woman writes awesome stories, and when I read that her story for #romanceclass has a different spin to most contemporary romances, I’d always been on the lookout on when she’d release her book. And it all comes down to Ghost of a Feeling.

Of course, this goes without saying that the book cover is a-w-e-s-o-m-e, thanks to the magic of Miles Tan. I already have this feeling of wanting to pick up this book and start reading. 

Although I’ve come to know the author as a great purveyor of spec fic stories, you have to admit, the mysterious element in the blurb kind of makes think all sorts of questions on how the story adheres to the class’s rule of adhering to a contemporary setting (meaning no magic realism of any sort). 

I know I have to wait until end of October to dig in, but I’m sure it’s going to be worth the wait!

 

About the Author

Celestine Trinidad is a physician (particularly, a pathologist) by profession. In her spare time, she writes fiction of several genres, including romance, speculative fiction, crime fiction, and children’s stories. Her other stories have been published in other print and online venues, such as First Love, The Digest of Philippine Genre Stories, Philippine Speculative Fiction, Philippines Free Press, Philippines Graphic, and Insignia. Her author website is http://celestinetrinidad.wordpress.com.

 

Book Review: #StrangeLit Incredible Truths

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Incredible Truths Book Cover Incredible Truths
#StrangeLit
Ysa Arcangel, L.C. Mills, Elea Andrea Almazora, Kristel Ann Cruz, Anne Plaza, Alveel Kaith Cimafranca, S.J.M. Fuertes, Clark Feliciano, Cindy Dela Cruz, D.J. Paraguya
Paranormal, Horror, Fantasy
September 2015
e-book
ARC from Bookish Diaries Book Tours

Beware the tale that distracts you with the telling -- it's planting a truth in your mind, and you may find yourself believing in the incredible too. Sit back and let it happen, while reading.

A Sky of Wishes by Kristel Ann Cruz

A world governed by logic and rules does not have time for childhood fantasies like wishing stars, or so we thought. After Stella gets diagnosed with a terminal illness, Aries turned to the sky and pleaded for his mother to be healed. Imagine his surprise when a Star manifests itself to him, willing to give him anything he wishes for. There is only one rule: Everything comes with a price. With his mother's life on the line, how far could he go? In a battle between fates and wishes, what would Aries be willing to give up?

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Book Review

kristel-ann-cruz-a-sky-of-wishes-coverReading Kristel Ann Cruz’s A Sky of Wishes was a nice, refreshing break from the fast-paced, gripping mysteries in all four #StrangeLit bundles. Reading this short story after all the other ones I’ve read brought everything in full circle. Cruz’s writing style is elegant in its simplicity, easy to relate to, and extremely engaging.

A Sky of Wishes starts off with a dilemma—Aries’s mom is diagnosed with cancer and he’s running out of options. He makes a fervent wish to the stars in the heavens in the hopes of a miracle. Little did he know he was going to get what he asked for, but at a very steep price.

I love the brilliance of this plot. While reading, I began to make my own conclusions and was actually rooting for a certain path Aries would take. A Sky of Wishes made me evaluate my own thoughts—what was I willing to give up for the sake of one important wish? Aries’s request was as valid as anyone’s, and I could tell right off the bat he was the kind of person who had a big heart. But even those with the kindest of intentions can stumble when faced with the most difficult of choices. But without spoiling anything, I was pleasantly surprised at the character’s choice. It left me pondering on my previous speculation, while making me appreciate why the choice had to happen. It was an unexpected, yet brilliant ending. And to have me come to terms with a personal epiphany is nothing short of a genius move.

About the Author

kristel-ann-cruz-authorIt boggles the mind how someone so shy and awkward found herself in Public Relations, but somehow Krissy makes it work. If she were a fictional character, she’d be a female Ted Mosby. Whether it be prose, poetry, a watercolor painting, or a craft project, she is happiest when she makes. Talk about books, movies, and lipsticks with her on www.krissyfied.com.

Book Review + Interview: #StrangeLit Killer Seasons

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Killer Seasons Book Cover Killer Seasons
#StrangeLit
Tara Frejas, Maita Rue, Chrissie Peria, C.P. Perez, Lana Garcia, Arlene Manocot, Amae Dechavez, Den Lim, Roselle de Guzman, Japonicus
Paranormal, Horror, Fantasy
September 2015
e-book
ARC from Bookish Diaries Book Tours

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.

The Last Night of Her Wake by Chrissie Peria

There is a wake in Sitio Lumawig.  A young woman, barely seventeen, left her hometown, only to return home in a wooden box. Brutally murdered, there are no witnesses. Nobody knows what happened. When it happened. Or who did it. All they know is that there was pain—so much pain in her passing.

As her father keeps vigil over her battered body, a single question keeps him company. Who is to blame for his daughter’s death?

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Book Review

There was something interesting and mysterious just by the title and cover of Chrissie Peria’s short story, The Last Night of Her Wake. I’ve been a fan of Peria’s romance work and for her to write something outside that familiar space is an exciting thing as a reader. Reading The Last Night of Her Wake further solidified my belief that Peria can do no wrong and her writing chops is the stuff of magic.

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