I write sweet and steamy rom-coms with tear-jerker happy-ever-afters.
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where i play the role of romance author, reader, and geek

Book Spotlight: Crushingly Close by Stella Torres

7/30/2016

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Hiya! My fellow romance author Stella Torres has an upcoming release, and I thought you guys might be interested in preordering it.
Picture

Blurb

At twenty-four years old, Agnes Escueta has risen from the ranks to become a producer for Sports Tonight. No one can touch her, it seems—not even crush-worthy anchorman Daniel Ferrer, who she gets to work with every single day. When a road trip to Indonesia throws Agnes and Daniel together, they find themselves working in close quarters. It doesn’t take long before Agnes finds herself being charmed by Daniel, and her defenses start to melt with his touch. With deadlines looming and a big game coming, Agnes must figure out how to let Daniel into her life without risking her professional reputation—and without breaking her own heart.

Excerpt

“Anything you want with your coffee?” Daniel said. “Cream?Sugar?”
My gaze fell on the containers of sugar and creamer that Daniel had taken out of the cupboard. “I thought you took your coffee black?”
“I thought I’d take them out for you.”
I may not swoon at the feet of Daniel Ferrer on command, but I wouldn’t deny that he was handsome. His hair was short enough to keep the emphasis on his almond eyes and sharp cheekbones. His skin had the kind of glow that came from running at the break of dawn, which he always talked about as part of his regular-day workout routine. And while he cut an impressive figure whenever he showed up in his suit and tie on-screen, the jeans and polo shirts that he wore to work showed off his lean muscles, especially in his arms and chest.
And his abs.
And his butt.
There, I’ve said it. Daniel Ferrer had a hot bod. But his body was beside the point. First and foremost, he was a co-worker, and co-workers weren’t supposed to think of each other that way.
Right? Right.
He smiled like he knew how his presence would affect me. “You look like you’ve got a lot of things on your mind.”
Of course I had a lot of things on my mind. We had a show to produce tonight, and a meeting in two hours about our trip to Jakarta for the football friendly between the Philippines and Indonesia. Not to mention the text messages that I wasn’t getting from my mother and brother…
“You make this face whenever you’re worried,” Daniel said.
“What face?”
He pointed to my mouth. “See that? Your lips curve downward when you press them together.”
“No, they don’t.”
“You’re making that face again.” He cocked his head to the side and leaned forward. “See? Your lips press hard, and your eyebrows scrunch in the middle of your forehead. Then your eyes go blank, like you’re spacing out.”
“I don’t space out.”
“Really? Then why haven’t you stirred any cream and sugar into your coffee?”
I looked down into my cup, and—just as Daniel said—my coffee was still black.
“It’s getting cold,” he said. “Here, have a spoon.”
Preorder Today.


​About the Author

Stella Torres is the author of Save the Cake and the short story “Be Creative” from Kids These Days: Stories from Luna East Arts Academy (Vol. 1)). She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and worked briefly in public relations, but has chosen to pursue her post-graduate studies in the field of education. She loves dark chocolate, hates flyaways, and is constantly in search of comfortable shoes.
Connect with the author:
Blog: http://thegreatbigjump.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/StellaTorresAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheStellaTorres
Instagram: http://instagram.com/stella_meimei
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Because there's still hope.

7/25/2016

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It's been a pretty challenging month so far. A couple of weeks ago, a relative of mine (Filipino and Chinese families here in PH are typically close-knit, meaning uncles and aunts typically stand as your 'second parents' because you see them every day and they love their nephews and nieces like they were their own children) was diagnosed of cancer, and I took it pretty hard. I cried in the shower, and when I was asked to read the Responsorial Psalm during mass, I cried over the lines. With God's grace, the operation was successful, but it's still Stage 3 and my relative's to start chemotherapy anytime soon. We're hoping and praying that once treatment is completed, my relative will be declared cured or NED (no evidence of disease).
Today, I learned that my grandfather (he's actually the brother-in-law of my maternal grandmother, but like I said we're close knit, so we grew up with him) has also passed away.
Those are my personal tests, but even my work hasn't been spared from challenges. For several months now, I've been struggling with a 70% drop in sales, and it's something that other and even hugely popular authors are experiencing. I believe a lot of things contributes to this, but in the end I also know there's no point blaming anything or anyone for this. It is what it is, and I need to figure out a way to make it work. However, even knowing this, it hasn't stopped me from doubting myself and my "right" to continue doing what I love. It hasn't stopped me from feeling hopeless and afraid. What do I do if I can no longer "afford" to continue writing? 

AND THEN THERE'S THE WORLD.

The things that break my heart sometimes keep me up at night - what I worry the most is how I can still keep my loved ones happy, what more can I do to help others feel better - but I also know that what I'm facing is nothing compared to the challenges other people are facing.
Can you imagine how it feels to be born in Syria? It's like waking up every morning, knowing it can be your last, and feel this crippling helplessness because you know there's nothing you can do. You're powerless, no matter what.
Let's think about that.
Honestly, when I think about that, I feel ashamed for worrying over the little things. I feel like I should cry with joy instead, knowing that at least for now - despite the simmering tension between China and the Philippines - I live in a place that's safe from war.

NOW,  MY EPIPHANY.

Last Saturday (July 23), we attended mass (anticipated) so our gospel was actually for Sunday. I was tasked to read the First Reading, Genesis 18: 20-32. It's quite long, but bear with me, and please take the time to read it if you can.
20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[a] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare[b] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”
“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”
29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”
30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more.What if only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
Father Nick (the celebrator of our mass that time) says that this is the first and definite example of the power of intercessory prayer. 
Abraham interceding on behalf of the people of Sodom, and God listening to him <--- this is why there's power in praying for other people. It's why, in spite of how seemingly hopeless the world is, with what's happening in Syria and everywhere else, there's still hope. It's why each and every one of us has the power to fix things. I'm not saying that we can just rely on prayer alone. Of course not. But neither should you allow yourself to believe that you are powerless. You are not. We are not. There's power in prayer, so pray for yourself, and don't feel ashamed to ask other people to pray for you and your loved ones.
If you have no one to pray for you, you can always ask your local pastor or priest to do this. Find a local church to join. You can also search online for prayer chain websites. I use this myself, and I sincerely believe it's one of the reasons why I am blessed with what I have.
I know this is totally out of the blue, but I also thought this was such an important epiphany I feel I should share it with all of you. I'll keep you guys in my prayers, and if you can, please keep me in your prayers, too. Let's pray for the world. Let's pray for all of us.
Because there's still hope.
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PRINCE OF DARKNESS PART 2 IS NOW LIVE!

7/19/2016

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Forbidden. Foolish. Forever. 
These were the first words that came to Fawn Cornwall’s mind when she thought of the prince’s offer to become her lover behind her boyfriend’s back. 
Her boyfriend, who she had caught cheating on her. 
But if she said yes to the Prince of Darkness--- 
Fawn knew she would never be the same again. 
It would be everything or nothing at all. 
He would either love her…or break her. 
And one day…he did just that.

Now available at a limited-time introductory price of $2.99.  Regular price is $3.99.

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the skeleton key series

7/1/2016

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LOGO WITH EFFECTS

Skeleton Key Book Series

One Skeleton Key. Endless Adventures.

https://skeletonkeybookseries.com

One magical key.

The turn of a lock.

An adventure of a lifetime.

The Skeleton Key finds those who are brave enough. Curious enough. Crazy enough. It only needs an unsuspecting hand and inconspicuous door. Magic uncoils and where the door leads, no one knows. The one way to discover the truth is to step through into a world of the exotic and untold.

If you dare to dream the impossible…

Prepare yourself.

Unlock the Skeleton Key adventures.


SD(1)

GAME MASTER by Scarlett Dawn

"Forbidden love will change the rules."

Amazon


warrior queen

WARRIOR QUEEN by Shona Husk

"To break the siege, he’ll break a law."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


EBOOK

SHADOW WINGS by JC Andrijeski

"In a time of great darkness, can Ilana help an angel regain his wings?"

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


ROYAL ENCHANTMENT(1)

ROYAL ENCHANTMENT by Lia Davis

"A skeleton key unlocks a passage to a world of fae, mythical creatures, and a dark elfin King who will do anything to claim his bride."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


MC EBOOK(1)

MECHANICAL HEARTS by Nicole Blanchard

"Life and love are on the line and time is running out. Tick tock."

Amazon


ELFH

ELFHAME by Anthea Sharp

"A prince, a prophecy, and the young woman who holds the fate of a world in her hands."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


EBOOK UPDATED

PRINCESS OF THE DAMNED by Wendy Knight

"What do you do when the face in the mirror isn’t yours?"

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


The Azure Kingdom Ebook High Res

THE AZURE KINGDOM by Michelle Dare

"One key, one door, one man, one leap."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


Eunica BOOK

EUNICA by J. Rose Alexander

"Her destiny was not in the shadow of death, but in the light of another life."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


Sleeping Dragons_Cristina Rayne

WHERE SLEEPING DRAGONS LIE by Cristina Rayne

"Some doors can only be unlocked by the right hand..."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


EBOOK(1)

CURSE OF THE UNDEAD DRAGON KING by Konstanz Silverbow

"A curse so powerful, not even true love’s kiss can break it."

Amazon


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FATE OF ELEMENTS by M. Stratton

"She was the key to uniting their world."

Amazon


ebook

THE ASSASSIN'S MARK by Sarah Mäkelä and Tavin Soren

"An assassin becomes a protector as he enters a magical world…all for the woman in his dreams."

Amazon


EBOOK(3)

SPELL SLINGER by K.N. Lee

"An immortal dictator will soon meet his match, in a time-traveling sorceress with revenge in her soul."

Amazon


EBOOK

DARK FAE by Lillian Cartier

"The most breathtaking love she's ever found may also bring her ultimate ruin and death."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


EBOOK(1)

HIS IMMORTAL KISS by Liliana Rhodes

"He’s waited centuries for her."

Amazon


EBOOK(2)

WITCHMATE by Renee George

"When thief Emma Watson stumbles into an alternative world full of warring witches and werewolves, it sets her on a dangerous path that may lose her the only man she's ever wanted to love."

Amazon


EBOOK(3)

INTO ELURIEN by Kate Sparkes

"Sometimes you need to step into a fairy tale to find something real."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


EBOOK(4)

MATE OF A DRAGON VILLAIN by Mandy Rosko

"She wasn't supposed to fall for the bad guy..."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


EBOOK(5)

STONEBOUND by Elle Thorne

"One key, one man, one choice."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


EBOOK(6)

MAGICAL ACTS by Michele Bardsley

"Otherworldly to-do list: 1. Save mage. 2. Fall in love. 3. Avoid certain death."

Amazon


unnamed

THE DEATH SEER by Tanis Kaige

"Caught between life and death, her salvation can only be found in the boy who went missing twenty years ago."

Amazon


EBOOK(7)

THIEF OF SANGUARDIA by Cherie Marks

"One twist of the key will lead to her destiny."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo


EBOOK

LOVE IN FANTASY by Elle Christensen

"Twelve nights, twelve fantasies, twelve stories of true love. Or…is it only eleven?"

Amazon


AotWC ebook

ARMY OF THE WINTER COURT by Ali Winters

"The heart and blood of life will give rise to the final army."

Amazon


EBOOK

ETERNAL NIGHT by Marian Tee

"Will you come away with the Prince of Darkness if he asks you to?"

Amazon


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UNLOCKING ADELINE by J.D. Hollyfield

"She dreams of her happily ever after. He plans to destroy it."

Amazon


unnamed

THE HAUNTED SULTAN by Gillian Zane

"One night in New Orleans, a ghost tour, a handsome stranger, and the spirit of a Sultan long dead."

Amazon Barnes&Noble iBooks Kobo

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