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Christmas Debt

Steamerella

The Christmas Debt is Coming Soon!

Estimated release date: November 15, 2017
Come and read about a new story set int he Steam Theatre!

The Shoemaker's Daughter is out on Kindle!

Please check my new book out and leave me a review!

Stories from the Steam Theatre

Welcome to the Steam Theatre.

It is the era of Pax Industrial or Industrial Peace and there are no more wars. In this era, entertainment is power. Being the best in the entertainment arena, the Steam Theatre hold sway over the ton. The Phantom of the Steam Theatre is the master of this showground. It is to him that you bargain with life or limb to achieve what you most want.

The Sea Nymph's Mate is now on Amazon

The Nymph's Mate was previously published in Smashwords. This Amazon version is expanded. Please download this version. Thanks! Excerpt as follows:

In every Sea Nymph’s life, there will come a time when he must surface and find his life mate. There can only be one and he must take her with him to the sea. The time of the Search is only one full month every century. If he fails to find a life mate, he must choose whether to go back to the ocean mate-less or stay forever on the dry land for there were no female nymphs. All mates were humans. These females were a special kind of humans. Only they could hear the call of the sea.

For Dylan, he was determined to find the woman of his dreams. He will not leave the ocean for good but he will not come back empty handed. That was what he vowed the day he climbed up on the rocky ledge of the desolate bay.

The stench was horrendous. Even upon entering the bay waters, there was a sticky and stinky gunk that surrounded him. He knew the talks the others told him of the surface-dwellers. The pollution the surface-dwellers excreted in the air and the sea was horrendous. How can they bear this? he thought. The oil was sticking to his slimy skin. His eyes and his lungs burned. How would he survive his month? He felt like he was drowning.

Gentle hands pulled him completely out of the rocky shelves and into a warm cloth. “We have you, brother,” a voice told him. He hardly struggled for he knew the voice. It belonged to a fellow Sea Nymph named Mario. Dylan knew Mario went ahead of him a week before. “Drink this and come with us.” He was given fresh water to wash his throat. Dylan can’t help but pour some water to his face and eyes. They were stinging so badly. Carefully, they dragged him with speed to a dwelling.

Dylan had prepared himself thoroughly for this month-long sojourn. He learned all about the surface dwellers from others who have been to the surface. The nymphs before him told him of man-made stone structures in strait lines that went up all the way to the skies. They also warned him that humans’ heart are hard and very different from a Sea Nymph’s. They told him how to act and how to blend in. He had an idea of what to expect and how to intermingle with the “Humans” but he knew he had to be on guard. Humans didn’t understand them and those who had bad intent tended to destroy everything.

Mario brought him to a unit in a structure across the street they called building. There were rows of them uniformly facing the sea. “I thought you’d never get here. I was waiting every night since I went up. Come, Nong Tashio is waiting for us,” Mario said.

Dylan was brought to a safe house for Sea Nymphs. An old Sea Nymph they called Nong Tashio lived and operated there. He helps young Sea Nymphs survive their month and helped them find their mates. Nong Tashio made sure these young Sea Nymphs were safe and blended well with the general human population. Dugongs and other marine mammals were endangered already. If they were discovered, they would be next on the endangered species list.

Nong Tashio’s place was large enough to house a lot of them, for there were a lot of them this time. Dylan counted six of them. Half of them, he knew. Mario was his best friend and there was Dario, Mario’s brother. There was also Pier, his neighbor. Pier and Mario came together last week. Later, he was acquainted with the rest of them. The other three came from the distant north three days ago, by means of a land boat called bus. The Capital was a more sensible place to find their mates for most of the population was concentrated here. Nong Tashio said the humans call it Manila. Some from the province were lucky to find their mates waiting by the shores but for the unlucky ones, they traveled to Manila for a better chance. Nong Tashio was happy to take them in. He had been doing so for a long time since his mate passed. He decided to dry up and stay on land.

Manila was the capital city. Dylan didn’t know what that meant. Mario and the other explained that it meant there were more people here than the sea sides other place. It also meant it was busy.

“Listen, young Dylan, we have to be inconspicuous les’ we scare them surface-dwellers. They easily scare, you see,” Nong Tashio explained. “You must ‘proach and befriend them with caution. They easily scare and they do not believe in Sea Nymphs.” The old man briefed him about how to act, what humans did and how they interacted every day. Dylan was then fed and given proper clothes then sent to bed after.

Dylan had a hard time wearing clothes. He usually wore woven sea vines to cover his manhood and that was it. Swimming in the ocean required freedom of movement. He couldn’t understand the amount of garment these surface dwellers needed. “You’ll get used to it,” Dario, the younger of the brothers said. Dylan had to put the shirt back in front on before he managed to put it on the right way. Mario taught him how to buckle a belt and lace his shoes. These humans were so complicated!

“Don’t worry, Bro. We’ll be here a bit more to help you get around. You’d be surprised to find this place interesting. But it’s not a place to live in, though. It’s a good tale to tell your sons,” Mario commented.

Dylan shrugged. “I can’t remember father telling me anything like this. He warned me of the dirt and thieves but I didn’t expect the overwhelming filth. No wonder he dared not come back to the surface again. Mother doesn’t want to come back either.”

In the morning, Dylan was to start blending into the populace and search for his mate. Mario handed him an apron and patted him on the back. “First thing’s first. We must teach you to blend lattes. Nong Tashio required us to serve downstairs at his café. It is a place where humans come to eat when don’t want to hunt their own food,” his friend explained. “It is three hours before we open and you must be taught all the terms.” So, Mario and Dario pushed him to the downstairs kitchen to start his training.

Dylan frowned. Humans didn’t always hunt their food? Mario explained that they would work or barter for some goods with a thing called money. The money can be bartered with other things like food, clothes, transportation. The small downstairs space was where the humans can get food.

Nong Tashio acquainted him with what the human world was like and what a café was. Mario and Dario filled him with details they learned while the few weeks ahead they were here before him. All Sea Nymphs had a skill to learn anything fast. Dylan definitely absorbed fast enough to be an apprentice baker and barista. He knew how the cake was made, how tarts were frosted and how to make mocha lattes all in three hours. By the time they opened, he was confident he could blend well.

Nong Tashio’s café, Flounder’s, opened promptly at seven in the morning. When the usual customers came in, Nong Tashio had another “nephew” from the province working part-time. This new “nephew” however was a real eye candy. He had a unique dark skin that was evenly toned. His pearly white teeth sparkled like stars in the night, and his eyes, they were sea green. Behind him, long jet-black hair flowed like silk threads.

Best of all, he made a mean double chocolate macchiato with whip cream and a side of strawberry tarts.

But Dylan and the rest of Nong Tashio’s nephews were an odd lot. Their features were quite unique. They weren’t oriental but their eyes were slightly upturned and almond. The eye color was either deep blue or light sea green, very unique to the boys. Their jaws were curved and strong. It was their build that was also odd. An anatomy student once pointed out that the boys had a torso to leg ratio that was even, quite unusual for any race. The boys were very friendly but rarely spoke words. A smile greeted each customer as they entered the door.

Another odd thing with Nong Tashio is that he never seems to have any nieces. His nephews from the province came and went but no girls ever stayed with him. 

New Layouts!

I've updated my layouts for my previous books. Download them at Amazon!

Each book now has a short preview of my other books. There are also short author notes at the end of the story.

Some Authors I met during RT17

RT Con is a time to meet and greet your favorite authors. Here are some of the authors I was able to take photos with.

See you all again next year!

RT Tips and Tricks

 It's my first time to attend the RT Booklovers Convention and here are some tips and tricks to those attending for the first time:



PRIOR to CONVENTION TIPS

Tip 1: START EARLY! SAVE MONEY!
There is a $495 convention fee and you have to pay that as early as you can! (Some time September of the year prior to the convention)
People buy early so you have to be an early bird as well.

Tip 2: If you are a writer, take the boot camp. It cost something around $125 on top of the convention fee. It is worth it.

Tip 3: Book your hotel early. If you can afford to be in the same hotel as the convention, then book the hotel. Socials and other events will be very hectic so you need to be close by.

Tip 4: Here's what you need to bring/pack: Versatile clothing (reuse clothes, don't bring so much), comfortable shoes, big sturdy eco bags, emergency slippers, bandages (it's for your feet!), muscle lotion (it's for your shoulders), make-up, gloss/lip balm, water bottle, autograph book for authors, power bank for your phone, note pad for notes. Extra boxes/suitcases for books.

Tip 5: What not to bring: BOOKS. You'll be there to grab free books so don't bother bringing some. Bulky costumes, bulky clothes, anything heavy.

DURING the CONVENTION
 Tip 1: Be friendly. People want to know what you like to read and who you are here to meet. They might give you tips as well. Build friendships because people who love books loves other people who love books!

Tip 2: Wear flats. You'll be walking a lot.

Tip 3: You'll be walking a lot! So eat a hearty breakfast, have a water bottle, make sure you have stamina to run around every hour. Especially if there is a pop-up signing.

Tip 4: Be prepared to wait! Most big or popular workshops have long lines so be prepared to stand in line. Socials have a 30 mins to 1 hour waiting before you can enter so make sure you have patience.

Tip 5: Not all events have food so you'll have to forage and quick. Most breakfast socials have a muffin or pie but some doesn't. (Harlequin's event only had free fruit smoothie for breakfast). Some socials have chillis, desserts and finger food but not enough to get you full. Some socials only had chocolates. (I loved Linda Lael Miller's Cowboys and Rhinestone Party. There was mac and cheese, chicken skewers, chilli beans and fruits)

Tip 6: Bring a trolley or wheeled luggage. You'll be getting a lot of books. I got 7 books from a Inspirational Book Signing and 6 books from Harlequin meet and greet. Pop up signing might get you two to three books at a time. Most big events give books but small workshops give small tokens and at times books.

Tip 7: Keep hydrated. You won't be able to notice that you're already dehydrated until it is too late. Why? Because the air-conditioner is cold but you're running around. You are also too excited to realize this.

Tip 8: You won't be able to attend all the workshops and events. Believe me, I tried! I even tried to leave one event early to get tot he next. Some events overlap. It's not the end of the world. Attend what you can and have fun.

Tip 9: Set your goals. Are you there as a reader or writer. Plot your workshops and be prepared to run around. In RT17, the venue for the convention spanned three floors. I had workshops from LL3 to LL1 and I have only 15 mins to get tot he next venue.

Tip 10: Have fun! You will learn but you shouldn't be too serious. Attend the Socials. Hug your favorite authors. Take a lot of pictures!

My Experiences in RT2017

This is my first time to attend the Romantic Times Book Lovers’ Convention, so I am called an RT Virgin. It is the biggest single genre book convention in the US. Romantic Times or RT covers Romance Books and it’s sub-genres. It took a year of savings but I finally get to Atlanta without a hitch. I registered as an author and so I was issued a green badge. 

The events I have signed up for was packed. My agenda for this convention was to learn, better myself as an author, better my marketing skills, learn the global trends and network. Given this opportunity, I was given a free table to do my very first book signing.

The convention or RT17 kicks off with the pre-con. I took up Cherry Adair’s Master Class. It was the best $125 of my life. Her teaching style was fast-paced so we could tackle as much as we could. Her insights into the industry was very informative. The best part of this two-day class was her one-on-one session on fixing plots.

The next six days of the convention were divided between seminars and socials. Seminars or workshops were equally as face-paced. Panel discussions covered a wide range of topics such as BDSM Beyond 50 Shades, Publishing Beyond Amazon, Marketing on a Budget, Hot New Trends in Publishing and so much more. The Socials were sponsored parties by authors or publishing houses. The best part in Socials was getting goody bags filled with free books. Socials is a time to meet authors. Among those I met were Linda Lael Miller, Lora Leigh, Sherrilyn Kenyon, B. J. Daniels, Kerrilyn Sparks, Karen Rose, Beverly Jenkins, Tina de Salvo and more. There were pop-up signing in the corridors so you could meet new authors and grab books and goodies from them.

The highlight of the RT Conventions was the Giant Book fair on the Saturday of the event. Over three thousand people came to buy books and meet authors. Although I was not ready to participate here, I did try to familiarize myself by being a volunteer. It gave me great discounts when I had time to do my rounds and grab books.

FAN-Tastic Day was scheduled that night. This Social activity was sponsored by the LGBT publisher Dreamspinner Press. In this party, authors and fans could meet. I was given a space with other writers to meet and greet new fans for forty-five minutes.

To cap off the event, the RT Roundup was scheduled that Sunday as a send-off. It was a mini book fair for new, self-published and hybrid authors. I was the only Filipina author for the roundup. I was happy to meet new people, new authors and potential fans. I was also happy to have my book Resto-Rescue and Anthology Victorian Steam sold out.

All in all, my RT experience has been an eye-opener. The socials, book signing and workshops were a whole new level from what we have here in the Philippines. As a Filipino author, I ask myself if we can compete globally and the answer is: Yes, we can! We already have an advantage of speaking and writing in English. We understand and can relate to the Western Culture. Best of all, we have the creativity and talent to write beautiful stories. So, will I participate in future RT Conventions? Yes, I definitely will.

Master Story Creator's Anthology now in e-book and print!

My stories are in MSCA 1 and MSCA 3.

Books in Amazon is Kindle Unlimited enabled.