Stories of Love and Second Chances by C. P. Santi
Title: Maybe This Time: Stories of Love and Second Chances
Author: C. P. Santi
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Short stories
Length: 16,000 words (3 stories of
approximately 5k+ words each)
BLURB:
An
accidental reunion . . . a sneaky plot . . . things finally falling into place.
Maybe
This Time contains three heart-warming stories of love and second chances.
Because when fate gives you a break, you grab the chance to finally make things
right.
In
Sweeter
by the Second, when paintings conservator Rina David arrives for the
Arts Festival in the heritage town of Jimenez, she’s reunited with Tony, the
guy she once loved and lost. Now vice-mayor of Jimenez, Tony wants Rina back in
his life and will do everything he can to convince her that they belong together.
Pamela
Quiroz hatches a plot to get her parents back together in Exorcising my Ex. But
will a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner succeed in reconciling Geno and Viv?
After all, it’s been more than fifteen years since they first got together and
they aren’t the hormone-driven teenagers they once were. Will wine and cheese
balls still do the trick?
Torch,
meet hand. Arne Weichmann has been waiting twenty-one years for Bea. Is it
finally the right time to make his move and convince her that they are Meant
to Be? He hopes so. Because he doesn't think he’ll survive losing the one
person who brought warmth and sunshine to his life.
EXCERPTS:
(
Sweeter by the Second
“I like seeing you in my bed.”
I frowned at the man who stood by the foot of the bed, a smug look on his face. “You like seeing me bedridden?”
Tony laughed and sat down. “Oh, Rin. I’ve forgotten how literal you are.” Shaking his head, he traced the bedcover’s crochet patterns with a finger. “No, I mean I like seeing you here . . . in my house, in my room. Not bad after what—ten years?”
I smirked. “Talk about delayed wish fulfillment.”
“Well, you’re here now.” Tony looked me straight in the eyes and smiled.
At that moment, I swear I felt weak at the knees.
Er . . . not entirely true. I’ve been feeling rather weak for the past three days—the effect of a bad case of food poisoning (damned roadside shawarma craving).
Ignoring the way my heart hitched in my chest, I rolled my eyes at him. “I knew it. This was all a plot to get me here.”
Tony chuckled. “Nu-uh, this is all on you, Miss Piggy . . . wandering off by yourself . . .”
“I wasn't alone. Mimi was with me.” I was defensive. I’d just wanted a few hours by myself—to cope with Tony’s sudden reappearance in my life.
“Refusing my offer to drive you . . .”
“You had work!” I protested.
“And eating street food when a perfectly good dinner was waiting for you here.”
“I’m paying for my sins now. Happy?” Believe me, visiting the toilet every few minutes was torture.
“Tonying, stop pestering Rina.” Manang Dalma, Tony’s housekeeper came in the room and put a tray of steaming lugaw on the bedside table. “Here hija, see if you can keep this down.” She helped me sit up and handed me the bowl and a spoon. Frowning, she shooed Tony off, “Go and eat or your breakfast will get cold.”
“Opo.” Tony saluted her before he turned to leave. “Take good care of my girl, Manang.”
Laughing, he ducked to escape the balled-up napkin I threw at him.
Exorcising my Ex
I glanced at my watch just to make sure—my efficient, punctual daughter was officially ten minutes late. Smirking, I thought of all the mileage I’d get from teasing her about it. Pam got riled almost as easily as her mother did.
Just as if I had conjured her from thin air, a tall brunette appeared in the doorway. Her long hair was perfectly styled, and her sleeveless shift fit lovingly over her trim curves. Large eyes, framed by the longest eyelashes I’d ever seen, slowly scanned the room. The moment they met mine, they flared in surprise before narrowing.
I rose to greet her. “Viv. This is a surprise.” I bussed her cheek, lingering a moment longer than necessary.
She drew back, but not before I heard her sharp intake of breath. Glancing around, she asked, “Where’s Pam?”
“On her way, I suppose.” I helped her into a seat. “Didn't know you’d be here today, Viv.”
“I didn't know you’d be here either.”
“Hmm. I wonder if—” I broke off as both our phones vibrated.
Sure enough, it was a lengthy message from Pam:
sPam: Hi, Mom and Dad!
Yes, I’m with Tita Joy and I’ll be sleeping over at their place with her and Kesha tonight.
Yes, this is a setup. Happy anniversary! :-) Yeah, I know you never married, but when you were together, this was your anniversary (it was in mom’s scrapbook). This was also probably the day I was conceived fourteen years ago, so Happy Conception Day to me, too *\(ˆoˆ)⁄*
Anyway, I just thought that now Mom is back in town again it would be nice if you could catch up with each other.
I already paid for dinner. This took quite a chunk out of my med school nest egg, so you guys better sit and enjoy it.
I love you both!
P.S. I really, really don’t want to be grounded forever. I love you!
I shook my head. My girl was devious. Just like her Dad.
Meant to Be
“So, why did you call me over?”Tina jerked a thumb at Bea. “You free next weekend? Bea needs you to attend a wedding with her in Tagaytay. That ass Carlo will be there.”Bea flinched at the sound of her ex’s name. They’d broken up over four months ago, but everything still seemed so raw. She turned to Arne. “You don’t have to . . .”“Want me to beat him up for you?” Arne’s eyes weren’t smiling anymore. “Just say the word.”Bea shook her head. “No violence necessary.” She managed a weak smile. “Though I could use a friend by my side.”“Then you’ve got me.” Arne held her gaze.Suddenly, Bea felt her heart skip a beat. Unable to look away, she felt trapped by the intensity of Arne’s gaze.Despite what her sister thought, Bea had certainly gotten the memo. Arne was gorgeous . . . and out of her league. She’d firmly buried all her girlish fantasies about him ages ago.Or had she?The moment was broken when Tina groaned. “Toilet break, excuse me.” Arne stood up and helped her to her feet. She shooed him away. “No, no, sit back down, I’m fine. Stay and talk. I’ll be back in a bit.”Preoccupied with watching Tina waddle away, Bea was surprised when Arne spoke.“You didn’t tell me.” Arne had moved closer. Hands clasped, he leaned forward. His elbows rested on his knees and his eyes were intent on hers.Bea’s smile was sad. “There was very little to tell. We broke up, end of story.”“You guys were together for a long time.”“We were.”“What happened?”Bea sighed. Apparently she wasn't getting out of this inquisition. “He met someone else.” Her laugh was hollow and without mirth. “I mean, we meet people all the time, right? But he said . . . he said it was different.”Arne’s hands clenched. “Now I really want to beat him up.”Bea shook her head. “Don’t bother. Maybe it’s better this way.”But, still.She’d wasted almost ten years on Carlo. Huh. That was a huge chunk of her life.They’d been happy together . . . or at least she thought they’d been. But Carlo kept putting their wedding off. It had been almost three years since he’d asked.A sigh escaped Bea’s lips. Sometimes she wondered if she should have done something . . . tried harder.“Don’t blame yourself.”Surprised, she looked into Arne’s eyes. He’d reached out and covered her fidgeting hand with one of his. He squeezed, as if he was trying to infuse her with his warmth.“He was an idiot to let you go, Bea. You’re better off without him.”Over the last few months, she’d heard variations of those same words from family and friends. But now, with Arne looking earnestly at her, she could almost believe it.
About C. P. Santi:
C.
P. Santi is a Filipina author based in Tokyo, Japan. She is a wife to an
engineer/indie songwriter and a full-time mom to two energetic boys. She
loves cooking and baking and enjoys feeding people, gorging on chocolate,
watching J-doramas, belting it out in the karaoke box, and running around the
house playing tickle tag. She also loves dreaming up stories about the people
she meets.
In
another life, she is also an architect and academic.
Social Media Links:
Today is the cover reveal for Prom Queen Perfect by Clarisse David. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.
Prom Queen Perfect
By Clarisse David
Genre: Romance
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: July 7, 2016
Blurb:Being perfect isn’t supposed to be this hard.Alex dela Cruz has it all. Looks, money, and a killer sense of style.When the annoyingly gorgeous Adam Cordero calls her selfish, she decides to prove him wrong by transforming Christy Marquez from an invisible misfit into a ruling princess of Asia Pacific Academy. Great hair? Check. Flawless red lipstick? Check. Instant popularity? A slightly too big check.But now, Alex is on the brink of losing the plastic tiara she’s supposed to get as prom queen, her best friend, and her heart to the unlikeliest of candidates. Too bad she isn’t letting anything—or anyone—get between her and that tiara.
You can find Prom Queen Perfect on Goodreads
About the Author:
Clarisse David is a Young Adult and New Adult author from the land of epic heat waves a.k.a. the Philippines. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and cannot survive without Taylor Swift songs, red lipstick, and books. When not hanging out on Twitter, she can be found working on her latest writing project.
You can find and contact Clarisse here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
Here's my stop of #ForeverNightStand, you can win a giveaway from the author Ysa Arcangel. Yay!
Forever Night Stand
Released on December 20, 2015
by Ysa Arcangel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
by Ysa Arcangel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Links:
Goodreads
Goodreads
SYNOPSIS:
Brandy
Curtis is a strong and independent career woman who does not care for
commitment. She prefers no-strings-attached, one night stands because that's
all she can give with what little free time she has. This is the life she has
chosen and the life she is used to.
However,
everything changed when she met Ivo, a gorgeous doctor with irresistible charm.
He was just supposed to be another hookup, but he quickly became so much
more. It started as a one night stand
which was followed by another, and another. The more nights they spent
together, the more Brandy felt that life had given her something to live for.
Things
seemed perfect... until a visit to the doctor sends her world crashing. The
timing couldn't be worse. As her heart gets closer to Ivo, her memories begin
to fade.
With
her family history of Alzheimer's and at great risk of acquiring the disease,
Brandy will take the chance to live her life with Ivo and fight the condition
that threatens to claim her forever.
In this enthralling debut novel, you will find out about the heart that never
forgets and the disease which has the power to rob, damage, and destroy yet
cannot vanquish the feeling of love and being loved.
EXCERPT:
Almost three weeks had passed since Brandy’s diagnosis of
Alzheimer’s and in that time, the dull throbbing ache in my chest had become a
familiar aspect of my day-to-day life, although she was still unaware of this.
The diagnosis was weighing heavily on me. Sometimes I wanted
to rage against the world, against God or whoever the hell else might be
listening, because she was slipping away and I couldn’t stop her. I wanted to
plead, to beg for her to come back. I wanted to offer myself up instead.
I still hadn’t quite gotten over seeing her in a moment of
‘incoherence’ and I’d been trying to avoid it ever since but I realized I had
to steel myself.
I thought of filing a leave of absence from my job to fully take
care of Brandy. I needed to be strong for my wife. She needed me more than
anyone and I’d be there for her no matter what happens.
“We’re getting on in years,” Brandy said when she snuggled close
to me.
I looked at her and she stared back at me.
“Yes, that’s what happens when I live for a while,” she added.
“Babe, what are you saying?” I asked, trying to deny it, trying to
tell myself that there’s nothing wrong, not really. She has been a bit confused
lately but everyone can have a bad day.
“It’s funny, I never thought my life would turn out like this. If
someone told me that I will meet you and probably grow old with you, I’d take
any chances to slow the process or to find a miracle cure.” Her voice was timid
and small, nothing like the strong and confident woman I’ve come to admire so much.
I felt tears in my eyes. I hugged her close, bringing her face to
my chest.
“Here we are, babe, and we will always be together,” I uttered,
trying to bat the tears away without being obvious.
“Having regrets, Primitivo?”
“Ouch, the whole name,” I joked, pretending to flinch. “But no. No
regrets, babe. You?”
Brandy smiled. “None at all.”
She slowly rolled over on her side and faced me, placing her hand
on my forearm. “It’ll be okay...you’ll get over me,” she whispered, tears in
her eyes.
“Are you still joking? It isn’t funny anymore,” I growled at her.
“Sorry, babe.” She sighed and I lifted my gaze just in time to see
tears fall down her cheeks.
“I will always love you,” she murmured softly, her breath
hitching.
“I know that.”
“Still, you deserve to hear it more. And... and I want to say it,
while I still can.”
“Just stop saying that I’ll get over you, okay?”
“But it’s the truth, we both know it. So until that end comes, I’m
going to say it as much as possible, b-before I forget how.” She pressed her
face into my shoulder. “I love you. I love you. I love you. No matter what
happens later, just know I’ll love you.”
“Me too. We will be together, Brandy, and have nightstands
forever.” To prove my point, I hugged her to my chest even tighter, wrapping my
arms tightly around her as though every bone in the appendages have the
strength to keep the memories in.
GIVEAWAY:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ysa Arcangel is a Filipino author based in
Manila. She works as a Spanish-English GDS Helpdesk by day and a writer by
night. She is a loving partner to a very talented chef and mom to three amazing
kids. She is fueled by coffee, a tattoo fan, giant dog lover, and an extreme
sports enthusiast. She writes contemporary paranormal and romance fics with
lots of laughs, tears, and sighs showcasing sweet, funny, and badass female leads
with raunchy and hot male love interests whether human or supernatural. When
she's not writing, you can see her spending time with her family, reading, or
having a T.V. series marathon.
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