ALANNAH ROBERTS – Featured Author

Alannah Roberts—wifey, mum to one beautiful baby girl, fur mum to a battalion of Pomeranians, corporate baddie by day, and aspiring author by night (fueled by crispy Coke Zeros and occasionally questionable decisions).

Alannah lives in Australia, but she was born and partially raised in the Philippines. Books have been her escape, her comfort, and her obsession for as long as she can remember. She has cried, laughed, and screamed her way through stories that left a mark on her soul—and now, she dreams of writing ones that do the same.

She started writing Collide back in 2012, but fear and doubt turned it into a secret side project. After surviving an ectopic pregnancy that nearly took her life, Alannah made a promise to herself—and to her daughter—to stop playing small. To chase her dreams. To be brave.

One day, Alannah hopes to live on a little farm, surrounded by books, her family, and her fur babies, writing stories that make people feel something—every day until the end of her days.

Connect with Alannah:

Website Instagram TikTok Threads

COLLIDE: The Rhapsody of Heartbeats Book 1

One city. Two hearts. And a collision that changes everything

Elena Montgomery returns to New York with nothing but a guitar and a promise to keep. Her family’s name carries weight, but after a bitter divorce shattered her childhood, it’s not legacy she’s chasing—it’s freedom.

Then she meets him. The charming, mysterious stranger who crashes into her life and awakens a part of her she’s kept hidden. The chemistry is explosive. The connection? Addictive. But fame, secrets, and the ghosts of their pasts threaten to tear it all apart.

As the pressure builds and the spotlight grows harsher, Elena is forced to choose: chase the life she’s always wanted or risk everything for the kind of love that burns too hot to last.

Collide is a seductive, emotional rollercoaster about passion, fame, family, and the fierce journey to finding your voice—even when your heart is on the line.

Buy Links:

Kindle Unlimited

Alannah’s Shop

FLOAT: A Collide Short Story

Float is a whimsical short story told from the point of view of a weedy sea dragon featured in Collide—specifically during Chapter 13, when the main characters share a romantic indoor picnic at the aquarium.

Needless to say, things get a little wet.

A light-hearted, cheeky companion piece set in the Collide universe—a fun, imaginative peek beneath the tank.

For the best experience, it’s recommended that you read Collide by Alannah Roberts first.

Preorder Link:

Kindle Unlimited (Release Date: December 13, 2025)

All proceeds from this short story will be donated to the Birch Aquarium in San Diego, which inspired the setting for the scene, and to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, which helps protect the natural habitat of the Australian weedy sea dragon.

CHRISTINA SOL – Featured Author

Christina Sol is an award-winning author who writes what she loves to read—romance books filled with heart, heat, and suspense.

An avid reader from the get-go, Christina was obsessed with The Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High, Christopher Pike, and all things V. C. Andrews. Her love for romance started with the Sunfire books, a YA historical romance series. Caroline by Willo Davis Roberts was her favorite of the series, and a copy of the 1984 novel is one of her most treasured possessions. Then she discovered Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts. And never looked back. She’s still a voracious reader and enjoys all genres of romance but leans toward romantic suspense and dark romance.

She lives in the inland Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing, reading, or knitting, she’s watching football or fueling her planner, sticker, and washi-tape obsession.

For two Type A workaholics, navigating a three-month fake relationship should be no problem. But as they blur the line between pretend and real, deadly violence erupts around them. Someone is out to destroy them…

As co-owner of The Spotted Dog, Jake Alvarez is an admitted workaholic. Along with his duties at the Seattle Irish pub, he runs Alvarez Technologies, a wildly successful mobile gaming company. With the ghosts of his past lingering, his hectic schedule is the perfect excuse to keep romantic relationships at the very bottom of his priority list.

After a three-year absence, Carmen Cunningham has returned to Seattle to lead her family’s nonprofit organization. With her polished facade in place, she’s determined to focus on work, and not the matchmaking busy bodies constantly reminding her of her age. And her three failed marriages.

A fake relationship between the two friends is the perfect solution. Until their playful flirting becomes more. As the secrets they’ve been hiding begin to surface, someone is watching. Someone intent on destroying them…

Buy Link:

Amazon – https://mybook.to/Returning

I always enjoy meeting new-to-me romance authors when I attend book signing events. It’s extra special when the author is a fellow Filipina American like Christina.

The continued growth of our writing community brings me great happiness. Stories of Filipino love and joy need to be told. The more of us sharing aspirational and uplifting tales, the better.

I’m hoping to see Christina again in future book events and read more of her stories that highlight Filipino lead characters.

ANJ MIRANDA – Featured Author

Anj Miranda knew she wanted to be an author since she began scribbling stories with crayons. She believes books are a way to travel and explore—and since she can’t just beam herself to a new destination, she counts on stories to give her that thrill. Give her flawed, complex characters, romance with all the feels, and a satisfying happily ever after any day of the week. Bonus points if the story takes place in a unique setting!

Anj lives in Metro Manila, Philippines, where you’ll find her tucked away at home with her laptop and a signature iced coffee.

Socials

Instagram – @authoranjmiranda
Threads – @authoranjmiranda
Facebook – Anj Miranda
TikTok – @authoranjmiranda
Pinterest – authoranjmiranda

Book Sites

Goodreads – Anj_Miranda
Amazon – Anj Miranda
Romance.io – Anj Miranda
Bookbub – Anj Miranda

THE REYES SIBLINGS SERIES

Book 1: The Off-Chance of Me and You

He’s an athlete at the top of his game, and she’s the girl he left behind. Now he’s asking for a second chance, but this time, she’s calling the shots.

Tala Reyes lives life dancing to a breathless beat. With two full-time jobs and a family to support, she has no time to dwell on what-ifs: What if her grandmother never got sick? What if she never left Manila? And definitely not what if Jason Meyer hadn’t ghosted her in college?

The world knows Jason as the NBA golden boy, but to Tala, he was her first friend in the US—and her first taste of heartbreak. So when he shows up in town, she reminds herself not to cave to his overdue apology and superstar charm. She has more than enough to worry about, especially when she discovers her work visa is on the line.

Despite her doubts, he’s determined to make up for his absence. Tala wonders: what if she gave this thing between them a chance?

They’re from different worlds, and their futures have never been more uncertain. But it’s just for the summer, right? No big deal.

Famous last words.

The Off-Chance of Me and You is a second-chance, ex-friends-to-lovers romance with a slow burn and a dash of spice. This is the first standalone novel in the Reyes Siblings series.

Buy Links:

Books2Read Amazon Apple B&N Google Play Indigo Kobo

Book 2: The Odds of Happily Ever After

All bets are off when Little Miss Sunshine and her sister’s grumpy best friend learn to play nice.

Luna Reyes moved to the US with a dream: to prove herself to her family. After her older sister returns to Manila, Luna is determined to get through college on her own, despite her parents’ doubts and her insecurities. She doesn’t need a keeper—especially not her sister’s best friend. Not when he’s been a jerk to her since they met.

Gabe Martins has one goal: to build a stable life for himself. He has no patience for relationships—except when it comes to his best (and only) friend. So even though he wants nothing to do with Luna, he considers it his duty to check in on her. Sterling’s too small a town not to run into her anyway.

One text turns into a phone call, and soon, they’re going on a road trip without killing each other. It turns out he’s got a sweet side she always wanted, and she’s the bright spot he never thought he needed.

But with their goals at stake, will they go all in for a chance at happily ever after?

The Odds of Happily Ever After is a dislike-to-friends-to-lovers contemporary romance with a simmering slow burn and a dash of spice. It is the second novel in the Reyes Siblings series but can be read as a standalone.

Buy Links:

Books2Read Amazon Apple B&N Google Play Indigo Kobo

**Book 3: The Fallacy of True Love (releasing on August 12, 2025)**

The city boy with a promising future meets the beach town girl with a troubled past in this unlikely romance.

Alonzo Reyes has everything going for him: a close-knit family, a scholarship to law school, and his dream girlfriend. He’s golden…or so it seems. In reality, he’s floundering on the brink of that dreaded f-word. Failure.

After a revelation pushes him over the edge, he escapes to the waves of La Union and crashes right into the town’s resident grumpy surfer.

Cam Cruz has no blood ties, no college degree, and no boyfriend. But she loves her life near the sea with friends who feel like family. All she needs is a stable job—not an annoyingly attractive boy from Manila messing up her flow.

Alonzo can’t help being intrigued by the one girl he can’t seem to charm, and no matter how many times Cam says goodbye, fate has other plans. When their paths cross again, they learn that there’s more to each other than meets the eye. Judgments are questioned, emotions are compromised, and soon, their beliefs about love are put to the test.

Can they overcome their differences for the chance at an epic ride, or will they play it safe and stick to solid ground?

The Fallacy of True Love is a strangers-to-lovers contemporary romance with angst and spice. It is the last book in the Reyes Siblings series but can be read as a standalone.

Buy Links:

Books2Read Amazon Apple B&N Google Play Kobo Smashwords

Do you know that I also have a story with a main character named Reyes, set in the Philippines? It’s called PANAGAT featuring Belen Reyes.

Here’s the blurb:

US Air Force officer Jack O’Connor washes ashore on a remote island in Palawan, Philippines, and into the arms of its beautiful owner, Belen Reyes.

It’s free to read for my newsletter subscribers. If you’re a subscriber but haven’t downloaded it yet, access it via Bookfunnel. And if you haven’t subscribed, here’s the link to my newsletter. I promise not to spam you and only send out bookish news once a month.

I hope you check it out.

LYGIA DAY PEÑAFLOR – AANHPIHM Featured Author

Lygia Day Peñaflor is the author of Creep: A Love Story, All of This Is True, and Unscripted Joss Byrd. She also teaches young Hollywood stars on television and movie sets. Her students have included cast members of Gossip Girl, Boardwalk Empire, Spielberg’s West Side Story, and others. She lives on Long Island, NY, where she rides horses and flies from a trapeze. Follow her on Instagram @lygiaday and learn more about her work on her website.

CREEP: A LOVE STORY

This twisted, tragic love story follows Holy Family High School’s cutest couple — as told through the eyes of the classmate who’s stalking them.

Laney Villanueva and Nico Fiore are the perfect couple: beautiful, popular, talented, and hopelessly in love. Everyone looks up to them at Holy Family High School.

But Rafi doesn’t just admire them. She watches them. She’s drawn to them.

Intent on becoming their closest friend, Rafi weaves her way into their lives. She starts small: taking photos of the senior class for the yearbook, joining Laney’s club, and babysitting Nico’s little sister. And it works—soon they invite her to parties, take her on joyrides, and ask her for favors. Rafi’s actions quickly turn invasive, delving deeper and deeper until she’s consumed by their most intimate secrets.

When tragedy strikes the young lovers, Rafi’s obsession spirals, and she will do anything to keep the perfect couple together.

Anything . . .

A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD SELECTION

“[A] fast-paced psychological thriller” — Kirkus Reviews

“Rafi’s matter-of-fact narration efficiently encapsulates her self-deception, boundless obsession, and increasingly delusional stalking, making for a compulsive read.” — Publishers Weekly

“Both heart-pounding and troubling, this story is hard to put down and hard to shake.” — Booklist

“Quick-paced and suspenseful.” — School Library Journal

“An interesting, thought-provoking character case study à la The Talented Mr. Ripley…This is a book that will haunt [readers] for some time.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

BUY LINKS FOR ALL BOOKS:

harpercollins.com/creep

harpercollins.com/all-of-this-is-true

macmillan.com/unscriptedjossbyrd

ANA KIRK SHAW – Featured Author

Ana Kirk Shaw wrote her first romance at eight years old. It was a shifter romance starring Scar from The Lion King and Amelia Bedelia. It was weird.

She is now a public school special education teacher by day and romance author by night (plus weekends and summer break). Ana loves writing silly, swoony, steamy stories about strong heroines and the heroes that love them. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, kids, and cats.

Website: anakirkshaw.com

Instagram: @anakirkshaw.author

Facebook: Ana Kirk Shaw

Threads: @anakirkshaw.author

My boss is the stiff, surly, suited city bureaucrat… and I’m the new teacher of his nightmares.

I’m desperate for a fresh start at a new school. Lucky for me, Oliver Flores, the infuriatingly hot principal of PS 2, is desperate for a new teacher.

He’s forced to hire the Sweaty Albeit Beautiful Trash Siren he found amongst the dumpsters (I had a morning, okay?). I’m forced to take the job.

He’s all label makers and lists. I’m all creativity and chaos.

He needs to loosen up. I need to tighten up.

He demands control. I need freedom.

For right now, I have no choice but to follow my boss’s every explicit directive and not make any waves. No drama llamas. Because he needs his promotion. And I need to keep this job.

But what happens when Mr. Flores’s orders go from “send me your lesson plans” to “see me after school”? What happens when they go from “take it out” to “let me in”?

For the sake of both of our jobs, we’ll need to keep this a secret. It’s a terrible idea … but I might just love it when Oliver orders me around.

Beyond the Bell is the first book in the Lessons in Love series and can be read as a total standalone. It’s for fans of high heat romantic comedies, and features a grumpy boss and his sunshine employee, a fresh start, a secret relationship, BIPOC representation, found family, and tons of spice.

Buy Link: Amazon

She’s my roommate and my best friend’s forbidden little sister. And now she wants me to teach her how to date.

Me. The himbo who’s messed with half the women in the city. The guy whose nuts her brother will feed to the squirrels if he finds out.

I should’ve said no. But it’s Mia—my Mia. She’s tired of being a wallflower, and I’m the perfect guy to give her advice.

I shouldn’t teach her how to kiss. We shouldn’t practice in my bed.

I shouldn’t know how many freckles she has on her stomach, or love the way she fits in my arms.

But what definitely shouldn’t happen? The dude she’s known her whole life—the one who was just supposed to help—should not want to spend the rest of his life doing it.

Mia’s brother might break my face, but Mia? She might break my heart.

The PS 2 staff room shenanigans continue in Teach Me a Lesson …a super spicy romantic comedy about a brother’s best friend who’s a childhood-friend-to-lover, roommate, and coworker all in one. You’ll laugh, cry, swoon, and find forced proximity, golden retriever energy, a secret relationship, and lots of spice lessons.

Buy link: Amazon

ELLA LEON – Featured Author

Ella Leon writes historical romantasy with intrigue and suspense. Her debut historical romantasy series will be released in 2025 with Dragonblade Publishing.

During her 9-5 career, she has delved into many different styles of writing: journalism, public relations and marketing. Fiction, however, is where she finds the most freedom to transform the page. Like the Victorians she writes about, she loves all things gothic and supernatural. Unlike the Victorians, she is a feminist who enjoys exploring the precolonial past.

When she’s not writing, you can find her spending time with her family or tending to her rose garden. She lives in the Chicago area.

Substack: ellaleon.substack.com
Tiktok: @ella_leon
Facebook: @EllaLeon
Instagram: @author.ellaleon
Threads: @e.k.toth

THE SAPPHIRE HEIRESS

A pirate who walks amongst the highest circles of society.
A governess desperate to escape servitude.

“Exciting, dramatic, romantic; infused with magic, danger and mystery, The Sapphire Heiress reinvents the historical romance. Wondering what Historical Romantasy looks like? This is it.”
– New York Times Bestselling Author Amanda Quick

In Victorian England, the Silver Order has kept its supernatural discoveries hidden for centuries. Those who seek its secrets must always pay a price …

Mae Blackthorne, the daughter of an English shipbuilder and a Filipina immigrant, has been taught to ride sidesaddle, embroider pillows, and dance the waltz. So when her brother disappears at sea, she hasn’t a clue what to do when the family’s shipbuilding business falls into bankruptcy.

It isn’t long before Mae is penniless. Or so she believes. Forced to accept a post as governess in the very home she was raised in, Mae takes on the challenge in good spirits. Yet she is restless and yearns for the life of adventure her daredevil father and brother once had. That is, until she meets Ethan Locke, a pirate who offers her an enticing opportunity to recover her secret inheritance.

Unbeknownst to Mae, her family used their shipbuilding business to shroud generations of successful piracy. Locke, who was once partners with her father, has an old score to settle. He claims that her father stole from him an object of great value: a sapphire that can stop its wearer from growing old. As her father’s last surviving heir, Mae is Locke’s only hope of finding this supernatural jewel hidden amidst her family’s secret fortune.

Agreeing to work together and split the fortune amongst themselves, they share an instant spark of attraction. But they’re not alone in their search. The original owners of the sapphire, who operate an elite secret society, are far more powerful than Mae and Locke could have ever imagined. As danger closes in and the supernatural proves real, Mae fears she has much more to lose than just a second chance at a new life.

Summarized best as Pirates of the Caribbean meets Jane Eyre, The Sapphire Heiress is a suspense-filled historical romance perfect for fans of Amanda Quick.

Buy Link: Amazon

THE CRYSTAL ALCHEMIST

She wanted nothing to do with the supernatural … until him.

In Victorian England, the Silver Order has kept its supernatural discoveries hidden for centuries. Those who seek its secrets must always pay a price…

When her father’s death puts his estate in her hands, Hazel Grey must return to the home she ran away from as a child. Tucked away in the mystical landscape of the Malvern Hills, notorious for its ancient pagan past, Whitestone Manor is the headquarters of the Silver Order, the enigmatic secret society Hazel has both hated and feared. She’s never believed the Silver Order’s claim to power: an ability to see into the future. But when the property becomes so sought-after that a young stranger, Theo Pierce, offers a small fortune and a lifelong friend offers her his hand, all to obtain it, Hazel begins to reconsider…

Years ago, Theo Pierce’s family was forced to sell Whitestone Manor to Miss Grey’s father. Ever since, he’s dedicated his life to winning it back and redeeming his family’s honor—no matter the cost. When a snowstorm traps him and Miss Grey within the manor, it becomes the perfect opportunity to win her trust and, more importantly, the estate. But the deeper Theo pulls her into his world of secret laboratories, botanical mysteries, and crystal alchemy, the more he begins to want something other than redemption.

Soon, everything Hazel once believed is called into question. A crude and shocking vision reveals that a romantic tryst with Mr. Pierce is inevitable. Rather than fight it, she finally decides to put aside her cynicism and give into fate. But as she starts to uncover the truth behind her father’s death and the secret society’s darkest secrets, secrets about herself unravel too, secrets that threaten to keep her a prisoner of the Silver Order for good.

The Crystal Alchemist is a Gothic romance perfect for fans of Amanda Quick and Adalyn Grace.

Preorder Link: Amazon

CARINA GASKELL – Featured Author

CARINA GASKELL

Romance Author

ABOUT CARINA

Carina Gaskell has been writing stories since she could hold a pen, and dreaming them up even before that.

Raised in the province in a house full of love and books, it’s no surprise that the Manila-based author would go on to carve out her own space in the romance genre writing cozy, feel-good novels.

Her stories feature sweet and swoon-worthy heroes, strong (and artistic!) heroines, and a lovable cast of side characters. She loves indulgent wish-fulfillment romances, Happy Ever Afters, and the concept of soulmates—both romantic and platonic.

Her favorite love story is that of hers and her partner’s.

CONNECT WITH CARINA:

Website: carinagaskell.com
Email: contact@carinagaskell.com
Instagram: instagram.com/carinagaskellwrites
Threads: threads.net/@carinagaskellwrites
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/Carina_Gaskell
Amazon: .amazon.com/Carina-Gaskell/author
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@carinagaskellwrites
Facebook: facebook.com/carinagaskellwrites

CARINA’S BOOKS

Second Chance Books

When Nell’s brother-in-law walks out on her pregnant sister, it falls on Nell’s shoulders to cover their mountain of bills. To do so, she must convince the owner of a secondhand bookstore to sell his property so she can earn a commission.

But when she visits the store, two unexpected things happen: the owner offers her a job sorting the shelves—extra income!—and her childhood crush, Thomas Whelan, turns out to be the only other employee there. Only a fool would turn that opportunity down.

When Thomas reveals he needs help with his love life, it seems all too perfect: get an in with Tom by helping him prepare for his dates, recruit him towards her cause of convincing their boss to sell, get paid, and live happily ever after.

Except the more time she spends with Tom, the more she gets attached: to him, to the bookstore that soon might not even exist, and its customers.

Set in a small town in the throes of gentrification, Second Chance Books is a novel that explores the power of love, literature, and community when it comes to changing and saving lives.

Second Chance Books is free to borrow with Kindle Unlimited subscription. Also available in paperback. books2read.com/secondchancebooks

True North

After Sophie’s long-term boyfriend decides he doesn’t want to marry her, she flies back home to her native Philippines with her tail tucked between her legs. Forget romance. With the help of Ninang, her wealthy grand-aunt on her mother’s side, she picks her pieces back up and throws herself headfirst into her dream project: opening a coffee shop on the famous beach resort island of Dalisay.

But there’s a catch. Ninang agrees to help fund the cost of starting a new business, if and only if Sophie hosts her younger sister, Narra, and their cousin, Layla for the summer. Fresh out of college, Narra and Layla have come to Dalisay for three months of fun and romance, and they refuse to leave Sophie out of it.

Enter Archie Hastings. A smooth-talking, motorcycle-riding Brit, he moved to the island to work at a non-profit and nurse a heartbreak of his own. When Narra indulges in a little too much fun and romance, he’s there to help Sophie save the day, only to find himself pulled into a scheme to get Sophie—and by extension, himself—laid.

Sophie just wants to be left alone. But love has a funny way of sneaking up on you, and this summer, on the beautiful sunny island of Dalisay, where the white sand is soft like powder and the blue sea impossibly clear, it might just catch her off-guard.

True North releases on August 4, 2024. Preorder now! books2read.com/truenorthis1