Family, heart, and a Merry Christmas Happily Ever After. ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all 'round Hacienda Luz bustled in celebration of Natividad Luz Moore’s 100th birthday. A Filipino American woman of courage, strength, and heart, Lola Naty has touched the lives of many. Celebrities and politicians make merry, fine dresses and barong Tagalogs shimmer, and food and drink flow freely. And it's all to honor family, tradition, and the very essence of that thing called love. While Filipino ballads fill the chilly Northern California air, hearts throb and passions ignite as six remarkable couples find love in all the right—or wrong—places. From acclaimed and bestselling Filipino American authors—Elle Cruz, Maan Gabriel, Maida Malby, Mia Hopkins, Sarah Smith, and Tif Marcelo—comes Pasko Na, My Love, a holiday romance collection that is sure to warm your heart and uplift your Christmas spirit.

One alluring French-Filipina beauty. One sexy US Air Force officer. One torrid weekend fling. Lust at first sight strikes Maddie Duvall and Aidan Ryan on a plane. A day at the beach with friends and family denies them the opportunity to succumb to their mutual attraction. Both single and available, they agree on a secret weekend affair. No strings, no promises. Satisfy their desire for one another, and they’re done. Or so they say. Global City Tryst, a Carpe Diem Chronicles novelette, is the prequel to Singapore Fling. It was previously published as part of the Big City Heat charity anthology. The story has been edited and polished but the sizzle and steam remain. Each story in the Carpe Diem Chronicles series can stand alone. For those who prefer to read chronologically, here’s the proper order: 1. Boracay Vows 2. Global City Tryst 3. New York Engagement 4. Singapore Fling

This book explores the biblical and socio-cultural roots of mercy from the perspective of Juan/a, the Filipino every wo/man. Real-life encounters with mercy (or the lack of it) and accompanying reflections/essays attempt to weave a Filipino narrative of the Gospel of Mercy. It draws inspiration from Pope Francis’ pronouncements on poverty, on mercy and compassion; his Philippine visit; and his symbolic act of opening the Holy Door of Mercy in recognition of the Church’s responsibility to be “a living sign of the Father’s love in the world” (as articulated in Misericordiae Vultus). Read between the lines and discover how mercy flows freely at the most unexpected places, in the unlikeliest circumstances, in the company of family, friends, or strangers—the fruit of Divine love and compassion towards all of creation.

In this innovative work of autoethnography, Caroline Picart weaves across letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, and visual art in an attempt to reconcile her personal experience with her professional identity as a philosopher and scientist living in the U.S. In part a dialogue with her past and ancestry-she was raised in the Philippines and educated in England and the United States-and in part a scholarly analysis, Picart asks what it means to be defined as a member of a specific "race," especially as a "foreigner" married to an American, living within multi-cultural America. Inside Notes From the Outside wrestles with issues that have loomed over anyone who has had to come to terms with concrete, pragmatic questions regarding identity within the interacting spheres of race, gender, class, and power. Based on the premise that discourse regarding these issues tend to be cast into a relationship of powerful vs. powerless, the author contends that power is not a fixed thing, but a subtle, complex matrix that shifts over time. A thoughtful approach toward issues of cultural difference, Inside Notes From the Outside provides a sincere and uniquely interior perspective on identity formation.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, this book is dedicated to the suffering people of Ukraine especially the children who are the most helpless victims of the Russian invasion. One day while the author was tending to her zoo, an image of the Holy Wound of Jesus flashed vividly upon her mind which guided her in writing of the hostilities of the war and how steadfast and burning faith serves to help people overcome life’s ordeals on a daily basis of routine in the backdrop of a global pandemic and raging war. This book is a must read as it is the fruit of an encounter with God in the simple everyday life of a widow who has been called to write of heaven’s caveats for today’s world.

The time frame of these stories collected in this book, written in my column, A Cup O’ Kapeng Barako, has a span of four years. The beginning chapters began in the year of 2012 when President Barack Obama was campaigning for his re-election, ending in the final chapters when Obama in year 2008 ran for the presidency of the United States. But this book is not solely or merely about my opinions on politics. It’s also about my take on current events, and my Barako thoughts on people and things that affected me personally. This book also contained conversations with people through emails, who came into my life during those four years. Some of those conversations were heated and hated, but some were also tender and kind. But beneath them all, laughter abounds. For I write my column primarily for fun . . . meant only to be read by friends and comrades, and fellow Barakos. If at times I get corny, or my Pilipino English gets atrocious, they are puns intended, untended, and unintended, as in “batu-batu sa langit, tamaan ’wag magagalit.” For my mainstream readers and friends, that means, “stones-stones thrown up in the air, don’t get mad if they fall on your hair.” As y’all can see, I am a wanna-be humorist, dyoking a lot. Some stories in this book also contained glimpses of my personal life, portions of which, are also hilariously funny, but tender and expressing love in places. Okey ngarud, happy reading, Dear Readers. JJ

this is a summary of his daily thoughts which he wrote every night. He loves the beach, poetry, long walks, night runs, riding his bike, sunsets and smelling his own feet. though this is not a perfect commercial grade book, this is a story of a persons life. a true story of his wanderings. his convictions. his passions. his dreams. his frustrations. his love. yes. these thoughts come from his heart. this is his story of his road to greatness if theres ever one for him. a true story to tell the whole world and the ones left behind.