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.

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

In this fun and festive follow-up to Plume’s popular Quizmas and Family Quizmas trivia books, Gordon Pape and Deborah Kerbel turn to the holiday season’s best-loved songs. Featuring an introduction to the history of Christmas carols; Quizmas-style questions organized by era, region, and genre; and interesting stories about the carols themselves; Quizmas Carols covers every favorite tune, from “The First Noel” to “The Chipmunk Song.” Do you know: * What carol was written by a newspaper reporter? * Which Judy Garland movie introduced “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”? * Which carol became a hymn against slavery in its English translation? * In which European city Handel’s “Messiah” was first performed? * Which cowboy movie star wrote “Here Comes Santa Claus”? Full of little-known facts and merry multiple-choice answers, Quizmas Carols is the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who loves the music of Christmas. [Answers: “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” Meet Me in St. Louis, “O Holy Night,” Dublin, Gene Autry]

Christmas characters and food, Christmas-linked holidays and music, Santa Claus and traditions. Related to Annunciation, Incarnation; Crucifixion; Advent, the four weeks preceding Christmas; and the period between the day after Thanksgiving and the Sunday after New Year”s Day, the American holiday season. Christmas or Christmas Day is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. Aspects of celebration may include gift-giving, Christmas trees, display of Nativity sets, church attendance, the Father Christmas/Santa Claus myth, and family gatherings. Users of the Gregorian calendar observe the holiday on December 25. Some Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate on December 25 by the Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to January 7 on the Gregorian calendar. These dates are merely traditional; the great majority of scholars agree that the actual birthdate of Jesus is unknown. In Western culture, the holiday is characterized by the exchange of gifts among friends and family members, some of the gifts being attributed to Santa Claus (also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Basil and Father Frost). However, various local and regional Christmas traditions are still practiced, despite the widespread influence of American, British and Australian Christmas motifs disseminated by film, popular literature, television, and other media.