Blog Tour: Start Here

Start Here

SYNOPSIS

There’s a first time for everything. Gatecrashing a KPop concert with an oppa in a business suit. Taking shelter from the storm with the girl you’ve been meaning to shake off. That kiss that blurs the line between friendship and something more. A one-night stand (or, is it?) with your best friend from across the hallway.

Dive into these 10 stories of first encounters – unapologetically queer, happy endings required, with a smattering of that signature #romanceclass kilig. Whether you’re recalling your own firsts or out there looking for one, there’s a story in here for you.

So, go on.

Turn the page.

Start here.

In the Moonlight by Agay Llanera

Seventeen-year-old Caleb has been burned by a previous relationship. While on vacation, he meets Ezra of the sculpted calves and disarming smile, who surprises him with a moonlight kiss. Caleb retreats--and regrets his decision. Thanks to the internet, he knows where to find his summer crush, but the more pressing question is, will Caleb have the courage to bare his heart again?

Come Full Circle by Bobbi Moran

You know you're in love when you put somebody else's happiness before yours. But waiting for fifteen years for someone to realize you are THE ONE may be taking this to the extreme.

Gorgeous by Motzie Dapul (Read an excerpt here!)

New love in New York with a twist!  

Two home-grown Filipinos fall in love after a chance meeting on a train to Little Manila in Queens, NY. They learn, over time spent enjoying the colorful culture of New York City's streets, that they are, by all accounts, perfect for each other—before some unexpected baggage and a surprising history threatens to tear them apart. 

Some things just don't heal with time alone, but sometimes it's only when it hurts that you know it's worth trying for.

Shipping Included by Danice Sison 

Two cute guys sneak into a K-pop concert. Neither one could be called a fan of the music, but by the end of the night, they might just find themselves with a new favorite song and a few romantic possibilities.

Delubyo by Barbie Barbieto (Read an excerpt here!)

Pebbles has a strict four-month rule when it comes to relationships. But she’s about to find out what happens when you meet a woman who defies all your ideas of how long the space between endings and beginnings should be.

The Other Story by H. Bentham

A bored twenty-something goes to a sex club he frequently visits to while away the night and find that love sometimes comes at unexpected places.

Blooms and Hues by Ella Banta (Read an excerpt here!)

Experience love in color and flowers.

Another First by Yeyet Soriano (Read an excerpt here!)

Jess finally gets to have a long-delayed romantic get-away to Bohol with her hot but busy boyfriend Matteo. Beautiful resort, check! Romantic ambience, check!
But wait . . . Lily Rose, the resort's resident singer and self-proclaimed mermaid, is distracting the hell out of everyone.

Luck From the Skies by Katt Briones

Asher Lee knew from the beginning that he was going to win the teen model search, but didn’t expect to share the title with his biggest competitor, Chan Valiente. Previously threatened by his former adversary’s talent and looks, Asher kept his walls up, only to find them crumbling down with Chan’s charms. 

Would Asher be brave enough to take the leap and actually find his chance at love? Or will he and Chan remain to be a fan-made bromance?

Lemon Drop Friday by Brigitte Bautista (Read an excerpt here!)

Tala has been secretly in love with her best friend Liv for years. Living right across the hallway, she has seen through Liv’s revolving door of Friday one-night stands. The rule: they always say goodbye in the morning. But, what happens when a rainy Friday night leads Tala to Liv’s apartment in what looks like another one-night stand?

Release Date: January 27, 2018

Book Cover Design: Dani Hernandez

Additional Photography: Alexandra Urrea & Chachic Fernandez

Add Start Here on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37880247-start-here

Pre-order Start Here on Amazon: bit.ly/rcStartHere

Order Start Here on paperback (PH only): bit.ly/StartHere-PrintPH

This anthology contains M/M, F/F, F/NB romance stories with happy endings. Some stories have a high heat level. Want to take a sneak peek? You can read excerpts of some of the stories here. 

Blog Tour: Start Here Excerpt

Gorgeous by Motzie Dapul

One time, I was so homesick that I felt like I was ready to cry my eyes out in the middle of the street. It was November, and Christmas ornaments started popping up in shop windows—early for the US-of-A, but late for what I was used to. I missed home, missed it like an ache that would turn into a knife in my heart if I didn’t find something familiar to soothe me. 

So I blew money on a train ride to Queens, taking the 7 line to Little Manila. I found myself surrounded by Tagalog being spoken freely by a dozen Filipinos or more. The slightest accent reminded me where I was. I sat there, grinning ’til my face hurt, regardless, and caught the half-lidded gaze of the passenger across me, who gave me a wink and had me blushing under my scarf. 

I didn’t dare assume their gender, and in New York you could roll dice every other day on whether somebody was a butch lesbian or a transman. All I knew for sure was that they were handsome, and kept throwing glances at me every so often, their warm smile warding off any bad vibes I might have had from a stranger on a subway train. 

We got off at the same station, and a few moments of consideration had the passenger approaching me, hands tucked into a stylish jacket’s front pockets. 

“You’re not from here, are you?” they said, tone friendly but eyes musing. 

“What gave it away?” I said in return. 

“Had a hunch. You’ve got the real homeland feel,” they said with a drawl, looking me up and down from my dyed braids to my three layers in what to New Yorkers was “brisk” weather. “Want some company? Or have you got family up here in Little Manila?” 

“No family,” I replied. “Just wanted something familiar.” 

They smiled sympathetically. “I could show you around, if you like. Everybody could use a familiar face.” 

I stopped, brow furrowing as I studied their face. “Um…Do I know you?” 

They looked startled, but shrugged. “Don’t think so. I’ve been here a couple of years, and if I met you before, I’d remember it.” They opened their hands demonstratively. “Wouldn’t forget somebody as gorgeous as you.” 

I rolled my eyes, but accepted the explanation with a wave of a hand. “What’s your name?” I asked as I fell into pace with them. 

“Jays,” they said, eyes crinkling with mirth and genuine warmth. “You can call me Jays.” 

We spent one day together, with Jays showing me the best places to get Filipino food and to find a crowd that would remind me of home. They left in a hurry, work calling them away, just as we’d finished getting drinks at a comfy little bar that played kitschy nineties Pinoy crooners. 

It wasn’t until I was back on the train going to Manhattan that I realized I never got their number.