MiLFY Books 📚

Exciting news! 🏆📚 Gihigugma, Ace of Hearts won 1st Place at the 2025 International Chatelaine Book Awards — and I'm thrilled to share that excerpts will be featured in a Philippine Grade 10 English curriculum textbook, reaching thousands of Filipino students across the islands. This book has always been my love letter to the Filipino diaspora. Seeing it find its way home means everything. #GihigugmaAceOfHearts #ChatelaineAwards #FilipinoDiaspora #YARomance

Good News! The Italian Affair and Gihigugma, Ace of Hearts was shortlisted for the Chatelaine International Book Awards and are now in the semi-final round. The judges don't know I wrote both, and yet I'm so proud they've both moved onto the next round, despite competing in different categories: steamy/sensual versus clean & inspirational. In celebration of our R&R Instagram Book Tour, Gihigugma is FREE to read on KU until late March! amazon.com/dp/B0FNLR8277

I wanted to share a magical moment from the recent Frankfurt Book Fair. I had the honor of listening to Dr. Merlie Alunan - one of the Philippines' most celebrated poets - speak about the 7,000 Philippine islands and the history of why the island of Mindanao struggles with unification. It reminded me of Outlander's Culloden Rebellion - a people's struggle for identity and belonging. Her talk inspired me so deeply that I told her: "Your story has inspired me on how to write the sequel to my latest book." We spent the morning having tea which turned into lunch. I gave her a copy of my book and Merlie suggested a Waray translation (a native Tagalog dialect) would be perfect for reaching more Filipino readers. I met another celebrated Philippine poet, Marjorie Evasco, and even had the opportunity to read an excerpt from my book to Ivy Banzon, the Consul General of the Philippine Embassy, who was promoting Philippine ube (purple yam) as the next big thing. She hoped it would be as ubiquitous as Japanese Matcha. After listening to me read the pivotal halo-halo section (Chapter 29), where Jomar and Mitchelle bond over ube dessert, Ivy encouraged me to contact the London office for a live reading, since the book is set in London. (Stay tuned for that!) 🎤

SURREAL. Hitting the #1 spot is a dream come true, and it's all thanks to you, my incredible readers. Every purchase, every share, every review wrote this success story. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making Jomar and Mitchelle's journey a bestseller. Here's to more of our stories taking center stage. 🧡 #AmazonBestseller #GihigugmaAceOfHearts #AsianAuthors #Bookstagram #RomanceBooks

🤯 WE ARE #1! 🤯 I am completely overwhelmed and bursting with gratitude! Just a few days after launch, and Gihigugma, Ace of Hearts has hit the #1 BESTSELLER spot in not one, but TWO categories on Amazon! 🏆 #1 in Teen & YA Asian & Pacific Islander American Fiction 🏆 #1 in Teen & YA Clean & Wholesome Romance 🏆 #3 in Teen & YA Romantic Comedy From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU to every single person who has bought, read, reviewed, and shared my book. You are making this dream a reality. This is for everyone who believes in sweet, slow-burn stories and seeing our stories centered. Celebrating with virtual halo-halo for everyone! 🧡 #GihigugmaAceOfHearts #Bestseller #AmazonBestseller #AsianAuthors #RomanceBooks #BookLaunch

OOKAY, 3-day check-in and I have to share because I'm screaming on the inside! 📷 GIHIGUGMA, ACE OF HEARTS is showing up in the charts! Amazon's Hot New Releases: 🏆 #1 in Teen & YA Asian & Pacific Islander American Fiction 🏆 #8 in Romantic Comedy 🏆 #9 in Clean & Wholesome Romance ...and is now a TOP 100 BESTSELLER! I am so incredibly grateful to every reader who has taken a chance on Jomar and Mitchelle's story. This is all because of YOU! Want to see what all the fuss is about? Grab your copy here: amazon.com/dp/B0FNLR8277 Tell a friend & Let's keep this momentum going!

I'm writing this with so much excitement and gratitude. Yesterday, Gihigugma, Ace of Hearts launched into the world, and you helped it achieve something incredible. Within hours, it hit #1 in its Amazon Hot New Releases category. And that's not all... look where we've climbed in the main charts! As of 11pm EST, we're #11 in the main Teen & Young Adult Asian & Pacific Islander American Fiction! What's so amazing about this? It happened before a single review was even posted. This proves that a powerful story, a clear message, and the support of our amazing community are the true engines of a launch. You believed in Jomar and Mitchelle's story enough to help it fly all on its own. This isn't bragging... well, maybe a little 😇 but I feel like sharing this victory lap with the very people who helped make it happen--YOU!❤️‍🔥 Now, if you're reading GAH, I would be eternally grateful if you considered leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads because... Your honest thoughts will help other readers discover this sweet, Filipino-flavored tennis romance and keep our momentum going. The adventure is just beginning. There's more news to come, including the audiobook journey I'm planning... But for today, I just wanted to stop by and say... Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. With love and gratitude, M💜 P.S. These rankings are from the whirlwind of Launch Day! By the time you read this, they might be even higher (fingers crossed!), but I wanted to freeze this moment in time to share with you! Where will we be tomorrow?

We're #2 because we try harder! 😂 🎾 "Gihigugma, Ace of Hearts" is a #2 Amazon Hot New Release! Discover the sweet, Filipino-flavored romance that readers are falling in love with. Get the ebook for less than $1! (You know a deal this good won't last...) amazon.com/dp/1068607041

We've hit #3 in the Hot New Releases for Teen & Young Adult Asian & Pacific Islander American Fiction eBooks📷 5 days before launch! My heart is so full. To me, this is more than a number. It means readers are connecting with Filipino love stories. It means these characters and their journey are finding a home with you. If you haven't grabbed your copy yet, the ebook pre-order is still just 99¢ (or the equivalent worldwide)! This special launch price disappears after launch week. 📷 Pre-order your copy here: books2read.com/u/b6EX1y #GihigugmaAceOfHearts #BookLaunch #5DaysToGo #FilipinoRomance #OwnVoices #YAromance #TennisRomance #NewAdultRomance #Kilig #PreOrder #99c #ebookdeal #ImmigrationStories #FilipinoAuthors #supportindieauthors

6 days and counting... Checking the final proof for IngramSpark to make my sweet romance Gihigugma, Ace of Hearts available for distribution into brick and mortar bookstores and libraries, worldwide.

Hello Hello!! After months of late nights, rewrites, and munching on more chocolate than I care to admit, my latest work, "Gihigugma, Ace of Hearts" is finally born — and it has a strong heartbeat! But, this isn’t just a book to me. It’s a love letter to immigrant kids, and to diaspora families... to the awkward and tender ways we stumble toward love. At its heart, it’s a sweet, coming of age Filipino love story set in London — about finding your people, finding your courage, and daring to step out of the shadows to be seen, truly seen. And now… I get to share it with you first. If you’d like an advance review copy (ARC), you can grab it here: BookHip.com/HMXGKSH Thank you for being so supportive of my writing endeavours. Knowing you have my back encourages me to write for you. With all my love (and a nervous but excited heart), M P.S. If you’ve ever loved a story about found family, slow-burn romance, or the ways mangoes and laughter taste sweeter when shared… this book is for you.

🏆 2025 International Firebird Book Award Winner! Yes! Just received word that "The Italian Affair: A Midlife Romance" took home Best Foodie Romance at the Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Awards. I'm blushing-feeling like I'll be quietly glowing for the next decade! Cheers!🥰

I was so thrilled to receive this glowing 5★ review that I wanted to share it with you... Feel free to share it! "Set against the sensual backdrop of Italy, this steamy romance doesn't shy away from explicit scenes or mature themes. But beneath the heat lies a tender, layered story of rediscovery, vulnerability, and emotional growth. The chemistry is electric, but it’s the emotional stakes that make this affair unforgettable. For readers who crave spice with substance, The Italian Affair delivers both in abundance—leaving your heart racing and your soul stirred" --Verified Amazon Reviewer amazon.co.uk/Italian-Affair-…

🌶️✨NOW ON KINDLE UNLIMITED✨🌶️ The Italian Affair is finally available to read for FREE if you’re a KU subscriber! 🎉 She’s married. He’s younger. Italy doesn’t judge. 😉 This book has: ❤️ Reverse age gap 🇮🇹 Sun-drenched settings 🔥 A waiter with hands worth sinning for 📚 And a heroine learning to want again Hit the link in bio to grab it on Kindle Unlimited! amazon.com/Italian-Affair-Mi… #romancebooks #agegapromance #spicyreads #italianromance #indieauthorlove

Reminds me of the pink rose I gave to my tango dance partner at university... I guess he was moved that he asked me out to lunch--a little bistro called, Le Bateau Irve, the drunken boat... we were seated at the front window table and were the last ones in the restaurant. We talked for hours, and the servers didn't mind that we'd stayed past the lunch service as they were starting to re-set the tables for dinner service.