Once upon a time, I am the biggest jerk in the world, until I met this crazy little angel, and everything turns upside down.

I was 16 back then when I married you. You were 18. Kahit bata ka pa lang, successful ka na agad. Ikaw na agad ang nagpapatakbo ng kompanya niyo. Samantalang ako, sakit sa ulo ng mga magulang ko. Kaya nga siguro ako ipinakasal sayo para magtino ako. Pero kahit isang taon na tayong dalawa na nagsasama, we are still strangers. Walang kibuan, walang pakialamanan. Minsan nga wala pang imikan. Pero that's fine with me kasi hindi naman kita mahal At alam kong hindi mo rin ako mahal Pareho lang tayong naipit sa sitwasyong ito na hindi natin kayang takasan. Pero sana lang dumating ang panahon na kahit papaano masasabi kong YOU ARE MY HOME

[NOTE: This book was written in 2010, a time of long-distance phone cards, weight-loss obsessions, and searching for a man as a solution to life's problems-what a messy time to be alive! In other words, I hope you enjoy this throwback, and while this book does end on a cliffhanger of sorts, the sequel addresses any unanswered questions (which is hopefully fair, given that book 1 is free, ya know?] An awkward family homecoming at Christmas. A humiliating public weigh-in, with two judging parents as the audience. The announcement of a deadline for arranged marriage doom. And that's just the first two chapters. In "Year of the Chick," Romi Narindra must find love before her parents find her a husband. Easy to say, less easy to live through, as this book takes you deep inside "awkward Indian living in the West." To escape her fate, Romi wades through the waters of secret-dating, where self-consciousness is at an all-time high, and experience at an all-time low. It's the sort of thing that would turn almost anyone into a man-crazy freak with romance tunnel-vision, and that's exactly what ends up happening. All the while, a lack of inspiration in her corporate job leads Romi to her love of writing, in what quickly becomes a man-quest play-by-play. From whiskey-breath scum bags to uni-brow creeps and everything in between, Romi and her wingmen come up empty time after time. And that's when she meets a fellow writer. On the Internet. So will it be arranged marriage doom, or an Internet affair that's not as creepy as "To Catch a Predator"? Time will tell in the "year of the chick," a twelve-month quest to find love. Tick-tock. --------------------------------------------- "Year of the Chick" is book one of a series, and book two is available at Amazon! LENGTH: 75,000 words or 285 pages DISCLAIMER: this book contains profanities, blunt accounts of the dating scene, and many awkward family moments. Enjoy!

Tagalog/English [PUBLISHED UNDER POP FICTION - 2017]