WATTYS 2021 WINNER - WILD CARD CATEGORY Shin Takano was once a ruthless gang leader, a man who thrived in the shadows of crime, surrounded by wealth, violence, vices, and fleeting pleasures. Fearless and merciless, he ruled the streets, living each day as if it were his last-because in his world, tomorrow was never promised. But everything changed the day he met Eva- the woman who would carry his children and alter the course of his life forever. The moment his twins were born, Shin saw a different kind of future-one where he wasn't a criminal but a father, a husband, a son worth being proud of. He abandoned his past, turned away from crime, and embraced the life of an honest man. He fought to become the man his children deserved, believing he had finally escaped the sins of his past. But karma never forgets. His father was murdered in cold blood. His wife walked away, leaving him and their twins behind, never looking back. One by one, he lost everything-his job, his home, his dignity. Reduced to sleeping in the back of delivery trucks and church benches, he clung to his children, the only light in his collapsing world. Yet fate was not done punishing him. His son, Stanley, fell gravely ill, spending more time in hospital beds than at home. His daughter, Steyah, was abducted and brutalized-by a man from Shin's past, a ghost he had tried to outrun. Consumed by guilt, Shin wished for nothing more than to turn back time. To make different choices. To be a better man before it was too late. And then-he was given the impossible. A miracle. One chance to rewrite the past. But with only one moment to change, one decision to alter-who does he save? What does he undo? Which regret does he erase? The clock is ticking. This time, he must choose wisely. MELODRAMA | SLICE OF LIFE | LIGHT ROMANCE | MYSTERY

RISE ABOVE THE ZODIACS SERIES | Uno - AQUARIUS Title: Jan Quaro Zodiac Genre: Romantic comedy | Light Erotica | R-18 ~ The physical book was printed in October 2023 under Immac Printing and Publishing House ~ Synopsis: Jan Quaro Zodiac is the owner of the "Panaderia De Quaro". Tagamasa. Tagasalang. Tagabalot. Tagabantay. Tagatinda. Tagasilbi. He is a one-man army; kaya niyang gawin ang lahat ng mga gawain sa shop nang mag-isa. He has never employed a single soul since he opened his business as he was just too proud and confident working alone. He has been running his bread-slash-coffee shop for years now, at ang madalas niyang mga customers ay pawang mga babaeng estudyante sa katabing kolehiyo na walang ibang ginawa kung hindi magpa-cute sa kaniya. Everybody wants to get the shop owner's attention, but if you ain't buying his bread and cookies, Quaro won't entertain. Pero iba ang diskarte ng isang dalagita na matagal nang pabalik-balik sa shop ni Quaro; dinaan ba naman sa mala-Oscars na drama ang binata upang mapansin nito? Kahit ang matalino at wais na si Quaro ay nalinlang! Paanong drama at anong diskarte ba 'ka mo? You will have to read and find out yourself. *** All Rights Reserved. (C) Tala Natsume

RISE ABOVE THE ZODIACS SERIES | Dos - PISCES Title: Free Phillian Zodiac Genre: Romantic comedy | Light Erotica | R-18 Synopsis: Meet Phillian Zodiac, a painter by night and a fisherman by day, living his life on the wild waves and secret canvases. Isang hapon, habang nasa veranda siya ng kaniyang silid at ipinipinta ang karagatan ay may nakita siyang palutang-lutang na kahoy sa dalampasigan. Through his binoculars, he discovers it's not just driftwood but a raft with a person on board, possibly in dire need of a rescue. Being the responsible beach owner that he is, Phillian jumps into action. But wait! As he reaches the shore, expecting a rugged fisherman in distress, he instead finds a damsel in a bridal gown, trembling and half-frozen. After a heroic rescue and a night of confusion, the mystery woman wakes up with amnesia. Phillian's convinced it's just trauma until she hurls curses and objects at him, claiming he stood her up at their wedding! Can you imagine? A fisherman-painter caught in a swirl of bridal drama? Phillian's in for the ride of his life-and he didn't even know he was the groom! All Rights Reserved. (C) Tala Natsume 2021

RISE ABOVE THE ZODIACS SERIES | Tres - CANCER Title: Cerlance Zodiac Genre: Romantic comedy | Light Erotica | R-18 Synopsis: Cerlance Zodiac is a transporter of many kinds; love letters man, dokumento, regalo, turista, o ng babaeng lasing. As a long-time driver and transporter, Cerlance enjoys his job until he receives a booking from a heartbroken woman who's been drinking heavily. Ihatid daw niya ito sa tatlong destinasyong maaaring kinaroroonan ng lalaking nang-iwan dito sa altar. She's chasing after her ex-fiance, not because she wants him back but because she needs closure. Cerlance accepts the job, expecting it to be like any other. But... he doesn't expect the impact this woman will have on him. Because little did he know... this woman is going to turn his world upside-down. Pero kakayanin ba ng isang Cerlance Zodiac ang maging rebound lang? Should he just leave her to one of her destinations and protect himself from heartaches, or he stays and takes risks? All Rights Reserved. (C) Tala Natsume 2022

RISE ABOVE THE ZODIACS SERIES | GEMINI Title: Isaac Genesis Zodiac Genre: Romantic comedy | Light Erotica | R-18 Synopsis: Gene and Trini have shared a close friendship for 24 years, having met at the age of 5. Their bond is so strong that others often mistake them for lovers, leading to Trini never having been approached by other men or having a boyfriend. Frustrated by this situation, Trini, now 29, convinces Gene to help her conceive a child. She wants Gene to be the father of her child, and she is serious about it. Ang tanong... papayag ba si Gene na maging sperm donor? ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (C) 2022

RISE ABOVE THE ZODIACS SERIES | Tres - TAURUS Title: Ace Taurence Zodiac Genre: Romantic comedy | Light Erotica | R-18 Synopsis: Ace Taurence Zodiac was one of the country's most popular music artists who wrote his own songs and donated half of his earnings to charities. He was a drop-dead gorgeous, sinfully sexy guy with a heart made of jelly-- which impressed people and urged them to support him. Pero hindi tulad ng ibang mga male artists sa bansa, majority of Ace Taurence's fans were composed of men. Why? Because he wrote sad, breakup songs dedicated to men who were left behind by their lovers. Sa maraming pagkakataon ay nag-o-organisa pa ito ng concert eksklusibo lang para sa mga lalaking sawi, at doon ay tinatanghal nito ang lahat ng kantang nilikha na laging nagpapaiyak sa mga kalalakihan. Ang hindi alam ng mga tagahanga nito'y ang lahat ng kantang isinusulat ni Taurence ay patama nito sa dating kasintahang nang-iwan dito; si Hennesy. Henny left him to study abroad, which he approved and supported at first, not until he heard the news that she got pregnant with another man's child. He was heartbroken and cut ties with her. Since then, he turned all his attention to music. Pero makalipas ang maraming taon, si Taurence ay mapapasok sa isang sitwasyon na muling maglalapit dito at sa dating kasintahan. He was abducted by one of his obsessed fans and was brought to a place with no phone signal and or internet connection. He was blindfolded and forced to sing for two nights until he found perfect timing and ran away. Sa gitna ng maulang gabi ay nakahanap ito ng bahay na mahihingan ng tulong. Only to find out that the house was owned by Henny and her ten-year-old son. What were the odds, huh? Pipiliin ba ni Taurence na lunukin ang pride at humingi ng tulong sa babaeng minsan nang nanakit dito, o umalis at hayaang mapahamak ang sarili sa lugar na iyon?

Ariston Ghold Zodiac owns the Ghold's Garden, and just like how he has broad knowledge about plants and flowers, he also knows his way around women. He just knows exactly how to get through them and leave a lasting impression on them. Doon ito nakilala--- sa pagiging lady's man. But he has a specific requirement: he likes transparent women. Iyong madaling basahin-- iyong walang misteryo, wala nang kailangang hulaan. In short, he likes boring women. That way, madali para kay Aris na kalimutan ang mga ito. Kapag walang tumatak, walang magiging hassle. Until Lawrah. Lawrah Isbell... the mysterious dark beauty with raven black hair and honey-colored skin, light brown eyes, and kissable, luscious lips. She works for Ghold's Garden as the receptionist, call receiver, assistant, and encoder. Basically, Ariston's employee. For Aris, Lawrah is a walking mystery book with blank and torn pages. Marami itong itinatago, maraming kasinungalingan at pagpapanggap. Aris just know something is wrong with her, he just couldn't tell what it is and that's what pisses him off. Iyon ang ayaw ni Aris sa babae-- iyong pinag-iisip ito, iyong ginigising ang interes nito. For Aris, Lawrah's kind is problematic. At ayaw ni Aris na magkaroon ng interes dito kaya bago pa lumala ang misteryong nararamdaman nito ay nagpasiya si Aris na paalisin si Lawrah. And when he was about to fire her, Lawrah suddenly disappeared. Dala-dala ang lahat ng mahahalagang gamit, pera, at titulo ng lupang kinatitirikan ng Ghold's Garden! Now, Aris needs to chase after the woman. At sa paghahanap nito kay Lawrah ay marami itong sekretong matutuklasan... And Aris will soon realize that Lawrah's life is more colorful than the Ghold's Garden. And he... is willing to stay and be part of it.

Amidst a birthday celebration filled with cupcakes and Malibu drinks, Rome's night takes an unexpected turn when she drunkenly stumbles into the wrong hotel room The next morning, she woke up naked next to the man she hated the most--- Cayson Montemayor; a gorgeous bachelor and the only heir of Montemayor International Colleges where Rome's entire family was working. He was basically her family's boss, but also the same man who she hated the most for over a decade. They both had no idea how they ended up in the same room, but... something happened to them that crazy, drunken night and they could no longer turn back time to fix what's already done. Due to Rome's embarrassment and Cayson's lack of interest, they both agreed to sweep the incident under the rug. Not until four weeks later. Rome found herself pregnant with DEMONtemayor's baby. In hopes to protect her family from societal judgment and criticism, Rome decided to chase Cayson and force him to step up to the plate. Will there be any chances for them? Only time will tell... (C) All Rights Reserved

Leyna was eight years old when she lost not only her home but also her mother to a fire. She and her father were homeless for a couple of days until her father found a job in a mansion owned by the Valleverde family. Her father was hired as a family driver. They were fortunate to be working in a kind family who took good care of them. The family provided a servant's quarter at the back of the mansion for them to live in; thanks to the Valleverde family, they finally found a new home. Due to the fire incident that killed her mother, Leyna became a traumatic child who wouldn't talk to anybody else but her father. She was aloof and would just sit in the corner and stare at people. That continued for more than a year, until Yuruz Valleverde, the family's only son, came home to spend his two-month summer vacation in the Philippines. He was living and studying abroad and would only come home during summer break. Leyna was ten, and Yuruz was thirteen when they first met. Since then, Leyna found her voice again. She came back to her old self. Yuruz became her savior. Yuruz and Leyna became childhood best friends; they were inseparable. But the two-month summer break went too fast; Yuruz needed to go back to the States. Before leaving, he promised Leyna that he would always write her letters. And he did... at least for the next four years. Because after that last visit, Yuruz never came home again. And his letters just suddenly stopped coming.

Lumuwas si Hattie sa Maynila upang iwasan ang bastos na step-father sa probinsya. Nanirahan ito sa malaking mansion na pag-aari ng pamilya ng matandang dalagang nag-alaga rito noong bata pa ito. Para magkaroon ng saysay ang pansamantalang pananatili ng dalaga sa mansion ay pumasok ito bilang yaya ng tatlong batang apo ng familia del Miranda-Sandiego. Inakala ni Hattie na magiging madali lang ang trabaho-- not until she met the father of the kids! Aba'y papalitan pa yata si Satanas sa impyerno sa sama ng ugali?! Kung hindi singhal ay pang-iinsulto ang naririnig ni Hattie sa amo. Pero... sa kabila ng sama ng ugali ng lalaki ay hindi magawang magalit ng dalaga rito, dahil: 1. Childhood crush pala nito si Ser. 2. Gwapo at mabango at mukhang kulang lang sa lambing. 3. Single na ulit. Pansamantala lang naman si Hattie sa mansion, kaya naisip ng dalaga na... walang masama kung magpa-cute ito kay Mr. Franco del Miranda Sandiego. Bakit hindi, eh single and searching din naman ang dalaga? Ang kaso... diring-diri sa existence ni Hattie si Ser. Nugagawen?