Raising a kid is a difficult task for Sandro, especially if the child is not his own. When adoption is the only way for him to have the right for his best friend's only daughter, how far will he go when blood is always thicker than water? • • • • At a young age, Sandro experienced firsthand how difficult it is to grow up without parents. That's why, following the loss of his best friend and the girl he had courted, he took care of his best buddy's only child. With the support of Alyna, his supervisor and open-secret crush, Sandro will try to be a responsible dad for Chamee, despite his poor temper. But his role as a single father to Chamee doesn't end with the adoption papers; he also has to travel to Aklan to meet Chamee's blood relatives. Will he be able to make it through his journey in Aklan as Chamee's adopted father? Is blood be always thicker than water? ************ The Wayward Son in Aklan © July 2021 by Elena Buncaras ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, excepting brief quotes and lines used in some description, written specifically for inclusion in this book. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, some places, and incidents are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All Rights Reserved

[ WATTYS 2021 WINNER | Fantasy ] [ TALE #1 ] Noong siya ay musmos pa lamang, laging kinukuwentuhan ng kaniyang ina si Yuyami tungkol sa isang mundong puno ng hiwaga, ang Evernight. Laman ng kuwento nito ang tungkol sa Maleficis, ang dakilang mangkukulam, at kung paano niya pinakalat ang pag-aalala, takot at kadiliman sa buong kalupaan na iyon. Laman din nito ang iba't ibang tauhan na may taglay na kapangyarihan. Lumaki siya na akala niya ay kakaiba siya dahil sa taglay niyang katangian. Kaya niyang maglabas ng usok at magpagaling ng mga sugat. Kaya niya ring gumawa ng liwanag at maging taong lampara. Paano kung totoo pala ang kakaibang mundo na laging binabanggit ng kaniyang ina noon at nabibilang siya roon? Paano kung mapadpad siya sa mundo na akala niya ay kathang-isip lamang? Ngunit sa pagdating niya roon, kailangang maitago niya ang kaniyang katauhan. --- Simula: January 2021 Wakas: May 2021 (COMPLETED)

"Wattys 2021 Winner in Historical Fiction Category" Si Agnes Salazar y Romero ay ikinasal sa lalaking malabong masuklian ang kaniyang pagmamahal dahil sa matinding galit nito sa pamilyang kaniyang kinabibilangan. Ang kanilang pagsasama ay puno ng lungkot, pasakit, at suliranin. Natuklasan ni Agnes ang lihim ng kaniyang asawa na si Alfredo na tuluyang sumira sa kanilang pagsasama. Nang dahil sa isang aksidente, tuluyang nagbago ang kanilang buhay. Sa muling pagtatagpo ng kanilang landas, magagawa bang balikan ni Agnes ang buhay sa nakaraan? O ang mapait na nakaraan kapiling ang dating asawa ang maging dahilan upang piliin niya ang bagong buhay kasama si Mateo? Hanggang saan ang kayang gawin ng isang taong nalugmok sa pagsisisi, panghihinayang, at pag-ibig? Started: December 31, 2020 Completed: August 9, 2021

Fortune teller Aurea Feliciano gets a major plot twist when a compass necklace makes her the chosen bride of doubter hot-torney Tor Velez. The initial plan is simple: live together for three months. But when the mysteries behind the necklace resurface, maybe being together isn't as easy as it seems. *** Twenty-three-year-old Aurea Feliz Feliciano only wishes to finish her studies and get a stable job. But her life completely changes when she finds a mysterious compass necklace underneath her dead grandfather's bed. The plot twist? The necklace makes her the bride-to-be of Atty. Kale Thomas Velez. After getting hurt from his previous relationship, Tor is completely against the idea of marrying a stranger like Aurea. But through his grandmother's wish and the given history of the compass necklace, he finally caves in and gives it a try. Nothing could go wrong in living with a fortune teller who sees spirits, right? Or maybe not. Disclaimer: This story is written in Taglish. Cover Design by Regina Dionela

Regan Cordova yearns to taste true freedom. So when an opportunity to be independent arrives, he takes it without any second thoughts. With a clear goal in mind, he's ready to prove that he's not just a mere shadow following his parents' footsteps. But because of a single mishap, a fire that he thought had burned out long ago starts to blaze stronger than before. Treyton Franco, with his unruly wild hair and lethal eyes, cannonballs back into his life and messes him up big time. The two share an unwanted past and to exact revenge, Treyton uses it to make Regan's world a living hell. But how did love flourish amidst hate and relentless rage? After everything Regan has gone through, why does his heart still beat for the person he can't pursue? And when he's being chased by the man who brought him pain, will he still allow himself to be drawn to his flame?

WATTYS 2021 WINNER (YOUNG ADULT CATEGORY) Country girl Yngrid Bartolome only wanted two simple things: 1. To enjoy music 2. To enjoy music together with her best friend Rafael Castro Yngrid knew that deep inside her, Rafael holds a more important part in her heart. Sadly, Rafael is a busy man who has a lot to carry on his shoulders; their lives were simply far apart from each other. With the exchange of cassette tapes every 17th day of the month with one another, Yngrid hopes Rafael will notice her feelings for him someday. Even if it means a heartbreak, and a friendship that may fall apart. •• Language: Filipino

[The Wattys 2021 Winner] Handa ka na ba sa isang paglalakbay na yumayakap sa hangin? Si Liwayway ay isang ordinaryong mamamayan mula sa pamilya ng mga manggagawa. Nangangarap siya na mapabilang sa mga itinuturing na tagapangalaga o lahi ng manlilipad. Ang payak at tahimik niyang pamumuhay sa isang maliit na nayon ay gagambalin ng mga nilalang mula sa iba't ibang pangkat na tanyag at makapangyarihan. Sa sunod-sunod na trahedya ay maiipit siya sa sitwasyong mahirap nang takasan. Mga lihim na ibinaon sa nakaraan ay unti-unting mauungkat. Lalabas at lalabas ang poot na matagal na nilang kinikimkim. Sino nga ba ang dapat niyang pagkatiwalaan? Paano niya haharapin ang mga suliraning may kinalaman sa mga taong malapit sa kaniya? Maisasakatuparan pa ba ang matagal niya nang minimithi? Halina't tuklasin ang hiwagang bumabalot sa buong lupain ng Malayah... #ETW ~Snowflame (your resident Flyer) DATE STARTED: February 15, 2021 - Monday DATE ENDED: April 24, 2021 - Saturday

The Wattys 2021 Winner | New Adult Stefan Carreon is a simple rich guy living in Manila. Gaya ng simpleng pamumuhay, simple lang din ang pangarap niya: ang makapagturo nang libre sa mga batang hirap mag-aral. What's the catch? Gusto niyang gawin ang pangarap na 'yon sa lugar kung saan naninirahan ang mga teroristang taliwas sa hangarin ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas. First Lieutenant Raffiella Española is a cold-hearted soldier whose very dedicated to her work. Isa lang din ang pangarap niya: ang patayin ang mga taong nanggugulo sa bansang pinoprotektahan niya. They met in the same battlefield with different weapons. They met in the same place with different goals. They met in the dark with nothing but a light of hope in his heart and a brightest star on her shoulder. April 9, 2021 - July 30, 2021

WATTYS 2021 WINNER A young dedicated policeman vows to find the motive behind the death of a ghost who's also the ex-master of the crime group he has been hunting for years. *** After a dangerous police operation, Inigo Herrera, a young yet dedicated police officer meets the seemingly annoying and loud Callista Shae Gravoso---the mastermind of Crimson group---a wanted murder society. After discovering that Callista is a ghost who died seven years ago and that only him can see her, Callista never stops pestering Inigo. The criminal ghost asks Inigo to help her in an unfinished business but the latter shuts her out. But then after an unprecedented incident which shocks the young policeman, he finally decides to help her and vows to find the reason behind her unknown death. Little did he know, there's more to unravel than Callista's mystery. The mist of Inigo's hazy passion, past, identity and love will gradually vanish along the way. "Kung kailangan na nga kitang pakawalan para mailigtas ang isa sa'tin, then please, just let me love you now. And I'll save you forever." - Police Master Sergeant Inigo Herrera Date Started: June 28, 2020 Date Ended: December 11, 2020

wattys winner 2021 editor's pick nov 2021 Naloko, nasaktan, at isinumpa sa langit na siya'y magiging stronger and better habang yakap ang bote ng alak. 'Yan si Megan Espirtu. Nang lokohin siya ng kanyang high school boyfriend na si Derek Lorenzo, ipinangako niya sa sarili na magsisisi ito dahil sa susunod na mag-krus ang mga landas nila ay siya na si Megan 2.0: successful, prettier, and so much better, until ten years later. Derek is set to be married to a socialite and celebrity vlogger. Si Megan? Well, hindi siya successful, hindi rin siya prettier, at higit sa lahat ay naiwan siyang bitter. Hindi lang iyon, siya pa ang assistant ng wedding planner ng dalawa. With the wedding of her ex and a reluctant artist as her only salvation to not be fired, Megan is faced with the question that has been silently mocking her: was it really his loss or hers?