Midnight Press
All the books, anthologies and short stories I’ve written. Click on the covers to each book to find out more, or get an ebook copy.
Print copies of select titles are available at Magdamag Market Cafe, Collective Base Greenhills and Komiket. Print copies of Manila Takes Manhattan, The Last Guy You Kiss and Blooming Love are available at Fully Booked. You can also click here to order specific print titles directly from me.
Manila Takes Manhattan
Martha Aguas has it all: a job she likes, a puppy she loves, and a wardrobe that makes her feel beautiful. Yes, everyone tries to make her feel bad for being mataba, she can't buy bras in the Philippines, and she's never had a boyfriend. But so what? It's never mattered before.
But when her perfect cousin Regina announces her engagement Enzo, the blast from the past boy whom she might have loved before, it suddenly feels like a big deal. Aguases from all over the globe are coming in for the engagement of the century, and the last thing Martha wants to hear is a well-meaning barb about how she should watch her weight.
Thank god for Max. Her funny, dependable, best friend Max, who doesn't mind playing the role of fake boyfriend for the family festivities. But the more Martha plays along, the less it feels like pretend, and more she starts to wonder if Max had maybe loved her all along.
Sweet on You
(Laneways 1)
Music producer Teddy’s always been told that he’s been “lucky sa work, malas sa love.” So when he accidentally asks Andi, the girl of his dreams, for a dinner date at Nom Com food park, he’s going to need a lot of luck (and a little bit of magic) to find a secret speakeasy and win her heart.
The Last Guy You Kiss
Cora Justa Dumagat has had enough.
She is tired of watching the corrupt, fat cats of the council override the monarchy and risk the people’s lives in exchange for a payday. Despite advice from her Queen, Cora has decided to take matters into her own hands and hit the Joaquins where it hurts—to steal their precious Juan Luna painting right from under their noses in Barcelona.
The job shouldn’t be too difficult. If only Luis Ang, her ex-boyfriend, wasn't hired to be her bodyguard.
Luis knows that Cora is up to something, and will stop at nothing to make sure she’s safe, even at the cost of Cora’s plans.
A Match Made in Lipa
(Laneways 2)
Lia Mertola needs a break. Between losing her job and ending a friendship, she’s feeling a little lifeless. Her brother Teddy’s offer to be his saling kit on a work trip to Seoul is the perfect escape.
But what Teddy failed to mention was that he was working with CoBOLT—the band she used to love, led by the idol she used to live for.
Second generation KPop idol Cal Ahn can feel his grasp on the industry slipping away. With the loss of a bandmate and a contract renewal in danger, he’s not in the right headspace to work on a new mini album, not even with the producer he handpicked to fly in from Manila.
But there’s something about the way Teddy’s sister Lia looks at him, like she knows something he doesn’t. Like she knows the words to all the songs he can’t seem to write.
The more time Cal and Lia spend together, the more they find that there’s room to grow together—unless their lives mean they need to stay apart.
As the Innovations Manager for the KiligFinder app, Cami knows that the data can’t lie—and according to the data, she and her roommate, friend and one time ballroom dance partner, Zack are in love.
She can’t avoid him forever, especially not when they both get stuck in their building elevator.
There are only two reasons why Nina would come back home to Cincamarre--one, if Auntie Delia promises to stop butting into her business, two, if her father died and she was made to ascend the throne to be queen.
Unfortunately for her, it was the second thing that brought her home.
As a princess who's sunk a yacht and been caught kissing popstars, it's easy for her aunt, the regent, to think she's ill prepared for the throne. But Nina doesn't think that having to fake date Felipe, the handsome, squeaky clean Prince of Concordia was the best solution for that.
Nina's ready to learn the ropes of her new role and make it hers, and reconnecting with Felipe only makes her want to be a better queen. But is the monarchy ready for Queen Nina?
You’re invited to the most awaited party of the century!
Climb up the dizzying altitude of Manila’s high society where the air is never thin enough, the view is always spectacular, if a bit vertigo-inducing, and the summit is crowded with well-heeled elite jostling for the top socialite spot. Scandals, sexy shenanigans, and sizzling romance happen as the filthy rich Aritz family don their diamonds, designer gowns, and bespoke suits and gather to celebrate their matriarch’s ninetieth birthday!
LONGING FOR by CARLA DE GUZMAN
Everyone knows that Allie Medina is in love with Logan Aritz Hilario. With his sexy hair and Aritz nose, it’s a miracle she’s managed to keep her feelings a secret from him every time they cross paths. But her boss, Doña Carmen has had enough of secrets and hatched the perfect plan to throw Allie and Logan together on an all-expenses paid trip to romantic Vienna.
Together in a foreign land and far away from Logan’s family’s influence and wealth, could this be Allie’s chance to finally be on equal footing with the man she’s always thought of as out of her league? And will Logan finally see her for what she’s truly worth?
SAFE PLACES by BIANCA MORI
Heiress-slash-performance artist Natalia Aritz turns up in Manila after a disastrous Italian sojourn, heart too wrung out to even want to leave the house. That is, until a surprising meeting with her college classmate and old friend, Nicky Aventado.
He's asking for a favor she can't refuse. But his connections to her family's past isn't the only reason why she agrees to sneak him into her grandmother's birthday party. There's just something about those lips she can’t resist…
HERE COMES THE ONE by SUZETTE DE BORJA
Intensely private Joaquin Aritz abhors attention. Especially the kind where the Aritz Corporation heir gets a special mention in a video gone viral featuring vlogger and D-list celebrity Kelly Monago. She’s young, brazen, and turns heads wherever she goes, including Joaquin’s.
He thinks giving in to their simmering desire is a bad idea. Kelly is on a mission to convince him they should explore the attraction-and each other-before coming to a conclusion.
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This 82,000 word anthology has three stories, a prologue and an epilogue with an all new cast of characters. All stories have a happily ever after guaranteed, and is categorized as Heat Level 3 (based on the #romanceclass heat level classification on romanceclassbooks.com).
A short script detailing a Sunday conversation between best friends that turns into more. A retelling of the Katz Deli scene from When Harry Met Sally.
Mindy and Javier are not friends, okay.
Despite their mothers’ matchmaking, they’ve managed to stay out of each other’s way. Until Mindy goes to Paris for a week, and her mother insists she meet up with Javier. He’s in Paris to study, really looking forward to see you, she says. Watch over each other.
No thanks. Javier is taciturn and boring, Mindy is dramatic and has a tendency to yell at things when her eight siblings are brought up. It’s not a great combination.
But things start to look a little different under the Paris lights, and what felt like hate feels a lot closer to love.
Ava Bonifacio’s plan was simple—attend her friends’ engagement party, look good, toast the happy couple and get out. What she hadn’t planned on was kissing Scott Sabio in front of the entire party to ward off the jerk her friend was trying to set her up with. Scott, who she hasn’t seen or spoken to in nine years. Scott, who used to know absolutely everything about Ava.
The kiss makes it a little hard to execute the ‘get out’ part of her plan. Especially when her bride-to-be friend announces her brilliant idea—a five day, all expenses paid trip for their little barkada to Bali to shoot content for her vlog—and Ava’s pride and pettiness refuses to back down on the fake boyfriend ruse she already started.
Scott’s more than happy to spend time with an old friend. He hadn’t exactly expected that she would speak to him, let alone fake date him after he ghosted her nine years ago. But as the unBalievable sun starts to rise and sets in Ava’s eyes, Scott dares to hope in a future for them, one beyond the beach shores.
It's the holiday season, and for the first time in a long time, the Aritzes set aside the glitter of Manila for their quieter ancestral home in Maria Grasya, Batangas. And while Mamita is ready to deck the halls (with a trick or two up her sleeve) her apos still have problems of their own, and Christmas is the last thing on their minds...
ONE FINE DATE by Carla de Guzman
Sebastian Aritz isn't looking for love. Okay, maybe he is. But that feeling will go away. Eventually he's going to be able to stop thinking about the one night stand he had with Rafael Mendoza. But apparently today is not going to be that day. Not when Rafael is sitting right in front of him, and ready to get to work as his video director.
THE TEMPTATION OF BRIDGETTE by Suzette de Borja
Bridgette is the Aritz cousin who never causes drama. She walks the straight, narrow, and gilded path toward parental expectations she always manages to meet. Will a chance encounter with sexy cellist Jamie Rojico in a Parisian subway tempt Bridgette to indulge in a secret, hot holiday hookup before she finally comes home to Manila and resume her "saintly" persona?
ALWAYS WILL by Bianca Mori
Lucia Aritz has been roped into organizing Mamita's Christmas Hunt extravaganza, which would be awesome, except for one tiny thing: it brings her back to Maria Grasya and into the orbit of next-door neighbor Mon Orosa. To say Lucia and Mon have 'history' is an understatement. But the holiday madness around the estate threatens to undo Lucia's convictions...and it doesn't help that Mon is all grown up, fine as hell, and wants her bad.
***
This 90,000 word anthology has three stories, a prologue and an epilogue. There is no need to read the first book to enjoy the second. All stories have a happily ever after guaranteed, and is categorized as Heat Level 2 and 3 (based on the #romanceclass heat level classification on romanceclassbooks.com).
Kilig Komiks Anthology