Spotlight: Forevermore: A Romance Anthology
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Publication date: October 10th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
You are cordially invited.
The Moore family requests the pleasure of your company on a starry harvest night, rich with tales of passion, magic, and love.
Our beloved Filipino American family hosts a gathering at Hacienda Luz this autumn for another grand celebration – Vida and Rafa’s long-anticipated wedding. As promises of fidelity and infinity fill the air, ten couples live and relive intimate stories that attest to the true meaning of happily ever after.
Acclaimed and bestselling Filipino American authors – Aurora Paige, Elle Cruz, June Gray, Kaye Rockwell, Liz Durano, Maan Gabriel, Maida Malby, Mia Hopkins, Sarah Smith, and Tif Marcelo – bring you Forevermore, a romance collection celebrating love everlasting.
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Forevermore, A Romance Anthology is a collection of new and never-been-published stories by the authors that brought you Pasko Na, My Love, A Holiday Romance Anthology and from exciting voices in Filipino American Romantic Fiction. Lola Naty is back along with her sprawling multicultural family, friends from all over the world, and a gatecrasher or two.
Moments In The Vineyard by Aurora Paige
The Memory of You by Elle Cruz
Double Exposure by June Gray
Maybe This Time by Kaye Rockwell
Stay With Me by Liz Durano
Someone’s Always Saying Goodbye by Maan Gabriel
Now That I Have You by Maida Malby
Moonlight Serenade by Mia Hopkins
The Stand-In by Sarah Smith
Win Your Love by Tif Marcelo
Moonlight Serenade – Mia Hopkins
After surviving the war, Natividad Moore, her husband Robert and their three young children move from the Philippines to Robert’s family home in Napa, California. There, instead of a peaceful refuge, they discover isolation, a failing vineyard and Robert’s cold, disapproving mother. In the face of these obstacles, Naty yearns to reconnect with Robert. But has the war changed him, and their love, forever?
The Memory of You – Elle Cruz
Once upon a time, a terrible mistake sparked the vengeful heart of a witch. Over sixty years later, the curse strikes its mark. Not only is Eli Amaro doomed to repeat the same day over and over again, but he is also forced to re-live the same excruciating sacrifice forever. To break the evil spell, he must give up what he loves the most, and he’s not sure he has the heart to do it.
Maybe This Time – Kaye Rockwell
Gabriella Alonso and Cole Williams used to be best friends who were secretly in love with each other. Until one night changed the course of their lives forever. Now ten years later, Gabriella, who is hiding a dark secret, is surprised to find out she will be working with the guy who ghosted and abandoned her when she needed him the most. Cole is determined to make things right. He spent the last two years looking for her but he's shocked to find a complete stranger instead of the girl he used to know. Can Cole win Gabriella over? Or will the ghosts of their past destroy any chance he ever had?
Someone’s Always Saying Goodbye – Maan Gabriel
As a bestselling romance author, Carisa “Carrie” Bloom knows the formula for happily ever after. It’s the reason she is living one of her own. But when her beautifully crafted fairy tale ends tragically, she is left both fragile and broken.
For years, Carrie stays away from the limelight, abandoning her career to live a quiet life, until she receives a proposal from a British film producer, Joshua Grant, to turn one of her books into a movie. It only takes one day and a night in London for this opportunity of a lifetime to change their lives forever.
But is Joshua ready for this? And is Carrie brave enough to take a chance again? She must choose to stop believing that in her life, Someone’s Always Saying Goodbye.
Moments In the Vineyard – Aurora Paige
Ava
The Russos are ruthless and want my vineyard. No amount of money can buy what’s mine. I’m making sure of it. Until I run into Sebastian Russo. My enemy. I’m supposed to stay away from him. What happens when the moment we have in my vineyard changes all that?
Sebastian
I have one task—take Maldonado Vineyard. It’ll be easy. I’m irresistible. Ava Maldonado will hand it right over.
I’m wrong– Ava makes me forget why I initially approached her. I’m forced to choose between my love and my family. Whatever I choose, I’m losing someone I love.
Double Exposure – June Gray
When twenty-seven-year-old Roxie flew to California to photograph the Moore-Balmaseda wedding, the last person she expected to see among the guests was AJ, the man who broke her heart almost a decade ago.
The moment AJ saw Roxie again, he knew she hadn’t forgiven him. But he was determined not to waste this second chance. This time, he would prove that he was no longer that same kid who made foolish but well-meaning mistakes.
But can AJ earn her trust again? And can Roxie find it in her heart to forgive?
Stay With Me – Liz Durano
It’s been three years since landscape painter Tallie Vicente walled off her heart after losing her husband and the scandal that followed. But when car trouble while driving from New Mexico to Napa Valley to attend her best friend’s wedding ends up having her sharing a room—and a bed—with a young gorgeous doctor, unexpected sparks fly between them, proving that it's never too late to fall in love again.
The Stand-In – Sarah Smith
When florist Violet sees her cheating ex at the wedding she’s working, she panics and asks Toby, her ruggedly handsome and tatted up coworker, to pretend to be her boyfriend. Together they make the perfect fake couple, but when Toby accidentally lets it slip that he’s been hiding a crush on Violet, it throws their entire friendship for a loop…in the hottest way.
Win Your Love – Tif Marcelo
After being unceremoniously stood up by her fake date to her cousin’s wedding, Alexandra Moore’s day goes from bad to worse when she has to fight over the last gift of the wedding registry with former neighbor and all-around rival, Jordan Franco. But as the wedding and reception minutes click by, along with their constant bickering and mini-competitions, Alex and Jordan reignite the spark that almost brought them together years ago. Will they let their ambition reign? Or will they finally concede that love wins above all?
Now That I Have You – Maida Malby
One year after they met, Vida and Rafa are engaged. Soon, plans for a grand Filipino Cuban American wedding in the fall are underway. As the countdown winds down, things go smoothly … maybe too smoothly. Will their special day go off without a hitch, or will disaster strike before they can promise to love now and forevermore?
Excerpt
Moonlight Serenade – Mia Hopkins
Under the mango tree, she taught him to dance. One afternoon, they dragged her mother’s Victrola to the railing of the open ventanilla and paid her youngest brother in sticks of Wrigley gum to flip the records for them.
“Okay, my little turtle,” Naty said, putting Robert’s hands on the right places on her body as they grinned at each other like fools, “pay attention and you might learn something.”
“Is it the hokey pokey?” he asked.
“Be serious.”
Dappled sunlight migrated across the yard as Naty slowly taught him to waltz.
“Stop looking at your feet,” she snapped, laughing. “Stop counting out loud! Count inside your head. You can do this, college boy.”
When he could do a passable waltz, she taught him a slow foxtrot. By the time he’d mastered those steps, they’d been holding each other for three hours straight, and her brother had long forgone his gum, leaving them to dance without any music at all. The sunset had left traces of pink on the horizon. The moon made its early evening appearance, faint and low in the sky.
“I think you’re ready,” she said.
“Ready for what?” His voice was a soft rumble against her ear, like distant thunder.
Smiling, she stepped out of his arms. “Wait here.”
Inside the house, she ran up the stairs two at a time. She put her favorite record on the Victrola, wound it up and dashed downstairs as the music began to play.
Outside, she ran into Robert’s arms. He caught her and held her tightly. For one breathless second, she felt his heart beat hard against her chest.
“Let’s dance,” he whispered in Tagalog.
Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” filled the warm air along with the chirp and croak of the garden’s usual nighttime suspects. With a steady confidence, Robert led her through the steps he had learned only a few minutes before. To her surprise, they fell into the steady rhythm of longtime dance partners while the sweet melody fell on them from above, just like moonlight.
And just like that, he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back, wide-eyed with wonder, her entire body on fire.
He pulled away gently and whispered against her lips, “Close your eyes, Naty.”
“What?”
“Traditionally”—he smirked—“we close our eyes.”
This was her first kiss. She didn’t want to miss it. “No. Not me.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
They kissed until long after the music ended. They kissed until the moon had risen high over their tree. They kissed until, from far away, they heard Naty’s brothers calling them inside the house for dinner, yoo-hooing and cackling from the open window like noisy pipit.
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About the Authors
Aurora Paige is a healthcare professional by day and a Filipina American writer of steamy contemporary romance with sassy heroines and sexy heroes at night. Each Aurora Paige story delivers a variety of Curvy Heroines, Multicultural relationships, Alpha Heroes, Steamy Heat, and a Guaranteed Happily Ever After. You can find updates on her website (www.aurorapaige.com) or subscribe to her newsletter (www.aurorapaige.com/newsletter-sign-up) where she shares her upcoming releases, writing updates, exclusive content, and giveaways.
Elle Cruz is an author of contemporary romance. By day she works in the medical field, but at night she writes swoon-worthy stories perfect for all the hopeless romantics out there. In addition to being an author, Elle is active in the writing community and loves to mentor and give advice to new authors. She lives with her husband and two kids in Southern California.
June Gray is the author of the bestselling Disarm series. She loves to tell stories that excite and enrage, that break the reader’s heart and put it back together again. June is a storyteller, a graphic designer, a fitness freak, a military wife, and a dedicated fangirl. She was born in the Philippines, raised in Australia, and now calls the United States home. She can currently be found dodging tornadoes in Oklahoma with her husband and two daughters.
Kaye Rockwell is a Romance Author who spent the majority of her childhood falling in love with fictional characters and daydreaming about her own Happily-Ever-After which eventually led to her writing her own love stories.
She has made it her mission to diversify bookshelves with Romance reads that are packed with just enough tension, swoony lines, lingering looks and riddled with life lessons that have you reaching for the tissue box.
Although she majored in Journalism, Liz Durano realized she preferred writing angst-filled emotional stories over news and ad copy. These days, Liz writes women's fiction and contemporary romance (sometimes spicy, sometimes not). She lives in Los Angeles with her family and a spoiled rotten rescue dog. You can learn more about Liz by signing up to her newsletter at https://lizdurano.com/subscribe/.
Maan Gabriel is a mom, wife, dreamer, writer, and advocate for women’s stories in literature. She earned her BA in communications from St. Scholastica’s College in Manila and MPS in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University. She has lived in Manila, Brussels, Dakar, and Mexico City. During the day, she works in strategic communications. Gabriel, along with her husband and son, currently calls suburban Washington, D.C. home.
Filipino American author Maida Malby cooks up foodie, multicultural, and contemporary destination romance stories filled with heat, sizzle, spice, and a whole lotta love. She is a member of select writing groups and romance book clubs. Her To-Be-Read Mountain and book reviews are featured on her blog Carpe Diem Chronicles at maidamalby.com. Readers can also find her on Lone Star Literary Life via her regular Texas Reads Romance column. Subscribe to her newsletter to receive updates on upcoming releases, book promotions, signing events, and advance review copy opportunities.
Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. Her award-winning books have been featured by many publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and Entertainment Weekly. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. For more information, please visit www.miahopkinsauthor.com or connect with her on social media @miahopkinsxoxo.
Sarah Smith is a copywriter-turned-author who wants to make the world a lovelier place, one kissing story at a time. Her love of romance began when she was eight and she discovered her auntie’s stash of romance novels. She’s been hooked ever since. When she’s not writing, you can find her hiking, eating chocolate, and perfecting her lumpia recipe.
Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in public administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts The Stories to Love Podcast, and is the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, which was a Target Diverse Book Club pick, The Holiday Switch, and the Heart Resort and Journey to the Heart series. She and her books have been featured in The Today Show, Shondaland, Real Simple Magazine, The Asian Journal and more!
Website
Forevermore - https://kwentitas.wixsite.com/forevermore
Aurora Paige - https://www.aurorapaige.com/
Elle Cruz - https://www.ellecruz.com
June Gray - https://www.authorjunegray.com
Kaye Rockwell - https://kayerockwell.com
Liz Durano – https://lizdurano.com/
Maan Gabriel - https://www.maangabriel.com
Maida Malby – https://maidamalby.com/
Mia Hopkins – https://www.miahopkinsauthor.com
Sarah Smith – https://www.sarahsmithbooks.com
Tif Marcelo - https://tifmarcelo.com/
Aurora Paige - https://www.facebook.com/authoraurorapaige
Elle Cruz - https://www.facebook.com/ElleCruzAuthor
June Gray – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJuneGray
Kaye Rockwell – https://www.facebook.com/authorkayerockwell/
Liz Durano - https://www.facebook.com/Lizduranobooks/
Maan Gabriel – https://www.facebook.com/MaanGabrielAuthor
Maida Malby – https://www.facebook.com/maidamalbyauthor
Mia Hopkins – https://www.facebook.com/miahopkinsxoxo
Sarah Smith – https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahs
Tif Marcelo - https://www.facebook.com/TifMarcelo
Vania Hardy - https://www.facebook.com/vaniahardycreative
Instagram/Threads
Forevermore - https://www.instagram.com/forevermore_romance_anthology/
Aurora Paige - https://www.instagram.com/xoaurorapaige
Elle Cruz – https://www.instagram.com/ellecruzauthor
June Gray – https://www.instagram.com/authorjunegray/
Kaye Rockwell – https://www.instagram.com/thenomaddreamer/
Liz Durano - https://www.instagram.com/lizdurano
Maan Gabriel – https://www.instagram.com/maan_gabriel
Maida Malby – https://www.instagram.com/maidamalbyauthor
Mia Hopkins – https://www.instagram.com/miahopkinsxoxo
Sarah Smith – https://www.instagram.com/authorsarahs
Tif Marcelo - https://www.instagram.com/tifmarcelo
Vania Hardy - https://www.instagram.com/vghardy/
X (Twitter)
Aurora Paige – https://twitter.com/xoAuroraPaige/
Elle Cruz – https://twitter.com/ellecruzauthor
Kaye Rockwell - https://twitter.com/authorkrockwell
Maan Gabriel - https://twitter.com/MaanGabriel
Maida Malby - https://twitter.com/MaidaMalby
Mia Hopkins - https://twitter.com/MiaHopkinsxoxo
Sarah Smith - https://twitter.com/AuthorSarahS/
Tif Marcelo - https://twitter.com/TifMarcelo
