After placing runner-up to Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 1 winner Jessica Amornkuldilok, Filipino model Stephanie Retuya booked a campaign for local clothing and apparel brand Natasha.
gracing the cover of Sense & Style magazine a month after her successful finish from the show. via fashionmediaph.blogspot.com
Stephanie is currently the face of SM Aura and is now based in New York and got signed in 2014 with Wilhelmina Models.
“Every day for the rest of my life, it’ll remind me there’s only one way forward. I’m done being angry. I’m done feeling regrets and living on the sidelines. From now on, if life is a question, then this is the answer.”
During a trip to Denver with his best friend, Mark, Ian Parker buys a bar of enchanted chocolate from a candy store and wakes up two decades younger. Feeling like he was gifted by the universe a second chance to correct past mistakes, he poses as his nephew Ryan who then tried to pursue Bartley James, a regular customer at his La Tazza Magica cafe. Things, though, didn’t go as planned as his Ryan persona’s expectations didn’t bode well with the reality of things. Only what exactly is real and what is not?
You are forty, you have your own business and are successful enough, but you are not happy – you are still searching for that one thing and still feel that past mistakes are holding you back in reaching that.
What if you’ve got a chance for a do-over? Ian was given that chance, and as per Brad Boney’s tradition – magical realism was heavily used here. Yes will introduce you to the characters from the author’s past efforts entitled The Nothingness of Ben and The Return (you can include The Eskimo Slugger even). I’m confident you’ll enjoy reading this more if you’ve read the first three books because familiar characters were heavily featured here. However, I don’t think it’ll be a significant problem if you want to read this one regardless of the authors’ other books. What I can tell you is that this is a brilliant book. The characters are decidedly relatable, and the story was easy.
The whole 17 Againvibe was glaring at me at the onset of the story, and the excessive information dump about porn stars was somewhat informative, and I do like that part for some reason. It was like the pop culture lessons back in TheReturn.
Although there is one part that irks me, which I thought was intentional – the car sex scene between Ryan and Matthew – I was like, cmon’ man, it’s a do-over, right? —ever heard of protection? That was a ploy to get a rise out of the readers. I know I took the bait.
I think avid fans of Boney (like me) will get a kick out of this in the scope of things. I know I enjoyed this immensely and thought the author’s writing style is one of a kind in this genre. He’s just always on point, and the voices of his characters (especially Ian) speak to you.
Can I also mention how happy I am to hear from Topher and the guys? Ugh. So. Very. Special. And the preamble on Sam and Jeremy’s story. I couldn’t wait!
Yes may not be the strongest amongst Brad Boney’s novels, but it is a solid effort deserving of a five star-ratings like its first three predecessors.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Published March 16th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
About The Author Brad Boney lives in Austin, Texas, the 7th gayest city in America. He grew up in the Midwest and went to school at NYU. He lived in Washington, DC and Houston before settling in Austin. He blames his background in the theater for his writing style, which he calls “dialogue and stage directions.” His first book was named a Lambda Literary Award finalist. He believes the greatest romantic comedy of all time is ’50 First Dates’. His favorite gay film of the last ten years is ‘Strapped’. And he has never met a boy band he didn’t like.
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stills from his “Father” video which you can watch below
Norwegian pop star Tooji has recently came out of the closet and made the announcement while releasing his new music video depicting sex with a called Father. Said video apparently angered the church prompting the Bishop of Oslo to release a statement against the pop star’s video.
“No matter what the video’s message might be or who the artist might be, footage of intimate scenes in front of the altar is unacceptable, and it is an abuse of the church,” he said in a Norwegian statement translated by The Huffington Post. “I was informed about the matter after they decided to rent out Frogner Church and had done the shoot. No matter what the content of the video might be, it is not acceptable to perform these types of scenes in front of the altar. It is a misuse of the holy room of the church.” [s]
First, I’ve to say that I really loved the lyrics of the song and the melody’s pretty catchy especially the chorus.
As for the music video, it is indeed a wee bit provocative (totally NSFW) but I seriously do not have a problem with it. I loved that it’s a big FUCK YOU to the church who preach to love everyone but has problems with homosexuals. I also believe that no matter where you are – say you believe in any god – he should be with you whenever and it’s not like he’s got to have a specific place to be considered holy. Diosmio! I do not agree with the bishop. Sorry but not sorry.
I’m glad that I learned about Tooji and is totally in his bandwagon supporting his advocacy for equal rights.
For tonight’s episode, the final four girls will try to charm their clients as they go into casting and will prove their worth as cover girls as they pose for their “possible” Harper’s Bazaar’s cover which will be part of the winner’s package.
gettin’ ready for casting!
Aimee, Barbara, Gani and Monika will be donning fashion styles through the eras and with Kenneth Goh, the Editor-In-Chief of the magazine himself observing the shoot and joining the panel, the girls need to step up their A-game if they want to be part of the series’ finale.
Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore Editor-In-Chief Kenneth Goh with host Georgina Wilson
Tune in tonight at 8:45PM on STAR World Asia but for now, you can check out the Episode 12 promo.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
The four girls went directly to their go-sees. Kenneth Goh thought Barbara lacks confidence which is her main issue (the girl has been a working model for a long time it’s a wonder why she still lacks self-confidence). The casting includes clients from Pois and Liv Lo, Braun Buffel and Triumph with Barbara and Gani getting the worst critiques from both clients and Kenneth.
As expected, Monika won this go-see challenge – reliable model right? And she got prizes from the clients and wanna know who’s hating?? hahaha
At the photoshoot, the rest of the girls struggles a lot while trying to depict fashion styles from different era. I’m honestly not liking this shoot much and I hope they would re-shoot it whoever wins. By gods, it’s totally not working!
At panel, the judges are trying to analyze the models’ potentials.
The best photo went to Gani (garnering her third first call out in the season) – now the question is, will this be a repeat of season 2 and will Gani overcome the panel’s criticism about being of a short stature?
Monika took second best photo with Kenneth Goh envisioning her doing well in the European market. Is this an indication for a win and a possible trip to London for Monika in the future? I hope so.
The third girl to advance in next week’s final episode is Aimee! I loved Aimee and like Georgina said, I also think that she’s the smartest model in the house.
Barbara loses her steam for the final stretch in the competition. It’s a sad thing really for her to leave the competition – like she’s almost there. But hey, good things comes for those who waits. I’m pretty sure, a lot of great things are ahead of her future! (it’s like you never stopped working at all) Keep the cash rollin’ girl!
With Barbara leaving us…who do you think will claim victory next Wednesday?
Signs is a heartwarming story of two 18-year-old boys finding each other through social media and connecting right away with their smiles, thoughts and with their hearts.
Caleb Stone is deaf and has social anxiety issues – he keeps to himself and does shorthand signs with his parents. He does not have friends to really “talk” to except for the people from the local deaf community. A single post on his Tumblr account led to a conversation with Luc Le Bautillier who’s got his own family issues and is looking for someone to “really” understand him. When goth Luc met up with the shy Caleb, there was that instant connection that grew more as they explore their feelings and learned more about each other – when love is already in front of them, looking for signs is just way overrated.
One would be able to totally relate with these two young boys as they learn how to take in the outside world and accept things about themselves. When you’re young, everything seems to be easy because you have people who you can depend on – parents, caretaker, teachers etc… but when you’re on your own – it’s actually a ton harder than you expected. Signs isn’t exactly a heavy book about teen struggles. It’s actually a book that is more on acceptance and being able to be yourself regardless of what other people say. It’s also about equality – like with Luc and Caleb – the latter’s deafness isn’t a deterrent to pursue their connection. Rather than be discouraged, in the story Luc learned how to use American Sign Language (ASL) in order to communicate better with Caleb in person. I thought that was really sweet –that gesture alone makes me want to squeeze Luc so hard and kiss his adorable little goth face.
There is no angst in this story, there’s just the comfortable transition of Caleb and Luc from being total strangers to friends and to being lovers. As young as they are, both were incredibly mature about a lot of things. They know what they want out of life and they have the courage to pursue whatever that is.
This story just makes my heart incredibly light and just happy. And that ending was just a movie moment when you just go awwee…
“Hi,” Luc said.
One word, but loaded with emotion that felt like a punch right to Caleb’s chest. Luc looked the same as he always did: dark hair, pale skin, the silver loop through his bottom lip. He’d known all this about Luc, and so much more, but not what his voice sounded like. Not until now.
“Hi,” he said back.
Anna Martin, thank you for this wonderful, wonderful book!
About The Author Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the south west of England. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English Literature at university before attempting to turn her hand as a professional writer.
Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, she is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theatre (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), travelling, learning to play the ukulele, and Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk.
Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, pre-reading and creative ass-kicking provided by her closest friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept any responsibility for anything Anna has written.
Secret is a social media application that allows its users to communicate without being traced, and Tristan Wilder, owner of Wilder-Nation, wants to buy it badly.
Dylan Reeves, the creator of said app, didn’t anticipate the explosive chemistry between himself and Tristan. But he has his own secret to keep—a devoted husband with three kids. Dylan’s world is suddenly in turmoil when he gives in to the intense attraction he feels for someone else for the first time. How long can he keep his secret, and is there a chance for him to explore what he feels so deeply in his heart?
Now, here’s an author you can rely on to deliver a story that leaves you smiling from ear to ear for hours, or even days, after reading. Readers will enjoy the realistic yet unique approach the author takes toward Dylan Reeves’s character. You can’t help but feel for him, especially considering how much he has sacrificed— even his personal happiness—to keep his family intact and happy over the years. At times, it seemed like there was no way for him to emerge from his very deep closet without causing a major scene, but he’s a good guy who deserves good things in his life.
Then there’s Tristan. Between the two main characters, I’d say I’m more sympathetic toward him. I mean, these guys are both saints, but Tristan is like Mr. So Perfect—so patient and understanding throughout the book that I sometimes felt bad for him because of how uptight Dylan could be about his secret.
Readers were curious about the whole setup of Dylan’s relationship with his wife. Don’t worry too much, people; there was no major drama in this book. Just a little pinch of angst from Dylan’s part, which is totally understandable, but overall, it’s still decidedly a comfort read. And have I already mentioned the steamy scenes between Dylan and Tristan? Oh. My. God! I need some cool drinks right here!
With that being said, I highly suggest you get your copy of this book. It’s totally worth your money, and come on, you can’t go wrong with Kindle Alexander. With each new book released by her, you know you’ve got a winner—no questions asked. But I guess that’s not a secret anymore…
I’ve been waiting for this for ages and it’s finally here! Yay! I’m freaking right now! Can’t wait to see the death sentence scene of President… *toot* if you’ve read the book – I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with that scene…
Mockingjay Part 2 is scheduled to be released on November 20, 2015 in the United States.
I’m such a big fan of the author and I thought this book was a total comfort read any fans like me would totally enjoy! I would’ve enjoyed it MORE though if it actually has more grit into it. I feel like each scene were a bit too rushed and there’s not enough drama going on. I’m still not totally on board with Alec’s characterization – he’s charming alright but he really does talk too much and it gets really annoying at times.
The whole incubus thing was a good twist into the story but it rendered the whole “turning” of Alec anticlimactic.
Cronin was the one character in the series that totally amped-up the book’s likeability. This was his book more so than Alec – with all that “mine, mine, mine” attitude and all the growling! I just wanna sexed him up! Lol. Let me also give special mention to Jorge – just precious! I’d really love to see more of him from this series and perhaps have another character like Jacques take center stage in the next book (?)
This is definitely a fun solid book which I will be recommending for fans of the series and the author.
So I was checking out my online feeds and received a tweet from a friend about a certain issue over Goodreads about an author named Dylan Saccoccio who apparently had a “meltdown” over a low rated review of one of his books entitled The Boy and the Peddler of Death.I immediately checked out the Goodreads page of the book and was in total awe by the whole “conversation” between the author and a reader/reviewer named Cait. It was like Kathleen Hale all over again but this time, the author really went all out about the merit of giving out a one-star rating. I’m like, “is this shit even for real?”
Seriously though, if you cannot handle criticism, then you are definitely in the wrong business buddy. And it’s not like if somebody (like myself) gave a lone-star review, it doesn’t mean that they’re out to get you or “ruin you financially” or something. I started reviewing books over a year ago and has been a member of Goodreads for a good four years now and trust me when I say, I’ve read far worst reviews by readers who sometimes are also fans of the author themselves – a one or two star ratings are not available for readers to just throw in just to fuck with authors – it simply shows that the readers does have reasons to NOT like the book. PERIOD.
I myself have given one-star reviews and I’m lucky that I was not “attacked” for it.
some of the books that I’ve given a lone-star ratings
One of the authors that I’ve given a single-star review was Lisa Henry and I loved most of her works but that one book didn’t work for me. Another is Veronica Roth’s Allegiant, then there’s Amy Bartol’s Indebted..so there…
Unless you personally know that “reviewer” and there’s some shade throwing in there but a few one or two star reviews won’t really “hurt the author” and “destroy one’s dreams” – way too dramatic. It may even increase the interest about your book. Remember what they say about publicity. Or perhaps, that review should’ve been be a way to analyze things and perhaps be better next time or maybe always keep in mind that YOU CANNOT PLEASE EVERYONE. The book may be a really awful experience for one reader but I bet it would be the best read for another. Seriously, Dylan – chillax.
This is the first major foray of N.R. Walker into the world of supernatural and it’s all about the undead! Yay! I’m a sucker for vampire stories and it’s from N.R. Walker so I’m doubly excited when I first heard about it and couldn’t be more eager to get my hands on it. Alec is a New York police detective who got himself tangled into the world of the undead after a weird encounter while on patrol. From there, he met Cronin – an elderly vampire who happened to be his “fated” one – uhm, soulmate. Things started happening faster than Alec could even comprehend and finds himself leading the fight against mummy vampires who are out to get the key to some mysterious shit – and that key happens to be him.
I maybe expecting a lot from this novel because as I’ve said – Vampires and N.R. Walker. Like, ugh. I loved 90% of the book but my main criticism was about Alec. You see, Alec loves to talk. Like not just talk, but talk non-stop and at some point in the book – I was like – shut up already! There’s something annoying about his overall characterization that it grates on my nerves but there are times that I also find him extremely funny and adorable. It’s a good thing that Cronin’s stoic demeanor was rather charming which is clearly the opposite of Alec.
But hey, that’s just me fretting over some minor details. The story almost feels like watching some sort of National Treasure only with Vampires. I also loved the secondary characters with the covens and all and their powers almost feel like Twilight-ish. What? B!tch please don’t give me that look. I fucking loved Twilight.
In short, I loved it because it’s well written, exciting and it has a lot of good looking ^_^, quirky and funny creatures with superpowers!
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