Excerpted from A Match Made in Lipa. Copyright © Carla de Guzman. All rights reserved. Published by Carina Press. Anton quickly spotted the cold goods refrigerator and walked toward it. He had discovered very early on in his trip what he wanted out of a Japanese convenience store, and very rarely strayed from what he knew. Onigiri triangles and milk tea. Maybe a beer if he was feeling extra melancholic, but not yet. He spotted the onigiri triangles. There was only one tuna mayo left. Santi reached out to take it, only to have another hand shoot forward and grab it, leaving him with nothing but air. “Sumimasen,” he said gruffly, wondering if he was pronouncing that right. “That’s—” “My onigiri? Yes it is.” The English sounded familiar, making Anton turn his head to face his opponent. Which was how he saw Kira Luz again after twenty years. And wow. She was beautiful. Still beautiful, actually, with those dark, upturned eyes that hadn’t changed since she was ten. They were eyes that could see everything, see through him without much difficulty. It was the same face he used to know, just older. Changed. Santi used to be told a…
1–What’s the name of your latest release? Sweet on You 2–What is it about? It’s about a rivalry between a barista and a baker, set during the peak of the Christmas season on the Philippines. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Stubborn. 4–What makes your hero irresistible? He’s charming, but not in the way that he thinks he is. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Sari would rather suffer alone than ask for help, but if she had to, she would turn to her friend Kira or her older sister, Sofie. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? My family and I spend Christmas in Lipa, so it feels special to write a book in that setting, in that time. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Plotter, definitely! 8–What is an ideal writing day for you? Finishing a big scene or a chapter in a day, with a cup of iced coffee and maybe a sugar cookie. 9–Do you listen to music while you write, need total silence, or do you have the TV on? Depends on how annoyed…