by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 15, 2022 | Book Reviews
I’m so glad that I decided to pick up Frenemy Protector by Kate Lovelace. What was lacking from Fireman’s Secret Baby was made up for here. We first encounter Liam and Lauren there. Liam is the youngest brother of Michael, the fireman. In that story, he had a huge crush on Bree, who ends up with Michael. Lauren is Bree’s best friend and had a thing for Liam, but her feelings were not returned.
The story opens with Liam narrating. Yes! I’m glad this started from a guy’s POV. It is a welcome change and immediately lets us, the readers, find out what happened to Liam after he left.
In the first book, Kate Lovelace already established that Liam had a lot of issues to get through. This book tells us how much he has grown into the mature 24-year-old he is who is more than just “Michael and Ethan’s little brother”.
The premise for Liam’s return is to handle the problems their family is facing with an entity that wants to buy their family property by hook or by crook. Recent events have shown that they are not shy of being crooks. And yet, the story is really about the budding relationship between Liam and Lauren and how Liam desperately tries to resist the pull. This is despite interference from his family who are eager to bring them together and Lauren herself who is irresistible without even trying.
From the get-go, this story is written well. It is engaging and described so well that I felt like I was part of the story, not just a spectator. In the first book, I wasn’t a fan of Liam because he was being a dick about Michael and Bree. Frenemy Protector is his redemption story and Lauren’s HEA.
If I had any issues with this book it would probably be two things. I’m not keen on the title as it doesn’t seem to be a right fit, even as I get further along in the story. The second is the cover art. Liam looks grumpy, and why is he naked? Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with naked men but in context with the story, I think he should be wearing a button-down shirt to match the scenes. Just my two cents.
That aside, this was quite enjoyable to read. The book isn’t available for mass distribution yet, but hopefully, it will be released on popular platforms such as Amazon soon.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 15, 2022 | Advocacy
Leading digital solutions platform Globe and SM Advantage Card (SMAC), the loyalty card of retail giant SM, have come together to help put meals on the table of those in need through the Hapag Movement, Globe’s technology-driven program against involuntary hunger.
With every purchase of a SMAC card and every checkout, shoppers can now help support a family in need.
“We are excited to partner with SMAC at the most joyful time of the year so we can bring cheer to our fellow Filipinos who continue to suffer due to involuntary hunger. Now, it’s easier for shoppers to share their blessings with the needy, bring food to the table, and get assistance for decent livelihood as we mark this Christmas season post-pandemic,” said Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Yoly Crisanto.
“Our collaboration with Globe for the Hapag Movement is a pioneering partnership for us as it aligns with the SM brand’s goal of providing support to Filipinos in every way we can. This is the time for us to rally behind this cause to help those who continue to reel from the impact of the pandemic and challenges due to rising living costs. Ibalik natin ang sarap ng Pasko,” said Jay Beltran, SMAC SAVP Head of Sales and Marketing.
Through the partnership, P50.00 will be donated to the Hapag Movement and other SM Foundation programs for every purchase of a new SMAC card.
On top of this, SMAC members who purchase select items at the SM Store, SM Beauty, SM Appliance, Kultura, Surplus, Our Home, Baby Company, Crate and Barrel, Levi’s, The Body Shop, Forever21, Ecco, and Miniso will earn up to 1,000 EXTRA SMAC Points, and half of the EXTRA points they earn will be donated to the movement starting December 15, 2022, until January 15, 2023, in time for this season of giving.
“We celebrate the season of giving with our SMAC members with the gift of giving— letting them share blessings with our most vulnerable kababayans,” Beltran said.
Globe’s Hapag Movement leverages technology and collaboration to help 100,000 families experiencing involuntary hunger through supplemental feeding and livelihood support.
Globe initiated the program to help Filipinos severely affected by the pandemic, with its effects still felt today. An estimated 2.9 million individuals reported suffering from involuntary hunger as of October this year, largely unchanged from the quarter before, according to a Social Weather Stations Survey.
To learn more about the Hapag Movement, visit its official page. You may also visit SMAC.PH or download the SMAC app to know more.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 15, 2022 | Events
From the online bulletin boards of local villages and cities, online marketplaces, fan groups, school associations, and even home improvement pages, Filipinos have continued to remain active in participating in their numerous online communities as a go-to source for discussing their favorite topics with like-minded netizens.
More and more companies, interest groups, and organizations are building communities to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with and among their users and members. According to market research company GWI, in 2020 alone, 76% of all internet users participated in an online community, a statistic that has annually increased by 2% over the past 3 years.
With the rise of online communities today, builders and innovators are expected to carry out the operational work of reaching members and managing offline and online events — all while nurturing genuine and authentic connections with their followers.
Today, community leaders can do away with using multiple platforms and save hundreds of hours on administrative work by streamlining various operations, made possible using Nas Company’s newest platform, Nas.io.
Nas.io is the latest tech platform released by global content creator and founder and CEO of Nas Company, Nuseir Yassin. Nas.io equips community leaders with modern, intuitive tech solutions that make it easier to start and manage a growing online community.
Connect and communicate with members
Founder and CEO of Nas Daily and Nas Company Nuseir Yassin, together with his team from Nas Company in the Philippines, pose for a group photo with the attendees of the ‘Nas Daily Community Meet-up’ held last November 12, 2022, at the New Frontier Theater, Quezon City.
One of the biggest challenges community managers face is reaching their audience, especially with the ever-changing algorithms of the most popular social media platforms. Community managers have turned to smaller niche groups on group chat platforms. However, this presents its own problems, such as it being easy for members to get lost upon joining.
Nas.io solves this by functioning as a management layer on top of existing chat platforms like Facebook Groups, WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, or Slack. Managers can use it as a tool to provide community members context on what conversations to expect through a custom community landing page. Nas.io also includes a unique feature called Magic Reach that allows community managers to send emails and messages to their communities. This intelligent messaging feature automatically finds the best way to send messages to community members. The tool is designed to learn how users or members prefer to be contacted, and which platform they are most active in.
Create and manage events
Aside from consistent communication, community builders also aim to create perfect events both in-person and virtual for its members. From setting calendar invites to creating virtual meeting rooms, to making an event page and setting up a registration form, Nas.io simplifies the process of creating and managing events.
By filling up three basic fields, community managers can automatically generate a personalized Zoom link shared with its members, which will lead them to a customized event page. Through the platform’s feature of sending and saving notifications to the members’ calendars, emails, and mobile app, community managers can expect higher attendance and engagement rates. The platform can also be programmed to handle member authentication to ensure exclusivity. And, should there be an admission fee to join these events, a hassle-free payment processing system can also be set up by the manager.
Make communities sustainable
All the longest existing communities include monetization. This is why Nas.io includes monetization features that allow community managers to earn in order to sustain their community.
From membership subscription fees, exclusive content access, and event participation, creators can set up their communities to be free, paid, or even NFT-gated. This means that members are given several payment options that can be fulfilled through credit or debit cards, PayPal, and even crypto.
Filipino Communities started using Nas.io in its early stages
Prior to its official launch, Filipino communities started using Nas.io in its beta stage and have demonstrated great potential in the market. Philippine Country Head of Nas Company Jacqueline Maye Lim said, “We at Nas Company aim to enable the creators, entrepreneurs, and marketers to add value to their members through our platform. We have seen early signs of this in our beta launch where we have amazing communities that help their leaders build a deeper connection with their audience enabling them to solve their problems and add value to them. Whether it’s about finding alternative employment or simply saving on important life milestones, communities are everywhere.”
Founder and CEO of Nas Daily and Nas Company Nuseir Yassin awarded Community Creator Jam Blauta of the Barangay Virtual Assistants (Barangay VA) for being the first community to gather 10,000 members in Nas Company’s newest community platform, Nas.io.
Barangay Virtual Assistants, more commonly known as Barangay VA, is one of the largest communities on Facebook with over 30,000 members. Despite the number of followers, community leader Jam Blauta shares that he can’t reach all thousands of his followers. “As a community manager, I need to easily secure my audience and reach them instantly whether through SMS or email. The reality is, the number of social media followers doesn’t matter anymore and when you post content, you only reach 10% or sometimes even less. This is why Nas.io is the best thing that has happened in helping me reach the community of virtual assistants.”
To date, over 10,000 aspiring virtual assistants are using Nas.io, where they are educated, trained, and given free advice and online courses on how to get employed.
Founder and CEO of Nas Daily and Nas Company Nuseir Yassin recognized Community Creator Camille Fornela of The Budgetarian Bride for reaching over a thousand followers in the beta stage of Nas Company’s newest community platform, Nas.io.
Another up-and-coming group is Camille Fornela’s The Budgetarian Bride, an online community of brides, grooms, and wedding planners, who come together to discuss budget-friendly nuptial options and real experiences on wedding planning. Today, The Budgetarian Bride’s community has helped almost 4,000 soon-to-be married Filipinos plan their dream weddings without breaking the bank. “Having multiple content formats available in one platform and connectivity to existing ones is essential in growing my community,” said Fornela.
Yassin awarded community leaders Jam Blauta and Camille Fornela in an exclusive community meet-up held at the New Frontier Theater last November 12, 2022. He highlighted their success in engaging local audiences in their respective communities that are transforming Filipinos’ lives.
Visit nas.io to know more about how you can create your own communities today.
About Nas Company
Nas means people. Nas Company is on a mission to build community products that bring people together. Nas Company has successfully built communities over the years and is now building tools and integrations that will allow others to manage engaged communities faster and better than ever before.
About Nuseir Yassin
Nuseir Yassin is the founder and CEO of Nas Company and Nas Studios with over 50 million followers across the world. Nas.io and Nas Academy are housed under Nas Company with the mission to Bring People Together by building innovative education and community tools for creators.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 14, 2022 | Book Reviews
I have mixed feelings about Dibs on the Bartender by Giselle Harper partly because I am struggling with the switching tenses and wrong terminology that occasionally appears. Quite a few authors nowadays seem to do this … POV is in the present and the inner monologue switches from present to past to present tense.
The story has a tendency to drone. Three chapters in and I kept losing my place, I wasn’t getting engaged. Part of it, I think, was the fact that Niki, the main character kept going on and on about how she is still a virgin. Okay, we get it! She is saving herself. I commend it, I have no issues with it, but I think it was mentioned more times than it needed to be. It almost felt like every few sentences she would say, “by the way, did I already mention I am a virgin?” Yup. Too many mentions.
I kept reading to give it a chance and it does get better but it is slow going. Maybe it’s me, not the story, I don’t know, but I had higher expectations. It isn’t bad but it could be better.
Dibs on the Bartender by Giselle Harper is book 2 of the Vacation Yacht Romance series and is available starting December 16, 2022, on Amazon for 0.99 or free with a Kindle Unlimited account.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 13, 2022 | Book Reviews
I eagerly opened iBooks to read Battery Operated by Stephanie Brother as soon as I got a copy of it. This is mostly because of the preview of this story in Snowballed. In a video that Tristan, Drew, and Carter were watching Lila, a popular social influencer, attacked another online channel called Down to Earth.
Down to Earth is a how-to show that features 3 gorgeous men – Brady, Cole, and Gideon. They made videos that showed people how to do things like grilling the perfect steak.
Why Lila attacked them is a mystery to everyone, including Lila, lol! But the damage is done and the men planned their revenge. While their revenge was anything but nice, Lila could not say that it was not enjoyable. As a consequence, she agrees to stay at their inn for a week with no tech except her cellphone.
During her stay, she finds herself attracted to all three men. Brady is easy to fall for as he is the friendly one who smiles a lot. Cole is a little more formal but is not unfriendly. Gideon, on the other hand, there is just something about him that rubs Lila the wrong way.
The dynamic between Lila and Brady changes when Brady discovers that without her toys to help her sleep Lila gets terrible nightmares. Since Brady didn’t know where Cole kept them, he offered to give her a “special turndown service” to help her sleep.
I consider Battery Operated by Stephanie Brother as a light romance. There aren’t too many ups and downs and their romance blossoms beautifully, but surprisingly fast with all three. I expected this with Brady since they already had a thing. The biggest question for me from the start was … what is wrong with Gideon and Lila? That question does not get answered until much later in the story.
I enjoyed reading this and I want Lila’s bed! Battery Operated by Stephanie Brother is the 7th book in the Roommates series. If you want to read it, too, you can get it on Amazon for 2.99 or free with a Kindle Unlimited account.
After reading this book you can read the bonus content here.
Leading digital solutions platform Globe and SM Advantage Card (SMAC), the loyalty card of retail giant SM, have come together to help put meals on the table of those in need through the Hapag Movement, Globe’s technology-driven program against involuntary hunger.
I have mixed feelings about Dibs on the Bartender by Giselle Harper partly because I am struggling with the switching tenses and wrong terminology that occasionally appears. Quite a few authors nowadays seem to do this … POV is in the present and the inner monologue switches from present to past to present tense.
I eagerly opened iBooks to read Battery Operated by Stephanie Brother as soon as I got a copy of it. This is mostly because of the preview of this story in Snowballed. In a video that Tristan, Drew, and Carter were watching Lila, a popular social influencer, attacked another online channel called Down to Earth.
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