by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 9, 2022 | Book Reviews
When I started reading Beyond Beta’s Rejection by Aisling Elizabeth I already knew there would be a rejection. After all, it is right there in the title. But when it happens (and very early in the story) I was angry and appalled and shocked and … there were just so many emotions going through me, none of them good, that if I could, I would have climbed into the story and whooped Beta heir Colton’s ass.
When he later, at the prodding of the Alpha and Beta of the pack, decides to take back the rejection I was like, “Oh, hell no! We are NOT letting that jerk anywhere near us!” Fyi, in this book, I cast myself as Harper’s wolf.
I was glad when a plan was set in motion to allow her to escape and many years later she comes back a warrior woman … stronger, not easy to intimidate. When she finally meets her second chance mate, Alpha Ezra, it was complicated, to say the least. This is complicated by the fact that Colton, now the Beta, still wants her back.
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!” – Sir Walter Scott
Such an appropriate line to be used on all three of them. This story is exciting and action-packed. While the romance aspect is there, it isn’t really the main focus. If at all, it is, perhaps the motivation tool of the characters. This reads like a spy story, I loved it! I couldn’t put the book down and I finished reading it in a day. I swear you have to read it, too! You won’t regret it.
Beyond Beta’s Rejection by Aisling Elizabeth is the first book in the Divine Order series. You can read this on reading apps like Goodnovel or you can purchase it from Amazon in either Kindle or paperback.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 7, 2022 | Book Reviews
When I first saw The Alpha’s Guardian by Miri Googag it was on the list of recommended books for bonus coins and I stopped because I was intrigued. Even though the Alpha is supposed to be the strongest wolf, I’m sure he still has guards but a guardian implies one or two people whose specific job is to guard him and only that … sort of like a personal bodyguard.
Which begs the question … why would any Alpha need such protection? This was the same thought that entered Alpha Wade’s head, apparently.
In comes our guardian, Ali (short for Aliauna) who encounters our Alpha when he is attacked by rogues. Ali is the best of the best amongst all the guardians, despite being an Omega, and therefore, wolfless. Alpha Wade is her last assignment before she will be able to find her fated mate.
Lucy Lawless as Xena, Warrior Princess
Ali’s description reminds me of Xena, Warrior Princess, but not as tall and imposing as Lucy Lawless. I confess, when it comes to warrior women, Xena is who I measure every single one to.
Ali is strong, commanding, and takes crap from no one, not even the Alpha she is sent to protect. Why she is sent to protect him is a mystery even to her but she does her job anyway.
Both Ali and Wade have very strong personalities and both have had to overcome so many trials in life to get to where they are now. As the story progresses we see Alpha Wade’s resistance to being guarded and Ali’s determination to do so. In the meantime, both of them are fighting their natural attraction to each other.
On the road to discovering answers to their questions plus protecting his pack, several key players come into play that wreak havoc with their emotions and their developing relationship.
The story gets better and better the further you get into it then slows down considerably toward the end. I don’t really mind this because I could only take so much action, lol! I am definitely putting this in my book recommendations
You can read and enjoy The Alpha’s Guardian by Miri Googag on GoodNovel. It is the first book of the Guardian series. I am hoping that this and her other books will soon be available on sites like Apple Books, Google Books, and Amazon.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 7, 2022 | Lifestyle
Midea (pronounced mai-dee-ya), the world-renowned provider of intelligent home solutions, changed and revolutionized the existing paradigm in conventional window-type air conditioners with the introduction of the world’s first U-Shaped Inverter Window Air Conditioner with design-driven features and functions that offer a refined and contemporary look to meet the needs of every Filipino family.
Over the years, Midea has always been at the forefront of innovative, efficient, and surprisingly friendly intelligent home solutions to make homemade happiness and tiny moments at home possible for every family. Keeping this vision front and center, the brand was recognized by Euromonitor International (Shanghai) Limited in Consumer Appliances as the world’s no.1 in air coolers, air treatment, cooling fans, small cooking appliances, and rice cookers brand.
In recognition of the many trailblazing home solutions it recently introduced, the Midea Group also ranked 245th on the new 2022 Fortune Global 500 List. It is the 7th consecutive year for Midea Group to rank on this List, up 43 spots from last year.
Midea U is the world’s first U-shaped inverter window air conditioner, with design-driven features and functions that reshape the idea of cooling.
Midea U is the first of its kind in the Philippines and is one of those groundbreaking solutions that reshape the idea of cooling. Its breakthrough U-shaped design cleverly divides the unit into two parts – locating the compressor in a separate compartment, allowing ultra-quiet operations as low as 42 decibels, to give the user the quietness of a split-type air conditioner, and the convenience of its U-shaped compact design where users can easily open and close the window to get fresh air whenever they need it.
Truly embodying the notion of everyday homemade happiness through its smart cooling solution designed just for “U”, this smart home appliance gives Filipino families the best of both worlds. Midea U’s patented full inverter technology delivers substantial energy savings compared to traditional AC units. It’s the first window aircon to be awarded the coveted US’ Energy Star’s Most Efficient 2021 certification. It also features a strong airflow so users can feel the cold air from up to 20 feet away, and a full DC inverter technology to rapidly cool the room to make families even more comfortable whether they’re bonding with family, working from home, or enjoying a good night’s sleep.
Installation is quick and easy too – users can simply fit and secure the unit into the previously prepared AC opening hole, and set it in place, as directed in the installation manual.
Midea U also takes cooling up a notch as it can effortlessly be controlled via Midea’s SmartHome app which is available for free on iOS and Android devices. This app brings cloud-based control to any smartphone or tablet in and out of the home or business. Users can also remotely check and change the temperature, select modes, and fan speeds, and even program a cooling schedule via the Midea SmartHome app. It will also respond to voice commands through Google and Alexa-enabled devices.
Midea U is now available at Midea Philippines’ official website at https://www.midea.com/ph and available at the following Midea Philippines flagship stores:
You can also check out more Midea intelligent home solutions at leading appliance stores nationwide.
About Midea
Midea is the world’s largest manufacturer of home appliances, offering customers a wide range of surprisingly friendly products for day-to-day living at home, at work, and anywhere else they might be. Midea provides high-quality home appliances for air treatment, refrigeration, laundry, large and small kitchen solutions, and fresh storage, recognized globally for their exceptional design and outstanding functionality. For more information about Midea’s home appliance solutions, you can visit and follow @MideaPhilippines on Facebook; @mideaph on Instagram; @mideaphilippines on TikTok or subscribe to Midea Philippines Official on YouTube.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 4, 2022 | Book Reviews
Snowballed by Stephanie Brother was everything I hoped for! Compared to her other reverse harem books, Snowballed is more innocent and exploratory, which hits the mark perfectly considering Sierra’s personality and unpleasant life experiences.
Visualizing that scene when Sierra first sees Carter stepping out of the steamy bathroom in just a low-slung towel made my jaw drop. Her playacting sesh with Drew was just adorable, and her bouncing off ideas with Tristan was refreshing! The attraction was apparent from the start, especially with Drew who is the most approachable.
I liked the fact that the three men are not in the biz … to me, this meant liberation for Sierra later, and she would have the opportunity to decide to do what she wants rather than have people tell her what to do all the time.
Their first time together was just so beautiful it made me sigh. It was perfect! The entire scene was romantic and gentle while still managing to be very sensual and lip-bitingly hot!
Later when they are officially together, their encounters are all implied, rather than explicitly described. For anyone who is being introduced to the concept of reverse harems for the first time, this is a good story to start with as you don’t get slapped in the face with sex, sex, sex!
Snowballed is gentle and loving … and will get a reverse harem virgin curious about the other characters introduced who appear in this book. And, perhaps, will get him/her/them to read the rest of the Roommates series.
Grab your copy of Snow Balled by Stephanie Brother on Amazon. If you’ve read Snowballed and are hungry for more, you can read a bonus chapter about Sierra and her yummy men here.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 4, 2022 | Business
Manila, Philippines – Despite the global pandemic, the Philippines is poised to be one of five ASEAN countries to become tech powerhouses in the next fifteen years, according to the Center for Economics Business Research (CEBR).
Angkas CEO George Royeca, believes the country is ready for a big leap forward in the tech and startup sectors. These industries and their continuous growth in recent years will be the primary focus of this year’s IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022, which will be co-presented by Angkas, the leading motorcycle taxi, and delivery platform. “While the pandemic has been the worst global crisis of the millennium undeniably opened new avenues for rapid growth in the country, particularly in the tech sector. Overnight, e-commerce, online payments, e-wallets, telemedicine, online gig employment, digital banks as well as delivery and logistics services experienced exponential growth which then had to be supported by faster internet speeds,” points out Royeca.
“The pandemic and the restricted mobility it necessitated primed the market in terms of tech literacy and a willingness to adopt tech-based solutions. There are products and services the market is ready for now that would not have been viable pre-pandemic, and that might have otherwise taken another 5-10 years for the country to be ready for,” adds Royeca. “We have had, and continue to have an ideal and unprecedented climate for both developing and funding tech startups. The kind of businesses that offer innovative products and services we couldn’t have even imagined pre-pandemic,” he concludes.
The road less trafficked
Angkas was itself an innovation, far more unconventional than it seems on the surface. Motorcycle taxis were already in wide use for public transport all over the region at the time of Angkas’ inception in 2015. Despite the crippling traffic in Metro Manila and its staggering economic cost, motorcycle taxis were not a solution being considered by anyone at the time, because motorcycles had an appalling safety record.
The Metro Manila Accident Recording and Analysis System (MMARAS) Traffic Accident report for 2015 indicated that motorcycle accidents comprised 39.6% of all vehicular accidents and 33.6% of all fatal accidents in Metro Manila. In each case, they were by far the single largest contributors. Filipino motorcycle riders were regarded as too undisciplined for such a service to be reasonably safe.
Angkas’ innovation was in actually believing that with training, motivation, and support, Filipinos could be the backbone of a safe and professionalized app-enabled motorcycle taxi service. “We shoulder the training of all rider applicants, then we carefully select only the top 30%. We also hold regular company events that serve as refreshers, and venues for more training in soft skills, and even things like anti-sexual harassment education,” explains Royeca. “The result is that after literally millions of rides booked, our safety record is 99.997%,” he concludes.
Sense of purpose, grit resilience
“I think the number one thing that potential startups should begin with is seeing the bigger picture: are you solving a real problem?” asks Royeca. “Any business venture is always going have a money-making aspect, but in this day and age, it is businesses that have an innate sense of purpose and that offer real solutions to real problems that are embraced by the public,” Royeca points out.
Royeca had specific advice to would-be startups on failure: “Don’t be afraid of failure or adversity, these build grit. As long as you are imbued with a sense of purpose, you will overcome failure and adversity and come out stronger, and with more grit.”
In Angkas’ short history, they were ordered to cease operations twice, their rider pool was capped, and just when they seemed in the clear, the pandemic hit. Showing true resilience, it was then that Angkas launched a courier and buying assistant service, allowing more people to do errands and business safely from home. Angkas also formed a partnership with the Red Cross to assist with the delivery and administration of COVID-19 test kits. When it became reasonably safe to do so, Angkas also offered free rides to medical frontliners.
Co-creation Breeds Innovation
Community building begins when everyone contributes to the welfare of everyone, and that is exactly what resonated with Angkas to sign up and be a co-presenter for this year’s IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022, one of the most anticipated digital conferences in the industry which gathers professionals from marketing, advertising, and digital sectors to hear and learn from world-renowned and celebrated local keynote speakers.
Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) is an organization that works toward educating and providing the necessary digital tools for advertising and integrated marketing professionals to make better communication decisions. One such effort is the yearly DigiCon.
Royeca explains, “When you have a business that serves many, it is impossible to innovate without co-creation. Angkas would not have been possible without the coming together of technology innovations, government regulators, customers, and of course our rider partners, to create a “winnovation”, an innovation in which everyone has a stake, and in which everybody wins.”
From L to R: Brian Go (Angkas Chief Marketing Officer), Denise Haak (IMMAP DigiCon Co-Chair), Janelle Barretto (IMMAP DigiCon Ways & Means Head), and Trish Elamparo-Esteban (IMMAP DigiCon Co-Chair).
After two years of purely virtual connections, this year’s IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022 will finally bring back face-to-face networking through the DigiCon After-Hours, which will be held during the evenings across the city, promising to provide cocktails and entertainment and allow delegates to physically reconnect with other industry players.
“I think what Angkas is excited about is this live interaction; a lot of the best collaborations and partnerships happen because of these more spontaneous, in-person things, and human interaction is what makes all the creativity and innovation grow more,” muses Royeca.
As co-presenter for this year’s IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022, Angkas hopes that this can be a great model to induce new SMEs in the tech and startup sector, while also introducing a community mindset that can hopefully solve daily problems for Filipinos.
DigiCon Valley 2022 is happening on October 10-14 from 9 AM to 1 PM PST using the ViVYD platform, with all new tracks that tackle the different stages of innovation: Launchpad, Hypergrowth, Breakthrough, and Enterprise.
This year’s prestigious keynote speakers include one of the most influential women in the world and Huffington Post founder, Arianna Huffington; Rappler Founder and the first Filipino Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Maria Ressa; internationally acclaimed marketing expert and academic, Mark Ritson; co-founder of Character ventures and Design Sprint inventor, Jake Knapp; and Global CMO of Dole Sunshine Company, Rupen Desai.
Buy tickets now and learn more about IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022 at www.digicon.com.ph and follow their social pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022 is co-presented by Angkas, and would like to thank Platinum Sponsors: Manulife Philippines, Share Treats, and TikTok; Gold Sponsors: Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government, Grab Ads, Kroma Entertainment, McDonald’s Philippines and Meta Philippines; and Silver Sponsors: Digital Turbine, Hepmil Philippines, and Metrobank.
A special thanks to IMMAP’s event partners: Creators and Influencers of the Philippines (CICP), Endeavor, and Kickstart Ventures.
Be an IMMAP Member today! To know more about IMMAP, please visit: www.immap.com.ph or contact us at: co*****@*******om.ph or
SMS/Viber (0917) 6310206 / (0918) 577 2357.
Which begs the question … why would any Alpha need such protection? This was the same thought that entered Alpha Wade’s head, apparently.
Visualizing that scene when Sierra first sees Carter stepping out of the steamy bathroom in just a low-slung towel made my jaw drop. Her playacting sesh with Drew was just adorable, and her bouncing off ideas with Tristan was refreshing! The attraction was apparent from the start, especially with Drew who is the most approachable.
Angkas CEO George Royeca, believes the country is ready for a big leap forward in the tech and startup sectors. These industries and their continuous growth in recent years will be the primary focus of this year’s IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022, which will be co-presented by Angkas, the leading motorcycle taxi, and delivery platform. “While the pandemic has been the worst global crisis of the millennium undeniably opened new avenues for rapid growth in the country, particularly in the tech sector. Overnight, e-commerce, online payments, e-wallets, telemedicine, online gig employment, digital banks as well as delivery and logistics services experienced exponential growth which then had to be supported by faster internet speeds,” points out Royeca.
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