Vida New Adult: A new imprint for romance novellas

MANILA, Philippines—Vibal Foundation proudly unveils Vida New Adult, its newest imprint dedicated to stories that capture the thrilling, confusing, and transformative years of early adulthood. The imprint was officially launched last Aug. 16 at the Ramada by Wyndham Manila Central in Binondo, with six titles that explore themes of love, identity, friendship, and self-discovery—perfect for readers navigating the defining years between 18 and 30.

Vida New Adult’s editor-at-large is Mina V. Esguerra, known in literary circles as a writer and publisher of English-language romance and contemporary fiction. Her contemporary romance novellas have won Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards, and have been featured on NPR, Buzzfeed, the Seattle Review of Books, and more. Esguerra is also an advocate for Filipino authors and readers, and delivers lectures regularly on topics such as writing, publishing, guiding creative communities, and making the romance genre more inclusive.

The Vida New Adult Book Collection features Esguerra’s acclaimed Interim Goddess of Love trilogy, beginning with Interim Goddess of Love trilogy, in which scholarship student Hannah Maquiling is chosen to take on the divine mantle of the Goddess of Love at Ford River College. The trilogy follows her journey through emotional dilemmas, supernatural duties, and the complexities of human connection in Queen of the Clueless and Icon of the Indecisive, culminating in a powerful realization about her role in a world where gods and mortals intersect.

Joining the lineup is Blooming Love, a charming magical romance by Carla de Guzman, where modern-day “plant witch” Ana Kalaw must reckon with ancestral magic, a persistent former flame, and the unexpected blossoming of love.

In Ghost of a Feeling, by Celestine Trinidad, a chance encounter on a rooftop between a burned-out medical student and a man pretending to be a ghost leads to healing, hope, and new beginnings.

Rounding out the collection is Well Played by Katrina Ramos Atienza, a heartwarming coming-of-age tale set in a Philippine university, where young women wrestle with academic stress, complicated friendships, and the bittersweet messiness of first love.

Vida New Adult champions narratives that resonate deeply with readers—those finding their voices, carving out their spaces, and learning that the journey to adulthood is as awkward as it is empowering.

After a fireside chat with the authors moderated by Mina as editor-at-large of Vida New Adult, there was also an entertaining live reading of selected chapters from the newly launched books by voice actors Jade Albert, Jef Flores, and Migs Almendras.