Eight short stories and one true story are in this book. The reader will love the suspenseful, gradual unraveling of events leading to the resolution that will make one smile or cry in amazement.

In the title story, The Manny Pacquiao Effect and Other Stories, author Gene P. Del Carmen writes of a Filipino heart surgeon in the United States. Just like boxer Manny Pacquiao, his colleagues have urged him to give more than he takes. When he goes home to Manila to perform charity work, the doctor discovers the conflicts in his Filipino family as he vows his sense of duty towards them.

While the rest of the collection is a diverse set of stories, the search for identity is a central theme in many of the plots. The characters' quests for love and purpose give the work a...

Killer-Gangster Turns His Life Around Fifteen-year-old Meiling has always sensed that her Dad, Douglas, has been keeping a secret which can shed light on why she grew up without a mother. Now that he controls the largest laundry-supply business in the Northeast, USA, Douglas' dark past as a feared gangster in Hong Kong is forcing him to face a future that clouds his relationship with his daughter. There's a new woman in her father's life; will she come between Douglas and Meiling? "A story of enduring love, betrayal, and ultimately forgiveness, heartfeltly narrated." Tessie Abes "An...