Veterans--Let PAC Thank You for Your Service

On behalf of the President of Palo Alto College, I would like to invite you and ALL the military veterans you service, to attend our free Veterans Day Ceremony, where we will recognize all veterans for their military service to our country.


If possible, could you please notify your veterans about this opportunity via email, phone call, through office visits, etc., about our event and encourage them to attend? Of course, we would appreciate you attending too!

Greetings,

PAC’s Student Veterans Organization, Palo Alto College, the Office of Student Life and the Office of Veterans Affairs would like to recognize all veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces at a Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 9, outside the Palomino Center by Parking Lot 2 under the tent at 11 a.m.

If you have ever served in our Nation’s military service and would like to be a part of our ceremony, please send me the following information by Noon, Thursday, Nov. 1 to Vbosquez3@alamo.edu

Your Full Name
Branch of Service
Military Occupational Specialty (job)
Number of Years in the Military
Highest Rank Attained
Please indicate if you Retired (20+ years) from military service
Have you participated in previous PAC Veterans Ceremonies, Yes or No
Where you referred by a veterans organization? Which one?

We would also like to recognize your family members and friends who have served in the military; if they are interested in attending and being recognized, please forward them this email or provide me with the above information.

We hope your schedule will allow you to be present at this ceremony where we will recognize the gallant service our colleagues have given to our country. On behalf of the President of Palo Alto College, we will be giving participating veterans a memento during the ceremony. Veterans participating in the Ceremony are asked to please arrive before 10:30 a.m. on the day of the event and check-in.

If you have any questions, please email me or call the VA Office at (210) 486-3111.


Thank you,
Vince
Vincent Bosquez, MBA
Captain USMC Retired
Coordinator of Veterans Affairs
Palo Alto College
(210) 486-3113 Office
(210) 486-9142 Fax
(210) 845-4582 Cell

Nanowrimo

The following post is from Joseph Casanova:


Anyone doing Nanowrimo? Remember it's when you write a 50,000 word in 30 days without editing or proofing. I decided to bite the bullet and do it this year. So far, I've organized my characters and have almost finalized my plotlines. For more info, click on www.nanowrimo.com. I don't believe it's too late to register. Once you finish, you submit to the website, and all these folks do is check to see if you've written 50,000 words. I believe once they've confirmed the word count, they mail you a certiciate of completion. Doing this project provides a sense of empowerment and accomplishment, and to be honest, I'm scared to death. LOL! Local Nanowrimo write-in sessions have been scheduled throughout November on Thursdays starting at 6 p.m. at the Hearthstone Bakery at the Forum. Also write-ins have been scheduled at Hearthsone on McCullough Sundays from 1-3 p.m. I attended my first write-in today and I accomplished quite a bit. I also met two very nice fellow Nanowrimers. So snap to it and start preparing. November 1 is only a few days away. Best of luck to all!

National Novel Writing Month

www.nanowrimo.org

Thirty days and nights of literary abandon

2013 Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club

Thanks to Edna Campos Gravenhorst for sharing this information with us from Las Comadres:


Comadres:

We write you with great excitement that we are now collecting title submissions for the 2013 Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club. If you are an author or know an author that has an upcoming work in 2013, please let them know to have their PUBLISHER submit their upcoming book. We take submissions from the publishers since one of the requirements is to submit gratis copies of the books for us and only the publishers can make that decision.

We are concentrating on Latina authors as well. We love our compadre authors and have a dedicated “Dude” month, but please use your networks to get word to our Latina authors that we would love to have their publishers submit their new works!

Selected titles will gain great exposure among this ever-growing network for 20,000+ members worldwide. Authors also will be featured in the Las Comadres monthly teleconferences, which currently boast growing registrations of approximately one hundred Latinas each month.

Submission Guidelines:

-Publishers may submit a maximum of two (2) titles per imprint, not to exceed five (5) titles per publishing house. One of the submitted titles may be a children’s book. Books must be scheduled for publication after October 2012 or during 2013. We will accept five titles per publisher for the 2013 reading list.

-The authors should be Latina/o and the titles should be available in the English language. Availability in the Spanish language is a great advantage. This book club is Latina-centric but we also choose several books by Latinos.

-Authors whose titles are selected also must be available for interviews at the monthly teleconference. Las Comadres will work with publishers and authors to find the best date and month in which to feature respective selections.

-For the teleconference, we will need from each publisher 40 books to be given to discussion leaders and as gifts to some early registrants who sign up for the call.

Please email the following submission information to bworthington@pubishers.org and mail a copy via post, with two (2) copies of galleys if available or sample chapter and a synopsis, to Attn: Becca Worthington, Association of American Publishers, 71 Fifth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10003 by Wednesday, October 31, 2012. Please note that although the AAP will receive the submitted materials, it is not involved in the selection process. The Las Comadres organization is entirely responsible for the selection of the books to be included in the 2013 cycle.

• Title:

• Author:

• Publication date:

• Format:

• Retail Price:

• Summary (50 words or less):

• Please indicate if publisher will release book club discussion question (online/included in book):

http://www.lascomadres.org/lco/lco-eng/events/bookclub.html#2012bcc

If you have any questions regarding the book club or submission process, please email Nora Comstock at noracomstockphd@lascomadres.org or Amanda Arizola at amandajarizola@gmail.com. We look forward to expanding the success of this program with your help!

Mil gracias,
Amanda Arizola, MBA, MHSM
Project Manager
Las Comadres National Latino Book Club & Teleconference Series
amandajarizola@gmail.com

Successful eBook Authors

The following notice is submitted by Ruben Soto:


I ran into this blog entry that was published back in May about the incredible sales success that "indie" (independent) authors are having with E-books. I do not see any "Latino/Hispanic" authors on this list:

http://selfpublishingsuccessstories.blogspot.ca/2012/03/self-publishing-success-stories_27.html

I plan on publishing several E-books within the next months and I will share some more information about this new trend in our November 12 “Writers Networking Night” at La Madeleine.

Are any of you planning on writing E-books and attempting to be successful in this new format?

National Novel Writing Month

From Joseph Casanova:

Don't forget that November is National Novel Writing Month! Time to get those creative juices flowing and crank out what hopefully will be your greatest written effort ever! Also, don't about doing the Nanowrimo where you write 50,000 words without editing, all in November. You can register at www.nanowrimo.com . I decided to bite the bullet and attempt the Nanowrimo this year for the very first time. In fact, I just finished registering for the event an hour ago. Check out the site for the first meet and greet and schedule for write-in times.


National Novel Writing Month

www.nanowrimo.org

Thirty days and nights of literary abandon

Veterans Day Ceremony at Palo Alto College

On behalf of the President of Palo Alto College, I would like to invite you and ALL the military veterans you service, to attend our free Veterans Day Ceremony, where we will recognize all veterans for their military service to our country.


If possible, could you please notify your veterans about this opportunity via email, phone call, through office visits, etc., about our event and encourage them to attend? Of course, we would appreciate you attending too!

Greetings,

PAC’s Student Veterans Organization, Palo Alto College, the Office of Student Life and the Office of Veterans Affairs would like to recognize all veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces at a Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 9, outside the Palomino Center by Parking Lot 2 under the tent at 11 a.m.

If you have ever served in our Nation’s military service and would like to be a part of our ceremony, please send me the following information by Noon, Thursday, Nov. 1 to Vbosquez3@alamo.edu

Your Full Name

Branch of Service

Military Occupational Specialty (job)

Number of Years in the Military

Highest Rank Attained

Please indicate if you Retired (20+ years) from military service

Have you participated in previous PAC Veterans Ceremonies, Yes or No

Where you referred by a veterans organization? Which one?


We would also like to recognize your family members and friends who have served in the military; if they are interested in attending and being recognized, please forward them this email or provide me with the above information.

We hope your schedule will allow you to be present at this ceremony where we will recognize the gallant service our colleagues have given to our country. On behalf of the President of Palo Alto College, we will be giving participating veterans a memento during the ceremony. Veterans participating in the Ceremony are asked to please arrive before 10:30 a.m. on the day of the event and check-in.

If you have any questions, please email me or call the VA Office at (210) 486-3111.

Thank you,
Vince
Vincent Bosquez, MBA
Captain USMC Retired
Coordinator of Veterans Affairs
Palo Alto College
(210) 486-3113 Office
(210) 486-9142 Fax
(210) 845-4582 Cell

Guadalupe Garcia McCall Book Presentation

Here is a message about an upcoming event from Debra Castanon who is the Community Relations Manager at the Barnes and Noble in San Pedro Crossings:


Please invite your contacts to a book signing by Guadalupe Garcia McCall for her just released young adult novel, Summer of the Mariposas, on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 2pm here in the store. Her first novel, Under the Mesquite, won the Pura Belpre Award last year. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an ALA affiliate.

Here's an overview of Summer of the Mariposas:

Odilia and her four sisters rival the mythical Odysseus in cleverness and courage as they embark on their own hero’s journey. After finding a drowned man floating in their secret swimming hole along the Rio Grande, the sisters trek across the border to bring the body to the man’s family in Mexico. But returning home turns into an odyssey of their own.

Summer of the Mariposas is not just a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey, it is a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.

Guadalupe is an English and writing teacher at Southwest ISD's McAuliffe Middle School. We will host a Bookfair for the school to coincide with her signing where the school's Mariachi Dulce Alegria will perform and students will present dramatic monologue based on Ms. McCall's book.

I hope that you will be able to attend!

Thanks,
Debra A. Castanon
Community Relations Manager

A Night with Edna Campos Gravenhorst

The following post is from Edna Campos Gravenhorst:


YOU ARE INVITED, BRING YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS
THE BOOKCELLAR INVITES YOU TO A PACHANGA

A NIGHT WITH EDNA CAMPOS GRAVENHORST

Author, Historical Researcher, featured in the latinoauthor.com
seen on Hallmark Channel-New Morning

www.EdnaCamposGravenhorst.com

Thursday, November 8, 2012 6pm-8pm.

The BookCellar at Central Library
600 Soledad
San Antonio, TX78205
Phone: (210) 207-2500

Come browse, mingle, ask questions, get acquainted
between 6-7pm then Edna will speak on Researching

Historic Homes
Donations accepted
Refreshments will be sold

Gemini Ink Class

The following post is from Edna Campos Gravenhorst:


MY MOM & DAD (DECEASED) WERE BOTH GREAT COOKS, THE STORIES BEHIND THE RECIPES STILL BRING US JOY AND WE SHARE THEM WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS-IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PRESERVE YOUR FAMILY HISTORY, THIS IS A GREAT WAY...


I AM TEACHING A WORKS

HIP FOR GEMINI INK-SAN ANTONIO

The Story Behind The Spice

“Our most important, evocative, and heartwarming memories often center around the table. Food is more than a substance for sustenance. Food encompasses the shared experiences and history that unite us. In this two-session class, we’ll work on excavating the rich stories behind our special family recipes, and preserve that history for generations to come. Bring two of your favorite recipes along with a couple of family photos for inspiration. We’ll combine the recipe, its story and a photo to create a print that you can frame. You’ll also have an opportunity to read your recipe story at a Gemini Ink reading on December 7th.”

Dates: Nov. 3 and 10, 9am-12pm
CPE Credits: 6 Language Arts
Discounted Fee: $75
For more information, please call 210.734.9673

Las Americas Letters Series

St. Mary's University
Presents

Las Americas Letters Series


Speakers

Join three internationally acclaimed writers on the St. Mary's University campus as they discuss how their works portray issues of human rights, social justice and the spirit of strength through creativity.


Alicia Kozameh

Reading: Thursday, October 11, at 6:30 p.m., University Center, Conference Room A

Alicia Kozameh is an Argentine novelist and former political prisoner who survived more than three years of imprisonment and six months of freedom under surveillance. She was forced into exile and, once in California, Amnesty International helped her become a political refugee of the United Nations. She has authored novels including Pasos bajo el agua (Steps Under Water) (1987), a fictionalized account of her experience in prison; 259 saltos, uno inmortal (259 Leaps, The Last Immortal) (2001), inspired by her life in political exile; Patas de avestruz (Ostrich Legs) (2003); Basse danse (2007) and Natatio aeterna (2011). She is also the author of the poetry book, Mano en vuelo (2009) and of the collection of short stories, Ofrenda de propia piel (2004). She currently lives in Los Angeles and teaches creative writing and literature at Chapman University. Her works, translated into many languages, are a testament to the strength of the human spirit.



Paula Varsavsky

Reading: Friday, October 12, at 6:30 p.m., University Center, Conference Room A

Paula Varsavsky is an Argentinian fiction writer who, as a young girl, followed her father into exile in New York City during the military repression of the 1970s. After returning to Argentina, she began her careers in writing and journalism. In her works she reflects on the aftermath of the breaches in human rights that took place during the dictatorship. Her works include Nadie alzaba la voz (No One Said A Word) (1994), a coming of age novel; El resto de su vida (The Rest of Her Life) (2007), a novel of self-discovery; a play titled The Portrait and Las mil caras del autor, a collection of conversations with American and British writers including Joyce Carol Oates and E.L. Doctorow. Her short stories have been translated into English, French and German, and she regularly lectures on literature and creative writing at universities in Argentina, the U.S. and Great Britain. Among her awards is a British Council grant for research on British writers at Cambridge University



Carmen Tafolla

Reading: Thursday, October 11, at 6:30 p.m., University Center, Conference Room A

Author Alex Haley has called her "a world-class writer." Now, she is San Antonio's first poet laureate. One of San Antonio's cultural icons, Carmen Tafolla, Ph.D., is author of more than 20 books, including poetry, fiction and nonfiction. She has been inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for outstanding literary achievement, and her works are archived in the Benson Latin American Collection of the University of Texas Libraries. Her passions for literature and for human rights filter, as well, into her work as an educator. She embodies her writing in innovative ways, often performing it, as well as producing screenplays and scripts for television and film. Her scholarly work is in the areas of Mexican-American studies, bilingual/bicultural education and creativity education. Tafolla travels extensively to speak at universities throughout the United States as well as Europe and the Americas.