tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18282182411247092342024-02-18T19:29:12.279-08:00Journey to a Child's HeartChristine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-53872746970357157562014-10-15T00:19:00.000-07:002014-10-15T00:19:49.860-07:00My Experience With CreateSpace <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So far, I have no complains with CreateSpace. Everything went on smoothly from the time I acquired my ISBN to the time that I sent for my final copy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> What I like most about working with CreateSpace is that I can call them even in the wee hours of the morning. It would drive me crazy if I have a question and I have to wait for the next day to get my answer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I haven't experience any long waits or delays. Within 24 hours, my submitted work was approved. After 8 business days, I received the proof copy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63rNw97-MrPJFMD03S14Z-0Rii-rq0a3Clam9bbbmlVLD0nLXRIe6GXdGK_AIxkGWIsA4j1UmPfRq5Sl1u4gxG2q-r5wMN9G-oJFNknXXm4XQGtCTM7oRVaTygP6g_PJ58nNv6vIH58ov/s1600/FIRST+COPY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63rNw97-MrPJFMD03S14Z-0Rii-rq0a3Clam9bbbmlVLD0nLXRIe6GXdGK_AIxkGWIsA4j1UmPfRq5Sl1u4gxG2q-r5wMN9G-oJFNknXXm4XQGtCTM7oRVaTygP6g_PJ58nNv6vIH58ov/s1600/FIRST+COPY.jpg" height="208" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> It arrived in perfect condition. I love that CreateSpace makes glossy covers and high quality paper for the pages. The colors of every page are vibrant. One thing I can only wish for is that the company would offer hardcovers. I guess it's too expensive to make one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Of course, I was over the moon when I opened the package. There was nothing like actually touching, smelling, seeing my dream right in front of me. Oh, I loved the sound when I flip the pages. I feel so blessed and grateful for the fruition of all my hard work. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Now, I'm waiting for the first 35 copies that I ordered which is arriving on Thursday. It' great to know that there's a way of tracking it through my CreateSpace account.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span>Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-48184625119874916872014-09-17T00:30:00.002-07:002014-10-14T22:45:12.088-07:00Self-Publishing "The Magic Paintbrush"<div abp="1500">
<div abp="1097">
<span abp="1098" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Before scouting for people to work for me, I had to decide first where to have my book published. I had a few choices and then I trimmed it down to two print-on-demand printers - Lulu and Createspace. After reading some articles on the internet, I ended up choosing Createspace. </span></div>
</div>
<div abp="1500">
<div abp="1100">
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1500">
<div abp="1103">
<span abp="1104" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Here's one of the articles that helped me in my decision. Next time I will provide more links for you to read and help you decide on your own. </span></div>
</div>
<div abp="1500">
<div abp="1106">
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1500">
<div abp="1109">
<span abp="1110" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><a abp="1111" href="http://gretavanderrol.net/2014/01/27/createspace-lulu-which-should-you-choose-for-your-print-books/"><span abp="1112" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://gretavanderrol.net/2014/01/27/createspace-lulu-which-should-you-choose-for-your-print-books/</span></a></div>
</div>
<div abp="1500">
<div abp="1114">
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1500">
<div abp="1117">
<span abp="1118" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> So where did I find my editor, illustrator, and Createspace formatter? odesk is the answer! T<span abp="1501">his was where I hired two musicians for my poetry projects so why not search for my dream team here? </span></span><br />
<span abp="1118" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span abp="1501"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div abp="1502">
<div abp="1121">
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1504">
<div abp="1125">
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1586" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a abp="1587" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3OiFpVU3kVGNYYNi9TYSPBq-c1I9tboV54WRjhRxMkG9vewfI19_9sYKQKMBahtHPcXufWuKKDGARFwJNiVd3xmxWSycXMkhCARDz-9bABv51os3oXDpMb-fTQv88OZqBC5dEPiLmrc0/s1600/300px-ODesk_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img abp="1588" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3OiFpVU3kVGNYYNi9TYSPBq-c1I9tboV54WRjhRxMkG9vewfI19_9sYKQKMBahtHPcXufWuKKDGARFwJNiVd3xmxWSycXMkhCARDz-9bABv51os3oXDpMb-fTQv88OZqBC5dEPiLmrc0/s1600/300px-ODesk_logo.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<div abp="1131">
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;"><span abp="1133" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div abp="1586" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div abp="1137">
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;">
<span abp="1139" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span></span><span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;"><span abp="1142" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div abp="1143">
<div abp="1586" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;"><span abp="1148" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I was able to post the job, state my requirements, set my own deadlines, interview prospects, negotiate fees, hire, and request for revisions whenever necessary.</span></span></div>
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;">
<span abp="1153" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div abp="1586" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;"><span abp="1155" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1. Hiring an<strong abp="1156"> editor</strong> to check typos and grammatical errors was a practical thing to do. With a minimal price, I learned where I made some mistakes. I accepted most of her revisions and did my own on some parts that I thought needed more revisions. My original story was written with no illustrations. Since I wanted to create an easy reader book with illustrations, I had to delete a few sentences.</span></span></div>
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;">
</span>
<br />
<div abp="1586" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;"><span abp="1158" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2. After the editing (revisions didn't stop until the very day I sent it to Createspace), the <strong abp="1159">illustrator</strong> and I worked closely together for the whole month of August on how I wanted each illustration to look. She executed each image better than I expected her to. I was so fortunate to have found her! </span></span></div>
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;">
</span>
<br />
<div abp="1586" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;"><span abp="1161" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3. Final step was with the <strong abp="1162">formatter.</strong> I decided to hire one to avoid headaches. There was no way I could learn in such a short time. After I submitted it to her, she worked on it for a week. Then we went back and forth a few times till we got everything right. She was also a gem! She made sure she did all the changes until I was satisfied. </span></span></div>
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;">
</span>
<br />
<div abp="1586" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> If you want to save some money and be able to select among a list of qualified freelancers, try odesk. Outsourcing is the way to go to cut down on your cost and to utilize untapped talents and skills in the job market.</span></div>
<div abp="1586" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span abp="1505" style="font-family: Arial;"><span abp="1167" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-79032965318851406312014-09-16T03:29:00.001-07:002014-09-29T22:25:23.026-07:00 To Self-Publish or not to Self-Publish (part 2) <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I kept counting the days till my "Writing Children's Picture Books" class. You know why? I read on the booklet information that Lori Mortensen would be the instructor. She happened to be my one-on-one instructor at the Institute of Children's Literature. What a coincidence!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> During the class, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was reminded about the elements of a good story. I discovered that children's authors nowadays utilize animated</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">trailers to</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> promote their books on their website. I just wished Lori </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">divulged some tips on how to find an agent and a publisher or some other information that could not be found on books. She recommended that we join the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrator, an organization that educates and supports writers and illustrators.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I couldn't resist not having a photo with her. It's as if I've known her</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">for a long time since I met her through ICT.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6-szzbWsK3-ed8DCqyfro1qeByGOMAWzlJeMzjC572VNmQA6koleDjJ3HUWiNuBvc7yN4h8RhmUjqagnpRT_xgYoFaTFumbzzxC0g2qL-Uo5X8SJ0qmeViO1pKuB7p8w-OMeqaveRm4G/s1600/LORI+MORTENSENc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6-szzbWsK3-ed8DCqyfro1qeByGOMAWzlJeMzjC572VNmQA6koleDjJ3HUWiNuBvc7yN4h8RhmUjqagnpRT_xgYoFaTFumbzzxC0g2qL-Uo5X8SJ0qmeViO1pKuB7p8w-OMeqaveRm4G/s1600/LORI+MORTENSENc.jpg" height="255" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Notice the book under her bag? That's the book you can purchase once you are a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. It has all the information where to submit your stories. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-89461011913688920762014-09-16T00:53:00.002-07:002014-09-29T22:25:03.506-07:00To Self-Publish or not to Self-Publish (part 1) <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> To help me decide on whether to self-publish or not, I went to two classes at the Learning Exchange on Howe Ave., Sacramento.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Publishing Your Book - April 26, 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Writing Children's Books - May 13, 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfz8SezHJ-8dwmx23VbnypKwHGpk8l27DHNhFpndBJg5uSmJ3S6nf6QLgqrh924nEL9m7-tqPAmlV1FuOZpC0mfywTmixcF-1q21I0SZKsT8pw0hrys1RQ4V6Mu7z6-MDXeBKr2EBWDA5/s1600/img082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfz8SezHJ-8dwmx23VbnypKwHGpk8l27DHNhFpndBJg5uSmJ3S6nf6QLgqrh924nEL9m7-tqPAmlV1FuOZpC0mfywTmixcF-1q21I0SZKsT8pw0hrys1RQ4V6Mu7z6-MDXeBKr2EBWDA5/s1600/img082.jpg" height="320" width="189" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The "Publishing Your Book" class conducted by Bobbie Christensen was very informative. It made me gear myself into publishing my own book. That was also the first time I heard about ISBN and vanity press.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Purchase this book from her and you will learn all the necessary information and references. In every stage of your book, you will know what office to go to and who to contact.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nIWQupJR3K1pqh0TjChVnr45_Ew8v21rE8WWErdywwDDEG6O3jRFf_5MysrpW5prReGH3mOirhz2WS6jWU2H_1iPTqHHmrNPLbIoCwDnlYgaoqXLRy_NCC9d8FrPAB9eXmyS6MGxVq1o/s1600/img080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nIWQupJR3K1pqh0TjChVnr45_Ew8v21rE8WWErdywwDDEG6O3jRFf_5MysrpW5prReGH3mOirhz2WS6jWU2H_1iPTqHHmrNPLbIoCwDnlYgaoqXLRy_NCC9d8FrPAB9eXmyS6MGxVq1o/s1600/img080.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here's how to contact her:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">email: BooksAmerica@aol.com</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">website: www.BooksAmerica.com</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-29533184873701297252014-08-28T16:46:00.000-07:002014-09-29T22:24:36.276-07:00Promoting "The Eskalets" <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> To promote The Eskalets for the first time, I launched a poetry birthday fest on Facebook called <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;">Write me a Birthday Poem</span>.</span> I requested family, friends, acquaintances, and would-be friends, to write me a short poem - haiku, senryu, tanka, or any five line poetry. At the end of the event, I sent a video to the top three winners and two special awardees. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Here's the link to the birthday event on Facebook </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> https://www.facebook.com/events/704682542937953/</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Here's the link to the results posted on my <b><i><a href="http://blossomrain.blogspot.com/">Blossom Rain</a></i></b> blog</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> http://blossomrain.blogspot.com/2014/08/results-of-write-me-birthday-poem.html</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> It made me felt good knowing that most of them have already viewed it and enjoyed it so much. </span></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-73818159225893648752014-08-26T02:49:00.000-07:002014-09-29T22:24:08.323-07:00"The Eskalets" Project <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> PHOTO ENHANCEMENT -Early this year, I spent so many nights until the wee hours of the morning trying out different digital effects to improve the photos I took of the American robins. Remember, I had a Canon camera with only 4 megapixels that time. I also took pictures through the glass window of my bedroom so it somehow affected the sharpness of my photos. Those grueling hours paid off because I have accomplished what I had been wishing the photos would look like.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> See a sample of one of the photos.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismQy6-bQ7sI62bcuGRdUHw5RiZY3OH5Tq5Dh9SrDAHbVEk4YJ2CBjFAdFh48SQlmI6VwmzJXk6VDHeD-kEICInKsWHOcYSNQBtnQGbLzARqCfpb-xrH-bDORxFqpqo2zV-aX1wC40ob1O/s1600/034ahdrHDhdr75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismQy6-bQ7sI62bcuGRdUHw5RiZY3OH5Tq5Dh9SrDAHbVEk4YJ2CBjFAdFh48SQlmI6VwmzJXk6VDHeD-kEICInKsWHOcYSNQBtnQGbLzARqCfpb-xrH-bDORxFqpqo2zV-aX1wC40ob1O/s1600/034ahdrHDhdr75.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> VIDEO SHAKES - I really regret not using a tripod that time. My late husband and I actually had three tripods in the apartment where we used to live yet neither one of us thought that it was necessary. Initially, I didn't plan on sharing the videos. So why bother? It was also just going to be in the way of whatever space we had left in our small bedroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Thank goodness I found a free software download, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/">VideoPad Video Editor</a>. </i>I was able to use one of its effects, specifically the stabilizer which minimized some of the shakiness of my video clips. The only problem I had was, once it was coverted, it wouldn't upload to the current software I was using to make the dvd. I had to fine one that was compatible to it. Luckily, <i><b><a href="http://ww.win-downloads.com/en/downloads/644?gclid=Cj0KEQjwpvufBRCwzp_zyqfkhrcBEiQA8b-SHG_3BWgmZPFkEqQwjUm6bqn1945EQKszeXVjyHybR6caArh78P8HAQ">Windows Movie Maker</a></b></i>, a free software online, supported the converted files. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> MUSICAL BACKGROUND - How I wished I could just use the 4 piano arrangements that I had originally used for my video. They perfectly set the right mood for every part of the story. The thing was, I needed to have the license to use them which was impossible since I didn't know the titles and the names of the composers. I thought the best thing to do was to find a composer/musician who would allow me to use their old compositions or would come up with new ones for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I searched the internet and found a a young music student from Taiwan who was willing to give it a try. She worked on it from February to May. I gave her at least a couple of extensions within that frame of time, but when she finally presented two compositions (it had to be 4), they didn't jibe with my video project. They didn't capture stir any emotion inside me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Totally frustrated, I surfed the internet one more time. Just when I was about to give up, I found this website - <i><b><a href="https://www.odesk.com/mc/">oDesk</a></b></i>. It's a global online work platform that allows clients to hire and work with freelancers. Why not give it a try? After corresponding with a few freelancers, I ended up requesting a Filipino composer/instrumentalist to work with me. His name is Mark A. Galang. He requested for a month to do the job after we skyped. Exactly on my birthday, July 31, he submitted his work. I was more than pleased, not only because he did a great job but also because he agreed to work on a commission basis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> If you want to check out Mark A Galang's porfolio, go to this<b><i><a href="http://markgalang.wordpress.com/"> link</a></i></b>. You might need to hire him in the future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> DVD FOLDER AND DISC - I checked out a long list of companies that made cd/dvd jackets or sleeves, but they are too pricey for me. I have to order in big volumes. Good thing, I thought about Etsy and I cherry-picked Terri to do a customized folder and disc for me. Here is my first order of 25 sets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QHaNXtpksd_kxYmYDuuW4EPSHjwRNR89nn30W2xfg8zc4ZBr5L2WvXw3JU_9YatFFXfKMYI4OpEf0HJbweLrCRN1TDeztCr_xtJwhX1fxcwfJ1WQTOPDEady5FRpzNk398e86bAtcUNJ/s1600/DSC07112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QHaNXtpksd_kxYmYDuuW4EPSHjwRNR89nn30W2xfg8zc4ZBr5L2WvXw3JU_9YatFFXfKMYI4OpEf0HJbweLrCRN1TDeztCr_xtJwhX1fxcwfJ1WQTOPDEady5FRpzNk398e86bAtcUNJ/s1600/DSC07112.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> PLASTIC BAG - Of course, I need something to protect my beautiful folders and discs when I ship them to my buyers. So I surfed again in the internet. As usual, I found companies that demanded a high quantity of order. It was an ordeal to find the right size. I almost settled with a bigger size until finally, like a gift from heaven, it popped out from <i><b><a href="http://www.clearenvelopes.com/5-3-16-x-5-1-16-crystal-clear-protective-bag-132x129-100-pieces-b5x5spc.html">Clear Envelopes</a></b></i>' website. And guess what? The minimum order was 1 for a set of 25 pieces. Hooray!</span><br />
<br />Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-44832286585026875992014-08-25T16:00:00.000-07:002014-09-29T22:20:22.387-07:00Writing Projects for This Year <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since I've already updated you with all my published works for the past two years and a half, now I'm going to share with your my writing projects for this year. From 2011, I've been more focused on short form poetry such as haiku and tanka. I'm still going to keep on writing and submitting them for publication, but this year, I'll make sure that I find time to pursue what I've already started which is writing for children.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So here were the goals that I listed down in January 2014:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1) A new improved version of <b><i>The Eskalets</i></b> - In 2008, I wrote a children's story in dvd format. This was inspired by the photos and video clips that I took of the six American robins by my window's apartment in 2007. To improve this dvd, I have to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> a. improve the quality of the photos (taken from a Canon camera with only 4 megapix) by using digital art</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> b. find a way to minimize the shakes in my video clips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> c. find a musician who would do the music background</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2) <b><i>The Magic Paintbrush </i></b>as a picture book or easy reader book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> a. find an illustrator</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> b. revised it to make it appropriate for a book with illustrations</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> c. find an editor to check typos, grammatical errors, etc.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3) Update this blog</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4) Set up a new website to promote myself as a children's book author</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5) Research on whether to self-publish or not to self-publish</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I need to add this one:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6) Non-children's journal - to put up the very first haiga (haiku and art) journal that I've been dreaming about for some time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Do you think I'm expecting too much of myself this year? Wait till you read my next posts and find out if I've achieved at least half of my goals. :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-8877299054947575032014-08-24T15:00:00.000-07:002014-09-29T22:14:47.676-07:00"The Magic Paintbrush" Featured in August Blog Splash<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> In August 6, 2012, The Magic Paintbrush was featured on Kathy Uyen Nguyen's <b><i><a href="http://alotus-poetry.livejournal.com/202327.html">August Blog Splash</a></i></b>, a talent showcase of poets, artists, writers/authors from different walks of life. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Here is what she wrote: </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This heart-warming
children's story is definitely a bedtime, nap time, or reading time story that
keeps the joy of art and heart going until the next day. The reader is
immersed in Alexa's colorful world and her adventurous encounter with a magical
paintbrush. Interestingly, this magic paintbrush grants more wishes than
a genie or djinn can, which would delight the child in all of us. Just
like any children's story, there are also morals and lessons to be
learned. Villa captures what a true artist (in the general sense that
does include poets, writers, musicians, etc.) should really be at heart through
the eyes of the young protagonist, Alexa. Villa's writing style is
concise and lighthearted, but at the same time, simply honest and at times, poetic. </span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-20837751431120347282014-08-23T10:00:00.000-07:002014-09-29T22:14:23.242-07:00"The Magic Paintbrush" in a Senior Magazine<div abp="852">
<span abp="853" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> "The Magic Paintbrush" is a children's story for all ages. Yes, it's also for parents and grandparents who want to feel like a kid again.</span></div>
<div abp="854">
<span abp="855" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> In October 2011, this story of mine was published in a senior mobile home park's magazine called Lamplighter Lighter Chatter. </span><br />
<span abp="855" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9ADMsxoneZK6iYTBJ_uPrW5vgHL2NcxLZf7pVdiyvkQwv7HOjAzSITN4bd3dY8qFbFs6LZhBTSN6ufxQXSjfsZXwQuLrfy01BURIpgLVVkflEV1CS1qQeSCXlzI_4rnx2MHaP8g6BqO_/s1600/img047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9ADMsxoneZK6iYTBJ_uPrW5vgHL2NcxLZf7pVdiyvkQwv7HOjAzSITN4bd3dY8qFbFs6LZhBTSN6ufxQXSjfsZXwQuLrfy01BURIpgLVVkflEV1CS1qQeSCXlzI_4rnx2MHaP8g6BqO_/s1600/img047.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I was happy to receive some positive feedback. In fact, it was published again in 2013. </span></div>
<div abp="862" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFntqhiUUjbzRronegTV3XJFYkQhosH_vF1DpxbEXLpFxAfZt7gw9it3iKeJmH761MN5OpJiLAN287T1s7b7EJwo17CQaj4175_st59DjXLIh6sb4XfLRQ8mtL1VIpi2BToPSkTSARQu2V/s1600/img086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFntqhiUUjbzRronegTV3XJFYkQhosH_vF1DpxbEXLpFxAfZt7gw9it3iKeJmH761MN5OpJiLAN287T1s7b7EJwo17CQaj4175_st59DjXLIh6sb4XfLRQ8mtL1VIpi2BToPSkTSARQu2V/s1600/img086.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-9238174974939231682014-08-23T09:17:00.000-07:002014-09-29T21:00:58.697-07:00"The Magic Paintbrush" in a Knowonder's Story Book Collection<div abp="853">
<span abp="854" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> While visiting the <b abp="855"><i abp="856"><a abp="857" href="http://www.knowonder.com/">knowonder!</a></i></b> website in January 2013, I came across some good news. My story The Magic Paintbrush has been included in the 1st volume of <b abp="858"><i abp="859"><a abp="860" href="http://www.knowonder.com/our-books/">Knowonder's storybook collection</a></i></b>. The book contains 30 fun and original stories, one for every day of the month. </span></div>
<div abp="861">
<span abp="862" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> By now, Knowonder has a total of six books on sale for their story time collection, one of which is the 1st volume. You can still purchase it from Amazon by clicking this <b abp="863"><i abp="864"><a abp="865" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lonely-Dragon-collection-knowonder/dp/1481226010/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1384529998&sr=8-4&keywords=knowonder">link</a></i></b>.</span></div>
<div abp="866">
<span abp="867" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br abp="868" /></span>
</div>
<div abp="869" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a abp="870" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9sBIO9U5z_Ya8TJRAbfyZAsLemf3qNb8ftp5nz375eSnIFVo95Icr_udgof8DXuPsdH9olPFfFlDXTozuA1jL560X7SPmQVVih8naWHrcNiuJBa9wLdsl8WP0T5pdXUvg-0JlcjfLiXTU/s1600/MAGIC+PAINTBRUSH+STORYBOOK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img abp="871" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9sBIO9U5z_Ya8TJRAbfyZAsLemf3qNb8ftp5nz375eSnIFVo95Icr_udgof8DXuPsdH9olPFfFlDXTozuA1jL560X7SPmQVVih8naWHrcNiuJBa9wLdsl8WP0T5pdXUvg-0JlcjfLiXTU/s1600/MAGIC+PAINTBRUSH+STORYBOOK.jpg" height="400" width="253" /></a></div>
<div abp="872" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-90068499389068484252014-08-22T18:57:00.001-07:002014-09-29T20:59:50.555-07:00Tarsier Man <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Another article of mine focusing on the number one tarsier protector, Carlito Pizarras, was published in April 18, 2014. This time I didn't focus on younger children as my target readers because my goal was to submit my work to the editor of FilAm Star, a newspaper based in San Francisco.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> My article entitled Tarsier Man contains a few sentences borrowed from <b><i><a href="http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Hero+of+the+Tarsiers%3A+carlito+Pizarras+stopped+hunting+them+and%E2%80%A6-a0360205878">Hero of the Tarsiers</a></i></b>, but it is packed with more information.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> You can read the full story from my second post on the Philippine Tarsier Foundation website here. Or, you can look up on the FilAm Star website. Please click <b><i><a href="http://www.filamstar.net/images/stories/pdf/269.pdf">here </a></i></b>and scroll down to page 7. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Here's a snapshot of the article. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEvlFn4A-hU-yY0NGtgtuwqwuD_T0YeGFoOe_tznObDXNls0uDr3lX7PLd-XlyZMYNawQNFfY8ebgDvXk3y6Cyf-fyUj2A4OkMPUvfvwQqHOj_sYi0s6Aq6eoNtO4AJo2fb5YsJJF5agS/s1600/DSC05213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEvlFn4A-hU-yY0NGtgtuwqwuD_T0YeGFoOe_tznObDXNls0uDr3lX7PLd-XlyZMYNawQNFfY8ebgDvXk3y6Cyf-fyUj2A4OkMPUvfvwQqHOj_sYi0s6Aq6eoNtO4AJo2fb5YsJJF5agS/s1600/DSC05213.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-29823454010023637122014-08-22T18:26:00.000-07:002014-09-16T01:10:47.069-07:00Hero of the Tarsiers <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Recently, Joannie Mary Cabillo, project manager of<i><a href="http://www.tarsierfoundation.org/"> <b>Philippine Tarsier Foundation</b></a></i>, added me as one of the contributors to their website.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Last July, I posted about my article, Hero of the Tarsiers. Click <i><b><a href="http://www.tarsierfoundation.org/news-and-updates/hero-of-the-tarsiers-7.html">here</a></b></i> to see the post. Most Filipinos in the Philippines will not be able to get a copy of Highlights Magazine for children so I provided the link where they can find the article online. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Here's the link:</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <i>http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Hero+of+the+Tarsiers%3A+carlito+Pizarras+stopped+hunting+them+and…-a0360205878 </i></span><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> If I weren't curious enought to google my own article, I wouldn't have found this link. Imagine how I felt when the title of the article popped out and the full story was there. Awesome!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-32920653392082874742014-08-21T23:25:00.000-07:002014-09-29T20:59:03.068-07:00What's New?<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I'm sure at least one of you who has taken a peek at my blog has been wondering whatever happened to my article. What happened to me??? I just disappeared into thin air.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I actually have wonderful news! Tons of good news. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Before I start, I'd like to announce that I'm back for good. I know. I hear you. You think you've heard that a million times from me. Hey, I have a very good reason for not having the time to write any updates. In case you haven't known, my husband was battling brain cancer in the middle of 2012. Since he passed away last April 2013, I've been trying to pick up the pieces. So be patient with me. :-) Slowly, I will let you catch up on the latest news. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Let me start with the article that I mentioned about a long time ago. 2 years and 6 months ago to be exact. So did I hear from them again? YES, I did! Now I can feel confident divulging what I've been wanting to say for a long time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <b>Title of the non-fiction article</b>: Hero of the Tarsiers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <b>Target Magazine</b>: Highlights for Children</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Remember the photo I posted of that creature with enormous eyes and batlike ears? It's called tarsier (Tar-see-er). The focus of my article is not on the tarsiers but on Carlito Pizarras’ growing fascination and dedication to them, which made him become recognized locally and
internationally as their number one protector. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I think it will be clearer to list down chronologically all the steps I went through until it was finally published in Highlights for Children. Yes, you heard it right! My very first attempt was a huge success. :-) Let me back up from the very beginning so you can imagine how long it took before my article was published. This will give you an idea how much time elapsed from the day of submission to that glorious day when I could actually touch and smell the published pages of my article. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1) <b>first week of February, 2011 </b>- I mailed my manuscript to Highlights.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2) <b>before the end of February, 2011</b> - I received this cute postcard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPAE_LBXRLMSJVPx09oGCvtPuuRXeTA0pgsXxJ5OdpUDljZuqPg-9DX67BKvc2U_ZQAFqv7yqODnKzFHTQcgRZnqm-xNOx8MlwjQBvIi9R2XOGvgWsB7yvXSW09z_URELaFk1ER54YIOD/s1600/HIGHLIGHTS+POSTCARD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPAE_LBXRLMSJVPx09oGCvtPuuRXeTA0pgsXxJ5OdpUDljZuqPg-9DX67BKvc2U_ZQAFqv7yqODnKzFHTQcgRZnqm-xNOx8MlwjQBvIi9R2XOGvgWsB7yvXSW09z_URELaFk1ER54YIOD/s1600/HIGHLIGHTS+POSTCARD.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3) <b>June 13, 2012</b>- Andy Boyles, science editor of Highlights, wrote me an email telling me that he had reviewed my manuscript and that he had recommended it for publication. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4) <b>January 16, 2013</b> - Christine French Cully, editor-in-chief of Highlights, sent me an acceptance letter and a contract to sign. I mailed the contract as soon as possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5) 2nd week of February, 2013 - I received my check of $200. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">6)<b> July 31, 2013 </b>- Eleni Palis, editorial intern of H., asked for my assistance to contact Joannie Cabillo of the Tarsier Foundation in the Philippines to follow up the photo release forms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">7)<b> August 6, 2013</b> - Eleni Palis emailed me again to do what I can to expedite the photo rights process. She also mentioned that the target date of publication will be in March 2014.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">8) <b>August 13, 2013</b> - Betty Mosher, who was writing for Judy Burke, officially announced the publication in March 2014. She sent me the edited version for review.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">9)<b> September 4, 2013 </b>- Andy Boyle wrote to ask clarify something about the article as they are in the late stages of editing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">10) </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1st week of April 2014 </b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- I received this Thank You card and of course, two complimentary copies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwOEM8-Igm15ZVQS7S2d3EKZ1njapC_Z6_BwDpad_Hkluvn_VEXplj49RgtqNcenf6-iTNoKuSHddMjqzGJO5eBWJGL9OG5d7EmSshXPYHCh9aVe4aON4SWJ7fl40KqbQD-Y8i2fnvm_h/s1600/HIGHLIGHTS+THANK+YOU+CARD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwOEM8-Igm15ZVQS7S2d3EKZ1njapC_Z6_BwDpad_Hkluvn_VEXplj49RgtqNcenf6-iTNoKuSHddMjqzGJO5eBWJGL9OG5d7EmSshXPYHCh9aVe4aON4SWJ7fl40KqbQD-Y8i2fnvm_h/s1600/HIGHLIGHTS+THANK+YOU+CARD.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ENB1ckVpIHu8AtnK_oeG_WKlL9YCnmrVNlUIWDGJWFNcDCa0VAbvEMduyrdD0KdNVeadaQzogkqNeuccC_1mBeCfRusIKOc35cphiRi4L4vRjPnUuKp546fcy2VYdS1TZ_-uOLLpEgE1/s1600/HIGHLIGHTS+MAGAZINE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ENB1ckVpIHu8AtnK_oeG_WKlL9YCnmrVNlUIWDGJWFNcDCa0VAbvEMduyrdD0KdNVeadaQzogkqNeuccC_1mBeCfRusIKOc35cphiRi4L4vRjPnUuKp546fcy2VYdS1TZ_-uOLLpEgE1/s1600/HIGHLIGHTS+MAGAZINE.jpg" height="400" width="306" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">10) </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">March 2014</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - The appearance of Hero of the Tarsiers in this month's issue of Highlights of Children.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I was tickled to death to see my work appearing in this prestigious magazine. By the time it was out, I rushed to Barnes and Nobles bookstore to witness a stack of them displayed on the shelf. I bought a couple of magazines and even kept the receipt. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Highlights gave me two copies to send to the <i><b><a href="http://www.tarsierfoundation.org/">Philippine Tarsier Foundation</a></b></i>. I was thrilled to post on their Facebook page that I was sending them their copies. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> After a couple of weeks, I decided to call Highlights to order a dozen copies. I was so excited to give it away to relatives and friends. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> To sum it all up, it took more than 3 years before it was published. Anything that takes that long is surely worth the wait! Do you agree?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-79106938623608929552012-03-10T14:44:00.000-08:002014-08-18T16:50:58.998-07:00BIG NEWS from knowonder!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> About a week ago, I received some wonderful news from knowonder!. Here's the email sent to me. Hopefully, they will be accepting one of my stories again. :-)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <em> Dear knowonder! fan,<br />
<br />
We have recently gone through some challenging times, but, like the old adage says, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger! Well, we are getting stronger and better, and so, despite the many challenges we have faced over the last few months, I wanted to give you an update to let you know about our exciting news. There are some major changes under way!<br />
<br />
First - we have secured a large amount of funding! This investment will enable us to give you a much better and easier experience in using/viewing our stories and content via mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Kindle Fire. We will also be delivering more content than ever before after the apps are launched. Readers will be able to vote on stories as they read them, monthly prizes will be given away, and much, much more! Also, it will finally allow me (Phillip) to work full-time on knowonder!, so you'll be seeing and hearing more from us. :)<br />
<br />
Second - we are increasing the amount we pay per story! We will now be paying $25 for stories between 500-999 words, and $50 for stories over 1,000 words.<br />
<br />
Of course, there is a little bit of bad news, as well: the downside is that we will not be publishing stories for up to 3 months (until June) while we are building up our story database and building out the apps. (We will, however, be publishing Totally True Tuesdays and Fun Facts Friday pieces). Please be assured that we are still alive and well during that time. We just have such a small team that we won't be able to keep up with the demanding schedule of publishing a new story every day while building out the new apps and other exciting content. However, if you are interested in submitting your stories, please know that we will be selecting and paying for stories on a monthly basis, so you will know within 30 days whether or not your stories have been accepted, even though they may not be published until June or after.<br />
<br />
Last of all, THANK YOU, again, for your support of knowonder. We are closer than ever before in fulfilling this wonderful vision.<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
Phillip Chipping, Founder<br />
knowonder! magazine<br />
www.knowonder.com</em></span>Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-85188687284553935532012-02-18T19:27:00.001-08:002014-08-18T23:44:17.228-07:00Waiting Stage<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Today I found something in the mail. A postcard! It's not an acceptance letter yet from the magazine, but a note to let me know my manuscript is being reviewed. Whew! That's a good sign. I'm so relieved to receive a postcard from them and not my self-addressed envelope with my manuscript inside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> Let's see how long it will take. Meanwhile, I'm crossing my fingers. :-)</span>Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-61400656271862234572012-02-05T01:09:00.000-08:002014-08-21T23:18:01.446-07:00Finding a Home<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Just yesterday, I mailed an article to a magazine. It was the last assignment which I revised according to the advice of my personal instructor from Institute of Children's Literature. Like any other nonfiction, it entailed numerous hours of researching, interviewing, emailing back and forth, etc. I also had to revise it a few times, but I must say that I enjoyed the whole process immensely.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> To give you a sneak peak</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">, here's a photo of a nocturnal creature found in the Philippines. Do you the know the name of it? Do you know the man who dedicated his life to protect it?</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_HwOgiCXhheM7sBUk4y06Wg_wEm3qXWUd4FnsNURpkJ4HhvLGrfrbW5JaVIQi83kl4LzQsbnIFuxG5nhcnaGEKEZ6QCh6o7viCVV97B_p37vwu4DlQypGwEHgtUHLyG89T3MrY0XlUB5/s1600/tarsier2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_HwOgiCXhheM7sBUk4y06Wg_wEm3qXWUd4FnsNURpkJ4HhvLGrfrbW5JaVIQi83kl4LzQsbnIFuxG5nhcnaGEKEZ6QCh6o7viCVV97B_p37vwu4DlQypGwEHgtUHLyG89T3MrY0XlUB5/s320/tarsier2.jpg" height="212" sda="true" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Hopefully, after a couple of months, I'd be able to tell you the answer to these questions. Once my article has found a home, you'll definitely know everything about it :-)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-61421409686384362312012-01-28T15:44:00.000-08:002014-09-29T15:59:49.227-07:00Graduation!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4tvstB8wH8StGVulxVNu66XlvIT5UQATnbIzZOcTtPZc-MOosMjZ_oUVgrRjFZ2LjQlDqs5goS-oHi1W6zbVB0SxOhYYigVr94uun4Tpgx7W8SXbwseZO-JVE_MS8BEDsNxFm3lUq4wF/s1600/DIPLOMA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4tvstB8wH8StGVulxVNu66XlvIT5UQATnbIzZOcTtPZc-MOosMjZ_oUVgrRjFZ2LjQlDqs5goS-oHi1W6zbVB0SxOhYYigVr94uun4Tpgx7W8SXbwseZO-JVE_MS8BEDsNxFm3lUq4wF/s1600/DIPLOMA.jpg" height="313" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Yay! Finally, I graduated!!!! It took me more than two years because I took a leave of absence for more than six months and it was only at the latter part that I worked with my personal instructor, Lori Mortensen, via email. All in all, it was a wonderful ride. I was fortunate to have her as my instructor, personal guide, and companion on my journey. She was very helpful and encouraging.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> I waited for more than a month before I got hold of this diploma. They sent it to my old address. Can you imagine me checking my mailbox every single day? </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> I'm posting her comments on her last letter to me so I can keep a positive frame of mind.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>"You're a good write and with great ideas - always a winning combination. :-)"</em></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em> "Great job on your revision!!!! You are one of my best students and you're on your way to selling and selling. Great job!!...."</em></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em> "Remember, too, that writers deal with rejection all the time so don't be discouraged if rejections come your way. The most important thing is to keep writing, submitting and improving. The more you write, the better your writing will become. The more you study what editors want, the better you'll be at delivering exactly what they're looking for.</em></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em> "Congratulations on all of your work and good luck with all of your writing projects. I'm sure you'll do well. If you have any good news to share about your writing, please send me a note at the Institute. (Do let me know when you hear back from Highlights about his manuscript :-) ! They'll be crazy not to buy it!) The Institute is always pleased to hear about student successes and I would be particularly pleased to know if one of your assignments was accepted for publication."</em></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> I should now go out and celebrate! After that, I'm buying a frame for my diploma :-)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-76082174942737675992011-12-26T19:28:00.000-08:002014-08-18T16:52:49.120-07:00Christmas Gift<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> A day before Christmas, my Christmas gift came through an email. Yes, I finally received what I've been waiting for!<span style="color: #0b5394;"> <span style="color: black;">The</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><a href="http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/InThisIssue.aspx"> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><em>Holiday (Dec/Jan) 2011 Volume4 Issue 7</em> of <em>Stories for Children Magazine</em></span></a></strong></span></span> is out already! Attached to the email was my contributor's copy. :-)</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> Here's the cover of the magazine.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErQpEnm35UkRuEPiaZDBXYeHGhMvIu9NEw5AqtMOc6MmQc6ynrw2bniA7OJy-Yb9WZbgV3BomxnYq8zsyM3KkSd63ZiS7B6QxkmqqXXqXDUXL_A6tbT9AY27RcpHnYpYgMxJN0j__jatS/s1600/STORIES+FOR+CHILDREN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErQpEnm35UkRuEPiaZDBXYeHGhMvIu9NEw5AqtMOc6MmQc6ynrw2bniA7OJy-Yb9WZbgV3BomxnYq8zsyM3KkSd63ZiS7B6QxkmqqXXqXDUXL_A6tbT9AY27RcpHnYpYgMxJN0j__jatS/s1600/STORIES+FOR+CHILDREN.jpg" sda="true" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I wrote an article entitled "Cool Invention" and a recipe to go with it - "Fruity Yogurt Pops." Make sure to purchase the magazine</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/storiesforchildrenmagazine">here.</a></strong></em> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">With a very reasonable price, you'll be able to enjoy not only my article and recipe but also a ton of wonderful stories, poems, and activities. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Reminisce your Christmas childhood memories with this holiday issue or give it as a gift to the precious little ones in your life. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I hope your Christmas was as heartwarming and as delightful as mine. :-)</span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-48454656666788821352011-10-16T11:00:00.001-07:002014-08-22T20:42:25.636-07:00The Magic Paintbrush<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> Philipp Chipping, the founder of </span><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.knowonder.com/">knowonder!</a></strong></em></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, emailed me a very exciting news! I won the PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD for my children's story, The Magic Paintbrush. The story was published on September 9, 2011. You can read the full story<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1087678259"> </a></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.knowonder.com/?s=Magic+Paintbrush">here.</a></strong></em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><br /></em></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32mp99INZCMI9PsROzmbUrqjzNaFwEqtriALuk70-NgcnbqABtNpjBdLXKezMnBNUt0l8jxdXQXWR7yUc7WiTSKkZ3Wr7KtMe6AgRoCiJcMB-Tb4ypFwtwu3ZlXjeS_II1zrkqty3RVe9/s1600/ALEXA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32mp99INZCMI9PsROzmbUrqjzNaFwEqtriALuk70-NgcnbqABtNpjBdLXKezMnBNUt0l8jxdXQXWR7yUc7WiTSKkZ3Wr7KtMe6AgRoCiJcMB-Tb4ypFwtwu3ZlXjeS_II1zrkqty3RVe9/s320/ALEXA.jpg" height="320" sda="true" width="291" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is a dream come true! It was my first attempt to submit and it got published. It would have been more wonderful if it were in print, but I shouldn't complain. This is my very first breakthrough! </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> After writing "<span style="color: magenta;">The Eskalets</span>," I had a serious back problem. I was going crazy, not being able to actively enjoy the summer. Luckily, or let me say, by divine intervention, I stumbled upon the advertisement that I cut out several years ago</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">. It was an offer from Institute of Children's Literature to take an aptitude test for a writing course. I was a little hesitant, but I knew I was ready for the challenge. The story, <span style="color: magenta;">"Gianna's Surprise Adventure</span>," came easily to me and before I knew it, I was offered the opportunity to enroll in a course called Writing for Children and Teenagers. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> It took about two months before I started the course. I was nursing my back in a hot bubble bath with a pen and paper on hand. Unmindful of the suds dripping on the paper, I scribbled words after words after words. "<span style="color: magenta;">The Magic Paintbrush</span>" was one of the stories I wrote then. It was a story that helped me overcome the pain I was going through. It simply transported me to a magical place in time. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> This delightful story will make any child and adult feel warm inside. Check out the site and read for yourself. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> This is just the beginning of my journey. I hope to continually pursue my dream of writing for children. It will not be a very easy path, but I know it will be worth all the hard work. I cannot imagine something more fulfilling than touching a child's heart.</span></div>
</div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828218241124709234.post-64997462311835175772011-10-14T16:00:00.000-07:002014-09-16T01:04:15.814-07:00Cool News in October!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> After about two months of waiting for the final decision of Stories for Children Magazine, I received an email today from Ms. VS Grenier that they would like to publish my manuscript for their holiday issue this year. This is my very first article submission to a magazine! I can't wait to see it in December.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> "<span style="color: magenta;">A Cool Invention</span>" is an article that explains how the eleven-year old Frank Epperson accidentally invented the Popsicle. "<span style="color: magenta;">Fruity Yogurt Ice Pop</span>" is a simple and delicious recipe that young children from ages 3 and up can prepare with simple assistance. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I can't wait to see it in December. This is really some cool news! :-) </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">All I have to do is wait for their contract, sign it, and I can already jump up and down for joy. :-)</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Christine "Chrissi" L. Villahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834613429230278257noreply@blogger.com0