I ♥ Alison Rae!

Fasten your seatbelts, this literary train is chugging along with or without you.

The ball is rolling and now I just need to keep up with the momentum. I’ve always worked better with looming deadlines and pressure. I’m feeling it again now with the promotion of my children’s book and short story collection. This book writing project has a life of its own and Alison and I are super passionate about perfecting and maintaining what we’ve started. I feel as giddy as I did when I was planning my wedding. We even created a brand logo--making it all the more real. Details, creativity, commitment—just like a marriage.

This past week we decided (after much research) on a web hosting company. We sat together making the deal and pounding the guy on the phone with questions. When the representative verified that GuamBooksAndBeads.com was indeed available, we shrieked like crazed teenagers. You would have thought Robert Pattinson entered the room (shameless cougar plug). We had to apologize to the very quiet man on the phone. He must be used to people being excited or we stunned him paralyzed with our banshee-like shrieks. So, for the past week we have been building our website. It should launch early September with awesome details. It definitely makes me feel more validated as a writer. I actually introduced myself as a mom / writer today at a NEA Grant workshop. It felt great.

We are looking forward to bringing more literary products to the masses with emphasis on our Chamorro heritage. I am excited to be carrying out my late father’s desire to share the beauty of our culture and having my kid brother and his talents along for the ride is quite comforting.

I feel my father’s presence in these last few months and the synergy of what I decided is carrying me on a wave from the Guam newspaper phone interview (thanks, Lenika), to the purchase of supplies for our festival appearances, to family and friends asking me to autograph their books and being invited to UCLA to speak on a panel. It’s all raining down gloriously and I’m jumping in puddles and acting the fool.

My family keeps me elevated like the great latte stones. My professional and personal relationship with my mali’ and business partner, Alison gives me purpose. Who would have thought that meeting this stranger for the first time at her wedding in 2008 would lead to all this. So, to Alison…you are awesome. Thanks for being a friend. ZINGA!

Esta later!

No P.O. Boxes?--Who wants to see my Brother on a....

So, with the excitement of the release of my new book, Sirena: A Mermaid Legend From Guam, I'm not going to let a little speed bump stop my fervor. I love my former students from Guam (after 8 years of teaching at about 140 a year, that's over a thousand former students from John F. Kennedy High School), who wanted to order my book, but couldn't get their copy sent to Guam because they have, WAIT FOR IT...P.O. Boxes! Now, at first I was upset that my publisher didn't ship at all to Guam, but they do. They even ship to Guatemala, but that's neither here nor Guam. Now, the best way for awesome patrons to get my book now is to have a physical address. Guam folk know that the vast majority of islanders have P.O. Boxes because it's just cost effective. When I say that, I mean it's too expensive to have a typhoon roll over the island and have mailboxes destroyed over and over. It would be a spectacle to have farm house mailboxes and other cutesy boxes flying around, but I digress. So, for anyone interested in ordering my book FROM GUAM, I feel your pain. This is what I found out from authorhouse.com. You will need to call a BECKY or ERICA at 1-888-519-5121 ext 5023 to get the book mailed, MEDIA mail, which basically means there is no insurance that you'll get it. Or pester that one auntie you know that doesn't need to drive to the Hagatna post office because her mail gets delivered to her door and use her address. Then there's the need for a "media hub" which means you'll need to ask DHL or FEDEX for their address and to have your book sent there. I envision Becky having her phone ring off the hook with calls from Guam. Let's give her our Island hospitality, the good stuff, huh? Otherwise, in the next few months I hope you can find my book at Bestseller, Faith (is that still there?) and shops in the Chamorro Village. I'm open to your ideas. Maybe my brother, the illustrator can borrow my uncle's carabao and sell books on the road, so HONK if you see him on Marine Corp. highway. Hmmmm....The lovely graphic added here is for Guam Books & Beads. My wonderfully awesome cousin, Alison Taimanglo Cuasay and I are joining forces to promote our books, her jewelry and any other Chamorro stuff we whip up--just like the Wonder Twins. So, you can "like" us on Facebook. Next step would be a real website. Si Yu'os Ma'ase!
Esta, later!

The Missing Link to a Mermaid

My brother, Sonny K. Chargualaf (illustrator) and I thank everyone for their support. My children enjoyed the first story-telling from mom when we received the official copy this morning! Sirena: A Mermaid Legend from Guam is ready to order at the following link. We are looking to market the book on Guam at Bestseller, but the best price is directly with AUTHORHOUSE.com for $10.00 each. ISBN: 9781452057262.
Link won't do its magic, so please cut and paste or visit authorhouse.com.
http://www.authorhouse.com/Bookstore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=73543