Showing posts with label Guam sirena mermaid legend tanya taimanglo sonny chargualaf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guam sirena mermaid legend tanya taimanglo sonny chargualaf. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

I'm a Dandy Lion, hear me ROAR!



"Reading makes a full (man), conference a ready (man), and writing an exact (man)." --Sir Francis Bacon


I’m listless when I’m not writing.

My son asks the same question before walking to his class--after we do our ritual of high-fives and I love you’s and blown kisses. “What are you going to do at home when I’m at school?”

My standard response is “cook, clean and WRITE!”

With the first in my Guam legend series tackled and my short story collection completed, I’m grabbing at words, jotting down phrases that inspire me. A brief meeting with a stranger can spark a storyline in my head. Remembering an old friend in high school, gets me thinking of their point-of-view.

My next legend collaboration with my artist brother is Fu’una and Puntan. Maybe blasting this in cyberspace will add to the urgency. “Git ‘er done!” As Mater would say. So, February 2011 people. That’s my self-imposed deadline.

With no real looming deadline and focus on the promotion of my books and the Guam Books and Beads mission, I’m like a floating dandelion spore.

I let loose a few weeks ago with a night of dancing with the husband at a military ball. Blisters the next day didn’t take away from the fun of that night. I also went to a rock concert, alone. My way of feeling alive--the stylings of Muse roaring in my ear. Ringing ears and aching heels from standing in my rocker chick leather boots for two hours didn’t take away from the joy of that night. Stone Temple Pilots rolls into town in a few weeks, maybe I’ll need another session. Free tickets from the military for a Padres vs. Chicago Cubs game wasn't so bad as a de-stresser either.

I keep several journals handy when I have to wait in the car for my son, my daughter napping. I’ve parked at his school almost an hour early, for prime parking. I’m not the only parent crazy enough to do this by the way. So, that’s my writing time. Poetry lately. Focusing on a few new projects, with deadlines closer to Thanksgiving.

I’m due for a blog session since September zinged by. So, with laptop open or journal and pen in hand…I’ll be writing. Juggling many hats keeps my engine primed. So, if you ever see me in my swagger wagon, jotting away or bobbing my head to some Muse, Kings of Leon or Beastie Boys, I’m working. My office is anywhere I can put my lines to paper. Like the beautiful, wistful dandelion spores, I hope I can land some prime lines, some inspiring phrases, and unique takes on life.

Happy birthday to my dad. He would have been 59 on October 21st.

www.GuamBooksAndBeads.com ROCKS!

ESTA LATER!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

It Has Begun! Book One Hitting the Presses!



Sirena: A Mermaid Legend from Guam is hitting the presses! I just approved the final proof and cover for my first self-published book. I will be retelling Guam legends with the artistic genius of my little brother, Sonny Chargualaf. On a side note, the first proof was ready on the death anniversary of Bruce Lee….cue eerie music now. B.L. fan in the bloghouse.

We have dedicated this first book to our late father, Tedy Gamboa Chargualaf. I can only hope that he is looking down from heaven, happy and proud that his children are continuing his legacy to perpetuate the Chamorro culture.

Your support is appreciated. Authorhouse.com is the self-publishing company I chose. Being a writer within the niche of Chamorro culture, it was the most reasonable way of getting this particular book published. The children’s book will be ready to purchase by October 2010, which is a fitting way to remember our dad for what would have been his 59th birthday. Ordering directly from authorhouse.com will get you the book for $10.00. If you go through Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com, you can expect to pay a higher price of $12.99. So, the obvious choice is to get it directly from the publisher.

With the help and support of Sonny, my mom, my mali’ Alison (who also has a children’s book coming out) and family and friends privy to our endeavor, this first notch in my literary dreams has come true. My short story compilation, Attitude 13, will also be ready by October and will include pieces for a more mature audience--with a lot of Chamorro culture infused in the storylines.

When the actual book becomes ready for purchase, I will include a link here. For now, enjoy the cover art that I approved today. Biba Chamorro!

Esta Later!

A Story of a Stolen Mermaid--(and the Infringement of an Artist)

Fact: I wrote Sirena: A Mermaid Legend from Guam in 2010. Fact: My brother, Sonny Chargualaf is the talented artist behind the imagery. ...