Posts Tagged ‘Love Made of Heart’

Are There Any Events in San Francisco Bay Area for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women & Girls?

Yes!

Today, Tuesday November 23, 2010,  Noon– at steps of San Francisco City Hall.  MamaCoAtl, playwright Kim McMillon, Poet Nina Serrano, city officials and community members will kick off 16 Days of ARTivism for healing and education to end violence against women and girls. How befitting that the 16 days of ARTivism will then begin on Nov. 25 United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women & Girls, which is also Thanksgiving Day this year 2010!
For schedule of events through Dec. 10, 2010 http://16daysofartivismforthehealingofviolence.wordpress.com/

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan,  Author/ Writing Career Coach / Manuscript Consultant / GraceArt Publishing

“Teresa uses her book Love Made of Heart to help survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.”

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

http://writingcoachteresa.com

My pal Elisa Southard, author/travel writer/marketing coach, got me a ticket to the  Diablo Actors Ensemble’s production of Twelve Angry Men (by Reginald Rose, the teleplay was first broadcast live on CBS’s show Studio One in 1954).   Seasoned actor Will Southard (Elisa’s husband) portrays Juror #8 (the role played by Robert Cummings in the teleplay and then by Henry Fonda in the film).

I went to Diablo Actors Ensemble with  Elisa’s father-in-law and sister-in-law Kaer Soutthard of Executive Support Solutions and CardkinArts.

http://executivesupportsolutions.biz/

Twelve Angry Men is one of the plays I would watch again and again.  Reginald Rose’s lines/expressions of prejudices are raw and timeless.  Every moment in the play is layered with dramatic tension.

What is the play Twelve Angry Men about?

Twelve jurors in deliberation.   A sixteen-year-old Latino is charged with murder/stabbing his father in the chest with a switchblade. Will the jurors find him “not guilty”?  Or will they vote “guilty”?   The verdict of guilty will mean the death penalty for the boy. One juror stands alone to say: “I have reasonable doubt.”

Will Southard as Juror 8 in what I'd call symbolism in stage direction of "looking out" and "thinking outside the box"

Fine performances by Will Southard and his fellow cast members.  Bravo, Will !

This engagement is pretty much sold-out.  Contact the Diablo Actors Ensemble (a 50-seat theater) in Walnut Creek, CA

If I were given the opportunity to audition for a part in this play, I would want to be Juror #5 (portrayed by Eddie Peabody for Diablo Actors Ensemble, by Jack Klugman in the film, and by Lee Philips in the teleplay.)

I applaud the cast, director Vince Faso, the crew, Artistic Director Scott Fryer (who was also Foreman in the cast), Managing Director Samantha Fryer, and DAE board members and volunteers.

Elisa Southard, recent-keynote speaker at the Redwood Writers Conference, I thank you again for inviting me to this powerful performance.   My party afterward (stimulating conversations with playwright/director Kathryn McCarty, Elisa’s and Will’s siblings, their in-laws and friends) was icing on the cake!

http://www.enotes.com/twelve-angry-men

In the teleplay, Robert Cummings was Juror #8,  Franchot Tone Juror #3, and Edward Arnold Juror #10. I’m going to look for a copy of teleplay.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Book Doctor/Manuscript Consultant, Writing Career Coach, Author, Publisher

Teresa specializes in editing fiction with universal themes; women’s memoirs; novels for young adults; short stories.  She likes spunky protagonists.

Love Made of Heart is:
• recommended by the California School Library Association and the California Reading Association

• read by students at Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, CCSF, and many other colleges and high schools.

• used in Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes
• archived at the San Francisco History Center

GraceArt Publishing is the publisher of Build My Name, Beat the Game: 22 Days to Identify & Develop My Writer’s Platform to Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention.

Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.”  

To comment on any of my columns (blog posts), just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”  Please click here for my blog http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

What Should I Do Before I Hire an Editor to Review My Manuscript?

The question is answered by Teresa LeYung Ryan–Book Doctor/Manuscript Consultant, Career Coach, Author

Nina Amir, creator of Write Nonfiction in November http://writenonfictioninnovember.com/ had invited me to be her guest-blogger in 2008, to help answer that question.  My advice for narrative non-fiction writers is the same for fiction writers.

“How to Look at Your Manuscript with an Editor’s Lens”

Since writing a story with the intent to engage the reader is so much like meeting a stranger and wanting him/her to be interested in you, I will focus on how to make the first quarter of your story a compelling read.

I love working with diligent writers who want to transform their manuscripts into page-turners. However, there are things you can do before you give your work to an editor. Let me show you how you can help yourself.

As an editor, the four biggest mistakes I encounter are manuscripts that are weak in these elements:

• Planting hook(s) or story-question(s);
• Grounding the reader with the three Ws (Who?  When?  Where?);
• Showing (not telling) what the protagonist wants;
• Paying attention to language and rules

Let’s learn from the pros.

Planting Hook or Story-Question:

In The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Maxine Hong Kingston hooks us with the first line: “You must not tell anyone,” my mother said, “what I am about to tell you…”   Then, Ms. Kingston transitions into her story with:  “Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one . . .”

Grounding the Reader with the Three Ws:

In Woven of Water, while the story timeline spans from 1957 to 2005, Californian author Luisa Adams brilliantly shows us who she was as a girl (not with a year-by-year narrative, but with a single exquisite chapter).  Because she grounded us with “who, when, where,” we eagerly follow as she takes us into her enchanted world of a “cottage in the forest.”  Another device to ground the reader is the employment of sensory details (not long descriptions).  Sensory details put the reader in the scene/story world.  Re-read one of your favorite author’s books. Study from the masters.

Showing What the Protagonist Wants:

In The Other Mother, young Carol Schaefer wants to ask questions:  “Was there any way to keep my baby?  Was there anyone who would help me find a way to do that?”

Paying Attention to Language and Rules:

Read the first five pages of Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and you will see how this wordsmith plays with language and rules. (You can “bend” the rules to create flow, but you must not ignore them.)

Sentences Deserve Your Attention:

Nina Amir’s post on her blog  http://writenonfictioninnovember.wordpress.com/2007/11/ is a must-read.

Remember Groucho Marx’s line “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas…”? That sentence got a lot of laughs.  But, what if you didn’t want to be funny (ambiguous in this case)?

How would you rewrite these poorly constructed sentences?

• He likes to fish near the Farallon Islands and they jump when they’re hungry at dawn or dusk.
• She insists on knowing when I come home and leave, not to be nosy, but for safety reasons.
• Being cautious as not to step on the dog’s tail, the children tip-toed away from him while sleeping.
• My husband still in bed snoring, I have always enjoyed rising before dawn and I eat my toast and drink my green tea on the terrace.

To improve your sentence structure and other skills, I recommend these books:

• The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
• Woe is I: Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Conner

More Advice:

• In all four stories (The Woman Warrior, Woven of Water, The Other Mother, Angela’s Ashes), the authors present memorable experiences by employing authentic details, unusual story-worlds though real, and poetic language. You want to do the same for your story.
• Also, these stories have another vital component-all four plotlines have what Martha Alderson, author of Blockbuster Plots, Pure and Simple, calls “Cause and Effect” linked scenes.  Another must-read blog:  http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/search?q=first+quarter
• When you’re writing non-fiction and do not have the luxury of rearranging the sequence of events to create a page-turning plotline, you can engage the reader by using concise expositions to leap over blocks of time in order to focus on the core themes and fast-forward the story. A helpful website: http://www.memoriesandmemoirs.com
• You the author must show the reader what the protagonist wants, even if the protagonist doesn’t know at first.
• We don’t have to “like” a protagonist, but, we do need to connect with him/her on an emotional level.

In the fiercely competitive arena of the publishing world, how does one stand out in a crowd?  Building relationships is one key to success in this business. Another key is to know how to translate the themes from your life to your writing and articulate those themes as community concerns.  I want to see all hardworking writers realize their dreams. My best wishes to you!

Do you know a writer who wants to go to a writers’ conference but can’t afford it? Encourage her/him to ask family and friends to chip in (what better Christmas gift or birthday gift!).

For non-fiction authors: Writing for Change Conference http://www.sfwritingforchange.org/

For both fiction and non-fiction authors:  San Francisco Writers Conference http://sfwriters.org

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Book Doctor/Manuscript Consultant, Career Coach, Author, Publisher

Coach Teresa edits manuscripts for authors who want to attract agents  & publishers  OR  want to be their own publishers. She specializes in contemporary novels, thrillers, children’s & YA novels, memoirs, short stories, and anthologies. She likes spunky protagonists.

Love Made of Heart is:
• recommended by the California School Library Association and the California Reading Association

• read by students at Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, CCSF, and many other colleges and high schools.

• used in Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes
• archived at the San Francisco History Center

GraceArt Publishing is the publisher of Build My Name, Beat the Game: 22 Days to Identify & Develop My Writer’s Platform to Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention.

Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.”  

To comment on any of my columns (blog posts), just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”  Please click here for my blog http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Yes! Within a 2-hour drive from San Francisco

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If you’re in the Santa Cruz/Capitola/Soquel/Aptos area –

Saturday, October 9, 2010, 10:00AM-3:00PM  Capitola Book Cafe, Capitola, California

PLOT PLANNER WORKSHOP for Writers — Plot at the overall story level — with International Plot Consultant Martha Alderson

Plot is a series of scenes deliberately arranged by cause and effect to create the most satisfying DRAMA/ACTION, EMOTION/CHARACTER through tension and conflict and reveal the deepest and most significant THEMATIC MEANING.  http://www.blockbusterplots.com/resc/workshop_pp.html

To reserve a spot now, please go to Capitola Book Cafe or call 831-462-4415  with a credit card. $95.00 No on-line registration at this time.

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If you’re in Marin County –

Thursday October 14, 2010 Noon  Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA — luncheon with Author Joyce Maynard.

Women’s National Book Association celebrates National Reading Group Month (NRGM) with author Joyce Maynard.

Call Book Passage, Corte Madera (415) 927-0960 ext.1, to reserve. The ticket price of $55 includes an outstanding lunch catered by Insalata’s Restaurant & an autographed copy of Joyce Maynard’s book (The Good Daughters). http://wnba-sfchapter.org/

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If you’re in the Oakland/Berkeley/Alameda/Albany/Emeryville area, CA

Sunday, October 17, 2010  California Writers Club–Berkeley Branch Meets in Oakland

Oakland Main Library, West Auditorium
125  14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612.
There is an entrance directly to the meeting room from Madison Street. Free street parking is available on Sundays. Library is a short walk from the Lake Merritt BART station.
Meetings are open to the public & without charge

• doors open at 1:05,  people come in and mingle, and there is a marketing group (anyone can sit in) meeting while club members set up the room.
• the general meeting begins at 2:00
• a club-member author will present her/his work from about 2:15 to 2:45pm
• Main Speaker (Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan)  2:45ish to 4:00pm

CWC Berkeley Branch  presents: “Major League Tryouts with Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan to Build Your Writer’s Name”

• understand the need to build one’s name/fame in today’s publishing arena.
• identify advocates, endorsers and fans.
• gain recognition through your words and your community.

Teresa’s books will be available for purchase:

Build My Writer’s Name, Beat the Game:  How Do I Create a Platform to Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention? (the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook)  $22

Love Made of Heart (archived in the San Francisco History Center; recommended by the CA School Library Assn. and the CA Reading Assn.) — inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.  http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

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If you’re in Sonoma County OR if you’re interested in going to a wonderful one-day writers’ conference:

Friday night October 29, 2010 Poetry Evening $35

Saturday October 30, 2010 Redwood Writers Conference $155 for CWC members; $175 for non-members

I (Writing Career Coach Teresa) will be presenting my workshop and exhibiting my books at the Redwood Writers Conference.  Elisa Southard will be the morning keynote speaker. Friends from CWC, WNBA, BAIPA, NCPA and other writers’ organizations will all be there to help writers further their careers.  Cheers to Marlene Cullen & everyone on the conference-planning team.

Register now:     http://redwoodwriters.org/redwood-conference/

Conference Schedule: October 30, 2010 7:30 am to 6:30 pm

7:30 – 8:15 am – Check-in

8:30 – 9:15 am – Morning Keynote Address by Elisa Southard

9:30 – 4:15 pm – Twelve Sessions available

12:30 – 1:15 pm – Luncheon Keynote Address by Sheldon Siegel

Recognition: Winners of the Prose contest

5:00 – 6:30 pm – Networking Session, hosted by your CWC – Redwood Branch Board

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If  you’re in the mid-peninsula (Belmont, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Burlingame), CA

Saturday October 30, 2010 California Writers Club–SF Peninsula Branch

Author Geri Spieler will present her signature-workshop:

Super Sleuthing: Internet Research Secrets

• How to safely conduct Internet research
• Discover 100 tools that cut Internet research time by 80%
• Don’t  get caught with unintentional plagiarism

Takeaway: This workshop is best delivered using a PowerPoint presentation in addition to my handouts. Attendees will gain a high level of understanding on how to effectively research information using a long list of research tools, Internet search strings and skills to recognize bogus Websites.

More info:    www.cwc-peninsula.org/ and  Geri Spieler

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Are There Especially Fun Events for Writers in October in San Francisco Bay Area California? If you have others to add to the above listings, please submit a comment to this post by clicking on the title-bar of this post to get the comment box.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan, author, writing-career coach, founder of GraceArt Publishing

Build My Writer’s Name and Platform: Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention is the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook.
“Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.”

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

More September Birthdays in My Literary Community

Dear Writers,

Eight years ago when my novel Love Made of Heart was about to “hit the streets,” my publisher (Kensington in New York) had purchased front-store-shelf -space at Borders and Barnes & Noble;  Nancy Suib & Anne Shulenberger, the independent sales reps for Kensington, had recommended my novel to their accounts/independent bookstores.

An author is lucky to get shelf-space (and to be “face out” so that customers would see the book cover), but, because new releases from publishers arrive every day, those precious high-visibility shelf-spaces usually cannot be reserved for one particular book for more than what is paid for by the publisher.

And, even if a new book gets into a bookstore, how do customers know about it?   One way is for the author to appear at the bookstore.  But, bookstore appearance aren’t easy to land because, as I said before, new releases from publishers arrive every day.

Two booksellers gave me my first break.  Kate Kelley from Books Inc. on Chestnut Street in San Francisco and Luan Stauss, owner of Laurel Book Store.

Luan says in her wonderful e-newsletter this week:

“Nine years ago, on September 15, 2001 the Laurel Book Store opened the doors for the first time.  And yes, it really has been that long. Babies then are now reading. 10 year olds then are now in college. Some of the college students then are now parents. While a whole swath of us haven’t aged a bit.
It’s been quite a ride and I’m planning for bigger and better things for the future.  We’re trying hard to roll with the economic punches and it’s made better by all of you who have been here supporting us all this time.  And by all the great books that come out each year making it tough to decide what to sell!
Rather than have a party this year, which by the way is the pottery year, we’re going to start planning for the 10 year anniversary. But do come by for a cookie, wish us well, and tell us what you’re reading!
Happy reading, and thank you for 9 years worth of your support.” Luan

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oakland-CA/Laurel-Bookstore/137434275283

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Leigh Anne Lindsey, a new member of Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter, celebrates her birthday. Leigh Anne writes novels,  including  Futuristic and Suspense-Thrillers.  WNBA is lucky to have her in our chapter–she attended our September board meeting, assisted the board members at our Sept. 12 publishing panel at the SF Public Library, and, with Kate Britton (VP of SF Chapter) will represent WNBA at the Redwood Writers Conference on Oct. 30, 2010.

Also, Leigh Anne is a Member of & Social Media Wizard for the Redwood Writers – the second largest branch of the California Writers Club; she’ s a member of San Francisco Writers Community

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To Writers,

Keep writing, keep networking, keep building your name/platform, keep learning about the industry through the experts (including published authors, bookseller, librarians, teachers, literary agents, acquisition editors and folks in publishing houses, members in writers’ organizations, and folks in their circles of influence).  Celebrate being a writer!

Hope to see you at October 2010 events!

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan, author, writing-career coach, founder of GraceArt Publishing

Build My Writer’s Name and Platform: Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention
is the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook.
“Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name.”

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

In an interview with Connie Martinson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8uw51nrstA&feature=PlayList&p=39831ED1778A99A7&index=0&playnext=1 Pat Conroy http://www.patconroy.com (author of The Prince of Tides, The Great Santini, South of Broad, and many other spellbinding novels) said that not only does he remember his dreams but also he weaves his dreams into his stories.

I was pleased to hear that because I too use dreams to show character growth in my novels.  Interpreting dreams and understanding personal dream-symbols enriches my life and my writing.  Thank you, talented Angie Choi author of My Dreams: A Simple Guide to Dream Interpretation http://alivehypnosis.com/mydreams.htm , for teaching me a most valuable skill.

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan
author of Love Made of Heart

To comment on any of my columns (blog posts), just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”  Please click here for my blog’s most current post http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

As an author and community spirit, Teresa LeYung Ryan speaks out for public libraries, honors immigrant-stories, advocates compassion for mental illness, and helps survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.

http://lovemadeofheart.com

August is Happiness Happens Month.

I write about modern courageous women unbeknownst to themselves—my favorite archetype.

This month I celebrate two friends Olga Malyj and Yolande Barial (both August Happiness babies) who embody that archetype.

I met Olga Malyj through work when we were both in our early twenties.  Her work ethics, kindness, and resourcefulness compelled me to intentionally seek her out as friend and role model.  For about six months Olga joined the writing-critique group I was with (Evelyn Miche, Theresa Stephenson and I wanted to bring back our number to 4 when Cat moved back East).  During that time Olga fictionalized stories about her mother as a young woman in the Ukraine. I was mesmerized by the authentic details Olga used.

Fast forward . . . Even though Olga has chosen other outlets to express her creativity, her ability to use language in verbal and written communications is stronger than ever.

Olga Malyj is Consultant/Owner at Malyj Consulting. Her forte is in Business Development where she helps business owners effectively manage multi-cultural staffs, projects, global virtual teams, and strategic partnerships.  http://www.linkedin.com/in/olgamalyj

In her community, she is an advocate for public libraries and schools.

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A want ad (to work at the regional park district) brought Yolande Barial into my life.  She was about to become a mom for the first time and I subbed for her when she was on maternity leave.  That was 15 years ago.  Yolande speaks and practices her words-of-wisdom.  One of my favorite Yolande-ism is “Do your job. Go home.”

That’s a helpful reminder for many of us who work part-time or full-time at our homes.  Writing, researching, promoting, networking, mentoring—that’s a lot of work (sometimes thankless work)—we need to take breaks for the simple pleasures in our home lives.

A week ago I was at Yolande’s & Monica’s joint birthday party where I witnessed Yolande’s latest rendition of her profound poem DIVA.  Brava!

Yolande Barial is the founder of Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose which seeks to enrich the lives of sisters of all ages and ethnicities through spoken word and other forms of creative expression. http://yolandebarial.wordpress.com/about/ YWP encourages girls and women to value each others individuality and nurture and honor that individuality.

This month I celebrate my 2 dear friends (and my darling sister whose birthday was pre-August).
Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan
author of Love Made of Heart

To comment on any of my columns (blog posts), just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”  Please click here for my blog’s most current post http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

As an author and community spirit, Teresa LeYung Ryan speaks out for public libraries, honors immigrant-stories, advocates compassion for mental illness, and helps survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.

Photo: University of Louisville

“Happy Birthday, 19th Amendment (And thanks to Harry T. Burn’s mom)”

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Today is the 90th anniversary the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the one that gave women the right to vote after a full century of organization, agitation and marching.

On this date in 1920 the Tennessee General Assembly became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, thus making it official.

To read the full article/post . . .  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/08/19th-amendment-constitution.html

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Happy Birthday, 19th Amendment; Thank You, Suffragettes and the men who walked the walk of equality with them!

The Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits each state and the federal government from denying any citizen the right to vote based on that citizen‘s sex. It was ratified on August 18, 1920.

Did you know that the Women’s National Book Association http://www.wnba-books.org/ was established in 1917, before women-citizens in America even had the right to vote?

The Women’s National Book Association is a national organization of women and men who work with and value books. WNBA exists to promote reading and to support the role of women in the community of the book.  WNBA has been a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) member of the United Nations since 1959.  http://www.wnba-books.org Jill A. Tardiff & Nancy Stewart are our UN DPI/ NGO representatives http://www.wnba-books.org/chapters-members/wnba-officers/

I am so proud to be a member of WNBA. I think my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother would be proud too. If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area on Sunday Sept 12, 2010, 2:00-5:00pm, come by the San Francisco Public Library-Main Branch…

http://wnba-sfchapter.org/

ZEN AND THE ART OF THE BOOK DEAL

Publishing Panel: Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010 • 2-5 p.m.

San Francisco Public Library-Main Branch

Latino Hispanic Community Room, Lower Level, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.

FREE TO THE PUBLIC

Women’s National Book Association – San Francisco Chapter brings you the latest news in the publishing industry from the following insiders:

• JENNIFER JOSEPH – publisher and editor of Manic D Press
• PETER BEREN – literary agent and publishing consultant
• BRIDGET KINSELLA – Breaking Books & navigating the publishing landscape
• GEORGIA HUGHES – editorial director of New World Library

• Moderator: Mary Knippel, immediate past president, WNBA-SF Chapter

• September is National Literacy Month. Join our panel of experts as they share the newest insights into the publishing industry.

• Participate in our Great Book Give Away. See you there!
• http://wnba-sfchapter.org/

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan
Writing Career Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.”

Build My Writer’s Name and Platform: Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention (the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook) http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

To comment on any of Teresa’s columns (blog posts), just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”  Please click here for her blog http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Teresa uses her acclaimed novel Love Made of Heart to help survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.  http://lovemadeofheart.com/Advocacy-For-Women-Resources.html offers resources for women.

How a Book Gets to be in a Special Collection at the Boston Public Library

I’m a member of Women’s National Book Association–San Francisco Chapter.

When Laurie Beckelman was national president of Women’s National Book Association, she coordinated with the Boston Public Library to create a WNBA Collection. Thank you, Laurie!  Thank you, everyone at the Boston Public Library!

My dear sister was in Boston and guess what she did?  She visited the Central Branch of the Boston Public Library and took photos of my novel Love Made of Heart proudly shelved. Thanks, Sis!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Chinese American author who writes for and about modern courageous women unbeknownst to themselves.

As an author I use my novel Love Made of Heart to encourage adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.
Love Made of Heart is:
• recommended by the California School Library Association and the California Reading Association
• used in Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes
• archived at the San Francisco History Center

Love Made of Heart is in  97 public libraries (84 branches in the United States, 2 branches in the United Kingdom , 9 branches in New Zeland; 1 branch in Austrialia, 1 branch in Singapore).

http://www.worldcat.org/isbn/0758202172

Sunday August 1, 2010

I’m organizing photos from yesterday’s Northern California Storybook & Literature Festival.

Women's National Book Association members Margie Yee Webb, Mary E. Knippel, B. Lynn Goodwin, Sarbjit Rai, Teresa LeYung Ryan

I had a good time on the panel with other fiction authors. Gail, thank you for moderating. Nathan, thank you for taking photos. Delightful audience.

authors Jeff Carlson, Laurel Anne Hill, Tanya Egan Gibson, Teresa LeYung Ryan, Jack L. Parker with Library Specialist Gail McGrath & Library Advocate Nathan

Authors Susan Osborn & Margie Yee Webb cheer for the Friends of the Roseville Library

Also I presented “Transform Your Personal Experiences Into Potent Stories” Thank you to the participant-writers.  Here are some comments from them:

I asked: What did you value most about the workshop?

• “Verbalizing what my readers will learn from my story.”

• “Good comments & tools from Teresa for moving forward.”
• “Handouts so organized.”

Your next steps with your stories?

• “Bring my stories out and start again—with your ideas for tools”
• “Find a publisher.”
• “Re-read my favorite novel & mark it up. Thank you, Teresa!”

My colleagues  (Catharine Bramkamp, Laurel Anne Hill, Antoinette May, Susan M. Osborn) also presented their writing workshops.

Special thanks to Jamie Finley, Dena Grover, Gail McGrath, Lynn Brown and everyone at Roseville Libraries, Margie Yee Webb and colleagues at California Writers Club, Mary Knippel & Sarbjit Rai & fellow members of Women’s National Book Association, bookseller James Van Eaton of Winston Smith Books, friends old and new, readers and writers, and everyone who made the festival a celebration of literature.

Teresa LeYung Ryan, Mary E. Knippel, Margie Yee Webb advocate for public libraries.

http://www.roseville.ca.us/library/

3 branches in Roseville, CA

Maidu Library & Maidu Community Center

Martha Riley Community Library

Downtown Library

Gail McGrath (Library Specialist) holding Teresa's novel Love Made of Heart, Bob Quinlan author of Earn It: Empower Yourself for Love, and Margie Yee Webb author of Cat Mulan

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

As an author and community spirit, Teresa LeYung Ryan speaks out for public libraries, honors immigrant-stories, advocates compassion for mental illness, and helps survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.

“To comment on any of my columns (blog posts), just click on the color title-bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press ‘submit.’  Thank you.”

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/