* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here.  I just received an email from Marily Mondejar

V-DAY FILIPINA WOMEN’S NETWORK 

“WOMEN OF COLOR UNITED AGAINST VIOLENCE” CAMPAIGN 

PRESENTS A ONE-NIGHT-ONLY BENEFIT PERFORMANCE OF 

“THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES”

SAVE THE DATE – Friday, June 1st, 2012 at 7 pm Pacific Standard Time

My dear colleague Vicki Weiland forwarded this message from film-maker Jonathan Fung:

You are invited to the premiere of Hark and can pick up a signed DVD copy of the film in the lobby after the screening and human trafficking panel discussion with International Justice Mission, Freedom House and the San Jose Police Dept Human Trafficking Task Force.

Thanks again for your generous donation toward the making of Hark.

SAVE THE DATE – Friday, June 1st, 2012 at 7 pm
HARK Film Premiere
Santa Clara University Recital Hall
free admission & reception following

Hark is about a man who is confronted with a moral dilemma to save his own life or risk the life of another. The characters in Hark are ordinary people making choices to survive. The story draws attention to the harsh reality of human trafficking and shines light where there is darkness.

With love and gratitude,
Jonathan

Jonathan Fung
Producer/Director
Hark
Sleepy Toe Pictures, LLC

F  | facebook.com/groups/Harkthemovie
T  | twitter.com/harkthemovie
W| www.harkthemovie.com

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.
Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. Proverbs 31:8-9

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

http://valerieleeworks.wordpress.com Valerie Lee is the author of The Jade Rubies.

Set in 1915, we are introduced to two sisters, Sulan and May. In a whirlwind fashion, the girls are torn away from their mother after being sold to a child broker and then to a wealthy couple who takes them on a life changing journey to the New World. Once settled into Vancouver with their master and mistress, the sisters fall into a routine of abuse at the hands of rich sadists and drug traffickers.

Jennifer Harbourn reviews Valerie Lee‘s book The Jade Rubies:

“It s all too common for a reader to find themselves snuggled cozily in their home, under blankets within the safety of their predictable world. It is in such cases that the juxtaposition of a novel such as Valerie Lee‘s The Jade Rubies truly shakes the reader. As I watched a tale of two innocent Chinese girls unfold, I became self-aware; knowing that I would never have to endure the trauma that these girls lived for 251 pages was both a relieving and guilt laden experience. This isn’t the first time that I’ve experienced this particular set of emotions, as I’m often drawn to stories concerning the multicultural plight of women.
“Valerie Lee shows us by way of sights and the imagery of scents that a deep mystery is set to unfold by the end of the book. I found myself deeply invested in the kindly characters and equally critical of the villains. I think she found her voice as a writer and used it well.”

Here’s a book review by Robert A. Garfinkle of The Jade Rubies .

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

human trafficking--look beneath the surface--report to authorities

Here’s my webpage with links to:

National Human Trafficking Resource Center

Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

**

As a writer and writing coach, I feel it is my responsibility and my job to “look beneath the surface” of all stories. I can choose to be aware of what is going on in life, speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, and help other writers do the same.

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Editor, Story Consultant, Platform-Building Coach

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan has helped over 1,000 writers.

“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”