My ALA Experience - Orlando 2016

I attended the 140^th edition of The American Library Association (ALA) Conference, the oldest and largest library association in the world. Libraries Transform is the new multi-year public awareness ALA’s Campaign. This year hashtag; #alaac2016.

My ALA experience started with a fast and friendly Registration followed by finding the Ribbons that fit my presence.

At the Exhibition entrance, I have to run to be in place in the Literacy Latino Now Award-Winning Author’s stand. I was impressed with the organization and the enormous Pavilions FULL of FREE BOOKS.  

I exchanged my Author Business Card at the Japanese Way. What a lovely experience to feel the respect for somebody else. I love it!

At the stand, I talked with librarians interested in Bilingual Literature. After sharing Grandma's Treasure and Vanilla and Chocolate, I found out I let my poetry book,  Poems, Thoughts and More in the car. Well, too many things to prepare for a massive conference like this one!

When I was my filming schedule time, I met with the Latino Book Awards organizer, Kirk Whisler at The Latino Literacy Now stand. I got ready to talk about my books and my important topics about Writing to Inspire Others, Self-Publishing Challenges and Refection is not an Objection to write.

I met other Latino Book Awards Winning-Authors, exchange photos and the joy to be Latino Authors. I also missed great authors, but I shared it courtesy of Janet Balletta's photos. 

With Tere Rodriguez-Nora

With Edwin Fontanez & Racquel Ortiz

With Janet Balletta

Kirk Whisler, Janet Balletta, Maria Elena Diaz de Villegas, Pilar Velez, Maria Elena Lavaud, and Amy Costales.

After my time at the Latino Literacy Now Stand was over, I went to find FREE books to donate to my local school's library and meet well-know authors. Thank you Harper Collins, Simon and Schuster, Penguin Random House, Lee & Low House and Scholastic for your generosity, in less than thirty minutes my husband and I filled a big tote bag of books. 

Mission accomplished! I survived ALA – Orlando 2016. Thanks to my husband who followed my steps to capture the moments! 

Time to go home!

Thank you ALA organizers, authors, librarians, publishers and editorials for a wonderful  ALA Conference – Orlando 2016 

Award-Winning Author benefits: https://app.box.com/s/pikfe7s6ptndycltux8ucfrmjb1ybp89

My Books Available @ http://www.amazon.com/Maritza-Martinez-Mejia/e/B009DKDXFW

Website: www.luzdelmes.com

Welcome July

Reflections by Maritza Martínez Mejía

Welcome July! Unbelievable, half a year has passed. Six months ago, we set up goals, are we accomplish some of them? If not, it is time to think and reflect what you would like to be completed for this year. Establish your objective and follow the path to reach them. The future is in your hands.
Work for your dreams!

  

www.welcomejuly.com

Happy July!

---

¡Bienvenido Julio! Increíble, medio año ya ha pasado. Hace seis meses, nos planteamos unas metas, ¿hemos cumplido con algunas? Si no, es tiempo de pensar y reflexionar que quiero lograr en este año. Replantea tu objetivo y sigue un camino para cumplirlo. El futuro está en tus manos.
¡Lucha por tus sueños!

¡Feliz Julio!

July Spotlight Interview with Gabriela Arellano

Gabriela Arellano on Luz Del Mes Spotlight Interview by Maritza Martinez Mejia

Welcome Gabriela to Spotlight Interview! Tell me:

Q1.What makes you proud to be a writer in The United States coming from Argentina?

I believe that being a published author is a good reason to feel proud, regardless if you publish in your native country or abroad. Publishing a book is very hard work, as you know, whether you do it through a publishing house or through an independent publishing platform.

I moved to the States when I was quite grown up, a 33-year-old woman. So English is definitely my "second language". But my children’s book “Kena The Good Hyena” was written in both English and Spanish.  Living and publishing abroad raises the question: "Who is my real target audience?" I wanted to write a children’s book that would transcend cultural barriers and be a book that families with young children could enjoy both in my home country of Argentina as well as in my new home in the United States. 

Q2. What or who inspired you to write “Ser el Mejor/ Being the Best”?

They say “necessity is the mother of invention”, and what first inspired me was indeed born out of necessity. Living in an English-speaking country, 90% of the literature available is written in English, perhaps even more for children. I would spend hours in bookstores trying to find quality books in Spanish for my 5-year-old, who we raise in a bilingual environment. But there was not much out there, and what I found wasn't particularly appropriate: it was either too basic -images of common objects with labels in Spanish at the bottom- or it was too complex for my daughter's Spanish level. There was nothing in the market that targeted the in-between, an intermediate-level Spanish-English bilingual book targeted to the 1rst-5^th grade level. So, I decided to write a book for her myself. I always wanted to be a writer, after all, and this was my perfect chance!

The subject of the first book in the Kena series is “friendship and competition”. I have to confess that the inspiration for this was a bit autobiographic. When I was in first grade, I'd stay inside the classroom during recess to get ahead of my classmates and make the prettiest, more astonishing drawings. I still remember the teacher trying to persuade me that friendship was just as important as my schoolwork.

Q3.  Do you come up with your title before or after you write the manuscript? 

You know, writing in two languages at the same time has its particular demands. You need to twist and tweak as you go. If you change anything in the Spanish draft (and you want the translation to stay loyal to the original), you have to go over the English draft again and modify it. The title grew organically from this process so that it would work in both languages with an equal effect (as everything else in the book).

 Q4. What is your favorite writing style? 

What I appreciate most of all in writing style is simplicity. I author several blogs (both in English and Spanish) with topics ranging from Marketing and Technology to Politics and Travel. Usually what drives me to pick up a pen and write is when I come across a complex subject I think I can simplify for my readers.

Q5. What is your promotion strategy to promote your children book?

Good question. I wish I could give you a great answer, but this is my first book and I don’t have a formula yet! I think Social Media is going to play the biggest part: “Kena the Good Hyena” has a Facebook page that’s already garnered 1200+ likes. I’ve joined more than 80 Facebook Reading Clubs and I am doing some promotion in them. Of course, I am also using Twitter and even Google+. Now I'm reaching out to influential bloggers like yourself. You’ll see me attending book fairs with my pile of books and little stand. It certainly is a lot of effort!

 Q6. Para los padres hispanos que consejo les podrías dar para mantener el español en casa y promover la literatura bilingüe.

Es muy difícil, los niños escuchan televisión, juegan con la computadora, están con sus maestras 7 horas al día, y todo eso en inglés. Mi hija sabe mucho más castellano de lo que ella misma cree. Pienso que, como padres hispanos, es fundamental que trabajemos en el orgullo cultural. Creo que nuestros niños en muchas ocasiones de-li-ve-ra-da-men-te evitan el Español por ser un lenguaje minoritario, no siempre asociado al éxito, no siempre vinculado a la excelencia. Hagamos del español un lenguaje hermoso, rico e intelectualmente contundente, y los niños van a esforzarse por dominarlo.

Gracias por tu tiempo,

¡Gracias a vos!

Thank you for your time to answer this question for LuzDelMes Spotlight Interview.

To visit Gabriela Arellano:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gabriela-Arellano/e/B01E1RUZ66/

Blog: https://www.blogger.com/profile/06789018753754702988

Ser el Mejor - Being the Best

Spanish; https://youtu.be/PvuAlMU9TaY

English: https://youtu.be/rEgBVrFjGnM

Book Trailer: Animated version of the first title of the series of books KENA THE GOOD HYENA/ KENA LA HIENA BUENA. Illustrated series of bilingual books English/Spanish for children 5-10 years old.

Gardening Project - Growing Herbs

Growing Herbs

I began the year with a goal to have my own herb garden to use fresh basil, oregano, parsley, mint and rosemary on my recipes; this is what I learned:

Basil is known around the world for its wonderful fragrance and flavor. If you were to grow only one herb, this should probably be it. 

Oregano is an easy-growing plant for the garden or container. I need to trim the plant often to keep flower formation at bay.

Parsley is easy to chop and the nutritious flat leaves are high in iron and in vitamins A, C, and E. I grew the Italian flat-leafed parsley which distinguishes it from the curly-leafed parsley. At first the foliage might be easily confused with cilantro, but the taste is different.

Mint as many herbs are easy to grow. I’m adding crush fresh leaves into water for a refreshing beverage. You can also dry leaves for flavoring dishes. 

Rosemary is a lovely, easy-to-grow plant with great culinary and ornamental value from the Mediterranean region and member of the mint family.

For more tips visit: https://bonnieplants.com/product-category/herbs/

To protect earth and get involve in earth day projects visit:  http://www.earthday.org/earth-day/earth-day-theme/

About the Author: www.luzdelmes.com

Gardening Project - Growing Tomatoes

Growing Tomatoes 

According to scientists, tomatoes are clearly fruits, since they are the part of the tomato plant that bears seeds. Cooks, however, classify tomatoes as vegetables since they are the edible part of the tomato plant.

I am impressed how quickly the tomato is growing. Soon I would have to plant it on a 5 gallon pot and Feed with liquid plant food every couple of weeks during the growing season. I started to stake to easy growing, but later I have to cage the tomato to protect. Most tomatoes work best with a 5- to 6-foot trellis, stake, or cage.

More tips at: https://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-tomatoes/

First week

Second week

Third week

Fourth week

Happy Gardening!

 

Here it is a helpful tips for growing tomato plants:

 

https://www.backyardboss.net/tips-for-growing-tomatoes/

To get involve in earth day projects visit:
http://www.earthday.org/earth-day/earth-day-theme/

ALA Participation in Orlando 2016

The American Library Association "holds professional conferences and meetings to enable its members to receive continuing education, build professional networks, and discover new products and services for professional use." 

This year, I have the honor to participate at ALA Conference with Latino Literacy Now presenting Award-Winning Book: Hazel Eyes / Ojos Avellana.

Meet and Great Maritza Martinez Mejia's Author: Booth 1067-G (Diversity Pavilion)  

June 26 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Filming presentation from 11:00 - 12:00 noon

Este domingo 6/26/16 te espero en el stand de Latino Literacy Now de 9:00 a 11:00 a.m. en 1067-G/ Diversity Pavilion, donde participaré con otros ganadores en la conferencia anual y exhibición de libros organizada por American Library Association.

Presentation Topics:

1. Writing to inspire others

2. Self-publishing challenges

3. Rejection is not an objection

For more Books and FREE Activities, visit my Website:

www.luzdelmes.com

My Books at Mini-Conference @ FWA

 Book  Expositions and Interviews 

I attended the LAST Annual Mini-Conference of Florida Writers Association on JUNE 25th @  The Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs. Thank you for your support! 

Try to attend the next workshops & conferences. It 's a great way to learn more, connect with people and get a fresh perspective of writing.

SUMMER Readings: “Let Maritza Martinez Mejia’s books allow you to be thankful with Grandma's Treasure, learn acceptance with Vanilla and Chocolate/Vainilla y Chocolate, know humility with Hazel Eyes, and be delighted with Poems, Thoughts and More.” ~Lisa Waters~

Have a Super Relaxing Summer 2016

See you on the Fall with more NEWS!!!

Maritza Martínez Mejía

Blog: http://luzdelmes.blogspot.com/

Web: http://www.luzdelmes.com/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Maritza-Martinez-Mejia/e/B009DKDXFW

Barnes &Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Maritza%20Martinez%20Mejia%22