I Haven’t Been on Hiatus

Literanista August 14, 2008

I just haven’t been blogging. Even though, everyday I come across something I want to share here – somehow I just end up not having the time anymore, well at least lately. Blogging has sadly become a luxury but it’s August anyway and most people are taking breaks from their routines.

Let me start with some fantastic news: Giga Omni Media, Inc. has taken me on as a contributing tech blogger! You can stay tuned to my posts here: Webworkerdaily.com

Those of you who are interested in honing the craft, check out the The NYC Latina Writers Group.
Also my ole Hunter College pal, Suheir Hammad, wrote to me and reminded me that there are Hedgebrook.org writing fellowships available – all you have to do is apply.

Miriam at Feministing writes about Reggaeton as a guilty pleasure.

Check out Rebecca Walker is a “Black Buddhist warrior”.

This scares me: All of US could be overweight by 2048

Those of you who love to write book reviews, check this out: Basbleu.com, one of my favorite bookish catalogs, pays $25 for reviews chosen to be published. More info here: Basbleu.com/Reader-Reviews

Become an early reviewer at Librarything.com

Stay up to date on book giveaways at www.hbgusa.com/contests & Bookloons.com
Words I learned this week: Eponym & Sesquipedalian

Weread.com/ is another book-related social community, it launched only 11 months ago

Orli Yakuel is always hooking me up to the hottest new sites, through her tweets I discovered both Monitter.com/ & Faceyourmanga.com/

Cassy at Reachformore hooked me up with another Arte y Pico award. Thanks!!! I also discovered another great Latina book blogger: Amoxcalli.ginaruiz.com/

Daniel Serrano, a Puerto Rican, NYC-based attorney and new author wrote to me to tell me about his book, Gunmetal Black.

“It’s a ” Spanglish, complex, action-packed page-turner. Some have called it Carlito’s Way for the modern generation. It is the story of Eddie Santiago, a Puerto Rican parolee who exits prison wearing a money belt stuffed with forty thousand dollars he made selling weed out of his cell. The cash is the seed of Eddie’s simple dream of starting over by investing in a record label to bring back salsa dura. But Eddie’s old associates are unreformed. As soon as he returns to Chicago he is robbed by two dirty cops. Figuring he was set up, Eddie vows to recover his money, no matter what. Along the way he becomes a murder suspect, implicated in a drug war, and ensnared in a reckless plan to rob a casino. He has an affair with a troubled Mexican beauty. In the end he settles old debts in a shocking and deadly climax.”

Also coming from HBGUSA, is the inspiring memoir of Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, and her sister Congresswoman Loretta Sánchez, Dream in Color: How the Sánchez Sisters Are Making History in Congress.

Boys are increasingly left out of reading. (Duh, I’ve been saying for how long now?) WSJ.com, is Grossology really the answer? Um, How about just some good reads about topics that boys are interested in?

He gets it, he really gets it: “In my case, I was never very keen on the notion of the reclusive author working in solitude, and have always tried to interact with my readers. So I’ve spent a lot of time on my website, knowing that it is one of the rare public platforms, besides the traditional book signing, open to me.” – Novelist Paulo Coelho on the Newstatesman.com

The finalists for this year’s Dayton Literary Peace Prize (www.daytonliterarypeaceprize.org) were announced, Diaz & Alarcon made the list!

DailyLit.com “redesigned its site, adding customer ratings and free online book reviews. The redesign coincides with the launch of DailyLit’s 1,000th book. “