| Taking part in the Holiday Blog Tour 2011 has been on my mind for the past couple of months. The topic,simple. The date,set. Dulce’s contribution,undecided. I’ve written and rewritten this piece several times now,in my head,in a notebook,on screen,and yet,I sit here two days before publication and have nothing worth sharing. And so I ask myself,why? Why has this piece struggled? Why have I procrastinated? Have I really? What have I been doing? Well,pull up a comfy chair,get a fresh cup of coffee,and sit back for a whirlwind of an excuse. Ready? Here goes…,just give me a minute to grab one of my calendars to orient myself. So first,approximately two months ago,around the month of August,my family moved to California! This is to be the family’s BIG adventure,spread our wings,meet new people,and share our Tejano culture. The priority,to get the family settled in our new home,become socially integrated,and take pleasure a new Cali life. So,I enrolled the kids in school,registered most of them in a soccer league,found a new place for meditation,found the community library,interviewed new doctors,dentists,orthodontists,auto mechanics,etc.,began making friends,and scheduled play dates. The school year started as a brisk walk and quickly progressed into a relentless run with new family orientations,parent class meetings,completing forms,in quintuplicate por supuesto,volunteer obligations,and building a new community. Good thing I’m such the chingona that I boldly instigating,“Bring it!” Hitting the family’s stride in November,I felt I could seamlessly insert work on myself. I resurrected my writing,looked for a new project,resumed book reviewing and promotion,attended a conference,and planned an extended family Thanksgiving feast,all the while attempting to maintain the household’s pace. Then,an annoying stumble in the course,a well-intentioned ( I am certain),concerned California residents informed me,via sticky note on windshield,that my Tejas license plates needed to be changed to California plates within ten days of crossing Cali state lines. Let me share with you the enlightening note (with misspelling and all), “AH7 2289 Texas,needs Califorina Lic. – More than 10 days living/working in California Reported to state on internet 11-7-11”
Chinnnn! Just when I thought all moving formalities had been accomplished. Really?!?! Deep breath,and exhale. I struggled through the Cali driver’s manual and the ONLY thing that stuck to my brain is that it is actually 20 days,NOT 10 days! Not that I would be that persnickety about foreign license plates back in Tejas. To the contrary,I would delight in being the first one to spot one and thump my sons playing the “who-can-spot-the-most-out-of-state-plates.” And double thumps for out-of-country plates,which are common in Tejas. I had the Dulcemobile tested for smog,I scheduled my exam,and on a rainy Cali morning I paid for my new plates and written test. First attempt,failed,miserably! Then after a few prompting words from the DMV rep,and a couple of encouragements,I’m given a second chance. Passed with 100%! So I asked the rep, “Since everyone has three opportunities to take the test,shouldn’t I take the third test to get a better average of my comprehension of California driving laws? And,can I retake my picture?”
I was politely denied and welcomed to the state of California. Into the final stretch with the holiday parties,school applications,birthdays and travel. On a school calendar the month of December,for a teacher,is a daunting lesson plan to complete successfully. Between the year-end curriculum wrap-up,winter fundraisers,and holiday celebrations,there are not enough hours in the school day to accomplish all details in half a month. Enter the parent volunteers as classroom assistants,field trip drivers,and bakers for the bake sale,among other school roles. In the meantime I helped my children complete their book reports,artistic projects and school applications for the following school year. December birthdays are the pits! I have personal experience as my birthday falls the day after Christmas and has forever been shadowed by all the holiday madness. I swore I would never do this to my own child and for my first four babies I was victorious. Then came a surprise pregnancy and birth of my only daughter,in December! Chinnnnn! I could continue however I am running out of space and time. Most go on to the next to-do… packing. However before signing off I will leave you with a cultural holiday book recommendation. One of that is full of holiday memories,traditions and madness.
 - Vintage Books
Las Christmas:Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories By Esmeralda Santiago / Joie Davidow Pub Vintage Books / Random House Inc Pub Date October 1999 ISBN 9780375701559 $12.00 USD | Paperback Lastly,I invite you to leave a quick peek (in the comment section) of your own holiday folly for a chance to win your own copy of Las Christmas:Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories. Winner will be announced after my birthday. Don’t stop here,the finish line is in sight,the grand finale of the Holiday Blog Tour 2011 is tomorrow with Icess Fernandez Rojas of Writing to Insanity. Visit her holiday literary gift for another chance at a Christmas giveaway. Feliz Navidad! 
I’m delighted and privileged to be a part of the Holiday Blog Tour 2011. A blog tour organized by none other than Icess Fernandez Rojas,of the intriguing blog site,Writing to Insanity. Icess managed to organize 23 talented,dedicated,and diverse women writers to join in the merriment and gift our collective readers with an array of stories,essays,poems,and more! We have something for everyone,from poets to fiction writers and some memoir folks are coming to party too. And if you’re a really good reader,some will have a present for you. And if you’re a super good reader,and read all the stories,there’s a present for you,too. But you have to wait until the end. ~Icess
The tour is wrapping up and Dulce’s turn is coming up in a couple of days! I been writing and rewriting Dulce’s contribution,anxious to share with you the final piece. Make sure to return this Friday,December 23,for a quick cultural read and a chance to win a holiday cultural gift! For now I’ll share with you the tour’s stars and their varied contributions. Dec. 2 Julia Amante Dec. 3 Radames Ortiz Dec. 4 Deborah Grace Staley Dec. 5 Zoraida Cordova Dec. 6 Danielle Klenak Dec. 7 Lupe Mendez Dec. 8 Natasha Oliver Dec. 9 Maria Ferrer Dec. 10 Sidney Williams Dec. 11 Toni Plummer Dec. 12 Mayra Calvani Dec. 13 Kristy Harding Dec. 14 Thelma Reyna Dec. 15.Sylvia Mendoza Dec. 16 Regina Tingle Dec. 17 Teresa Dovalpage Dec. 18 Mirta Espinola Dec. 19 Kim Brown Dec. 20 Gwen Jerris Dec. 21 Paula Altschuler Dec. 22 Caridad Pinero Dec. 23 Teresa Carbajal Ravet Dec. 24 Icess Fernandez Rojas About the Authors Las Comadres de Sowing the Seeds,a women’s writing collective,has been gathering in Tucson,Arizona since 2000. Its mission is to promote humanities within the community. The women writers meet monthly to discuss and critique each other’s writing,participate in writing and art activities,and invite authors to present writing workshops. Through a comadre relationship,they promote women’s writing,readings,and publication by sponsoring writing workshops and conferences for the women in the community. About the Book A new anthology by Las Comadres de Sowing the Seeds is set to debut December 2011 and currently ready for pre-order. Our Spirit,Our Reality:Celebrating Our Stories is a 448 page paperback book about the writing process. Writing is a salve for life’s bumps and bruises. Through the process of writing,the transformation of giving voice to their experiences becomes the Comadres’vehicle to creativity. This book will touch your soul,reach in and reawaken your spirit to speak your own truths. Writing as Healing begins the first section in this anthology of the Sowing the Seeds women’s writing group and sets the stage for what is to come. The rich outpouring of lives lived reflected through story and poetry fills the reader with a nostalgia rarely glimpsed at during the day-to-day act of living,where regrets often fill the void of things left unsaid.
 - Wheatmark
Our Spirit,Our Reality:Celebrating Our Stories By Las Comadres de Sowing the Seeds Pub:Wheatmark Pub Date:December 15,2011 ISBN:978160946635 $20.95 USD | Paperback Currently Accepting Pre-Orders  Mila Ramos Over at Latina author Mila Ramos’ blog site you will find a sweet month-long tour of “amazing stories,great authors,and just the most intense soon-to-reads” that readers will see in a while! The adult literature site has over 35 scheduled literary visits that will take you through December 18th and offers the chance to win some literary sweets! “So pick a day or everyday” and join Mila for some “delicious decadence.” Two lucky contest reading lovers will be chosen from emails/comments for the chance to win one of two $50 Amazon gift cards! The tour began a couple of days ago with author David Russell. Take a look and get caught up! Come back to shop for your favorite author(s) of the Marvelous Tour at Dulce Bread &Book Shop. Sweet Schedule November 6 – David Russell – Part I November 7 – David Russell –Part II November 8 – Berta Platas November 10 – Sultry Summers – The Heirs of the Dragon’s Eye November 11 – Anna James – Isabella’s Dilemma November 12 – NuncaSola’s –Guest Blog – Del Carmen November 13th –19th:Curious Hearts Anthology Authors Nov 13 – INTRO INTO CURIOUS HEARTS ANTHOLOGY Nov 14 - Jane Carver Nov 15 – Walt Trizna Nov 16 – TD Jones Nov 17 – James N. Cricket Nov 18 –Jenny Twist Nov 19 – INTRO INTO SPELLBOUND ANTHOLOGY November 20th –26th: Spellbound Anthology Authors Nov 20 – John Mecom Nov 21 – Tara Fox Hall Nov 22 – Walt Trizna Nov 23 – Joanna Foreman Nov 24 – John Steiner Nov 25 – Tori Ridgewood Nov 26 – Jenny Twist November 27th – FIRST CONTEST!!!!! November 28th – Kiss and Tell Tour - Rashda Khan November 29th – Kiss and Tell Tour - Elysa Hendricks November 30th – Kiss and Tell Tour - Arwen Lynch December 1st – Book Tour Blog for Michelle Beattie December 2nd - Kiss and Tell Tour - Melissa Mayhue December 3rd – Kiss and Tell Tour - Karen McCullough December 4th – Kiss and Tell Tour - Nina Pierce December 5th – Kiss and Tell Tour - Barbara Monajem December 6th – Kiss and Tell Tour - Laura Kaye December 7th – Kiss and Tell Tour - Stacey Kennedy December 8th – Judy Powell Guest Blog for Hot Summer December 10th – Lizzy Ford Guest Blog for Damian’s Oracle December 12th – Kasonndra Leigh Guest Blog When Copper Suns Fall December 14th - Ruth J. Hartman December 15th- Anna James – Shattered Dreams December 16th – Zoraida Cordova – Mermaids/Mermen December 17th - NuncaSola’s Terri Molina December 18th - SECOND CONTEST!!!!!  Univ of California Press On October 20 thru 22 the Academy of American Poets hosted a “series of events exploring the ever-changing landscape of contemporary poetry in America” in New York City. The Forum featured “in-depth discussions with an array of distinguished poets;reading;lectures;publications parties;and a selection of literary walking tours,led by poets,throughout Manhattan.” These literary events included a Poets Awards Ceremony in which the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award was given. Founded in 1976,this $1,000 award recognizes a published translation of poetry from any language into English. A noted translator,Charles Martin,chose the winning book. The 2011 honoree is Jeffrey Matthew Angles for his work,FOREST OF EYES:Selected Poems of Tada Chimako. Dulce Bread &Book Shop applauds Mr. Angles for sharing a poetic cultural treasure with US readers.
Forest of Eyes:Selected Poems of Tada Chimako By Tada Chimako Translator Jeffrey M Angles Pub:University of California Press Pub Date:2010 ISBN 9780520260511 $21.95 UDS | Paperback  Blaine Creek Press Dulce Bread &Book Shop promotes travel and the experience of cultures. Faraway travel is not always necessary to experience a different existence,dialect,or… food! Traveling to the other side of town,to a sister city,to a neighboring state,and across the country would,in itself,initiate an enlightening,cultural experience. So when Travels With Max:In Search of Steinbeck’s America 50 Years Later by Gregory Zeigler crossed our path we were delighted by its journey. Travels With Max offers an upbeat and humorous perspective on modern America and a retrospective on Steinbeck’s life and work. Inspired by Steinbeck’s classic, Travels With Charley, Zeigler and his own dog, Max,recreated Steinbeck’s route in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Steinbeck’s 1960 journey around the country. Travels With Max is an excellent companion text to Travels With Charley or any Steinbeck work,however,it is a pleasure to read on its own. About the Author Gregory Zeigler,a career educator,has served as headmaster at several schools. He is a trustee for two independent schools. A life-long passion for communication,both written and spoken,has inspired Zeigler to pursue writing and acting. Zeigler has written an environmental mystery and has published numerous articles on historical and educational subjects. A popular public speaker,he has presented papers at national educational conferences throughout his career. Greg Zeigler has acted professionally on stage and in film,including appearing alongside NFL great Lynn Swann in an Instructional Television production,Arts Alive. Travels With Max:In Search of Steinbeck’s America Fifty Years Later By Gregory Zeigler Pub:Blaine Creek Press Pub Date:August 2010 ISBN:9780615378039 $15.95 USD  Dagoberto Gilb The Austin Public Library Friends Foundation is recognizing excellence in literary achievement and advocacy in the inaugural Illumine award celebration. The honoree for Fiction is Mexican-American writer,Dagoberto Gilb. Dulce Bread &Book Shop would like to congratulate the mestizo author for his literary contributions to the cultural,ethnic genre. APLFF Illumine 2011 Friday,November 18,7-10 PM,Hilton Austin Downtown
Cocktails,silent auction,dinner and live music
Cocktail Attire
Individual tickets:$125
Table sponsorship levels:$5,000,$2,500,$1,250
For more information please call 542-0076 or email info@austinlibrary.org.
BUY TICKETS Inaugural Illumine honorees: Fiction Honoree: Dagoberto Gilb
Presented by:David Garza
Non-Fiction Honoree: Gregory Curtis
Presented by:Jake Silverstein
Emerging Author Honoree: Carrie Fountain
Presented by:James Magnuson,author
Songwriting Honoree: Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Presented by:Elyse Yates,Gilmore’s daughter
Luminary Award (Literary Patron Honoree): Marc Winkelman
Presented by:Joseph Skibell,author
Emcee: Jake Silverstein,editor of Texas Monthly APLFF Honoree Bios Dagoberto Gilb,Fiction Honoree
Dagoberto Gilb was born and raised in Los Angeles and lived as many years in El Paso. He now lives in Austin. Gilb’s books have won the PEN/Hemingway Award and have been finalists for the PEN Faulkner and National Book Critics Circle Award. He edited Hecho en Tejas:An Anthology of Texas Mexican Literature,the canonical volume of Texas Mexican literature,which won the Southwest Book Award for nonfiction. Anthologized widely,recipient of awards including a Guggenheim and Whiting,his fiction and nonfiction have appeared in a range of magazines including Harper’s,The New Yorker,and The Threepenny Review. Gilb spent most of his adult years as a construction worker and a journeyman,high-rise carpenter with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. Writer-in-residence at the University of Houston-Victoria,he is also the executive director of Centro Victoria:Center for Mexican American Literature and Culture. Dagoberto has a new book coming out next month,Before the End,After the Beginning. His other books include The Flowers,Gritos,Woodcuts of Women,The Last Known Residence of Mickey Acuna and The Magic of Blood. www.dagobertogilb.com Gregory Curtis,Non-Fiction Honoree
Born in Corpus Christi,Texas and raised in Kansas City,Missouri,Curtis came to Texas to attend Rice University then returned—after graduate school and a stint running a very small printing and publishing company in San Francisco—to be a writer on the staff of Texas Monthly from 1972 – 1981. He then served as editor of that magazine from 1981 – 2000,during which he won many prizes including five National Magazine Awards. In 2000 he was selected by the Columbia Journalism Review as one of the ten best magazine editors in the country. He has also contributed to The New York Times,The New York Times Magazine,Rolling Stone,Fortune,and Time. Curtis has written two books:Disarmed:The Story of Venus DeMilo and The Cave Painters:Probing the Mysteries of the World’s First Artists. www.gregorycurtis.com Carrie Fountain,Emerging Author Honoree
An American poet,Fountain is from Las Cruces,New Mexico. She was a fellow at the Michener Center for Writers,and received Swink Magazine’s Award for Emerging Writers and the Marlboro Poetry Prize. She wrote for the Texas Observer,and was poetry columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Her work has appeared in Cimarron Review,Black Warrior Review,32 Poems,and Missouri Review Online. She lives in Austin,Texas and teaches at St. Edward’s University. Works include:“Purple Heart”,Marlboro Review;“Burn Lake 2″,Swink,2007;“Father and Son at the Mesilla Valley Drive-thru Bank”,AGNI;“Theory of Perfection”,AGNI;“El Camino Real 3 “,Poetry for Children. Carrie Fountain’s first book,Burn Lake,was published in 2010 by Penguin Books,as a National Poetry Series winner. Jimmie Dale Gilmore,Songwriting Honoree
Gilmore is a native of the Texas Panhandle,having been born in Amarillo,Texas,and raised in Lubbock,Texas. His earliest musical influence was Hank Williams and the honky tonk brand of country music that his father played. In the 1950s,he was exposed to the emerging rock and roll of other Texans such as Roy Orbison and Lubbock native Buddy Holly,as well as to Johnny Cash. He was profoundly influenced in the 1960s by the likes of The Beatles and Bob Dylan and the folk music and blues revival in that decade. With Joe Ely and Butch Hancock,Gilmore founded The Flatlanders. The group has been performing on and off since 1972. Gilmore’s fans admire his tenor voice,which delivers expressive,pure,country-inflected singing. He has also been a guest on The Tonight Show,with host Jay Leno,the Late Show with David Letterman,Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion on NPR,and the Fresh Air radio program with Terry Gross. His career includes nine studio albums,and his talent heralded by such publications as Rolling Stone,Pulse!,New York Times,Salon,and Back Beat. www.jimmiegilmore.com, Marc Winkelman,Luminary Award Honoree (Literary Patron)
Marc Winkelman is an Austin businessman and philanthropist. He is the CEO and co-founder of specialty store chain Calendar Club,CEO and part owner of Kirkus Reviews (a longtime trade journal for the books and publications industry),and co-owns Tecolote Books in Montecito,Calif. In his early career Winkelman was a bookseller,running an independent bookstore in Michigan in the late 1970s and ’80s. He also worked for Barnes &Noble during the period the bookseller was transitioning to its “superstore”model. He serves on the board of the Texas Book Festival and the UT Press and is involved with St. David’s Foundation,the Elie Wiesel Foundation,and KLRU,among others. Founded in 1999,the Austin-based Calendars.com brings together the latest Internet technology with the world’s largest calendar inventory to create the Internet’s most comprehensive and respected calendar store. Jake Silverstein,emcee
Author and editor Jake Silverstein was born in 1975 and raised in Oakland,California. He attended Wesleyan University in Middletown,Connecticut,and also received degrees from Hollins University in Roanoke,Virginia,and the Michener Center for Writers,at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1999 he moved to Marfa,Texas,to write for the Big Bend Sentinel. In 2005 he became a Contributing Editor to Harper’s Magazine. His work has also appeared in the anthologies Best American Travel Writing 2003,The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup (2006);and Submersion Journalism (2008). He joined the staff of Texas Monthly as a senior editor in 2006 and later became the magazine’s fourth editor. He lives in Austin,Texas,with his wife,Mary,their two sons,Leo and Joe.  Nicole Carter This is Dulce’s first book review of poems and micro stories and therefore thought it appropriate to write it in verse. However,after attempting to write a few poetic lines,it was clear that it was not as appropriate as originally intended. A bit of backstory… Nicole Carter initially contacted Dulce from Edinburgh,Scotland through Twitter. Nicole’s tweet was simple,“Interested in a few copies of my booklet,Mañana Attitude? There are two versions,the adult and the non-sweary version.” Our curiosity was stirred. “Hmmm,Scottish poetry,with mature content to boot. Sure!” So here’s a hint of Nicole Carter’s poetry and other thoughts. If your poetic curiosity wishes for more,the first five readers to leave a comment will receive their own copy.* MAÑANA ATTITUDE arrived at the beginning of what was anticipated to be a lazy summer. Dulce was in the initial stages of a somewhat significant relocation and the mañana attitude had truly set in. The feeling that things could be held over until tomorrow was not new to us. In fact,we are founded on the Mexican tradition of a carefree existence. Why rush? Why worry? Perhaps because all these characteristics are universal and at some point in our human development we all experience phases that either make us or break us. So we pocketed our review copy to be read…,mañana. A summer later,Dulce is looking for a light read,unpacks the moving bags and finds MAÑANA ATTITUDE. A work of poetry and micro stories,not to be considered light,that reflects on the physical,emotional,and intellectual experiences that form perspectives and attitudes. What an appropriate find after a long,tedious,challenging,tiresome,not-so-lazy summer. An autobiographical,poetic labor that provides its readers a connection with the Other,across a vast distance that is not so immense after all. Consider the question that exists for one, however true for many. Family Life I dip my toes into complete indulgence Imagining luxury and independence Is it wrong to be fearful of the possibilities that lie ahead? Getting riled by unreasonableness And retreating to my unmade bed What other role can I live up to and emulate Is eternal drudgery to be my fate?
Resolve to lead willfully and resolutely. Advice Don’t fight the thoughts Feel comfortable with your fears There is no past or future And to save a lot of tears Let calm be your suture Say thanks to Buddha Give just one bow And in your own secular way Stay “in the now”
One is never alone, as there is always the Other. Mañana Attitude Poems and Short Stories By Nicole Carter Pub Date:2010 *Remember to be one of the first five readers to leave a comment and receive a copy of Nicole Carter’s poetry booklet. Suerte!  Twilight Times Books Over at Mayra Calvani’s website,one of Dulce’s favorite Latina authors,the Halloween celebration has gotten off to an early,fanatical start. Mayra is celebrating the release of her new paranormal suspense novel,EMBRACED BY THE SHADOWS,by giving away two of her other ebooks. Yes,FREE! Readers have the opportunity to receive two of Mayra’s ebooks,DARK LULLABY and CAT CELLAR AND OTHER STORIES,with the purchase of her newly released title! Don’t lollygag and get some of the best Halloween e-treats! Fantastic idea… themed book club discussions! It is always enjoyable when you find others that think along the same lines as you. Dulce Bread & Book Shop has always believed that cultural reading must include a cultural experience,hence themed book club discussions. We favor a cultural sweet bread to go along with a cultural read,however Reading Group Choices book club expert Donna Paz Kaufman shares other creative ideas for hosting a themed book club discussion. For September’s feature,over at the Ladies Home Journal,Donna offers great ideas for a themed book club discussion,and as always,visit Dulce Bread & Book Shop’s Cultural Recipes when you just gotta have that sweet bread for your cultural book club discussion. Buen provecho | Bon appétit
 Readers Digest Modern Mediterranean Cooking:A Culinary Collection of Fresh Flavors By Elena Balashova Pub:Readers Digest Date Pub:June 10,2010 ISBN:9781606521366 $19.95 USD | Paperback | |
