My Philippine Trip: A Writer's Quest- Part Two

Personal Notes: Pardon me for I am not going to feature any novels at this point. I want to share with my readers the experiences I had when I visited my home country, The Philippines. The previous blog tackled about the radio appearances I made along with my coauthor Carlos Marquez, Jr. with whom I collaborated to write The Sins of the Fathers. We launched that book three months ago. Such interviews had thrilled the two of us. Listeners asked some interesting questions about being a writer. And we answered them honestly. But on this blog, which is the part two so to speak, of my Synopsis Lounge blog, I will exactly tell you my visions why I am so eager to create these non-profit groups.

The Non-Profit Groups

I had a great chance to meet my colleagues in the Philippines who shared their interest about the advocacy I have been dreaming of. It's all about literacy enhancement initiatives that we dream in the communities that need them most. Building small libraries (both digital and traditional) in areas where such opportunities are limited will be the first step. But the most ambitious plan of all is to encourage young people to read and write at the early stage of their life. It means that summer camps, learning centers and literacy enhancement drives should be the main goal. A National Reading and Writing Competition on a yearly basis is one of the ambitious plans we have in mind. Though it's a long way to go, we believe, we are going to make it happen.

I wasted no time meeting these gentlemen to get the new non-profit GALE Philippines, Inc. formed. Joseph Nikolai Chioco (right) will be the CEO, while Edwin Santos (second to the left) will be one of the members of the Board of Trustees. My coauthor Carlos Marquez, Jr. (extreme left) will be in the Advisory Board. GALE Philippines has been  registered to the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission.

In November last year, I was chatting with my childhood friend Nhel Padre who lives and works in Singapore. Not too long ago, we discussed about the ways how we could contribute to the young people in our hometown to have a better and stable life in the future. We both grew up in the same village. I implied that education is the key. We must root it out from the early stage of their childhood and continuously nourish them as they grow older. That's why we focused to concentrate on the young folks. Then the two of us formed Tambayang Adorable ("Tambayan" is a Filipino word that means a place to hang around and Adorable is the name of our village in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija in Northern Philippines). I set up a Facebook page and invited some of our friends who also grew up in our village. Surprisingly, even the current residents, young and old joined the group. Then we formed a working committee that will administer the implementation of whatever projects we might have.

After forming the Tambayang Adorable, both of us were truly delighted by the online support coming form our childhood friends who also grew up in our home village. They're from different parts of the world. We reached more 500 members in just a few months. Then we launched our first project : The 2013 PAMASKONG HANDOG PARA SA MGA BATANG ADORABLE (A Christmas Tribute to the Children of Adorable). I would say, the first project was just a trial, an experiment to test the water. But we were amazed by the outpouring  supports coming from the members themselves. When we announced the Christmas Tribute project, financial supports came in and we successfully made that Christmas event happened. About 700 children ages 4 to 6 had attended and shared the spirit of Christmas.

The Christmas Tribute to the Children of Adorable was a success. About 700 kids had attended to the party. The first photo (left) is when the Mass Offering was held. The second photo shows us the energetic working committee who administered the event, while the third photo tells us how happy these children were while eating their food. The fifth picture shows how this kid patiently waiting for Santa Claus to show up for the night.

The outcome of the first project had motivated us to do more. Then we planned about how to help the parents of these kids on their needs of school supplies in the coming 2014 school year. Then we focused on the daycare pupils. Adorable has two daycare centers with about 60 pupils on each site. To make our next project feasible, we targeted these two daycare centers. We launched the GAMIT-ESKUWELA Support Program (School supplies support program for daycare kids). Our generous members from all over the world had shown their encouraging supports for the project and they sent monetary assistance for the cause. Just last Father's Day, June 15th, distribution of school supplies was made and we reached  170 beneficiaries that included

grade 1 pupils that belong to the third section (parents of these kids were having a hard time accommodating the budget for school supplies due to lack of financial resources).

The successes of both debut projects had greatly inspired the whole group and focused to launch more projects in the future.

As a co-founder of Tambayang Adorable, this truly inspired me to push through a bigger plan with a bigger scope. That's why Global Alliance for Literacy Enhancement (GALE Philippines, Inc) came to life. Tambayang Adorable will focus on the welfare of Adorable children and Gale Philippines will focus on global initiative for literacy enhancement. I will form the same concept of a non-profit firm here in Dallas, Texas where I reside, work and write. This will be my advocacy while writing my novels and proceeds of my royalties  will go to these non-profit groups.                              This little kid patiently waits for Santa Claus to show up during the Christmas Party tribute in December, 2013.
                                                                                                                                                  

The success of the second project SCHOOL SUPPLIES Support Program for Daycare kids had greatly inspired all the members to launch more projects in the future. Batang Adorable already got their school bags with school supplies inside.

                                                     

When I came to my home country, The Philippines, I met the working committee of the non-profit group I co-founded TAMBAYANG ADORABLE, to finalize the group's plans for 2014.

These kids are the reasons why I am so determined to push though this advocacy: Literacy enhancement. They need to start improving their writing and reading skills at the early stage along with other sports activities they need while growing up. Lots of volunteers, like teachers and literacy enthusiasts will be needed for the project. Summer camp sites are highly needed for the project. 

Members of Tambayang Adorable around the world had sent their monetary assistance for the project. It encouraged the working committee in the village to implement more projects in the future. Local school officials had shown their appreciation for the projects. The next non-profit that is on the horizon, GALE Philippines, will focus on how to build a library in both daycare centers and the local school compound as well. Tambayang Adorable will be the implementing partner of GALE Philippines in all projects in that village.

Grade 1 pupils lined up to get their bags with other school supplies. Thanks to TAMBAYANG ADORABLE members around the world who sent their monetary assistance for the project.

Nhel Padre (center), my co-founder of Tambayang Adorable is one of the generous supporters of the organization's cause. He and a Filipino group based in Singapore have shown their endless commitment for the projects in the long run.

In just about six weeks when I came back to America, our non-profit group Tambayang Adorable had already finished distributing school bags and school supplies to almost 200 daycare and grade 1 pupils in our village in Northern Philippines.

My Philippine Trip: A Writer's Quest- Part One

Personal Notes: (I would like to share some happenings I had when I visited my home country, The Philippines recently. I entitled this blog "A Writer's Quest", for the fact that I shared my views as a self-published writer here in the US. And I took the opportunity while I was there to form a non-profit group that is focused on literacy enhancement initiatives.)

I would rather say my Philippine trip was short but a meaningful one. I was able to have a couple of radio interviews with my former colleagues and friends from the local media in Northern Philippines. I regretted the fact that I had to cancel the TV interview due to lack of time. Of course, it was a great pleasure to be interviewed by my former college professor in a radio station located inside my Alma Mater campus in Wesleyan University-Philippines.

My coauthor, veteran journalist Carlos Marquez, Jr. had spent most of his time to back me up on my radio appearances. Carlos and I collaborated in our latest book The Sins of the Fathers that we launched more than three months ago. After a couple days of rest when I got home, then the two of us went for the first interview.

The interviews were all about the self-publishing ventures that I have been doing here in the United States. I named it the 'beauty of self-publishing' and 'author-preneurship'. I shared with listeners how the digital era had changed the status quo in publishing. In the old days, the word 'rejection' was the usual word you could hear from most of us. Now, an Indie writer has all the opportunities to get their manuscripts published.

The first interview took place in the provincial capitol compound in Nueva Ecija, where radio DWNE 900 khz is housed. It was my former colleague Maureen Molina Reyes who interviewed us. We were bombarded with questions from listeners and I was fascinated about the ones we got from them. They sent their text messages to the lady host as the show progressed. One of the interesting questions was: "Are you going to be rich being a writer?" (Wow, all Indies want the same answer especially from Hugh Howey). I answered the question without hesitation: "May be yes, and may be not". And I clarified further that writing is a passion. It's a mission. Your intention is to give your readers superb entertainment by writing good stories, or if you're a non-fiction writer, you must give your valued readers genuine facts they want to learn. That's why I always say the words "Infotainment" and "Author-preneurship". These two should always get along together in our journey as a writer. I clearly emphasized there's no guarantee that you're going to be rich being a writer. But if you write good books that will change the world of your valued readers, it could be a chance for us writers to be discovered. Still, discoverability is the key. Write. Publish. Repeat.

The second radio interview was different. I was a little nervous. The radio hosts were my former college professor Ramon Valmonte and a Facebook friend Mark Anthony Miranda. Professor Mon asked a lot of questions about the collaboration I made with Carlos Marquez writing The Sins of the Fathers, a historical fiction about the martial law era in the Philippines in the 70's. I confessed to Prof. Valmonte right on the show, that some of his bad experiences during martial law had greatly inspired me to write this book.

Though a little nervous answering my former college Prof Mon Valmonte's questions, I was able to do it comfortably with laughter. Co-host Mark Anthony Miranda shares his thoughts as well while coauthor Carlos Marquez attentively listens to the conversation.

Another interesting thing I learned from those radio appearances is that potential and aspiring writers are everywhere. I can feel it. It boosted my drive to conduct small events/seminars in different schools in the Philippines in the near future. We need to encourage aspiring authors to make their dreams a reality.

These two radio appearances had thrilled me. My co-author Carlos D. Marquez, Jr. was with me. We never promoted the book The Sins of the Fathers but rather explained the beauty of self-publishing and the challenges of author-preneurship. Above photo is our radio interview in Radyo Wesleyan 89.7 FM with my former college professor Ramon Valmonte, second to the right, and Mark Anthony Miranda, the gentleman in green shirt. The lady in yellow, below photo, DWNE radio host Maureen Reyes is a former colleague in the local media. She was the one who took over and continued the radio show I hosted for four years. I hosted different radio shows in different radio stations when I was 16 that lasted for almost a decade.

The collaboration continues. Before I came back to the United States, I conferred with Carlos Marquez to discuss our future plans for the publishing ventures in the Philippines. Negotiation is underway with some bookshops in Northern Philippines. And a lot of questions were being asked: Is there going to have a sequel for The Sins of the Fathers?

Paperback copies of Prince of Nepal and The Sins of the Fathers had already arrived in the Philippines.

My next blog, My Philippine Trip (A Writer's Quest) Part 2: The creation of two non-profit groups for the advocacy of Literacy Enhancement. Watch out for this. These two non-profit groups that I formed, along with my friends and colleagues in the Philippines, Tambayang Adorable and the Global Alliance for Literacy Enhancement(GALE Philippines, Inc) are envisioned to build small libraries, learning centers, promoting reading and writing among young people, and other tasks to literacy enhancement.

Veronica Mars is my Next Fan Fiction Novella!

Personal Notes:  

Amazon Kindle Worlds has announced recently the upcoming Kindle Worlds Canons to be launched in the coming months. Among these exciting worlds are the legendary G.I. Joe, Veronica Mars and Ravenswood. I am so excited and could not wait for these universes to come on Kindle Worlds. To tell you frankly folks, I have been strategically planning Veronica Mars as my very next chosen fan fiction to explore for my readers after John Rain. At first, I tried to explore Wayward Pines but paused for a while and instead, would delve in Rob Thomas' Veronica Mars. I already have in mind who will be my book cover model who will depict the real Kristen Bell. Well, as I have been telling you folks, as far as the book cover is concerned, I am very particular on that aspect. I supervise the photo shoots of my book cover. Or if I could not make it, detailed guidelines are made for my artists to follow.

Right now, I have two historical fictions to be released soon. The first one is The Sins of the Fathers, which I co-authored with Philippine-based Carlos D. Marquez, Jr., a veteran journalist in northern part of the country. It's all about the martial law era in the Philippines and how the U.S. government waltzed with then President Marcos in the 70's. The second one is Sunrise in the Midnight which I co-authored with Alexandru Cadar. This is all about his father's quest inside his cell when he was a prisoner under the communist Romania. I could tell you, both novels will bring you to some heart-stopping historical facts and heartbreaking experience while you're reading these books.

Kristen Bell is Veronica Mars: An upcoming movie and soon at the Amazon Kindle Worlds

About the John Rain canon, it is too obvious that the fan fiction writers have increased in the past few weeks. Now, we have Tom Saxon's Blood Debts and Terry Niall's Junkie. I am so optimistic that more new stories will come in the near future. My own fan fiction John Rain: Rampage in Manila will have its sequel soon. And it will be John Rain: American Blood in Bangkok. Twists and betrayals will definitely occupy the next one as John Rain tries to track down those people behind the plot to kill him.

As a proud fan fan fiction writer under the John Rain canon, please let me do the honor to present to you these nerve-wrecking action novellas!

SYNOPSIS LOUNGE proudly presents:


John Rain: Blood Debts
By Tom Saxon

It's all-out war on the streets of Chicago—as legendary assassin John Rain invades the nerve-center of a brutal Mob boss. Rain's mission: shut down a vast heroin pipeline...by any means necessary. But when Rain uncovers a nightmare conspiracy, the hunter becomes the hunted. Stalked by an army of hitmen, outnumbered and outgunned, Rain vows to strike back and collect all outstanding debts—in blood. 

Blood Debts is an action-packed short story inspired by Barry Eisler's best-selling John Rain Saga.



John Rain: Junkie
By Terry Niall


Tatsu, an old Japanese Special Investigator from John's past, rescues him from certain death. After Ivy, Rain's confidence is shot, but Tatsu has faith that the true assassin is still buried deep inside. 

With his cover blown, Rain is forced to go underground where he discovers desperate people in the L.A. slums being used as guinea pigs. In his search for answers, Rain finds himself craving the next kill much more than the last and doubting if he'll ever regain control. (Book 2 of the Perfect Ten Series)

See you next time!