I am so honored and thrilled to announce a new poetry book that I am a part of (Editing, Formatting, Publishing w/ SJF Communications) ~ It has truly been a pleasure as I gained insight into my late “cousin” Janine’s gift of writing poetry and illustrating.
It is called “THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS”.
Janine Hamel Lettera was a NJ Kindergarten teacher who sadly passed away in 1999 at the age of 40. Janine was a talented poet and created visual art. Her first book “My First Day of School” was published posthumously in 2012.
Throughout the years, Janine’s Mom Carol discovered Janine’s emotional and poignant poetry and art and recently forwarded it to her Goddaughter Susan J. Farese. Susan edited, formatted and published THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS in 2023 to celebrate and honor Janine and her body of work.
Themes include Love; Breaking Up; Nature; Loss, Death & Grief; Hope; People; and Mom. There is also a beautiful tribute poem at the end from Janine’s best friend Barbara.
A great gift idea for anyone!
It is available as an ebook on Amazon now and soon will be as a paperback. Stay tuned for more information. Please spread the word about Janine’s talent and her poignant words and visual pieces.
LINKS:
Here’s the paperback link for THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS https://amzn.to/3X0hjnT
Here is the ebook link for THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS https://amzn.to/3XmL0zP
Promo for “Poetic Expressions in Nursing: Sharing the Caring”
“When it’s all said and done, there’s no profession as diverse, as the art and the science of being a nurse” -Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN
“Nursing is an incredibly enriching yet stressful profession and besides being a science, it is truly an art. This second edition of Poetic Expressions in Nursing: Sharing the Caring is dedicated to all nurses – past, present, and future. It is a celebration of nursing and a tribute to nurses, especially during this unexpected, unprecedented pandemic. Covid-19 took its toll on nurses during 2020 and hopefully the impact of stress and burnout will be lessened with time and the arts. Poetry can be a therapeutic and cathartic tool for nurses and other caring professions to deal with the angst, stressors or joys that accompany the profession“. – Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN
Originally published in 1993, Poetic Expressions in Nursing: Sharing the Caring now has a 2nd edition and is available online (eBook and paperback, and audiobook).
Poetic Expressions in Nursing: Sharing the Caring (2nd Edition) by Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN, SJF Communications
Here is the description of the book:
This exciting collection of freeform poetry with over 40 poems by Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN, is a sharing of both professional and personal thoughts and feelings. Susan is a strong advocate of the creative use of poetry to express the wonderment, frustration, dedication, and the love of nurses for their profession and their patients.
Included is a tribute poem to nurses by Mohan Chilukuri, MD and a bonus section of several of Susan’s Haiku Poems with her nature photography.
Susan invites you to share the passion and the traditions of nursing, and to explore the heart of the professional practice of nursing…sharing and caring.
Susan J. (Felice) Farese, MSN, RN, a native of NJ, received her Bachelor of Science (BSN) degree from Widener University and Masters of Science (MSN) from Seton Hall University. Her diversified nursing career includes military and civilian nursing within inpatient outpatient and academic settings- including experience as a clinician, educator, administrator, consultant, and nurse entrepreneur.
E-Book – extended DISCOUNTED price on Kindle eBook: $0.99!
Paperback is also available ($10.99):
Audiobook (narrated by Susan):
Ask me about discounts and giveaways! Please feel free to like, comment and share. Help me to get the word out to nursing community! Nurse have been stressed out and burned out since the pandemic.
Here is a bit of information about both books (along with a holiday discount on eBooks for both) followed by our Q & A.
Crimes and Impunity in New Orleans is author Sherrie Miranda’s prequel to her page-turner, debut thriller, Secrets and Lies in El Salvador.
Shelly Dalton Smith is a naïve, twenty-three-year-old from Upstate New York who moves to New Orleans in 1980 to prepare for a photo project in war-torn El Salvador.
Shelly arrives in New Orleans, broken and traumatized and therefore unable to trust her own instincts. New Orleans represents the fresh start Shelly needs, but she soon finds that almost everyone in New Orleans harbors a secret. She’s unprepared for life in “The Big Easy,” and her world is turned upside down as she navigates “the city that care forgot.”
With fast-paced chapters and beautifully detailed conversations and descriptions, we see New Orleans through Shelly’s innocent eyes as she realizes the sheltered life she had lived was a lie. She experiences sexism and witnesses racism, police brutality, FBI visits, death threats, and two people’s captivity by her former boss.
Through her misadventures and exciting plot twists, Shelly focuses on fighting injustice, ultimately finding her authentic voice as an empowered adult. When she finally leaves New Orleans, she is forever changed. The novel is a wild ride through the underbelly of 1980s New Orleans and is filled with quirky characters, sinister abusers, and thrilling secrets and revelations.
Secrets and Lies in El Salvador(2015 sequel to Sherrie Miranda’s Crimes and Impunity in New Orleans) is the story of an American woman in war-torn El Salvador. It exposes death and destruction at every turn, but also validates the power of love, and embodies the gift of hope.
In a conscious effort to heal from recent trauma and her mother’s lies about her closest relations, Shelly Dalton Smith travels to war-torn El Salvador. Unwittingly used by someone she trusts to implement a mission too dangerous for anyone to complete, she captures shots of her host family, and listens to their secrets and lies, which reveal her mother’s deception is not so different from that of others, including her own.
Witnessing the death of an American journalist and listening to harrowing accounts of refugees who watched the massacre of their families, tears Shelly apart. So she turns to an American fighting with the guerrillas. He teaches her a passion for living she has never known. When he dies in combat, Shelly can no longer bear the pain, and wonders whether it is possible to accomplish her mission.
Sherrie Miranda and Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
SJF: Why/How did you decide to write Crimes and Impunity in New Orleans?
SM: I always knew I wanted to write this story, but I also knew it would be difficult because I lived in NOLA for 7 years. I could not put everything I wanted in it, but I knew it was an important and timely story. So, I got the support I needed to help me figure out what the story would look like.
SJF: Did you make any personal discoveries (or aha! moments) while researching the book? If so, please explain.
SM: I didn’t really research except for a training on police forensics that I never actually used.
SJF: How did you decide on the title #CIINO and decide to self-publish??
SM: I decided the title early on to help me focus on that part of the story.
Self-publishing was the only option for me. I sent out about 35 queries for my debut novel and I got one response. I realized that even if I got an agent, that did not guarantee a publisher & I was noticing that people were waiting years to get published if ever.
SJF: Tell us about your background that led to you writing the book.
Sherrie Miranda. Photo credit: Tony Alcaraz
SM: Most of what happens in the story actually happened to me or to my friends. The book is about a time in this country and New Orleans, in particular, when we were trying to stop the slaughter of innocent people in El Salvador. But, our government had us labeled as the bad guys. They wanted to shut us up & shut us down. It is not unlike what’s been happening these last four years.
SJF: Did you take any writing classes or utilize other resources for writers?
SM:Marni Freedman was an amazing help to me. When I finally figured out she was local, I did a coaching session with her. I had been stuck for a long time, but she helped me figure out the shape of my story and what it needed to work. I took her memoir certification class and things finally started falling into place. I also got editing help from Tracy J Jones, Marni’s best friend and her editor and co-chair of her memoir course. Marni and Tracy are supportive in ways few instructors are. They are very careful not to break your spirit. They come from a place of pure love. If it weren’t for these two women, I believe I’d still be stuck!
SJF: Can you give us information on your background in teaching – Subjects? Creative writing/ESL etc.?
SM: Although I taught Art, Health, English Literature and even History, I loved teaching ESL. It was a privilege to have students from all over the world and to be their introduction to this country. I learned so much from these young people and they inspired me to tell my story.
SJF: Tell us about your upbringing, geographically, personally etc.
SM: I was born in Pennsylvania, in hunting & fishing territory. Fortunately my parents moved us to Upstate NY so I could start school there. The area I was from in PA was economically depressed & I am grateful we got out of there because it taught me to dare to go out in the world & try new things.
SJF: If you had to write the book(s) over again, would you change anything?
SM: No, I wouldn’t change much. It took me 5 years to write this 2nd novel & I got a lot of support & suggestions from fellow authors. The book is exactly what I want it to be.
SJF: If you had to interview your character Shelly in CIINO, what would you ask her?
SM: I would ask her: how did you change from before you went to New Orleans to when you left?
SJF: Please explain, in first person now, Sherrie…this is interesting!
SM: I didn’t realize how big an issue sexism is in this country & in the world. I didn’t know that 1 in 4 women get raped or molested in their lifetime. Also 1 in 5 males are raped or molested. New Orleans forced me to look at the hard reality – #MeToo
I didn’t know the depth of racism in this country. Nor did I realize how it permeates every part of the lives of people of color. Knowing the experiences of POC changed me forever. #BlackLivesMatter
SJF: A brief history of your education, positions/teaching appointments published articles, etc.
SM: I studied Art, then Photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), but I was on academic probation, mainly because I kept asking professors to let me do a photo project, but being on a trimester schedule did not allow me the time to go back & finish another class when I had a full load each semester.
In New Orleans, I finally got back in school, but it took another four years to finish because my transfer courses did not count the full 3 units. Also, again, I studied Art, then pre-nursing, then finally switched to Drama & Communications.
I was a much better student at University of New Orleans (UNO) so I was able to pull my GPA up to a 3.4. I was friends with professors at UNO, whereas at RIT, the professors were not friendly toward me.
I also received my teaching credential through SDSU and my MFA in Creative Writing from National University (with a 4.0 GPA)!
SJF: What are your personal pastimes/hobbies/interests/passions?
SM: I love to garden. It’s kind of addicting. Sometimes I lose several hours when I get out there & play in the dirt. Also, we have a historical home, so we love to shop for art & furniture from the 1930s when our home was built.
I love movies and good TV shows, and reading, of course. I love a good story that is well developed.
I also love to travel. Angelo and I mostly travel in the U.S., but I’ve been to several European countries and a few Latin Countries. I hope to figure out how to incorporate those trips into my writing eventually.
SJF: Anything you would like to mention about Crimes and Impunity in New Orleans (#CIINO) and Secrets and Lies in El Salvador (#SLIES)?
SM: There are stories that come from my heart. The people of New Orleans are very unique and memorable. Salvadorans are the most generous people as a group that I’ve ever met despite decades of the government & landowners fighting its own people. Also, my husband wrote the music for the trailers. Angelo is a musician in two local bands:: Local Upfront, 70-80 cover songs, and the South Bay Band, a jam band.
SJF: Where can we find you on the web? Website, social media etc.
SJF: How have you been coping with life since Covid-19? Any stress management tools?
Sherrie Miranda and Angelo Miranda. Photo credit: SJF Communications
SM: Mostly, it’s been good for me. I had an excuse to stay home & finish CIINO. Angelo had a few outside music gigs so that helped ease the loneliness. Plus, I have a couple of friends who have been mostly isolated so we were able to do a few get togethers with them.
But, I have to admit it’s starting to get to me now. Plus, I’ve been staying up too late & sleeping late. If I ever get back to subbing, I’m going to be in trouble trying to get up at 6 a.m.
SJF: How has the Covid-19 affected you personally/professionally?
SM: I’ve come to realize that I’m an introvert so it’s been easier on me than most people. Also, since I haven’t been around a lot of people (esp. teens), I’ve managed to stay healthy for more than a year.
Professionally, though, I would have gone to the La Jolla Writer’s Conference & probably done some events at several bookstores so that’s been difficult. But people have more time to read so I’ve seen a lot more interest in this book because of having an online presence.
SJF: Role models or persons that inspire you in your life?
SM: First, my dad, was always an inspiration because he believed in me. The rest of my family doesn’t feel the same about him. I guess I was a Daddy’s girl like my mom always said.
There have been women who have inspired me most of my life. Some I knew, like my Spanish professor who is now writing books too. And some I didn’t know, like Susan Meiselas whose photography in Central America inspired me to be an anti-war activist, and Carolina Forché, who showed me the power of writer as witness to atrocities and injustice.
SJF: What are you working on next? Another sequel?
SM: Yes, When Shelly comes back from El Salvador with her husband (and pregnant)! She’s going to have a blond haired, blue-eyed baby that is obviously not Juan Jr.’s! I’m not really working on it right now. Just in my head. I need to work with Marni before I start writing. She believes in having a firm plan before starting to write. Otherwise you risk getting stuck in the middle & maybe never finishing. Since this happened to me both times, I’m going to follow her advice.
SJF: Favorite quotes?
SM: “I don’t like to write; I love having written.” Dorothy Parker
“You simply sit down to a typewriter, open your veins and bleed.” Ernest Hemingway
“The lesson will be repeated until it is learned.” Buddha
SJF: Who (celebrity) would you like to have lunch or dinner with to discuss your book?
SM: Martin Sheen. I sent him a copy of SLIES and he sent me a thank you card. I wish I had heard from him after he read it. I’m going to send CIINO to him too.
SJF: Life hurdles? Successes?
SM: I was always going two steps forward, one step back. I was a country girl trying to be a city girl. I was never prepared for what I was trying to do. In the end though, that has made me a better writer so it all happened for a reason.
SJF: Three significant/pivotal moments in your life?
Divorcing my first husband and starting college.
Traveling around Europe (several times)
Moving to LA – that was hard too, but I learned a lot there. It’s where I became spiritual, after 9/11.
SJF: Fears?
SM: Oh, I’m filled with fears. But I just decide to go ahead & try it anyway.
SJF: Recurring dreams/ Usual dreams?
SM: When I was a kid, I dreamed my family and I traveled to other planets. I often dream I’ve got an out of control classroom of students.
SJF: Strongest asset? What would you like to work on/improve?
SM: I think my openess has allowed me to have experiences that most Americans don’t ever get to have. I need to work on being fearless and I really need to stop procrastinating. I also need to stop spending so much time on the internet. It’s the worst addiction there is.
SJF: Where/How do you ‘give back’ to your community/communities?
SM: Teaching has been very rewarding in that respect. Before I became a teacher, I was an antiwar activist and I continue to try to raise awareness on political issues that are important to me.
I also worked with the homeless when I first moved to San Diego.
SJF: Any regrets in life?
SM: I don’t really believe in regrets. I never had a child, but I have had many loving people in my life. I believe “Everything happens for a reason.” If I had had a child, I wouldn’t have been able to travel and wouldn’t have ended up in a place where I could marry my husband.
I put myself through a lot of unnecessary difficulties with men mostly, but I finally know who I am and what I want so it all worked out in the end.
SJF: What qualities should the younger generations aspire to that you think are important in this day and age?
SM: Young people are more aware of the dire issues that face us. I trust that they will make the world a better place, a more fair & equal place.
SJF: Funny/humorous (appropriate) stories?
SM: Oh, when I went to RIT in my mid-twenties, I had a really hard time with this one professor’s class. When I asked him for help, he said I didn’t belong in his class. But when I tried to drop the class, he insisted I see the school psychologist first. The psychologist thought it was the professor who had a problem, not me. But, I just told the professor that yes, I had seen the psychologist. He finally signed off on me dropping his class.
SJF: How do you handle loss?
SM: Better than I thought I would. My mom’s death was heartbreaking. I felt I could have been a better daughter (though she insisted I was a perfect child!). I cried for weeks when she died. But I got messages from her.
My dad was the guy I worried about dying since I was 13 years old. I think I must have sensed that something was wrong. So many times I cried about him dying someday, but when the day finally came, I just felt relief that he was out of the miserable situation he ended up in.
SJF: Where have you traveled and where would you like to travel once Covid-19 is OVER???
SM: I’ve traveled a lot. First Europe, then El Salvador, Cuba, Brazil. Then West coast, including Canada & Mexico. Then East coast, including Montreal.
But I want to visit Pittsburgh and Philly and the New England states. I also want to see more of Europe, especially Ireland, Wales & Scotland.
I would travel more, but Angelo (my husband) doesn’t like to be away from his pianos.
SJF: Thank you very much Sherrie, and best wishes with your writing and looking forward to reading more of your upcoming books!
Did you know the synthetic B-vitamins found in supplements cannot be absorbed well or easily converted into the bioactive forms our cells actually use? Even other vitamins can’t work well if there is not enough of the naturally occurring B forms called vitamers. For example, without B vitamers, taking vitamin D won’t prevent osteoporosis. Learn how the naturally occurring vitamers DO work and Why, and start on your pathway to healthy living and longevity today!
Your Vitamins are Obsolete explains:
Why vitamer B deficiencies make your vaccines less effective.
How taking B vitamers assists vegans and vegetarians in maximizing their dietary benefits, in some cases even increasing fertility.
Why regular use of B vitamers can decrease your appetite for red meat, promoting personal and environmental health.
How including B vitamers in your diet reduces chronic inflammation, leading to improved health and longevity.
Q & A: Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN, SJF Communications and Sheldon Blake Zablow, M.D., Nutritional Psychiatrist and Author
SBZ: I prescribed the bioactive forms of B12 and folate to a very sick patient and she immediately got well. I had no idea why, so I started the research to find out how her body chemistry improved.
SJF: Did you make any personal discoveries (or aha moments) while researching the book? If so, please explain.
SBZ: Two moments. First was that as physicians, we were misinformed that the body can store water soluble B vitamins. The second was that there is a connection between a deficiency of these B vitamins and the onset of chronic inflammation that leads to most illnesses.
SJF: How did you decide on the title Your Vitamins Are Obsolete and decide to find a publishing company vs self-publishing?
SBZ: I choose this title to specifically summarize the book—all our multivitamin supplements have not kept up with the changes in our processed food and the pollutants that now surround us. I actually chose a hybrid publisher so a lot of it has been self-published in the sense that I had to do all the re-writes and organizing the pictures.
SJF: Tell us about your background that led to you discovering the association with Vitamin B-12 and folate deficiencies leading to inflammation and ultimately a variety of diseases
SBZ: My background is as an adult and child psychiatrist which means I see a lot of people with mental and physical problems. When I started prescribing these vitamins, the patients started reporting a reduction in their symptoms that were consistent with a reduction in their inflammation levels.
SJF: What is your role as a Nutritional Psychiatrist?
SBZ: This is a new area of medicine. It can be defined as using food, supplements, vitamins, exercise, meditation, etc. in conjunction with standard psychiatric medications to optimize the potential of the treatment to reduce both mental and physical challenges.
SJF Tell us about your upbringing, geographically, personally etc.
SBZ: I grew up in Norfolk, Virginia and attended college and medical school at the University of Virginia. I had never really been out of Virginia until I started my medical training in Atlanta and then moved on to Boston. I had an older brother that served in the military as did my father. My mother worked as an administrator and my father ran a small furniture store.
SJF: If you had to write the book over again, would you change anything?
SBZ: I would include the information I’ve put on my website about the connection between COVID and a deficiency of the B vitamins that can worsen outcomes.
SJF: A brief history of your education, professor positions/teaching appointments published articles, etc.
SBZ: I went to the University of Virginia for undergraduate and medical school, then moved on to Emory University for an internship in pediatrics. From there I went to Boston University for Adult Psychiatry training and then onto Boston Children’s Hospital to study Child Psychiatry through Harvard Medical School. Since moving to San Diego in 1982 I have volunteered as an instructor of Child Psychiatry at UCSD and have received two teaching awards.
SJF: What are your personal pastimes/hobbies/interests/passions?
SBZ: I have always enjoyed teaching and patient education opportunities through talks and writing. Years ago, I taught judo and wrestling but the more my body complained, the more I turned toward daily walks, weight resistance training and passive stretching. My passion is science and learning about new discoveries in any field.
SBZ: It reviews some complex biology in less complex ways. I tell people that it is hard to hit the right balance when explaining but they should approach the book with the idea that they do not have to read every word to understand the basics.
SJF: Any recommendations for us to journal or document what we are going through with Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic? Stress management tools?
SBZ: The most important action that I mention in the book is to use your entire stress reduction toolbox which consists of exercise, proper diet, proper sleep hygiene, relaxation therapy, psychotherapy (when indicated), prescribed medication (when indicated), supplements and of course B vitamins. The more stress the more you use the tools you have.
SJF: How has the Covid-19 affected you personally/professionally?
SBZ: I had a bad heart attack several years ago that puts me into a high-risk category so I have been following the basic advice of always wearing a mask, distancing and isolating as I can. I have also been trying to perfect my mother’s Toll House cookie recipe.
SJF: Role models or persons that inspire you in your life?
SBZ: My hero is Janusz Korczak (pediatrician/child psychiatrist) who was the Dr. Seuss of Europe and medical director of orphanages before he volunteered to run the orphanage in the Warsaw Ghetto. He was martyred along with all his children.
SJF: Favorite quotes
SBZ: From the book: “Homo sapiens: a tiny twig on an improbable branch of a contingent limb on a fortunate tree.” Stephen Jay Gould
SJF: Who (celebrity) would you like to have lunch or dinner with to discuss your book?
SBZ: Arianna Huffington because of her interest in natural ways to improve mental and physical performance and how this can benefit the world.
SJF: Life hurdles? Successes?
SBZ: The main hurdles for me are the same as for others with the premature loss of a loved one (my brother through medical misdiagnosis) and health challenges (a near-fatal heart attack at 59 years). My successes have been the return of mental health in my patients after long hard work by both of us.
SJF: Three significant/pivotal moments in your life?
SBZ: The first two are above and the third is missing a plane flight that ended in the death of most of its passengers.
SJF: Fears?
SBZ: The only one that comes to mind is a fear of mandolin slicers. I have to wear a cut resistance glove and insist that anyone who uses one around me needs to also.
SJF: Recurring dreams/ Usual dreams?
SBZ: I am a very heavy sleeper, so I don’t remember my dreams other than the death- resolution dreams that have occurred after the losses of a loved one.
SJF: Strongest asset? What would you like to work on/improve?
SBZ: My strongest asset is my ability to focus forward when stresses increase. I have to work harder on not letting the focus forwarding make me miss out on the here and now.
SJF: Where/how do you ‘give back’ to your community/communities?
SBZ: I give back through my work with my patients by helping them improve their communication skills with the people in their lives and by teaching and writing about science, nutritional psychiatry, and parenting.
SJF: Any regrets in life?
SBZ: I never got that screenplay produced and I have not made it to Japan yet.
SJF: What qualities should the younger generations aspire to that you think are important in this day and age?
SBZ: Life is a process and to make the most of it, try to make choices that give you more choices while keeping in mind that most choices are not right or wrong – just different directions to go.
SJF: Funny/humorous (appropriate) stories (Psychiatry? Medical stories, etc)?
SBZ: I was talking to a father about his son’s school performance and he said his son could do better because high intelligence runs in the family. He said that many of his relatives were members of that high IQ organization—Menses.
SJF: Funny! and PUNNY too!
SJF: How do you handle loss?
SBZ: I turn toward those that know me the best and love me as I am with all my limitations.
SJF: Where have you traveled and where would you like to travel once Covid-19 is OVER???
The poem ‘A Light Dimmed’ by Susan J. Farese is included in the 2019-2020 San Diego Poetry Annual which is now available for purchase at a discounted rate of $15 plus shipping.
Excited to announce that my poem (in Haiku format), ‘A Light Dimmed’ about my Aunt Pam, who sadly passed away 6 months ago, is published in the Veterans section of the 2019-2020 San Diego Poetry Annual (page 294).
This is the second year that my poetry has appeared in the San Diego Poetry Annual anthology. Last year my poem ‘Flashbacked Life’ was included and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the many live poetry readings and presentations around the San Diego area. Unfortunately, all public readings for the 2019-2020 anthology are now on hold due to the current situation with Coronavirus/Covid-19.
Meet Chi Varnado – Author of ‘The Dance Centre Presents Giselle’
We had a great time last week with our client Chi Varnado, Author of the newly released middle grade novel The Dance Centre Presents Giselle. Chi gave two excellent presentations at the Pine Valley Library – one with several charter school students from Pine Valley and the other combined with members of the Pine Valley community including dance teacher, Katy Gradillas and several of her dance students performing ballet and gymnastics.
But first, a little about Chi Varnado:
Ramona resident Chi Varnado is passionate about helping children view their own creativity as valuable. As a writer, former dance studio owner/teacher, choreographer, and educator, she advocates art for the sake of art – the reward being intrinsic and untethered from extrinsic reward. Varnado saw a lack in the literary market for books about dance which did not focus on competitiveness and high drama. Children want to read about what they love, so she took on the task to help fill the void to keep the story of “dance as art” alive—so began the first novel in her new series, The Dance Centre Presents Giselle, which is now available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and can be ordered at book stores.
Chi Varnado – Photo by SJF Communications
Varnado is currently a substitute teacher, a tutor, and an Airbnb host. She offers half-hour school and library presentations for second through sixth grade (including middle school for libraries) featuring an engaging power point followed by a short creative writing workshop. Students become highly motivated to write when Chi, as an author, uses her books and impromptu “popcorn stories” to foster their own spontaneous writing. She is also available to sell her books at books fairs or dance studios as a fundraiser.
Books by Chi Varnado Photo courtesy of Chi Varnado
Miss
Chi, as the kids refer to her, holds a bachelor’s degree in dance from San Diego
State University, and both an elementary multiple subjects and secondary
credentials. Her writing has appeared in The
San Diego Reader, Patch.com and several newspapers and she’s been
interviewed on television and radio. Her memoir, A CANYON TRILOGY: Life
Before, During and After the Cedar Fire, was a finalist in the San Diego
Book Awards and has garnered many accolades. The Tale of Broken Tail, a
children’s picture book, is also available where books are sold.
Varnado knows, firsthand, that active kids need a venue to channel their energy and interests in a positive and wholesome way that they can feel good about. These issues are folded into her presentations so that everyone can feel included.
Since there was some time between Miss Chi’s presentations, we had the chance to do quick Q & A. interview:
Q & A
Author Chi Varnado & Susan J. Farese
Photos from Chi Varnado’s Presentations at the Pine Valley Library
SF: Why did you choose to write about the ballet, Giselle,
in this first book of the series The
Dance Centre Presents?
CV: Giselle is one of my favorite ballets of all time.
SJF: Tell us the purpose of why you wrote a book series
for middle graders?
CV: I didn’t think
there were enough books for kids who want to read about dance, especially a
series focusing on the art and camaraderie of dance. So, I thought – why not
write one myself, since I had a dance studio and taught for thirty-seven years.
SJF: How did you come up with the idea of
‘Dancespirations’ on Instagram and Facebook?
CV: It just hit me
one day out of the blue. I thought it would be a fun way to offer bite-sized
quips about dance.
SJF: Why did you start dancing in the first place?
CV: I had ‘ants in my pants’ so I started to dance! Well –
actually, I was in constant motion as a child and, fortunately, both my Mom and
Grandmother recognized this and enrolled me in ballet.
SJF: What’s different about your approach to dance?
CV: I like the idea of dance for the sake of art and
expression, without the need for awards from competitions.
SJF: And the book?
CV: In The Dance
Centre Presents Giselle, readers will find friends they can relate to and
feel at home with, whether or not they are dancers themselves.
SJF: So, can you give us the storyline?
CV: When the
prima ballerina at The Dance Centre mysteriously vanishes, Randi unexpectedly
lands the lead and learns that the world of ballet is not always as glamorous
as it appears onstage. She harbors severe self-doubts about her abilities to
rise to the honor of her new role. And when she begins her pas de deux training
with a boy, new and conflicting feelings and emotions surface which send her
spiraling into panic mode. All the while, Deanne seizes opportunities to
undermine her at every pirouette. Randi struggles to maintain her crucial
focus, but what will happen if she doesn’t?
SJF: Where can we find you on the web and social media?
