Your Identity

Sitting in my kitchen with my bother the other day, we were discussing . . . just stuff. You know like when you're hanging out with friends and family and you're not really talking about anything in particular. Well, the conversation turned to how we identify ourselves on those stupid little boxes on almost every application you've ever filled out that ask you to say who (what) you are. Especially if you're Hispanic or Latino - that's not enough. Are you a white or black or asian or whatever of Latino orgin? It's crazy.

He said, he looks at his arm, it looks white so he always marks the Caucasian box and who gives a damn if he's from Latino orgin or not. He was born in America and he's American, period. Whereas, I always mark the Latino box. Always have. I identify myself first on my cultural background - not that I feel any less American, but culturally I bring with me all the Latino and specifically Argentine roots.

After he went home, I started thinking that it's interesting how having the same parents and practically the same upbringing, we have such different views of ourselves. Based on what? I'm not sure.

On the surface it doesn't really matter, but subtly, it does. It makes a big difference on how we view ourselves and our place in the world. What it did was sort of cement in my mind that WE decide who we want to be - not our government, not other people. So even though they have those annoying little boxes questioning who we are - it's basically you and I who decide who we are based on our beliefs.

Deep down, I'm pretty sure that is the message I've placed in most of my books. Decide who you are and be proud of your identity.

Hugs,

Julia

Back from RWA 2011

Back from nine days in spectacular New York City for the RWA (Romance Writer's of America) conference, so I've neglected to post the last couple of Fridays.

The conference was interesting and I met a lot of first time conference attendees and new writers! Awesome!

My publisher, Grand Central Publishing held an author cocktail get together with their staff, and I loved it!! They usually have wonderful dinners, but this was really special, because authors got the opportunity to meet many of the people that contribute to the production of books who we usually never see. And we got great munchies and endless sangria to boot!

About five people showed up to my workshop presentation on Making Research Fun! I knew I should have presented a workshop entitled how to Absolutely, Positively Get Published in 90 Days - LOL.

Seemed like the big talk from publishers, agents and authors was digital publishing and the future of books. All seem to be in agreement that the future is up in the air and we can expect big changes within the next five years. Most seem to be positive about how the changes will affect those of us in the publishing world. I think the best I heard was from an agent who said that with each new change things always get bigger. When we moved from writing on clay tablets to papyrus to paper to typewriters to computers, we've never had less books and reading material, we've always had more. And this is going to be true in the digital age as well.

As always, I return home more inspired to write that perfect book that will make readers laugh and cry and happy that invested some of their entertianment time reading. After the Fourth of July weekend, I plan to jump fully back into my book.

Hugs to you all and Happy Birthday America, where people like the Naked Cowboy are allowed to walk the streets and entertain conference-weary writers and shocked tourists : )

Julia

Are We Finished With Print Books?

Recently, I read an article about the skyrocketing of ebook readers and ebook sales compared to print books, and it left me wondering why. I remember not long ago at writer's organizations and conferences there was repeated talk about whether they would even acknowledge an author who only published an ebook as even being published. And this wasn't even that long ago -maybe 6 or 7 years ago. And now Amazon is telling us that ebook sales have surpassed regular book sales. Wow.

It can't be the price of the books, because they pretty much still ask for the same cover price on most books. In fact, my daughter who owns a Nook, was looking for books to fill her ebook reader's shelf and a series she was interested in was actually MORE expensive for the ebook than for the actual book, especially if I added a Border's 40% off coupon to the equation.

And it can't be the reading experience. Again, I read a preview of a book on my Kindle, and didn't like the book. Then a friend let me borrow the same book, and I found that I loved it! For some reason, the experience was different. Much more pleasant. It's much nicer to hold a book and turn real pages

So is it just the ease of storing a large number of books onto a reader, and maybe the ease of purchase?

I wonder what the real reason is, because if the trend continues - and it appears it will - I can't see publishers continuing to print large volumes of books that will only be returned. Especially since it costs them so little to put an ebook out.

I belong to a book club and always choose the real book over buying the ebook version. It's so much easier to jump to a certain page in a real book. For my college classes, I also buy the actual books, so I can jump back and forth in an instant when I want to find details for a research paper or assignment. Though I do have to admit that when I travel to New York this month, I plan to take my rarely used Kindle on the trip, because it's much easier to carry in my purse.

What about you? Are you a converted ebook reader or still gravitate toward print books?

Julia

A Visit to Callaway Vineyard and Winery

In our second walk through a winery, today you'll have the opportunity to visit Callaway Vineyard and Winery. I'm so excited about this one, because it's the first winery I visited when I first thought of setting SAY YOU'LL BE MINE in a winery. I planned to spend the day visiting a few Temecula vineyards, but this one was so interesting and had so much to offer a writer looking for impressions of a winery as well as details and plain education, that I spent the entire day at this one winery. I hope you enjoy Cecilia Vasquez's tour:

The Winery…
While some work for greatness others are born with it. Eli Reeves Callaway Jr. was one of those people who was born with greatness. Callaway displayed a knack for business at a very young age with an acre peach farm he started at the age of 10. In his first season with his peach business he made over seven hundred dollars. It doesn’t seem like much of a surprise to anyone that this young entrepreneur would become the man behind Callaway Vineyard & Winery. He defied experts who considered Southern California unsuitable for growing wine grapes and put Temecula on the map as a serious wine producing region. In 1976 at a luncheon with the United States President, Queen Elizabeth II, and The Prince Duke of Edinburgh at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City there was only one wine served. The wine of choice for the bicentennial event was the Callaway's estate bottled 1974 White Riesling. The Queen, not known to be a wine drinker, requested a second glass. This was the first time in U.S. viticultural history that a dry table wine from Southern California was chosen to be served on the east coast at an international diplomatic event. The Callaway Vineyard & Winery was an underdog winery that hit the big time. Eli Reeves Callaway Jr. was a business man with an inevitable future of greatness and he made it in the Callaway Vineyard and Winery.

The Wine…
The Callaway Vineyard & Winery has a very wide selection; it leaves just so many wines to choose from. Some of Callaway’s top award winning wines include, 2008 Winemaker's Reserve Calliope Red, 2010 Special Selection Rosé of Sangiovese, 2009 Special Selection Chardonnay, 2009 Special Selection Gewurztraminer, 2009 Special Selection Viognier, and 2008 Winemaker's Reserve Chardonnay.

Upcoming Events…

Taste of Winemaking - Seasonal Seminars
Saturday Mornings from 10am-12:30pm

$88.50 Per Seminar
Legacy Club Member Price - $79.65 Per Seminar
Prices are per person, plus tax

Taste of Summer Winemaking Seminar
Saturday, July 23, 2011 from 10:00am - 12:30pm
This seminar includes guided tour of the production facility with Winemaker, lab demonstration, rosé flight tasting, casual lunch and certificate of completion.

$88.50
A Taste of Autumn Winemaking Seminar
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Take part in harvest as you pick grapes in the vineyard and help with the crush process. Enjoy wine tasting with artisan cheese and fruit and receive a certificate of completion.

$88.50

Cecilia Vasquez

To celebrate our visit to Callaway Vineyard and Winery, I will be drawing another winner this month! For June, I'll be giving away a nifty little wine pump and sealers set. For those times when you don't finish the entire bottle of wine (rarely happens at my house) this is perfect to preserve the flavor and essence of the wine by resealing it!

To enter the drawing, please visit the SAY YOU'LL BE MINE page on Facebook and press the little "Like" button, then let me know you did it in the comments below!

You get an extra entry if you've visited Callaway or another winery and want to share a little about your experience.

Winner will be drawn on June 30th!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Julia

Advertising

I log onto my email account and at the top is an ad for Franklin Covey offering me free shipping if I complete my order (I would if they didn't continually discontinue planners just when I get used to them). On the side is an ad from Staples flashing a picture of an action planner I viewed on their site. Periodically, it switches to various hotels in NYC which I viewed when trying to decide where to stay for my upcoming conference.

As I rub my eyes and try to wake up, I start to feel like I'm being watched and I'm reminded of that movie where Tom Cruise (I think it was him) is walking in a mall and the ads change specifically for him. It's weird, because we're there in that sci-fi world!!

I'm not sure how I feel about this kind of target marketing. I mean, do I really want everyone to know what planner I use, what coffee I drink, what computers I buy, where I send my kids to summer camp? Do you?

And then I wonder if we're all making it too easy for marketers and criminals to know our every step. Has anyone ever "checked you in" to a restaurant on Facebook and announced to the entire world that you aren't home?

I'm not computer savvy enough to figure out how to block all these crazy ads and companies from finding me, but I think it's worth spending the time to figure out how to do it. I found this one option.

Here is another article about target marketing.

Something to think about . . .

Hugs,

Julia

To Mom

No, she'll never read this. She owns a computer and knows how to get on the Internet. Emails every once in a while, but has no patience when something goes wrong. And since I can totally relate to feeling incompetent when it comes to technology, I'm no help. But it's okay for her not to read my blog post, she knows how I feel and I'll be telling her in person tonight anyway.

My mom and I are very different. I love books, she loves TV. I think dogs are people, she'd rather never touch one if possible. Her idea of fun is dressing up and going to a fancy restaurant, mine is a hike in the mountains or a day at the beach. You get the picture. Sometimes I think we are complete opposites in just about everything.

And yet, maybe because she's my mother and I'm her daughter we only see perfection in each other.

Not recently, but she's mentioned that she wishes I'd get a "real" job rather than be a writer - however, she's convinced I'm the best author that ever lived. She tells me I'm a better cook than she is (I'm not); I'm the best mother ever (I'll share that title with her); and the list goes on - sometimes to an embarrassing extreme. And she believes all this, not because any of it is true, but I think because she sees me through that mother's lens that erases all the faults and only sees the good.

And to me, she's my inspiration. I'm forever amazed at all she has accomplished in her life, and by the incredible strength and determination she pulls from somewhere inside herself. Maybe it's because she lost her own mother when she was only 9-years-old and had to learn to be tough at a young age, I don't know. But at 74, she's still telling her children what to do, taking care of grandchildren, taking yoga and belly-dancing classes. She was doing marathons in her sixties and attending rock concerts. She had the strength to go through a major divorce in her fifties knowing that she would have no way to support herself, and that as an Argentine woman it would be frowned upon. All this in the second half of her life. In my office I have a picture of her on a motorcycle when she was in her teens and have heard stories of how she stood in front of tanks when the military dictatorship threatened the citizens in the streets of Argentina. When I asked about this, she laughed and said it was fun. Fun? I would have been scared to death. I also often question if I would have had the nerve to move to a foreign country where I didn't speak the language or know anyone, like she did.

My mother is soft-spoken, and sweet, and doesn't appear strong at all. But she is. And I'm so grateful that I've had the chance to learn from her and thankful that she's my mom.

Love you, Mom! Happy Mother's Day.

I would love to year about your moms and their stories. Let's celebrate our mothers.

Hugs,

Julia

Visiting The Joseph Filippi Winery

Today I'm very excited to introduce a guest blogger who will be taking us on a journey through some of Southern California's most beautiful wineries and vineyards in a five part monthly series. The wineries we've chosen to highlight on this blog are the ones I visited and enjoyed while researching SAY YOU'LL BE MINE. Each is unique and offered a learning experience for me as a writer and gave me a deeper appreciation for the art of wine-making. I hope you'll enjoy learning about these wineries too, and have a chance to visit them.

For an opportunity to win a set of artistic wine charms, I'm asking everyone one to do one thing. Visit the SAY YOU'LL BE MINE Facebook page and "Like" it. If you already have, ask one of your friends to "Like" it and I'll give you both and entry. Then post below that you've done it.

For an additional entry, comment on Ceclia's blog post. Have you visited this winery? Others? What did you think? Drink? Who did you visit with? Which was your favorite wine? Let's talk wines.

I will draw the winner on Friday at midnight, Pacific time.

Enjoy the tour of the first winery!


Joseph Filippi Winery

Cecilia Vasquez

The Cucamonga Valley is just one part of the great history of the Inland Empire. The Cucamonga Valley that once spanned over 30,000 acres was the home to many wineries. One in particular is the Joseph Filippi Winery. Founded in 1922, it is one of the oldest wineries in the country. If I were to describe the Joseph Filippi Winery in one word it would be tradition. The Winery has been kept within the Filippi family since its founding and flourishes today under fourth and fifth generation vintners. From the intimate care of the vineyards to the personal tending of the wine, the family is as involved in the creative process of their wines today as they were when they first began.

Along with being a winery that has many traditions they also preserve many. The wine culture of the Cucamonga Valley is a grand tradition of the Inland Empire and the Filippi family has worked to preserve it. They are currently revitalizing the building that once housed the Ellena Brothers-Regina Winery, a designated local historic landmark. Since 1994, the winery has undertaken several new acres of vineyard plantings and vineyard revitalization projects in the Etiwanda area of Rancho Cucamonga.

Joseph Filippi Winery & Vineyards has earned over 200 Awards for winemaking excellence in the past 30 years. Award-winning varieties include Zinfandels, Grenaches, Cabernets, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre blends, Sauvignon Blanc, Sherries, Ports and Angelica wines.

The Wine…
From the making of the wine to the décor of the labels there is a Filippi every step of the way. They specialize in red grape wines such as zinfandels and merlots. Some of their more popular wines are Big Joe Red, Zinfandel, and Syrah.

Upcoming Events…
May 5: Cinco de Mayo Celebration, a chance to relax and enjoy sangria and mojitos
May 8: Mother’s Day complimentary tasting, bring your Mother in for a complimentary tasting or if you are a mom come in and let us treat you to a complimentary tasting.
May 13: Late Night Fridays; come in with your friends. 9 pm closing
May 15: Enter your favorite recipes using Filippi Wine. Submit recipes by May 1. See home page for more info
May 27: Late Night Fridays; come in with your friends. 9 pm closing


The Joseph Filippi Winery is open daily. Monday from 12-5pm, Tuesday-Thursday 11-6pm, Friday-Saturday 11-7pm, and Sunday 12-6pm.

The address is 12467 Baseline Rd. Rancho Cucamonga 91739.