tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75138736114799669232023-11-16T05:04:33.168-08:00the sword that speaksUnlimited energy, unlimited AnneAnne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.comBlogger345125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-59188225937410514232021-10-03T21:44:00.004-07:002021-10-03T21:44:55.916-07:00Forthcoming Debut Poetry Collection: We've Been Here Before<div style="text-align: center;">In the spaces between dreams and reality,</div><div style="text-align: center;">the strange and the familiar intersect. As if</div><div style="text-align: center;">walking into different pockets of existence,</div><div style="text-align: center;">each poem is a world of its own, but with</div><div style="text-align: center;">beings who experience joy and pain the same</div><div style="text-align: center;">ways we do. Suddenly, there is this undeniable</div><div style="text-align: center;">sense—of being able to cross the liquid</div><div style="text-align: center;">boundary between the self and the Other.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W75TUp9oifeG53m_Y_SFkMubQLjVvjIhxffs2Co2A-G7AXibWJks2DA0T_1hOMNJZkLDeyJyQyfkpW3YZ3dIxLsA-d6M1D4DSTPw8iR9ENuAPRTYeUQZJB1cTeJpA7DZSk1UcYVTre4/s1000/Abad-cvr-lr.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W75TUp9oifeG53m_Y_SFkMubQLjVvjIhxffs2Co2A-G7AXibWJks2DA0T_1hOMNJZkLDeyJyQyfkpW3YZ3dIxLsA-d6M1D4DSTPw8iR9ENuAPRTYeUQZJB1cTeJpA7DZSk1UcYVTre4/s320/Abad-cvr-lr.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Cover by Kath Wilham of <a href="http://www.aqueductpress.com/forthcoming-pubs.php">Aqueduct Press</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I am pleased to announce that my debut poetry collection, "We've Been Here Before", is forthcoming with Aqueduct Press. My book is a collection of poems I've written in the last 15 years, exploring themes of identity, transformation, and oppression in the eyes of a woman navigating her male-dominated family and society. Borrowing the voice of objects, animals, insects, and even robots, each poem tackles a salient experience of the silently oppressed.<div><br /></div><div>Estimated launch date: February 2022<br /><div><br /></div></div>Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-12414754228470090692020-07-15T07:38:00.000-07:002020-07-15T07:38:12.022-07:00The Philippines Graphic's 30th Anniversary Issue<span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What an honor to be on the cover of The Philippines Graphic's 30th Anniversary Issue.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Read about my thoughts on art and writing as featured in "Writers in a Time of Lockdown" by Alma Anonas-Carpio, found within the pages. The Graphic is available in National Bookstore and 7-Eleven Outlets.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-27852432547309770782020-04-12T18:42:00.001-07:002020-04-12T18:42:01.636-07:00Locked In, But Not Locked DownIt's been a long time since I've blogged. Life has taken an odd turn. Some might say it's gone off the rails. If we look at the world as something we own and control, then yes, it certainly has. But if we think of ourselves as beings just passing through, then we can look at recent events and Covid-19 as part of inhabiting a living, breathing planet. We may have forgotten this, that despite the heights our intellect has reached, our bodies stand on moving soil and we breathe the same air in the atmosphere. We are not beyond Earth. We are dependent on it.<br />
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I believe this perspective is not a form of toxic positive thinking, as some might say. It does not discount the reality of pain and suffering. What this perspective brings to the fore is the fact that we exist in a world of action and reaction, of interdependence. And without awareness of these interactions, we will continue down the path of disease and self-destruction.<br />
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Studies point to the novel coronavirus as emerging from pangolins to bats to humans. When I was young, the elders have always warned me from touching strange animals, no matter how friendly they may seem. They had this innate sense of respect for creatures that live in a different world from ours. They mentioned that the animals may carry disease, of the obvious ones, rabies. While we cry, "Okay Boomer", we ourselves have forgotten to revisit their wisdom and have ended up like prodigal children suffering the consequences. It would be sad to hear the ancestors say, "We told you so."<br />
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We may be locked in our homes, but our minds are free to rethink our relationship with nature and our own nature--human versus consumer. Which are we? Which do we want to be? Are we doing our part in respecting the environment and in keeping our distance from others to prevent the further spread of disease? How do we want government to address the current pandemic and the future possibilities of the same? Which leaders do we want to have? Which leaders do we need? Especially in a future where the earth is wide awake, all the elements of disease, volcanic activity, quakes, and rising sea levels will be our undeniable reality, we have to rethink our position and act now.Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-51017343215679562092017-09-14T23:48:00.004-07:002017-09-14T23:50:29.317-07:002017 Nick Joaquin Literary Awards: Poet of the YearAs if the year weren't wonderful enough with the birth of our silly little boy, Alphonse, I was blessed to receive the Poet of the Year award from The Philippines Graphic Magazine at the 2017 Nick Joaquin Literary Awards. Here we are, giving up on getting a good picture together, since Alphonse decided he was way more interested in the ceiling lights:<br />
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It wasn't an easy pregnancy. And it hasn't been easy taking care of our son. I've been working and chasing a career in marketing and advertising before I had to quit and get used to life at home. What's even more challenging is how to take care of such a fragile new life while trying to get my life back in order. But the thing is, life isn't this chronology of events nor is it some shelf where everything is ordered and labeled. Things fall in and out of place. This time, things did fall into place, and the years I'd spent exploring poetry, sound, words, spacings and the meanings these create have allowed me to reap such an unexpected honor.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: PGPI VP for Finance Adebelo Gasmin, rep of PRU Life U.K,. Yours truly with her Poet of the Year award, Second Prize winner for Fiction Scott Lee Chua, First Prize winner Christian Ray Buendia, Third Prize Winner Wayne Benitez Castillo, PGPI president Benjamin V. Ramos and Philippines Graphic publisher T. Anthony Cabangon. Picture borrowed from Sir Krip Yuson.</td></tr>
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The event was Alphonse's first formal event. Victor, my husband, told me the baby was looking at me while I was on stage. And then I thought, "Hey, there's a poem in that gaze."</div>
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Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-59766882750575509192016-11-24T18:35:00.002-08:002016-11-24T18:35:50.549-08:00When Did We Filipinos Collapse into Factions?Conversing at length with a friend, we came upon an agreement. It is that we cannot be distracted from what we truly must do for our country. You know, at the end of the day, we want a fair society. We want safe streets, without fear of being killed by riding in tandem vigilante, or mugged by thieves. We want hospitals and affordable healthcare. We want trains. We want roads (decongested). We want sidewalks. We want decent jobs with decent pay.<br /><br />This is why we awoke. We awoke in separate factions. Pro-Marcos. Anti-Marcos. Pro-Aquino. Anti-Aquino. Ka-DDS. Pro-Country. But when you look at the heart of the arguments, you will see that we often look back at the times when our nation was or could have been great. And at each of those moments, there were heroes who rose up and there were leaders who failed us.<br /><br />I doubt that there is a Pro-Marcos brother out there who truly means to say he doesn't give a damn about human rights victims as long as he was able to enjoy the infrastructure boom and affordable cost of living. I doubt that the Anti-Aquino who polices us to remember the Mendiola Massacre means to reduce the problem to a war between two families: Aquino vs. Marcos.<br /><br />What is being said is that even after everything, even after our great People Power Revolution, there are still profiteering politicians in place. We are still asking, where the hell are the trains? Why the hell is energy so expensive? Why are the fuel giants still allowed to collude? Why are there no new state hospitals being built? Why can't I afford healthcare? Why are so many Pinoys still living below the poverty line? Why are there still haciendas despite all these talks on Agrarian reform?<br /><br />Some throw up their hands and sigh "Pare-pareho lang yang mga politiko." But no, they are not the same.<br /><br />Ultimately we must ask: who is/are accountable for what's wrong and how do we hold them responsible? And then, after we have destroyed this longstanding impunity, we ask how do we move on from here?<br /><br />With so many issues plaguing the country, we do each other a disservice by labeling ourselves or another a Dutertard or Yellowtard or whatever. These are distractions. It merely fosters a culture of forgetfulness because it adds to our inability to focus on any one thing until it reaches its full closure. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/neverforget?source=feed_text&story_id=10154280799227669">#NeverForget</a>: this humble hashtag may yet be the greatest finding of our time. It empowers us to seek out our cause, our calling. Empowers us to ACT on our cause with dogged focus, and not to digress into namecalling the opposing viewpoint like snotty children who just lost in a game of marbles. They have their own role to play. You have yours. If today we must march for justice, then we march. Tomorrow is a new day. Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-49525862395734030852016-11-20T21:46:00.000-08:002016-11-20T21:46:04.205-08:00Much Ado About a Fallen DictatorAnd so my days are filled with food cravings (pregnant), and also Ferdinand Marcos. Due to the recent (sudden) burial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, factions have arisen even among my friends. Some are Pro-Marcos, Some Anti-, and Others just Pro-Country. I think I'm Pro-Country, but it's hard to wear labels when you don't even know what they really stand for. I do tend to see Marcos as once a great man but fallen, any achievement overshadowed by his greed.<br /><br />Some friends frequently correct my stand by citing all the great things they enjoyed during Marcos' reign: infrastructure, power plants, schools, etc. But having read several books and spoken to victims during Martial Law, it's hard for me to see how "great things" can continue to be great when there were enforced disappearances and human rights violations happening at the same time. Necessary evil? I don't think so.<div>
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Here are my thoughts:<br /><ol>
<li>A Neo-Colonial Philippines: While it’s true that Ferdinand Marcos nationalized several industries like energy, healthcare and education, the explosive growth in development of these sectors came at the cost of a ballooning international debt and an unequally-yoked alliance with the US. The US and international organizations such as the World Bank and IMF generously supported the Marcos regime with aid and loans (The Political Economy of the Philippines Under Marcos, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2FkvygkI&h=PAQFQMnszAQGZlHGIC2aF0GDfIziOM7QdUXvy2QzaZRioKQ&enc=AZNileFSIdcEE78FWcrUDDJ63ALHoQ47EAdWXinK_LwgQ14OztdaOeAIfBlps_vM1l3kmIcyBSXOdBCQWxMlIPUmg4wf1ITFv0kM9YEonFwjo3qPPSjaxKOLky5UPd8R2xTACBnDOsvzICdwtLZLIw3s7S1RirBY4MY5oWqjYsTlRpm6muZhEj5MGfHuC3aGaQU&s=1">https://goo.gl/kvygkI</a>). But in receiving “aid” from the US, Marcos, in exchange, allowed the US to build strategically-located US bases in the Philippines (it was the period of the Cold War), with questionable economic returns to the Philippines. “During the early 1970s, Thailand received over $400 million in-military assistance and South Korea received over $600 million. The Philippines received only $50 million in grant aid--at a time when the Filipino Communist New People's Army had recommenced its armed insurrection against the government'” (The Key Role of U.S. Bases in the Philippines, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2FWDAsbN&h=KAQF8OsXVAQEQWUD4LDXlfaMmC_bIXo2GU0onvNaLFlex-g&enc=AZNDKhTmL8ZYyME3xRdwqikgtiIqT__qSRIGl8RshgKYstaKf0YS8UeCIXjWm02Zf3cuItH0cM5VxlaNffikZWdLOOY4Lk2cRgrZlvqlhBRXg1jBTyMGAKPlHpEiBpfON6-dbh1L_XQnjh416RMBPP_yCh644xtwtSfuFM588F82JaZY6JF32SAw6dYso25LomA&s=1">https://goo.gl/WDAsbN</a>). In later post-Marcos years, the social consequences of these US bases became apparent—prostitution, fatherless Amerasian children who receive no assistance from the US and Philippine governments, spread of sexually transmitted disease would become the bane of areas like Angeles Pampanga (Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice Vol. 15 Issue 1 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2FOr3KjU&h=WAQFmQ9f5AQEIEgjMh0aR02w8_qUqv305VHXp54fP_UyxuA&enc=AZN7ULB27truYRe2B8LOGfyhsMCP1Tt-vsWkFJAgbZp28A0ecf6pCej999K7-qq1tH4RqJ_wIHLkynv5tcyALFfe4JJh3FAx2mmnv3bI6sijDydrj7bVKNFKMo7O1Ncv-vqG3RlE1c1kevQNiZfmbUR2PxuSOzZtMLY-eWh70xiwj2Jz0E7AIDWkT7IKC-GXh1c&s=1">https://goo.gl/Or3KjU</a>; Sex Work in Southeast Asia: The Place of Desire in a Time of AIDS, Routledge 2000).</li>
<li>Debt-driven Development: The Philippines nursed an external debt that rose from US$2.3 billion in 1970 to more than US$17.2 billion in 1980. While it is true the loaned money was used to build infrastructure, Marcos prioritized the interests of his cronies, who were awarded contracts without undergoing competitive bidding. They profited from what are supposed to be state projects--like the $2.3 billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Crony Capitalism denied opportunities for entrepreneurs, thus stagnating the growth of Philippine industries which could have boosted GDP (Martial Law and Its Aftermath, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2Fk8Cyml&h=xAQF0ei_KAQFBSdr85hH-hgGCmWE2IJ-4SUE0h4wELA9WZQ&enc=AZM0BPpqecG4qnexqgnumc33KQ32_yG4eQornjb9wx_MM85F8LHS7bqSMApixhKGnO3dJS7pFhd3RFCQ7XxQyK9Ei7erY6izdbjgvv-tZBwYxVkSNvkwUnCGqKc1-wEkuH0FmgbjJiEBn0MQNrjDmdfgMPhhbzQ2VusCXeCo8wpQmoQxHw5tNH4_tBBJIQkit_Y&s=1">https://goo.gl/k8Cyml</a>; Marcos years marked 'golden age' of PH economy? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2F2pBTHn&h=1AQH-CWZBAQEfuCtuuHMnZzvWwIdngOYwRoeN-tCsVSQSOQ&enc=AZPqCoq2Si5ELfqcEWm6PmQW4ruLxtkkfIc8wfof3mb5b91IZezbr-y4TU8XxIB8vuC7sU7FQxDS1bCvm8x59no30bE6RpuKav0anW1bTryvE4gDj6Qx9_fGNQrpNWU90mX3OeBx1YPaw8NPj4iCwxpwt1z_VRT8guPhwxISi5mJbUGjdnon38LVCuRPpBWRiFM&s=1">https://goo.gl/2pBTHn</a>). Under cronies Benedicto and Eduardo Cojuangco, sugar and coconuts industries became monopolies where farmers on the local level were obliged to sell only to the monopolies and at lower than world market prices. This saw the rise of mass poverty and malnutrition in rural communities (Crony Capitalism, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2FFmVqmn&h=WAQFmQ9f5AQHDZ94bVfMZiTIb1TebNWx6kZc02iKmwneyjw&enc=AZODHmom0wzRBokf8b5AhJYHjmIKB4NhePxjusYecUVlQ5xggL3BR_r4p72pKWym6bMICKzrm8T-9ElcLCJFKb-bY-yC9A3K0UoxAOYwQ3qNwpkOrn2QWw082pt82pBwZ8Q1dmOI5CZwPYMDUuO1popfFs_Qta3Eo_yJT7KBae-82Xx619P5Kmr7v57pCNlcMck&s=1">https://goo.gl/FmVqmn</a>).</li>
<li>Marcos Established/Founded State Colleges/Universities: All well and good that there were more schools, but it’s ironic that it was also the students who suffered greatly during Martial Law. Liliosa Hilao was a student activist in the Martial Law era who was abducted and killed. Another was Jan Quimpo. Yet another was Archimedes Trajano. There were also several violent dispersals of student movements, as in the famous First Quarter Storm of 1970. The Hilao and Trajano families will later be among those who will file legal cases related to human rights violations against the deposed Marcos. And they succeeded through a ruling in a court in Hawaii that requires the estate of Marcos to pay $2 billion (almost P90 billion) in damages after more than 9,000 HR victims filed a class suit against the Marcos estate in 1994. While one could argue that it’s “their fault for going against the government,” it’s thanks to their sacrifice that we can freely muse about these things in the first place. Characteristic of Marcos’ authoritarian regime is the control of media (print, TV, radio, etc) and the silencing of dissenters. So what is the use of schools that can’t teach students to think critically and speak up?</li>
<li>Development Masquerading the Loot: Loot gained from taxes and the industries (energy, sugar, coconut, etc.) Marcos had sequestered for himself and his cronies continue to be litigated on to this day. A total of P10 billion allotted for the Human Rights Victims’ reparation was sourced from the Marcoses’ hidden and stolen wealth recovered by the government of the Philippines from their Switzerland accounts (Republic Act No. 10368).</li>
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Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-81629265092383053462016-07-04T19:34:00.000-07:002016-07-04T19:34:59.574-07:00And so... I Got Married...to Victor. My travel buddy and best friend and greatest fan....<br />
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We had Porky as our cake model<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietp3Mq_7XnmwFAwivXcYlDtnrxOlImzl-xh7sVlHKbcAJt0Yjy9XjcF4fzHf1p3NsOBORvWdKSaptae5VIuN14kCInHvYrBy3hQ1KbUVGnyjuX35JP5fWCFyz-qAmMeGi1mAsY9-YJEQ/s1600/Bride_33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietp3Mq_7XnmwFAwivXcYlDtnrxOlImzl-xh7sVlHKbcAJt0Yjy9XjcF4fzHf1p3NsOBORvWdKSaptae5VIuN14kCInHvYrBy3hQ1KbUVGnyjuX35JP5fWCFyz-qAmMeGi1mAsY9-YJEQ/s320/Bride_33.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just love this lil' guy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAQJJKIwurNM6Sa61dYkQQ0zosB3ty9ta_PE9ENdbdEfkNMulfho5pgdJ7D_CK1HU-CDeesZAH1ZI8cAPHE1eWdTl42CrOdfaQGxu8DlrNKEPZFD0q2YdkG3VyG9DLU_VPavEOsB_KJo/s1600/Bride_34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAQJJKIwurNM6Sa61dYkQQ0zosB3ty9ta_PE9ENdbdEfkNMulfho5pgdJ7D_CK1HU-CDeesZAH1ZI8cAPHE1eWdTl42CrOdfaQGxu8DlrNKEPZFD0q2YdkG3VyG9DLU_VPavEOsB_KJo/s320/Bride_34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very modelesque</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLO35h-Fs1au0y-QPnSx0PsoYA92sxdbn4dzKjYDb0XrW6E1XxOsXUXgurrRb5MgNaSiWbxAl6OC0FfyFL2_ZflDAQfSUZtX7_JJRqA2MGxFx86vBxC3L819giCqTJxgi17qbZquSQUg/s1600/Bride_35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLO35h-Fs1au0y-QPnSx0PsoYA92sxdbn4dzKjYDb0XrW6E1XxOsXUXgurrRb5MgNaSiWbxAl6OC0FfyFL2_ZflDAQfSUZtX7_JJRqA2MGxFx86vBxC3L819giCqTJxgi17qbZquSQUg/s320/Bride_35.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One more</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTKy7l9paG0qTrVeNVXtWz29ziFrDCIxJ7aCKn-d9h9Usg6kvXripA6BvNuqohg1HzYCoiAtd9yptq7L-qw9lu9TLPfrT39LgZ6P5FeTeZuD_ehkzfdzqA4ZPTgGL01mIKCwkcs9ZyZs/s1600/Cake_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTKy7l9paG0qTrVeNVXtWz29ziFrDCIxJ7aCKn-d9h9Usg6kvXripA6BvNuqohg1HzYCoiAtd9yptq7L-qw9lu9TLPfrT39LgZ6P5FeTeZuD_ehkzfdzqA4ZPTgGL01mIKCwkcs9ZyZs/s320/Cake_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Cake Design by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/streetsidebakers/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Streetside Bakers</a></td></tr>
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Victor and I were busy planning for the past six months. It was a different kind of challenge, perhaps the first serious marriage "trial". I wanted to go small. He did, too. But we had different ideas on what "small" meant. I didn't think I needed to be in a dress. He responded with big, confused eyes. I wanted us to skip the red carpet walk. The family responded with big, confused eyes.<br />
<br />
If it were just me making the decision, I'd have gone ahead and gotten married in a tiny hole-in-the-wall cafe, had a few beers and laughs, read some poems and been done with it. But we weren't doing it just for me or for ourselves.<br />
<br />
Milestones like these are big for the family because it's when everything becomes real (not that it wasn't real before). It's when the once-was-a-baby girl and boy are now big enough to fend for themselves. It's when the parents and godparents can trust that they can let go and still see the lives they nurtured flourish in this uncertain world.<br />
<br />
When the contract is signed, it's a contract with everyone else invited, to guide and watch us, to help us fulfill the promises we made.<br />
<br />
I don't know where we're headed. I just know that despite the shortcomings, the times when we couldn't understand each other, the times when we could never agree, there were more times when we just held hands, where the silence of sitting beside each other not saying anything was dangerous yet comforting at the same time.Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-74034831269193131992016-03-28T22:33:00.002-07:002016-05-09T17:06:23.886-07:00Review of the Light Bringer's Kingdom"In the Light Bringer's Kingdom, Anne Carly Abad has created a fresh and unique take on the Lucifer mythology. The diverse characters are intriguing and well-developed with plenty of action to drive the plot forward. I loved the relationship between Path and Sierra. With the help of Eli, they make appealing heroes the reader cannot help but root for. Abad's world is filled with vivid images and terrifying monsters, perfect for reading late into the night. The character of the Light Bringer creates a wonderful image of evil, and the Abomination even more so." Read the rest of Kris Moger's review <a href="https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-light-bringers-kingdom">here</a>. :)<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9N_a_4Xq3ZDiD830yLvm_4yVqob_g0zfGTd-AzZfWLR58UCSvQZEG-gdKKnN54ZpEh225GGyqa33lidm9ehE739PVnb6CtfYc5AKKI29jtjwtqJJFYBmmJ1Q_jfdX4btn4GfW5RTqWQ/s1600/final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9N_a_4Xq3ZDiD830yLvm_4yVqob_g0zfGTd-AzZfWLR58UCSvQZEG-gdKKnN54ZpEh225GGyqa33lidm9ehE739PVnb6CtfYc5AKKI29jtjwtqJJFYBmmJ1Q_jfdX4btn4GfW5RTqWQ/s320/final.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My novel is available in print and ebook formats in Amazon. Purchase it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Light-Bringers-Kingdom-Anne-Carly-ebook/dp/B011JZ53I8" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></span><i class="_4-k1 img sp_fM-mz8spZ1b sx_5371b4" style="background-color: white; background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v2/yx/r/pimRBh7B6ER.png"); background-position: 0px -340px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; color: #141823; display: inline-block; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 16px; line-height: 19.32px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"><u style="left: -999999px; position: absolute;">smile emoticon</u></i>Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-14903921137849344062016-03-20T18:45:00.001-07:002016-03-20T18:45:30.338-07:00Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature 2016It's open season for hunting those award-winning ideas! I wonder if I'll find my turkey this year? I haven't been feeling so writerly lately but who knows? There's still some time.<br />
<br />
Posting the submission link here to remind myself and everyone else that they'd better whip out those laptops (or pens) before the deadline bites. <a href="http://palancaawards.com.ph/newPalanca/entries.php" target="_blank">Submission Form Here</a>Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-45504720541890262632016-03-13T19:04:00.001-07:002016-03-13T19:04:27.027-07:00The Wisdom of ApathyThey say "Expectation is the mother of all frustration." And so a lot of advice columns say to get rid of expectations and instead, focus on what you see and take things for what they are. But the fact of the matter is that it's in our nature to expect and be frustrated. Frustration exists for a reason. Discontent pushes people to speak up, pick up the hammer and tear down the wall that is the status quo. For instance, if we just looked at how politicians steal national funds for self-gain and say, that's just how things are, what did we expect? Sure, our emotional state would be in dead tranquility. But no, a lot of us (quietly) think, that's not how things should be. If a friend or colleague is frequently late for appointments, don't we expect an explanation or apology? We expect people to fulfill their promises, else why would we even bother with plans and agreements? A lot of human society is built around these contracts. A lot of things require us to EXPECT. And there's nothing wrong with thinking ahead or wanting more out of things as long as one actually works for that vision. So tired of hearing these sorry excuses for wisdom.Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-40670695165110100472016-03-08T15:36:00.001-08:002016-03-08T15:36:06.658-08:00"Exchange", my poem is now available at Strange Horizons"The imaging test declares her "Tumor"—
my embryologic twin.
But she is my sister, with a name
she once mouthed to me in dreams."--read the rest <a href="http://strangehorizons.com/2016/20160307/2abad-p.shtml">here.</a>Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-50539944079211695372016-02-04T19:54:00.001-08:002016-02-04T19:55:35.411-08:00Interesting Take on Cultural Appropriation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YykjpeuMNEk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YykjpeuMNEk?feature=player_embedded" width="420"></iframe></div>
<br />
"So are Beyoncé and Coldplay bad people? No, but that's not the question. They are hugely successful musicians who may have unintentionally shed light on just how Hollywood sees India and its entertainers, which is to say not at all. Failing to meaningfully include those entertainers runs the risk of making invisible the very communities from which they're drawing their inspiration. "<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-Jamilah King, article <a href="http://mic.com/articles/134260/what-is-or-isn-t-cultural-appropriation-let-s-look-at-coldplay-and-beyonc-s-latest-video#.bvETPei8p" target="_blank">here</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I posted the quote that really stuck to me the most. Instead of focusing on the nitpicky details, there could be some important benefits to hegemonic structures taking from otherwise minority cultures. Preservation, one of them.</div>
Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-26247782319203861822016-01-24T17:00:00.000-08:002016-01-24T17:02:36.942-08:00Amazon Best Sellers Rank?<div class="tr_bq">
There are a lot of things I need to learn in the publishing business. I noticed several writers talking about their Amazon Best Sellers Rank, and so I checked mine for "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Light-Bringers-Kingdom-Anne-Carly-ebook/dp/B011JZ53I8" target="_blank">The Light Bringer's Kingdom</a>," saw that I was really at the bottom rungs in the "Paid in Kindle Store" category. I think I was at about #1,800,000. </div>
<br />
When it comes to ranking, the lower the number the higher your sales AND sales potential, according to what I've read. Page visits and people reading your preview pages add to your sales potential. I think the number of Amazon reviews your book has also helps. Sadly, I have only 1 review despite knowing a number of people who've bought my book,,, Q.Q<br />
<br />
I can totally understand, though. I think it's quite time-consuming to review and critique written work, especially novels which need a whole lot of attention.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=525376" target="_blank">Amazon FAQs</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
While the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers">Amazon Best Sellers</a> list is a good indicator of how well a product is selling overall, it doesn't always indicate how well an item is selling among other similar items. Category and subcategory best seller lists were created to highlight an item's rank in the categories or subcategories where it really stands out.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We choose a few of the most popular subcategories in which the item has a high ranking in relation to other items in that subcategory, and showcase the item's rank on the product page. As with the main Amazon Best Sellers list, these category rankings are based on Amazon.com sales and are updated hourly.</blockquote>
Yup, apparently it changes hourly. I checked my rank again a week later. Surprised at how far I've jumped, suddenly at the hundred-thousands mark. Not sure what it means but it made me happy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDpstANehep37XvlI14cOONmqCRlp3VoVeEs84MaoSlYeEP9x3ma5gUsWbEFXqWPda1d5xSymvQ-k3yTyf16DQqUbFpICff5QmkUYIOClFyrhj1hWL_zz_f7Qmb66L0VVk5E4EKZHKbw/s1600/Amazon_Rank.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDpstANehep37XvlI14cOONmqCRlp3VoVeEs84MaoSlYeEP9x3ma5gUsWbEFXqWPda1d5xSymvQ-k3yTyf16DQqUbFpICff5QmkUYIOClFyrhj1hWL_zz_f7Qmb66L0VVk5E4EKZHKbw/s640/Amazon_Rank.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Had to read up on this. An improvement in rank doesn't necessarily mean more sales, I found. The ranking is relative to other books being sold in Amazon. So, if they are suddenly selling less, I could see an improvement in my rank despite selling the same amount of books the past few weeks. In the same way, if suddenly everyone (including me) is selling more units, my sales rank might not improve because I'll be doing just as well as everyone else.<br />
<br />
There's a summary of the potential sales my current rank means, and it looks like I'm selling less than one book a day...NOOOOO. From <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-things-people-dont-know-amazons-bestsellers-rank-sales-rank/" target="_blank">makeuseof:</a><br />
<blockquote>
<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 50,000 to 100,000 – selling close to 1 book a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 10,000 to 50,000 – selling 5 to 15 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 5,500 to 10,000 – selling 15 to 25 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 3,000 to 5,500 – selling25 to 70 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 1,500 to 3,000 – selling70 to 100 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 750 to 1,500 – selling 100 to 120 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 500 to 750 – selling120 to 175 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 350 to 500 – selling175 to 250 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 200 to 350 – selling 250 to 500 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 35 to 200 -selling500 to 2,000 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank 20 to 35 – selling 2,000 to 3,000 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank of 5 to 20 – selling3,000 to 4,000 books a day.<br />
Amazon Best Seller Rank of 1 to 5 – selling4,000+ books a day.</blockquote>
Anyway, it's still the royalty statement that holds the true number. I'll wait for it and compare with these sample projections.Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-50114038404256612942016-01-03T16:38:00.002-08:002016-01-03T16:38:45.241-08:00Featured in Ares Magazine Online: Laws of StoneWhen it comes to world building, a lot of alone time is needed just thinking. I can't count the number of times I've been told that my head seems to be floating in the clouds.<br />
<br />
They're not wrong in that!<br />
<br />
I'm certainly in a world unreachable unless otherwise written. I floated like a lost ghost in strange skies and landed in the land of Spheria.<br />
<br />
I created Spheria when I was young. It's a planet sprawling with energy "ponds", thieving dragons and stuck-up angels.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.aresmagazine.com/?page_id=1503" target="_blank">"Laws of Stone"</a> happens in Spheria. Have a read when you feel like leaving this earth for a moment. :)Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-61961572764646965832015-11-15T17:10:00.002-08:002015-11-15T17:10:58.358-08:00Upcoming! Poems to Appear in Silver Blade and Strange HorizonsI'm back, by prodding myself to shape up.<br />
<br />
I've been doing stuff in a daze. Much of the time, I don't remember what I've been doing with my life. I go through workdays like a zombie, waking up only when I get home. I don't know if I've done something worthwhile during the time that I'm in worker trance.<br />
<br />
I constantly need to snap myself out of it. I set aside time each day to write something in my phone notes or pieces of paper. I form the "art" version of it when I get home.<br />
<br />
It's getting harder and harder to find people to critique my work. I find myself having to submit work that I've self-edited. It's hard. I think it's not a good way to go about writing and publishing.<br />
<br />
I'm fortunate to have received acceptance letters from Silver Blade and Strange Horizons.<br />
<br />
Upcoming are these titles:<br />
<br />
"Tire under the bridge" - November 2015, Silver Blade<br />
"Exchange" - TBA, Strange Horizons<br />
<br />
I'll keep pushing. I'll keep making art.<br />
<br />
If I become a zombie, I'll still try to write even if it's just grarrr grarrr I get down on the page.Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-24841088547023802352015-10-22T01:09:00.000-07:002015-10-22T01:09:21.772-07:00Tokyo last February, Osaka this October!Okay, striking out several other Asian destinations from my bucket list. It's Osaka this time! Going there with my mom and I really really have to remind myself to make an itinerary, so I don't waste time having to think about where to go and where to go next.<br />
<br />
I'll be reviewing my rusty Nihongo (again). I can never get the hang of it for too long. I don't know why because I seem to be pretty okay with my basic Korean even if I don't speak or read it on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, while waiting and fidgeting until my flight date, I killed time by taking up Twitter Flight School, something I can use in my work.<br />
<br />
I graduated haha. What a cute badge :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiq81x26DbQjpc7xcWwe_YZByTGuuyD7ZjolyiownjiNj1ikbV8BCSJx9XO7JirYegitQPtt8Rr4hsxmAfhHaFKkveVR2D5P8771p-srKkLhlZ1bRnjSvv-bCweU28zmy3vD9MqI85bA/s1600/TwitterFlightSchool2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiq81x26DbQjpc7xcWwe_YZByTGuuyD7ZjolyiownjiNj1ikbV8BCSJx9XO7JirYegitQPtt8Rr4hsxmAfhHaFKkveVR2D5P8771p-srKkLhlZ1bRnjSvv-bCweU28zmy3vD9MqI85bA/s400/TwitterFlightSchool2015.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-77742880452114634982015-09-30T20:35:00.001-07:002015-10-01T20:55:27.071-07:00 Nick Joaquin Literary Awards 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://fbcdn-photos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xlp1/v/t1.0-0/s526x296/11988641_10153523175251768_1387672361682412852_n.jpg?oh=b6092ffcf8dd4a7eba46aa1519f61e53&oe=568FA777&__gda__=1453777317_a763e70516769a638b10e574b3e0b5e3" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://fbcdn-photos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xlp1/v/t1.0-0/s526x296/11988641_10153523175251768_1387672361682412852_n.jpg?oh=b6092ffcf8dd4a7eba46aa1519f61e53&oe=568FA777&__gda__=1453777317_a763e70516769a638b10e574b3e0b5e3" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was a quiet night with good food---absolutely memorable artisan suman with fondue---and excellent wine.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/p720x720/12079816_10153667469109824_1227599895755001886_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/p720x720/12079816_10153667469109824_1227599895755001886_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks Johanna Carissa Fernandez for letting me use this, forgot to take pics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We enjoyed the reading of excerpts of Nick Joaquin's "May Day Eve", performed by no other than the Literary Editor, Ms. Alma Anonas-Carpio.<br />
<br />
Met and chatted with fellow writers about how we ended up in the advertising industry.... *moment of silence* har har!<br />
<br />
Congratulations, winners! <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ed.maranan">Ed Maranan</a> (1st), <a href="https://www.facebook.com/beting.dolor">Beting Laygo Dolor</a> (2nd),<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jennyortuoste">Jenny Ortuoste</a> (3rd) and Publisher's Choice Poet of the Year <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jose.v.penaranda">Jose Victor Penaranda</a>.<br />
<br />
I received special recognition for my story "Sage's Reckoning." THIS MADE MY YEAR, YOU KNOW. Also, more than happy to receive the Manny O. Wines wine... first time I liked wine. It wasn't too strong.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12049171_10153307432687669_5507305457413773938_n.jpg?oh=dce5113fd2e2ee17b631b6603b13e309&oe=56878558" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12049171_10153307432687669_5507305457413773938_n.jpg?oh=dce5113fd2e2ee17b631b6603b13e309&oe=56878558" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm an excellent photographer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I ramble. I'm writing again. I'm heading back home. The dry spell's over! :DAnne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-63650213671976224872015-09-08T18:01:00.001-07:002016-01-10T18:49:23.134-08:00The Light Bringer's Kingdom now available in print! :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6CyT_Lnc4cG6YQv035-wMt58FUZCxxGFlCJ4guaqs56MOq7TLDdzwDKjRau-vH5L-QLknFHo6t460Rk5L5FZjtQ6TfXsd7kLm-riunEEBZqxcgpXdKh4C2B8sb3FfMwprAF_V95r2s0/s1600/final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6CyT_Lnc4cG6YQv035-wMt58FUZCxxGFlCJ4guaqs56MOq7TLDdzwDKjRau-vH5L-QLknFHo6t460Rk5L5FZjtQ6TfXsd7kLm-riunEEBZqxcgpXdKh4C2B8sb3FfMwprAF_V95r2s0/s320/final.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Here it is: My blood, sweat and tears! Now available in print from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Light-Bringers-Kingdom-Anne-Carly-ebook/dp/B011JZ53I8/ref=sr_1_108?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1441760178&sr=1-108&keywords=Zharmae#customerReviews" target="_blank">Amazon</a>!<br />
<br />
As one review says in Amazon:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"In all the tellings and re-tellings of the stories of Lucifer and his rebellion against Heaven, he’s been a lot of things, but never an interplanetary, trans-dimensional being, as he appears in The Light Bringer’s Kingdom. Although Lucifer remains tremendously powerful, menacing, and filled with contempt for humans, this novel is a wholly unique twist on a very old story. Lucifer, along with all the other angels, originate on a planet in another dimension, Spheris, and they journey between realms—including Heaven, Hell, and Earth—as they follow various paths. Abad blends this science fiction-infused version of the cosmos with elements of religious lore and folklore, particularly legends from southeast Asia and the Philippines, to create a new and diverse set of villains out of familiar tropes. While the array of monsters and demons, and their complex relationship with angels and seers, is something of a challenge to keep up with, the literary payoff is substantial."-Amanda Smith</blockquote>
About the Novel:<br />
<div>
<br />
Path Liang is the last person you would expect to believe in spirits or the supernatural. Her father, Hector Liang, is the inventor of the Wireless Command System (WCS), a technology that amplifies brainwaves to operate machines and computers and has revolutionized the society of the Phillipines in 2066. By day Path is a talented badminton star, and by night she is a hypergamer, immersing herself in the super-fast WCS-enabled virtual world. <br />
<br />
But despite Path's best efforts, she has been haunted by a strange dreamworld since she was seven years old. Little does she know that she is a descendant of a powerful babaylan, shamans of ancient Phillippine society. Path will need all the help she can get to master her newfound powers. Demons, led by Lucifer himself, want to use her abilities in a new rebellion against Heaven.<br />
<br />
Path is protected by Elantiel "Eli" Clementir, a revenge-driven young man with a mysterious connection to the angels and an ancestral magic of his own. As apocalypse looms ever closer, Path realizes their fates are more entwined than she could have ever imagined. To protect all they hold dear, Path and Eli must face their own families' tragic pasts and confront a cosmic rebellion a millennia in the making.</div>
Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-37512259983828121792015-08-02T22:32:00.003-07:002015-08-02T22:35:10.322-07:00The Light Bringer's Kingdom, Pre-listed!The novel I wrote and rewrote and reworked hundreds of times has finally materialized as a real book. I believe in this story and didn't want to give up on it even if I was feeling a wee bit hopeless that no Philippine publishers were interested in taking it. Maybe it's because the novel is science fiction? Maybe there's no market? Not sure.<br />
<br />
But all of that happened so I can have this book published by the cool, professional folks of Zharmae Publishing Press. They're young and amazing and I love having the chance to work with them.<br />
<br />
Here's the final cover art by Tomasz Wieja:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjCqrkN-juRsftyrWKNWgx6IXfffNj4-Hzq7bV7lATlON4ffKr-ygXpFhVl2pLTwj1xpxIEN7nqx9vW75TqpuRvbukbee6gqfViyx9EZ8cnFADs8HcBx8sUdtpz-yCR3hI5Il3ekFl2w/s1600/finalCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjCqrkN-juRsftyrWKNWgx6IXfffNj4-Hzq7bV7lATlON4ffKr-ygXpFhVl2pLTwj1xpxIEN7nqx9vW75TqpuRvbukbee6gqfViyx9EZ8cnFADs8HcBx8sUdtpz-yCR3hI5Il3ekFl2w/s320/finalCover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Pre-orders of the Kindle edition are happening now at <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Bringers-Kingdom-Anne-Carly-ebook/dp/B011JZ53I8">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Bringers-Kingdom-Anne-Carly-ebook/dp/B011JZ53I8</a><br />
<br />
The book will launch on September 12, 2015 and the paperback edition will be released a week after that.<br />
<br />
Super excited! If you're interested, please do support me. I appreciate any help in getting the word out. I can give out copies for those who'd like to review my novel. :)Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-11572566446052952522015-06-16T19:06:00.002-07:002015-06-16T19:06:24.714-07:00My New Creative Endeavor: Art in JewelsIt's something I'm exploring to channel my art into--jewelry creation. I use a combination of materials like precious and semi-precious stones, silk, glass, metals and leather to make wearable art. The concept is a fusion of nature and the human touch to create wearable pieces of art.<br />
<br />
I already opened an instagram page @artinjewels<br />
and the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-in-Jewels<br />
<br />
Here are some of my creations :)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIELxGJ1I2bwcmJ0vfpjFz6uOK8hYbhu1LBAaZaXHX619G5aNh6oqAJsAcZXUbqEOKEmXr3BRQEPICc32vQF4vEoJfaeM2vB3sr1GMVsLjmOJYWQq29aNinM4-SCWLrGDNWRTjuqzLXtY/s1600/Glass_Pearl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIELxGJ1I2bwcmJ0vfpjFz6uOK8hYbhu1LBAaZaXHX619G5aNh6oqAJsAcZXUbqEOKEmXr3BRQEPICc32vQF4vEoJfaeM2vB3sr1GMVsLjmOJYWQq29aNinM4-SCWLrGDNWRTjuqzLXtY/s320/Glass_Pearl.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass and Pearls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSoslXKWvmr0Mc83mlmyzqSoNBhqJ-dzPtff5qp_qrkNtOgyPiHb44EHqfBsE8Kv5pr3BegsRkK6BawVu44XT-Qwi9crDAukatmCCfUzA7jyzfglFv2QZIX7uWxozBN8ECe2f8tSjVyQ/s1600/Silver_IceJade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSoslXKWvmr0Mc83mlmyzqSoNBhqJ-dzPtff5qp_qrkNtOgyPiHb44EHqfBsE8Kv5pr3BegsRkK6BawVu44XT-Qwi9crDAukatmCCfUzA7jyzfglFv2QZIX7uWxozBN8ECe2f8tSjVyQ/s320/Silver_IceJade.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice Jade and Silver</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GEjRcHn7uTLqJAjXJhRd1zEXSV8bm3Zuy7HvCRM3QxPJLCGI6Wfj4OdmadqAYbyuE8upFBPfPj5TAJ-iR76owqrMrcdxV8LZaweR5JMYZCU86vev3wM_gmNJbJ08Vbd0rxoRlC776lA/s1600/Chinese_Carnelian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GEjRcHn7uTLqJAjXJhRd1zEXSV8bm3Zuy7HvCRM3QxPJLCGI6Wfj4OdmadqAYbyuE8upFBPfPj5TAJ-iR76owqrMrcdxV8LZaweR5JMYZCU86vev3wM_gmNJbJ08Vbd0rxoRlC776lA/s320/Chinese_Carnelian.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carnelian and Silk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm0QJYRYIAIV3sKL1UDHugnugdn3jJFWD6OEOgOh-wyo0Qu5zYE2QQUbq2QTMvUTlg2yD-wy94J0Nos8iknCz2E4u2AOwloUXTb3MxzQIlrHr2lfxXclXPDia3XTjurIyoqKib3JsJs0/s1600/Faux_Amethyst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm0QJYRYIAIV3sKL1UDHugnugdn3jJFWD6OEOgOh-wyo0Qu5zYE2QQUbq2QTMvUTlg2yD-wy94J0Nos8iknCz2E4u2AOwloUXTb3MxzQIlrHr2lfxXclXPDia3XTjurIyoqKib3JsJs0/s320/Faux_Amethyst.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass and Metal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6NmlAGrmhvNRbUJ-9YkgEE_D2npe411OUIH1PeyBpXgFiGmE5ogkU1T30mtuAuy5ROmjT0zXCrI0dFNbyceD0Z0Jn8_z9eaABwYooHRQXtklnAPx8xklTOFQYXvl2PQsZbFe6C3cHyY/s1600/Flame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6NmlAGrmhvNRbUJ-9YkgEE_D2npe411OUIH1PeyBpXgFiGmE5ogkU1T30mtuAuy5ROmjT0zXCrI0dFNbyceD0Z0Jn8_z9eaABwYooHRQXtklnAPx8xklTOFQYXvl2PQsZbFe6C3cHyY/s320/Flame.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lapiz Lazuli and Carnelian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-33433373092505358992015-06-07T19:26:00.003-07:002015-06-07T19:26:34.593-07:00Poem in Liquid Imagination and Short-Listed in the Erbacce Prize"Soul Searching" at <a href="http://liquidimagination.silverpen.org/article/soul-searching-by-anne-carly-abad/" target="_blank">Liquid Imagination</a><br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.erbacce-press.com/#/erbacce-prize/4533449873" target="_blank">2015 Erbacce Prize</a> released its "long" shortlist and I'm honored to be included. Hoping and crossing my fingers that I win this one :)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q6sXXc1WVfIG3mNi1RQfeOc3oXFDKuzUQpchaNNd6ivDTR5eOaaV_qwcMdtviWsbNY21Aw4Dmo3lfu5oEL3QbbisqLtoWKuPH3ImjC_yG1ZYQmO-vJ7UW8NgAjk0B411kjlSwulsrLA/s1600/2015Shortlist.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q6sXXc1WVfIG3mNi1RQfeOc3oXFDKuzUQpchaNNd6ivDTR5eOaaV_qwcMdtviWsbNY21Aw4Dmo3lfu5oEL3QbbisqLtoWKuPH3ImjC_yG1ZYQmO-vJ7UW8NgAjk0B411kjlSwulsrLA/s400/2015Shortlist.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-11024354266602481722015-06-01T22:47:00.001-07:002015-06-01T22:47:13.327-07:003rd Japan-Russia Haiku Contestdarkening sky<br />
the bamboo weeps over<br />
the sun<br />
<br />
featured in the Haiku Special from the 3rd Japan-Russia Haiku Contest. Honored to be included.:)<br />
<br />
Read the rest of the Special <a href="http://akitahaiku.com/2015/06/01/haiku-special-from-the-3rd-japan-russia-haiku-contest-3/" target="_blank">here.</a>Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-74158394980569336152015-05-22T00:56:00.002-07:002015-05-22T01:11:53.488-07:00My Journey Into Jade CultureIt began in Hong Kong. We visited the Jade Market, and while I found the bangles, bracelets and carved ornaments wonderful, I also sensed there might be something amiss.<br />
<br />
Why? Because sellers' wares were all the same!<br />
<br />
Hundreds of jade pi beads, Buddhas, mystic knots, bangles, of the same apple green color.<br />
<br />
If I recall right, this color is among the most expensive kinds and yet we were able to haggle a 1000 HKD piece down to 300. 70% off a steal? Not really. What I found out later on after reading up is that many of the jade in these bazaars are inferior, acid-treated stones called B-grade jade. And yet the sellers will only tell you they are selling you "JADE". Perhaps they do not know what they are selling. Or perhaps they're really just shady.<br />
<br />
According to a <a href="http://www1.american.edu/ted/jade.htm" target="_blank">source</a>: "The international jade trade is reeling from a proliferation of doctored stones that have appeared on the market since 1990, hurting sales and eroding confidence in the translucent green gem prized throughout Asia" (Denise Hamilton, p.D1). This has been going on for years.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
The first jade object was found 12,000 years ago, in the Immortal Cave in Haicheng of Liaoning Province. Those small disks called pi were used in religious rites, for worshiping the God of Heaven. Jade was also believed to ward off evil. Furthermore, "the Chinese wore jade ornaments in daily life as an indication of rank and social status. For example, the households of many nobles and wealthy families were filled with all kinds of carved daily articles made from jade (Free China Journal p.1)."<br />
<br />
It is sad to see that an object with such a rich and beautiful history has been reduced to this revenue-generating machine that has, literally, lost all substance and meaning...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
These are the kinds of "jade" that are proliferating in the market. Details from <a href="http://www.masonkay.com/jade/whatisbjade.php">Mason-Kay</a>:</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiHKTeM_0yW-OLF9qWMmJ9XeM4I-FGRX5AFrv6ghdKcalVmyargPlPDkXhepLhQYAkZCJ3xjToz5Oliq24c5U-fkbDGit2UvM8hJesBJxZGDOh22pgQAK_o_-vco9GGHWBdxjRwccbv3pMm8wHYg8s" width="200" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>‘B’ Jade: </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Acid-bleached, polymer-impregnated</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
jadeite jade</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjrMUFViCAHzQckdT9YSlFFMdcvce4tDUbQTYhsmXcM8cmNAlV1pStqC9-nY7G5zltc4sF1b9vVl1EBXCWqphpVP963JZAPzxRibZuOqn5zhojKipdiCba_GCV77zPf7snUrCKi6clhr59ELGv16wQ" width="200" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>‘C’ Jade:</b></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Acid-bleached, polymer-impregnated,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
dyed jadeite jade - the dyed form of 'B' jade</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhl5D1Eq48jSh5z9W-VCx5oUZfSF03XQVlNm8DVOO72vELgiK4M64glYOi5oJ6I0M9lloRwoIAsX6faoB_Jt8hpYG_SXsYdVV2yelikVolvAUgYICMDh4jwauV0cbiw3gf7HxBTKYiKAwg" width="90" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>‘D’ Jade:</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Dyed jadeite jade</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
‘D’ jade almost always pre-dates</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the polymer treatment era</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(no polymer present) </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
There is no value in obtaining these items because they are, simply put, fakes--approximations of the historic stone. There are only two kinds of jade--Jadeite and Nephrite. And they sell for hefty prices depending on the quality.<br />
<br />
I plan to learn more about this beautiful stone and obtain wonderful carved pieces for my own collection. To make sure I don't fall for these fakes, it's important to get from reputable sellers or get the pieces that are certified to be Grade A, untreated stones. I think I'll also invest in a 10x loupe magnifier to aid me in my quest for beauty.</div>
</div>
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<br />
What have I been doing lately? Being distracted, that's for sure. I've developed a love for the gemstone jade, so these days I've been reading up about crystals and crystal structures, the resonant sound of real stones (as compared to glass and plastic), the market values of gems, and schools to take up gemology in the Philippines.<br />
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When I remembered that I'm also a writer during other parts of the day, I went about catching up on my poetry and fiction. And then I submitted them places.<br />
<br />
Here are the places where I'll be:<br />
<br />
"Heather" (flash fiction) - <a href="http://adastra.ku.edu/" target="_blank">James Gunn's Ad Astra</a>, 2015<br />
"Dysmorphia" (poem) - <a href="http://www.apex-magazine.com/" target="_blank">Apex Magazine</a>, 2015<br />
"Soul Searching" (poem) - <a href="http://liquidimagination.silverpen.org/" target="_blank">Liquid Imagination</a>, 2015<br />
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And I'll also be popping up as a featured poet in <a href="http://www.edwinesmith.com/" target="_blank">Edwin E. Smith's Quarterly Magazine</a>, with eight poetry titles in the suite to be published in the Summer 2015 issue (which will also be the Fall 2014 issue, but expanded)! Whew, this is a first for me and I'm shamelessly going to plug it here!!<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Caretaker</li>
<li>Autopsy</li>
<li>Erasure</li>
<li>Broken Cisterns</li>
<li>Another Burial</li>
<li>A Conversation with Water</li>
<li>Skywalk</li>
<li>How to Plant Your Death</li>
</ul>
<br />
Happy writing!:)Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513873611479966923.post-56228638218805034472015-05-04T23:49:00.002-07:002015-05-04T23:49:48.474-07:00The Universality of Pain?The ability to feel may not be exclusive to humans and animals. It never was, we just didn't know or didn't want to acknowledge that even plants may have a pain response in their bodies.<br />
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As a kid mimosa plants were abundant in open lots where I used to play with friends. We fought over who could kick at the plant or blow air at it to cause its leaves to fold up. Back then I already had a sense that those plants feel, though maybe not in the same way that humans feel. Pain is often coupled with fear, that's why many people, myself included, are afraid to go to the dentist. A previous encounter with fire makes me cautious when handling the element.<br />
<br />
But as for plants, pain maybe serves as an alarm of sorts--to defend oneself, to repair "wounds" from scratches and breaks, to regenerate lost parts and, for some carnivorous types, to catch prey... I can only guess the function of pain in plants, but it's definitely not the same with animals and people who have the anatomy to run/move away.<br />
<br />
The Smithsonian presents an interesting experiment that may have people rethinking ethics (*ehem vegetarianism*) very soon.<br />
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The video can't be embedded but it's here: http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/videos/do-plants-respond-to-pain/12151Anne Carly Abadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178146088085962148noreply@blogger.com0