Veteran's Needs, Local Services, and Supporters - Part One

This is the beginning of an ongoing series about veterans needs, the services available to them in our area, and supporters. It begins with a three-part series provided by Michael Lovas, Communications Director of Spokane Veterans Forum. 

Motorcycle Clubs Step Up for Veterans
(Part One)
By Michael Lovas

Spokane Veterans Forum
In a practical sense, the people we consider heroes are those who take action to bring life to their values – without the expectation of a tangible reward. One organization filled with such people is the Spokane Veterans Forum. It is a national model for all other Veterans Courts and Forums.

This is an all-volunteer organization that supports the Spokane Veterans Court, which is part of the Spokane Country District Court and the Spokane Municipal Court.

The Forum is funded exclusively by donations. Those donations come in the form of funds, food, equipment and services. Members of the Forum are primarily military veterans and surviving family members.

Their job is to mentor other veterans who suffer from PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Sexual Trauma, or are in other serious ways finding the transition from military to civilian insurmountable or at least difficult.

As happens to veterans world-over, such obstacles often invite behaviors that run contra to the law. When veterans commit such offenses, and the offenses are misdemeanors, they usually qualify to be tried in the Veterans Court. In addition to fines and fees, the defendants receive sentences that include a two-year probation, appropriate therapies, an on-going relationship with a Forum mentor and six Forum meetings.

These Forum meetings include a sit-down meal and classes taught by notable professors, psychologists, counselors and therapists. All the topics are chosen based on: 1) their relevance to this highly military-oriented audience, and 2) the practicality of applying the lessons learned in real life.

All the Mentors are volunteers. They receive on-going training in how to help their mentees receive community resources and get help from the Veterans Administration. Often, the mentees have no idea such help is even available. Mentors are also trained in how to ask questions, build rapport and trust and nurture the relationships with their mentees. For many of the mentees, this is the first time they’ve received help that actually works. The key is the relationships with the Mentors.

This year, the "Run Whatcha Brung" event in Old Town, Washington, donated 100% of the proceeds to the Spokane Veterans Forum. Visit here for  more information on the Forum. (Also, Check Gallery\Events and scroll to pictures.)

 Mike Lovas, Communication Director

Spokane Veterans Forum
(509) 465-5599
michael@aboutpeople.com



 

Eric Petersen's book review of the mystery novel "The Trojan Colt" by Mike Resnick, is published at Internet Review of Books.

Palouse Food Bank Welcomes Your Extra Produce

Hello Palouse Gardeners!

The Palouse Food Bank would love to receive any extra produce you might have from your garden for their food distribution this week.  You can bring it by the Community Center Tuesday, between 2:00 and 5:00, or Wednesday between 12:30 and 1:00.  Please call Amy Browse with any questions:  878-1251.  Thank you for supporting our local food bank!

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Mona Vanek, Editor The North Palouse Washington e-Newscast, www.palousenewscast.com

Author - Mother Encourages Her Children to Publish 1st Book

When I learned how this amazing mother helped her two young children publish a delightful book they'd written and illustrated I invited her to write a guest blog to share their inspiriting story.

 

"This summer I helped my children get published," by Rasana Atreya.

Since I’m a published author myself, it is quite common for us to do story telling/writing related activities. On a long car ride we might try a story-building exercise. The key is to make it sound like FUN.

We start off with a random sentence, the wackier the better. Something like, ‘the rat got into the autorickshaw’ (open three-wheeler Indian taxi.) The second person builds the story by adding just one line to it. The line has to be connected to what came before, and it has to move the story forward.

Each person gets a turn, then we circle back to the first person. The kids have learned to mine for lines that get them the most laughs. This has helped them in creative writing at school, as well. Given a prompt, they know how to take a story forward creatively.

 

My daughter’s journey to being a published author started when we were on a long train ride from Hyderabad to Chennai, India. Aamani, then six-years old, was done reading her books. Since I limit the amount of time my kids can play electronic games, she was bored.

 

Happily, I also carry notebooks and pencils on long trips, so I suggested she write stories. She agreed, but wanted writing prompts with two characters – one living thing and one non-living thing at a time. That’s how she ended up writing about the mosquito and the teapot; the window, the curtains and a person (technically that’s three characters, but we’ll let that go.)

 

Almost three years down the road my daughter decided it wasn’t fair that I was published, and she was not. So I decided to help them get published on Amazon. My eleven year-old wanted a shot at illustration so I downloaded paint.net and showed him the tutorials. Not only did he do the illustrations, but also designed the cover for the ebook.
 

My daughter’s stories have also gotten great reviews:

"The Mosquito and the Teapot" by Aamani Gurajada is an astonishing short book written and illustrated by two very young and very talented artists. The stories are short pieces in which usually two or three people, animals or things meet and resolve the conflicts between them. The simplicity of their form is disarming and there is a potentially very wise head behind the writing. The illustrations however are not second to the writing but a clear equal. I was amazed at their beauty and professionalism, not at all what I had expected from a young illustrator. They are simple, full of character and masterly executed."

 Joel Friedlander, a book cover designer, had this to say about the cover Sunaad Gurajada designed and created for "The Mosquito and the Teapot":

"Absolutely charming and appropriate. Tell him to keep going!" 

Our writing-illustrating-publishing experience has been a heady one. My daughter is tickled that she might possibly be the youngest author ever. And it has helped build my son’s confidence. After all, he’s now a professional illustrator.

 

If you’re looking to help your child self-publish, you might want to check out my blog post: FAQ. 
END
 

The ebook, The Mosquito and the Teapot,  is available on Amazon Kindle, and in the UK\Amazon at The Mosquito and the Teapot

 

Rasana Atreya is the author of Tell a Thousand Lies . Her novel was shortlisted for the 2012 Tibor Jones South Asia prize.

Guidance plus a wee bit of story-editing was Mom's contribution to her children's successful publishing endeavor:

"My daughter wrote seven stories, under 500 words total. My eleven year old illustrated the book, including the cover. I downloaded paint.net for my son. I then pointed him to the YouTube tutorials. He drew up the cover and did the illustrations."

As always, your comments are welcome, The Editor

 

Author and Essayist Gary Presley Picked for Best of the Net

Author and essayist, Gary Presley, received the following congratulation this morning from Blue Lyra Review:

"Congrats! Our staff overwhelmingly picked your work "Knife" to submit on behalf of Blue Lyra Review for Best of the Net  (via Sundress Publications )."

Gary Presley is author of "Seven Wheelchairs: A Life Beyond Polio," a memoir published by the University of Iowa Press, that tells about his life as a paraplegic since he was given a vaccination intended to prevent polio, at age 17.

His essays appear in a variety of publications including Notre Dame Magazine, Salon and New York Times. Presley also writes  book reviews for Internet Review of Books,  and also posts material on writing, disability, and other issues on his own blog.
 

Seven Wheelchairs:Life Beyond Polio [Kindle and Hardcover at Amazon] and at Barnes and Noble [Hardcopy]
 

Congratulations to Edith Parzefall! Her book, "Strays of Rio" placed 3rd and won the Bronze Medal in the thriller category of Dan Poynter's 2013 Global Ebook Awards.
 

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