First and foremost…many thanks and many blessings to everyone who came out and supported the release of my latest literary work. Honestly, the celebration event could not have happened without all of your love and support. I would have been reciting poetry to an empty room without you, but you came out in droves and that truly is humbling.
Second, I’d like to also take this opportunity to acknowledge those who helped in making the celebration event what it was. The folks at Antioch Long Beach and Cafe M were amazing in offering up their beautiful space, and their hospitality leading up to the event was superb. Jena Andres held the night together with her marvelous masters of ceremony skills. The 7th Letter blessed us with his hip-hop prowess and, at such a young age, he’s bound for great things in the music industry. Rickey Lumpkin put together an immaculate house band that kept us grooving throughout the night. Nannette Ricaforte lent us her eye to capture that night’s beauty. Jay Arbolario kept the film reel rolling (or in our case, the hard drive clicking). Andy Richards was the mastermind behind the signage. David Gatdula, Arjo Alagar, and Budd Lloyd were sensational in making sure the sales were solid. Faith Arbolario blessed our appetites with scrumptious sandwiches and mouth watering fruits. And, of course, Ken Bringas covered our evening with God’s spiritual guidance.
Last and definitely…definitely not least, a special thanks goes out to my lovely family. Marissa has been the main engine catalyzing me toward fulfilling one of my life’s goals. She has always encouraged me to keep going and, at times, forced me to leave the house just to get my creative juices flowing. My boys, Ezra and Cy, have both been very patient throughout the process and have been very gracious in my many moments of absence getting the manuscript done.
What now?
Well, it’s time to move to the next leg of the journey and start getting the word out that the book exists. I’ll be working on lining up a series of speaking engagements and poetry readings in various places, so, if you missed the celebration event, stay tuned for a full tour schedule.
You can also continue to help by letting folks know that the book is out there. Word of mouth is always the best form of advertising, so please let your peeps know.
Thanks again and we’ll see you soon!
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