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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Donna W. Hill [mailto:dwhill@epix.net] <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, February 13, 2014 1:27 PM<br><b>To:</b> erival@comcast.net<br><b>Subject:</b> Complimentary new resource for you & the NFB of Connecticut<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Elizabeth,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> In your work as President of the NFB of Connecticut, I'm sure you're well aware of the challenges faced by students, their families and teachers, as they struggle with the many issues surrounding vision loss. Of all of these challenges, the most difficult are the beliefs of the general public. Low expectations and misunderstandings are the greatest barrier to full inclusion of students with visual impairments into their natural communities. Raising the awareness of the general public is both crucial and difficult, as the myths can be held by family members, professionals and often blind people themselves. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am a blind writer from Pennsylvania, and worked for five years as a volunteer publicist for the NFB, placing articles about NFB scholarship recipients, Braille Readers are Leaders participants and Writers' Division Youth Braille Contest winners in newspapers and other media throughout the country. I also wrote articles about blindness issues for online magazines, and my 2009 Braille Literacy series for the <i>American Chronicle, which has been widely republished, </i>remains the most extensive series on this topic written for general audiences. The <i>Braille Monitor</i>, which has published several of my articles, included the article "Federationists Speaks to Education Majors" in its April, 2013 issue under Monitor Miniatures:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm13/bm1304/bm1304.htm<br clear=all style='page-break-before:always'><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I'm writing to introduce you to a new tool which can help bridge the social gap and facilitate a dialog on blindness issues. <i>The Heart of Applebutter Hill</i> is a novel that allows teens with visual impairments to see themselves in an exciting adventure that could have happened to anyone. It also tackles some of the social issues they experience. I'd like you to have an electronic copy of it<i>.</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The heroine of <i>The Heart of Applebutter Hill</i> is a 14-year-old, shy songwriter, who is losing her sight. Abigail has a guide dog named Curly Connor, and she is just starting to learn about Braille and assistive technology. The reader witnesses her struggles and triumphs as the story unfolds. I hope you will find it to be an enjoyable and useful consciousness-raising and motivational tool for students and their families, and that you will recommend it to others. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal>An introduction to <i>The Heart of Applebutter Hill</i> for educators was written by Illinois College of Optometry Clinical Professor and Chicago Lighthouse optometrist/low-vision specialist Dr. Karen Squier. It has also received recommendations from professionals in the fields of education, rehabilitation and the arts as a classroom resource for diversity-inclusivity and anti-bullying initiatives in middle school through college. You may recognize some of them, including <i>Future Reflections</i> editor Deborah Kent Stein and LCB Braille instructor Jerry Whittle. Their comments are at:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://donnawhill.com/recommenders-of-the-heart-of-applebutter-hill/">http://donnawhill.com/recommenders-of-the-heart-of-applebutter-hill/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fiction is a safe and highly personal way of introducing readers to the struggles and capabilities of people with vision loss. My goal was to write an engaging story that would appeal to a broad range of interests, in which some characters have visual impairments and other differences.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><i>The Heart of Applebutter Hill</i> is an adventure-mystery with excursions into fantasy for general audiences. It follows two 14-year-old refugees as they make their way in a new land and deal with the consequences of discovering a dangerous secret. The fantasy portion is based on a passage from C.S. Lewis's <i>The Chronicles of Narnia</i>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you would like a copy, send me the name of your e-book reader or the file type you prefer, and I will e-mail it to you as an attachment. Available file types include: .mobi (Kindle), .epub (Nook, Apple, Sony, Kobo, etc.), .lrf (older Sony readers), .pdb (Palm Pilot), .pdf & .rtf (for use on computers).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Below my contact information, you will find information about recent articles, online availability, accessible versions and an author bio.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely, <br>Donna W. Hill<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>570-833-2708<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://donnawhill.com/">http://DonnaWHill.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:dwhill@epix.net">dwhill@epix.net</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:24.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Recent Articles about The Heart of Applebutter Hill<o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>12/19/13 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Wilkes-Barre <i>Times-Leader</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"The biggest project of my life" by MARY THERESE BIEBEL <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://timesleader.com/news/features/1050744/The-biggest-project-of-my-life">http://timesleader.com/news/features/1050744/The-biggest-project-of-my-life</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/1/14<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><i>Wyoming County Press Examiner <o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal>"Meshoppen Author Pens Mystery Novel" by Michael Wintermute<br><a href="http://wcexaminer.com/?p=39493">http://wcexaminer.com/?p=39493</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:24.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Author Bio <o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Donna W. Hill is a writer, speaker and avid knitter from Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains. A songwriter with three albums, she is the author of <i>The Heart of Applebutter Hill</i>, an adventure-mystery with excursions into fantasy for general audiences. It follows two 14-year-old friends as they make their way in a new country and struggle with the consequences of learning a dangerous secret. Recommended by professionals as a diversity-inclusivity-anti-bullying classroom resource, it is available in print through Amazon, on all major e-book outlets and in accessible versions on Bookshare.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From 2009 through 2013, Hill was an online journalist for numerous publications, covering topics ranging from nature, health care and accessibility issues to music, knitting and chocolate. Her essay, "Satori Green" appears in Richard Singer's <i>Now, Embracing the Present Moment</i> (2010, O-Books), and her breast-cancer-survivor story is in Dawn Colclasure’s <i>On the Wings of Pink Angels</i> (2012). <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hill, who was born legally blind from Retinitis Pigmentosa, was the first blind child mainstreamed in the Easton Area School District in Pennsylvania. Her memoir, "Special Class: a journey in mainstreaming" was selected for <i>Behind Our Eyes: a second look,</i> an anthology of stories, poetry and memoirs by writers with disabilities: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Our-Eyes-Second-Look/dp/1490304479/">http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Our-Eyes-Second-Look/dp/1490304479/</a><o:p></o:p></p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:always'></span><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hill is an experienced talk show guest and guest blogger. Before moving to the mountains, she provided educational and motivational programs in the Greater Philadelphia area for fifteen years. She presents workshops about <i>The Heart of Applebutter Hill</i>, creative writing and blindness issues for school, university, community and business groups.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://DonnaWHill.com">http://DonnaWHill.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:24.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Purchase The Heart of Applebutter Hill <o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><h2 style='mso-margin-top-alt:10.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Print Versions<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Amazon:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1483948226">http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1483948226</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>CreateSpace eStore: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="https://www.createspace.com/4000964">https://www.createspace.com/4000964</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><h2 style='mso-margin-top-alt:10.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Electronic Versions <o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal>Kindle:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CNG6DDM">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CNG6DDM</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nook Book:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-heart-of-applebutter-hill-donna-w-hill/1115426305?ean=2940016415000&itm=1&usri=2940016415000">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-heart-of-applebutter-hill-donna-w-hill/1115426305?ean=2940016415000&itm=1&usri=2940016415000</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Kobo eBooks:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/The-Heart-of-Applebutter-Hill/XSjHDXv6zE-kw8nRWgXEMw">http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/The-Heart-of-Applebutter-Hill/XSjHDXv6zE-kw8nRWgXEMw</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Smashwords (7e-book versions):<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/313071?ref=DonnaWHill">http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/313071?ref=DonnaWHill</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2 style='mso-margin-top-alt:10.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Accessible Versions for Readers with Print Disabilities<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal>Bookshare:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/639304">http://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/639304</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>