[musictlk] Blind author/singer-songwriter needs a bit of your time to help advance diversity in young adult literature

Tue Jun 3 20:36:55 UTC 2014

I believe you can email her and ask her for a copy of the book in a
format of your choice.  At least, that's how I understood the message.
 I believe her name is Donna, but I don't know if I have her email.

On 6/3/14, Sandra Gayer via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hello Linda,
> Your book sounds wonderful. I hope those who have access to Bookshare
> will support you. Unfortunately, the majority of Bookshare is not
> available to blind and partially sighted people in Europe.
>
> Very best wishes,
> Sandra.
>
> On 6/3/14, Linda Mentink via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> This is from a friend. Please help her if you can.
>>
>> Are you familiar with the diversity watchdog
>> group "Diversity in YA?" They track the
>> Publishers Weekly bestsellers list for Young
>> Adult novels with main characters and authors
>> representing minorities. Their report for 2013
>> found no blind main characters and no blind authors. To read the report,
>> go
>> to:
>>
>> http://www.diversityinya.com/2014/03/diversity-in-publishers-weeklys-2013-young-adult-bestsellers/#more-3170
>>
>>
>> My interviews and interactions with other blind
>> women authors of fiction, along with my own
>> experiences, suggest that we  are routinely
>> rejected by the mainstream publishing industry,
>> which calls our portrayals of blind girls and
>> women "unrealistic." The public, we are told,
>> will not accept an independent and resourceful blind female character.
>>
>>
>>
>> My hope is that, if junior high and older
>> students read books featuring realistic blind
>> characters, they will be more likely to be
>> inclusive as adults. Despite the law, blind
>> students are still denied course material in
>> accessible formats, and unemployment of otherwise
>> able-bodied blind Americans -- regardless of
>> their skills and education -- is higher than for
>> any other minority. Especially for a
>> low-incidence disability like blindness, books
>> are crucial in creating a sense of familiarity
>> and acceptance in the general public.
>>
>>
>>
>> We just passed the first anniversary of the
>> publication of my novel, The Heart of Applebutter
>> Hill. My husband Rich was in and out of the
>> hospital for over six months and is still
>> suffering from the damage caused by Central
>> Nervous System Lyme disease. We are doing what we
>> can to promote the book, but we really need your
>> help. I'm not asking you to buy anything.
>>
>>
>> The book is available through Bookshare. What I
>> need is for you to read it and to write a review
>> on Amazon by August 15. All you need is an Amazon
>> account and enough time between now and the
>> middle of August to read and review a novel. You
>> would be helping me personally, as well as
>> promoting diversity, since the book features a
>> legally blind heroine and a secondary character
>> who is totally blind, along with  other
>> characters with disabilities and other
>> differences. The heroine, Abigail, is a
>> 14-year-old shy singer-songwriter, who is just
>> learning Braille and assistive technology.
>> Several songs come together in the course of the
>> book. One tag line is, "Mighty oak trees are
>> nothing but little nuts who stood their ground."
>>
>>
>> The Heart of Applebutter Hill has received
>> recommendations from professionals in the fields
>> of education, rehabilitation and the arts as a
>> diversity and anti-bullying classroom resource.
>> You will recognize several Federationists. Their comments are at:
>>
>> http://donnawhill.com/recommenders-of-the-heart-of-applebutter-hill/
>>
>>
>>
>> Several publications that may interest you
>> recently ran articles about me. In April, The
>> Daisy Planet (published by the DAISY Consortium)
>> ran the first of a two-part series on me:
>>
>> http://www.daisy.org/stories/donna-hill-part-1â€ƒ
>>
>> Part #2 was recently posted at:
>>
>> http://www.daisy.org/stories/donna-hill-part-2
>>
>>
>> May 28, 2014
>>
>> Georgia Center for the Visually Impaired, Sightseeing blog
>>
>> "Me, Braille and the Heart of Applebutter Hill"
>>
>> http://www.cviga.org/sightseeing/safe_sight_braille_applebutter/?noticeId=0x4b207ee5f11aec1f&contactId=0xc1ce890b5ee45fa7â€ƒ
>>
>>
>>
>> On April 7, 2014, About.com assistive technology
>> expert Andrew Leibs reviewed my novel and published:
>>
>> "Fantasy Novel Keeps it Real When Portraying Assistive Technology"
>>
>> http://assistivetechnology.about.com/b/2014/04/07/fantasy-novel-keeps-it-real-when-portraying-assistive-technology.htmâ€ƒ
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Available electronic formats of The Heart of
>> Applebutter Hill include .mobi (Kindle), .epub
>> (Apple, Blio, Nook, Sony, etc.), .pdf, .rtf, .pdb
>> and .lrf. To get yours, send me the name of your
>> e-reader or the file-type you prefer. If you
>> don't have an e-reader, there are free apps such
>> as Kindle for PC and Adobe Digital Editions which
>> allow you to read .mobi and .epub books on your
>> computer. The .pdf and .rtf versions work on
>> virtually any computer and devices like the
>> Victor Reader Stream and Booksense.
>>
>>
>>
>> Once you've read it, rate it on Amazon at:
>>
>> http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1483948226
>>
>>
>>
>> This would help me, because there are free
>> promotional resources for indie authors, but they
>> only help people who have a minimum of 25 Amazon
>> reviews with an average rating of 4.2. I have the
>> rating, but have nowhere near enough reviews.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you in advance for your help.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Donna
>>
>>
>> -- The Heart of Applebutter Hill - a novel on a mission:
>>
>> <http://donnawhill.com/>http://DonnaWHill.com
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
> --
> Soprano Singer
>  www.sandragayer.com
>
> Broadcast Presenter
>
> www.insightradio.co.uk/music-box.html
>
> Voiceover Artist
>
> www.archangelvoices.co.uk/content/sandra-gayer
>
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-- 
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16