Gayathri Jayakumar's Blog, page 2
August 10, 2020
Guest Post - Charmeljun Gallardo & Grand Giveaway!!!!!
Charmeljun Gallardo is a former Radiologist and author. His first book is Ready for the World young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photography enthusiast, sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie. He lives in San Diego, California with his wife and son.
Author's Writing Process
''I was still in high school when I first came up with the idea of writing a book. It began as a personal journal before I put it in narrative form. At first, the stories were like wish fulfillment. I changed events here and there to have things be better for my lead character. He was never at fault and like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way. In other words, he was boring. But again, I was young. I was as green as a blade of grass and my stories were just as thin.
It was when I got to college when everything changed. I knew how to write, but didn’t know about the craft. Writing is more than descriptions, plot, and setting. It was about how all of those things work together to create a theme and atmosphere. And most importantly, a writer needs to have the audience see, hear, and feel what the characters do so that it resonates with them.
And because of that, I nearly quit.
I would read what my fellow students wrote and saw how well they crafted their stories. Their stories were immersive and nuanced, full of interesting characters, and colored with vivid descriptions. And mine didn’t feel much different than my high school stories: amateurish, unsophisticated, and dull.
I came to see my professor that I didn’t have what it took to be a writer. I was going to find another major or move back home. She said she would honor my request, but not before I tried again. And then she told me to “let go.”
It didn’t matter what the other students were writing or what kind of world they’d built. It only matters what my story was. She would be there to help me craft it. She said that everyone had a story and it didn’t matter what it was about. But I had to be the one to tell mine.
I struggled through it, but as tough as they were, my college days were invaluable to me. I made a lot of mistakes but was encouraged to make them. The best thing in the world to me was getting my drafts back with my professor’s red marks everywhere. Writing is rewriting. And rewriting. And rewriting...
I came back to these nearly twenty years after I first wrote it. I cringed at all the clichés and the stilted dialogue, but I thought the bones for a good story was there. I wanted to make sure that the music, movies, sports, celebrities, and fashion that I referenced were within the time periods in the book. The same went for the slang and language. I know that a web search for 80’s slang will bring up “gag me with a spoon” or “tubular.” But that’s not how my friends and I talked. It was important to me that the characters used the slang we used then and just as important to not include the slang I use now.
And lastly, I wanted my characters to be smart and witty, but fallible. They are too old to be thought of as children but too young to be fully judged as adults. Teenagers are curious, emotional, and impulsive. And they’re also capable of incredible acts of charity, beauty, and creation. But that’s what being a teenager is. That’s the time to succeed and fail, reach highs and lows, love and lose, and do it all over again.
And hopefully, as adults, that’s a lesson we’ll keep going with us. ''
Catch up with Charmeljun Gallardo On
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
We are giving away 2 Amazon Gift Cards worth 500/-. Follow the rules to enter:a Rafflecopter giveawayWe will randomly draw the winners by 01-Sep-2020, who will be notified via email, as well as featured in Author Charmeljun Gallardo’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The winning entries will be double-checked. The winner will have 48 hours to successfully claim the prize or we will draw a new winner!
Ready For The World - Driver’s Education:
All Brandon Delacruz is asking out of his young life is popularity, riches, and the girl of his dreams. But what he does have are good grades, a ten-speed bicycle, and his two lifelong friends, Josh and Ally, at his side. And together, they’ll navigate their way through the rigors of high school life.
But unlike high school, real life doesn’t come with study guides. Brandon realizes that the girl he’s always dreamed about has been there all along. And as he untangles his feelings for Ally, something tragic happens to her family that changes everything. Now, Brandon will spend the rest of the year balancing his romantic feelings for Ally and his life-long friendship with her while also dealing with tough teachers, classes, and toughest of all, meeting the Filipino parental standards.
Brandon will learn that the world moves pretty fast, whether he’s ready or not.
Ready For The World – Superstar:
Brandon Delacruz is destined to write the next great novel. At least, that’s what he hopes what’s in those stacks of notebooks around him. And why shouldn’t he be full of confidence? He’s doing great in school and after a long hard road, he finally has the girl of his dreams, his best friend, Ally.
But before the year can even start, Brandon’s life is turned upside down. Nothing is what he thought and things don’t happen the way he hoped. And as he sifts through his feelings and tries to make sense of everything, he meets Rachel, a confident and self-assured girl that doesn’t suffer fools lightly.
Ally has been the love of Brandon’s life, but things between them have become complicated without explanation. While he and Rachel are seemingly a perfect fit. Which girl will he choose? And more importantly, which girl will choose him?
August 7, 2020
The Book Series Ready For The World - Driver’s Education...
The Book Series
Ready For The World - Driver’s Education:
Fifteen year-old Brandon Delacruz’s wantsare simple. He wants to be popular, drive a cool car, and have the girl of hisdreams on his arm. Instead, he’ll have to settle for being on the honor roll,riding his ten speed bike, and having his best friends, Josh and Ally besidehim as they learn the ins and outs of high school.
But as Brandon begins to discover feelingsfor Ally, a tragedy occurs that changes their lives. And now, he’ll spend therest of the year sorting through his complicated feelings and his uncertainrelationship with Ally...all while keeping his grades up. Because unlikegetting a driver’s license, life doesn’t’t offer a practice test. Brandon will haveto rise and meet the challenges of the real world, whether he’s ready for itnot.
Ready For The World – Superstar:
Brandon Delacruz is destined to write thenext great novel. At least, that’s what he hopes what’s in those stacks ofnotebooks around him. And why shouldn’t he be full of confidence? He’s doinggreat in school and after a long hard road, he finally has the girl of hisdreams, his best friend, Ally.
But before the year can even start,Brandon’s life is turned upside down. Nothing is what he thought and thingsdon’t happen the way he hoped. And as he sifts through his feelings and triesto make sense of everything, he meets Rachel, a confident and self assured girlthat doesn’t suffer fools lightly.
Ally has been the love of Brandon’s life,but things between them have become complicated without explanation. While heand Rachel are seemingly a perfect fit. Which girl will he choose? And moreimportantly, which girl will choose him?
Purchase Links
Ready For The World: Driver’sEducation
Ready For The World: Superstar
Book Excerpt fromReady For The World: Driver’s Education
We pulled into theparking lot at the 32nd Street Bowl-A-Rama and jumped out of the car. EveryFriday during the summer, they cleared the game room and turned it into a club.Josh spent the first few minutes gawking at every perm and pair of neon legwarmers that walked by.
“You‘re making uslook like a couple of stalkers,” I said.
He walked up tothis short blonde girl with a triangular haircut and neon green sweater. “Whichgirl did you think was cute, Brandon? THIS ONE?”
The blonde girlglared over at the troublemaker, which was me and not the doofus pointing rightat her. Josh looked over at me and laughed his famous silent laugh withsquinted eyes. But it wouldn‘t be complete without the knee-slap.
A few hours later,we were sitting at a table in the corner of the club. We were toastingourselves with a couple of sodas on a great night out.
“Good times,” Isaid.
“This night ain‘tover yet,” Josh said after taking a sip. “Whose turn is it?”
“Mine,” I said. I slammed my empty glass on thetable. “Go ahead. Bring it.”
Josh and I alwaysplayed a game we called “Two Bucks.” It was “Truth or Dare” but without thetruth part. One of us would come up with a task and a time frame to completeit. Whoever failed gave the other two bucks. Neither one of us had to give upany money in the last month and a half. The last time we played, Josh startedevery conversation by barking like a dog. It made for some great entertainmentwhen we went to the McDonald‘s drive-thru that night.
“Since you‘regrounded, I‘m gonna go easy on you,” Josh said. “Two bucks says that you can‘tgo over to that girl in the corner and get her to dance with you in less thanfifteen minutes. You have to dance one whole song. If you guys start in themiddle of one song, you must keep her on the floor with you through theentirety of the next song. Deal?”
I took his hand andshook it. “Which girl is it again?”
“That one,” hesaid. “The girl wearing the white sweater and pink dress.”
I saw a tallbrunette with long straight hair and shapely legs in the far corner. She lookedpretty good from where we were, but her back was to us.
I whipped off myjacket and threw it at his face. “Keep an eye on that for me.”
I walked throughthe dance floor and made a beeline toward the girl. It was getting near the endof the night and the DJ had already started up the slow jams. If I was going towin the bet, I had to work fast. I checked my breath by huffing into my palmand taking a whiff. It smelled passable enough, like a mix of French fries andspearmint chewing gum. I got close to the brunette and leaned in her ear.“Excuse me, do you wanna dance?”
“That depends,” thebrunette said as she turned around. “Do I get a share of the bet?”
Standing before mewas Ally. Gone was her ever present Cincinnati Reds baseball cap. In its placewas a long, silky head of hair that flowed with every little motion. Her funkyrimmed glasses were gone too. I saw a pair of deep brown eyes and longeyelashes touched with a bit of makeup. Her lips, which were usually smackingon a piece of bubble gum, looked redder and fuller. She had on a fluffy whitesweater and a soft pink dress that made me think of the sky before sunset. Shewas the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen.
Ally snapped herfingers. “Earth to Brandon, come in.”
I blinked for whatfelt like the first time in a long time. “Um…sorry about that.”
“You and Josh areplaying ‘Two Bucks‘ aren‘t you? What‘s the bet?”
“The bet is thatI‘m…um, supposed to talk to um…the girl that he pointed at…um…you…which youalready know…and we‘re supposed to dance for one song.” Jeez, how many timescan a guy use “um” in a sentence?
She tilted her headand her hair cascaded down alongside her like a waterfall. “Well, I don‘t wantto make it too easy for you,” she said.
“Huh?”
“The bet. I‘vegotta make it at least look good.”
I smiled. “Oh youdo, do you?”
“Of course,” shebeamed. “So, let me hear it.”
I had never noticedhow beautiful her smile was. “Um...hear what?”
“Your pick up line.If you didn‘t know me, what line would you have used to get me to go and dancewith you?”
I shuffled my feeta bit. “I pretty much gave it.”
“So your best lineconsists of ‘Excuse me, do you wanna dance?’”
“Well, I tend tosay it with a great deal of charm,” I said as I extended my hand. “So, what doyou say?”
She gave me a tinysmile. “Okay.”
I walked beside hertoward the dance floor until we got to a small clearing in the middle. We facedeach other and I put my hands at her waist. A flush of heat ran up to my headand pulled my hands away. “Sorry, was that okay?” I asked her.
She put her handson my shoulders and laughed. “Yes, Brandon. It‘s fine.”
Neither of us saidanything for the first few moments. At times, I‘d look at her face and watchthe colored lights move across her cheeks and shine on her eyes. But when sheturned toward me, I‘d look away and marvel at the mirror ball above us. When Ithought it might be safe to look back, I‘d catch her looking down toward thefloor. This happened a couple more times until we finally met eye to eye. Weboth laughed and the tension in my shoulders melted away. From that moment on,neither of us looked away.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hi,” she said.
“Tell me if I stepon your feet. “
She smiled. “Iwill. “
“They‘re nice,” Isaid. “Your shoes, I mean. They‘re nice.”
“Thanks,” she saidas she stroked her hair behind her ear. “I like your shirt. “
“This old thing?” Iasked. I moved my hands from her sides to her back.
She rested herhands on my shoulders and bit her lip. “It fits you really well. “
My hands brushedagainst her hair. “I never knew your hair was so long. “
“That‘s because Iusually have it tied up and under a baseball cap. “ Her fingers grazed the backof my neck.
“I like it,” Isaid. I moved my hands upward until I could feel the ends of her long strandsof hair near the middle of her back. “It‘s soft. “
She brushed a fewstray hairs away from my eyes. “You‘ve got soft hair too.”
The music swelledin my ears. My fingers brushed against the tiny straps of her dress. Shecaressed my neck with both hands and nestled her cheek against mine. I liftedmy head from her shoulder and pressed my forehead against hers. I stared rightinto her closed eyes and I could feel myself losing air.
“Ally?”I asked.
Her eyes opened.“Yes, Brandon?”
I tilted my headand drifted toward her. I felt the heat from her lips getting closer and closerto mine. I got a whiff of her cherry perfume and felt dizzy. But as our lipswere about to touch, I felt a rhythmic buzzing on my chest. Ally looked down ather tiny purse trapped between us. She looked down and I felt her shouldersslump.
“It‘s my pager,”she said.
“A what?” I asked.I knew what a pager was. But my brain wasn’t exactly working at the moment.
“Dad makes me carryone whenever I go out,” she said as she reached into her purse. “It‘s fromhome. I‘d better call them back. Did you see a payphone around here?”
I shook my head toget my vision back in focus. “Um…there‘sone near the bathrooms toward the back.”
She smiled andgrabbed my hand. “I‘ll look for you when I get back.”
“I‘ll be here,” Isaid. We kept eye contact as she made her way across the room.
Author
Charmeljun Gallardois a former Radiologist and author. His first book is Readyfor the World young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco StateUniversity with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photography enthusiast,sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie. He lives inSan Diego, California with his wife and son.
Catch up withCharmeljun Gallardo On
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
The Book Series Ready For The World - Driver���s Educa...
The Book Series
Ready For The World - Driver���s Education:
Fifteen year-old Brandon Delacruz���s wants are simple. He wants to be popular, drive a cool car, and have the girl of his dreams on his arm. Instead, he���ll have to settle for being on the honor roll, riding his ten speed bike, and having his best friends, Josh and Ally beside him as they learn the ins and outs of high school.
But as Brandon begins to discover feelings for Ally, a tragedy occurs that changes their lives. And now, he���ll spend the rest of the year sorting through his complicated feelings and his uncertain relationship with Ally...all while keeping his grades up. Because unlike getting a driver���s license, life doesn���t���t offer a practice test. Brandon will have to rise and meet the challenges of the real world, whether he���s ready for it not.
Ready For The World ��� Superstar:
Brandon Delacruz is destined to write the next great novel. At least, that���s what he hopes what���s in those stacks of notebooks around him. And why shouldn���t he be full of confidence? He���s doing great in school and after a long hard road, he finally has the girl of his dreams, his best friend, Ally.
But before the year can even start, Brandon���s life is turned upside down. Nothing is what he thought and things don���t happen the way he hoped. And as he sifts through his feelings and tries to make sense of everything, he meets Rachel, a confident and self assured girl that doesn���t suffer fools lightly.
Ally has been the love of Brandon���s life, but things between them have become complicated without explanation. While he and Rachel are seemingly a perfect fit. Which girl will he choose? And more importantly, which girl will choose him?
Purchase Links
Ready For The World: Driver���s Education
Ready For The World: Superstar
Book Excerpt from Ready For The World: Driver���s Education
We pulled into the parking lot at the 32nd Street Bowl-A-Rama and jumped out of the car. Every Friday during the summer, they cleared the game room and turned it into a club. Josh spent the first few minutes gawking at every perm and pair of neon leg warmers that walked by.
���You���re making us look like a couple of stalkers,��� I said.
He walked up to this short blonde girl with a triangular haircut and neon green sweater. ���Which girl did you think was cute, Brandon? THIS ONE?���
The blonde girl glared over at the troublemaker, which was me and not the doofus pointing right at her. Josh looked over at me and laughed his famous silent laugh with squinted eyes. But it wouldn���t be complete without the knee-slap.
A few hours later, we were sitting at a table in the corner of the club. We were toasting ourselves with a couple of sodas on a great night out.
���Good times,��� I said.
���This night ain���t over yet,��� Josh said after taking a sip. ���Whose turn is it?���
���Mine,��� I said. I slammed my empty glass on the table. ���Go ahead. Bring it.���
Josh and I always played a game we called ���Two Bucks.��� It was ���Truth or Dare��� but without the truth part. One of us would come up with a task and a time frame to complete it. Whoever failed gave the other two bucks. Neither one of us had to give up any money in the last month and a half. The last time we played, Josh started every conversation by barking like a dog. It made for some great entertainment when we went to the McDonald���s drive-thru that night.
���Since you���re grounded, I���m gonna go easy on you,��� Josh said. ���Two bucks says that you can���t go over to that girl in the corner and get her to dance with you in less than fifteen minutes. You have to dance one whole song. If you guys start in the middle of one song, you must keep her on the floor with you through the entirety of the next song. Deal?���
I took his hand and shook it. ���Which girl is it again?���
���That one,��� he said. ���The girl wearing the white sweater and pink dress.���
I saw a tall brunette with long straight hair and shapely legs in the far corner. She looked pretty good from where we were, but her back was to us.
I whipped off my jacket and threw it at his face. ���Keep an eye on that for me.���
I walked through the dance floor and made a beeline toward the girl. It was getting near the end of the night and the DJ had already started up the slow jams. If I was going to win the bet, I had to work fast. I checked my breath by huffing into my palm and taking a whiff. It smelled passable enough, like a mix of French fries and spearmint chewing gum. I got close to the brunette and leaned in her ear. ���Excuse me, do you wanna dance?���
���That depends,��� the brunette said as she turned around. ���Do I get a share of the bet?���
Standing before me was Ally. Gone was her ever present Cincinnati Reds baseball cap. In its place was a long, silky head of hair that flowed with every little motion. Her funky rimmed glasses were gone too. I saw a pair of deep brown eyes and long eyelashes touched with a bit of makeup. Her lips, which were usually smacking on a piece of bubble gum, looked redder and fuller. She had on a fluffy white sweater and a soft pink dress that made me think of the sky before sunset. She was the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen.
Ally snapped her fingers. ���Earth to Brandon, come in.���
I blinked for what felt like the first time in a long time. ���Um���sorry about that.���
���You and Josh are playing ���Two Bucks��� aren���t you? What���s the bet?���
���The bet is that I���m���um, supposed to talk to um���the girl that he pointed at���um���you���which you already know���and we���re supposed to dance for one song.��� Jeez, how many times can a guy use ���um��� in a sentence?
She tilted her head and her hair cascaded down alongside her like a waterfall. ���Well, I don���t want to make it too easy for you,��� she said.
���Huh?���
���The bet. I���ve gotta make it at least look good.���
I smiled. ���Oh you do, do you?���
���Of course,��� she beamed. ���So, let me hear it.���
I had never noticed how beautiful her smile was. ���Um...hear what?���
���Your pick up line. If you didn���t know me, what line would you have used to get me to go and dance with you?���
I shuffled my feet a bit. ���I pretty much gave it.���
���So your best line consists of ���Excuse me, do you wanna dance?������
���Well, I tend to say it with a great deal of charm,��� I said as I extended my hand. ���So, what do you say?���
She gave me a tiny smile. ���Okay.���
I walked beside her toward the dance floor until we got to a small clearing in the middle. We faced each other and I put my hands at her waist. A flush of heat ran up to my head and pulled my hands away. ���Sorry, was that okay?��� I asked her.
She put her hands on my shoulders and laughed. ���Yes, Brandon. It���s fine.���
Neither of us said anything for the first few moments. At times, I���d look at her face and watch the colored lights move across her cheeks and shine on her eyes. But when she turned toward me, I���d look away and marvel at the mirror ball above us. When I thought it might be safe to look back, I���d catch her looking down toward the floor. This happened a couple more times until we finally met eye to eye. We both laughed and the tension in my shoulders melted away. From that moment on, neither of us looked away.
���Hey,��� I said.
���Hi,��� she said.
���Tell me if I step on your feet. ���
She smiled. ���I will. ���
���They���re nice,��� I said. ���Your shoes, I mean. They���re nice.���
���Thanks,��� she said as she stroked her hair behind her ear. ���I like your shirt. ���
���This old thing?��� I asked. I moved my hands from her sides to her back.
She rested her hands on my shoulders and bit her lip. ���It fits you really well. ���
My hands brushed against her hair. ���I never knew your hair was so long. ���
���That���s because I usually have it tied up and under a baseball cap. ��� Her fingers grazed the back of my neck.
���I like it,��� I said. I moved my hands upward until I could feel the ends of her long strands of hair near the middle of her back. ���It���s soft. ���
She brushed a few stray hairs away from my eyes. ���You���ve got soft hair too.���
The music swelled in my ears. My fingers brushed against the tiny straps of her dress. She caressed my neck with both hands and nestled her cheek against mine. I lifted my head from her shoulder and pressed my forehead against hers. I stared right into her closed eyes and I could feel myself losing air.
���Ally?��� I asked.
Her eyes opened. ���Yes, Brandon?���
I tilted my head and drifted toward her. I felt the heat from her lips getting closer and closer to mine. I got a whiff of her cherry perfume and felt dizzy. But as our lips were about to touch, I felt a rhythmic buzzing on my chest. Ally looked down at her tiny purse trapped between us. She looked down and I felt her shoulders slump.
���It���s my pager,��� she said.
���A what?��� I asked. I knew what a pager was. But my brain wasn���t exactly working at the moment.
���Dad makes me carry one whenever I go out,��� she said as she reached into her purse. ���It���s from home. I���d better call them back. Did you see a payphone around here?���
I shook my head to get my vision back in focus. ���Um���there���s one near the bathrooms toward the back.���
She smiled and grabbed my hand. ���I���ll look for you when I get back.���
���I���ll be here,��� I said. We kept eye contact as she made her way across the room.
Author
Charmeljun Gallardo is a former Radiologist and author. His first book is Ready for the World young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photography enthusiast, sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie. He lives in San Diego, California with his wife and son.
Catch up with Charmeljun Gallardo On
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
The Book Series Ready For The World - Driver’s Educati...
The Book Series
Ready For The World - Driver’s Education:
Fifteen year-old Brandon Delacruz’s wants are simple. He wants to be popular, drive a cool car, and have the girl of his dreams on his arm. Instead, he’ll have to settle for being on the honor roll, riding his ten speed bike, and having his best friends, Josh and Ally beside him as they learn the ins and outs of high school.
But as Brandon begins to discover feelings for Ally, a tragedy occurs that changes their lives. And now, he’ll spend the rest of the year sorting through his complicated feelings and his uncertain relationship with Ally...all while keeping his grades up. Because unlike getting a driver’s license, life doesn’t’t offer a practice test. Brandon will have to rise and meet the challenges of the real world, whether he’s ready for it not.
Ready For The World – Superstar:
Brandon Delacruz is destined to write the next great novel. At least, that’s what he hopes what’s in those stacks of notebooks around him. And why shouldn’t he be full of confidence? He’s doing great in school and after a long hard road, he finally has the girl of his dreams, his best friend, Ally.
But before the year can even start, Brandon’s life is turned upside down. Nothing is what he thought and things don’t happen the way he hoped. And as he sifts through his feelings and tries to make sense of everything, he meets Rachel, a confident and self assured girl that doesn’t suffer fools lightly.
Ally has been the love of Brandon’s life, but things between them have become complicated without explanation. While he and Rachel are seemingly a perfect fit. Which girl will he choose? And more importantly, which girl will choose him?
Purchase Links
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
Ready For The World: Superstar
Book Excerpt from Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
We pulled into the parking lot at the 32nd Street Bowl-A-Rama and jumped out of the car. Every Friday during the summer, they cleared the game room and turned it into a club. Josh spent the first few minutes gawking at every perm and pair of neon leg warmers that walked by.
“You‘re making us look like a couple of stalkers,” I said.
He walked up to this short blonde girl with a triangular haircut and neon green sweater. “Which girl did you think was cute, Brandon? THIS ONE?”
The blonde girl glared over at the troublemaker, which was me and not the doofus pointing right at her. Josh looked over at me and laughed his famous silent laugh with squinted eyes. But it wouldn‘t be complete without the knee-slap.
A few hours later, we were sitting at a table in the corner of the club. We were toasting ourselves with a couple of sodas on a great night out.
“Good times,” I said.
“This night ain‘t over yet,” Josh said after taking a sip. “Whose turn is it?”
“Mine,” I said. I slammed my empty glass on the table. “Go ahead. Bring it.”
Josh and I always played a game we called “Two Bucks.” It was “Truth or Dare” but without the truth part. One of us would come up with a task and a time frame to complete it. Whoever failed gave the other two bucks. Neither one of us had to give up any money in the last month and a half. The last time we played, Josh started every conversation by barking like a dog. It made for some great entertainment when we went to the McDonald‘s drive-thru that night.
“Since you‘re grounded, I‘m gonna go easy on you,” Josh said. “Two bucks says that you can‘t go over to that girl in the corner and get her to dance with you in less than fifteen minutes. You have to dance one whole song. If you guys start in the middle of one song, you must keep her on the floor with you through the entirety of the next song. Deal?”
I took his hand and shook it. “Which girl is it again?”
“That one,” he said. “The girl wearing the white sweater and pink dress.”
I saw a tall brunette with long straight hair and shapely legs in the far corner. She looked pretty good from where we were, but her back was to us.
I whipped off my jacket and threw it at his face. “Keep an eye on that for me.”
I walked through the dance floor and made a beeline toward the girl. It was getting near the end of the night and the DJ had already started up the slow jams. If I was going to win the bet, I had to work fast. I checked my breath by huffing into my palm and taking a whiff. It smelled passable enough, like a mix of French fries and spearmint chewing gum. I got close to the brunette and leaned in her ear. “Excuse me, do you wanna dance?”
“That depends,” the brunette said as she turned around. “Do I get a share of the bet?”
Standing before me was Ally. Gone was her ever present Cincinnati Reds baseball cap. In its place was a long, silky head of hair that flowed with every little motion. Her funky rimmed glasses were gone too. I saw a pair of deep brown eyes and long eyelashes touched with a bit of makeup. Her lips, which were usually smacking on a piece of bubble gum, looked redder and fuller. She had on a fluffy white sweater and a soft pink dress that made me think of the sky before sunset. She was the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen.
Ally snapped her fingers. “Earth to Brandon, come in.”
I blinked for what felt like the first time in a long time. “Um…sorry about that.”
“You and Josh are playing ‘Two Bucks‘ aren‘t you? What‘s the bet?”
“The bet is that I‘m…um, supposed to talk to um…the girl that he pointed at…um…you…which you already know…and we‘re supposed to dance for one song.” Jeez, how many times can a guy use “um” in a sentence?
She tilted her head and her hair cascaded down alongside her like a waterfall. “Well, I don‘t want to make it too easy for you,” she said.
“Huh?”
“The bet. I‘ve gotta make it at least look good.”
I smiled. “Oh you do, do you?”
“Of course,” she beamed. “So, let me hear it.”
I had never noticed how beautiful her smile was. “Um...hear what?”
“Your pick up line. If you didn‘t know me, what line would you have used to get me to go and dance with you?”
I shuffled my feet a bit. “I pretty much gave it.”
“So your best line consists of ‘Excuse me, do you wanna dance?’”
“Well, I tend to say it with a great deal of charm,” I said as I extended my hand. “So, what do you say?”
She gave me a tiny smile. “Okay.”
I walked beside her toward the dance floor until we got to a small clearing in the middle. We faced each other and I put my hands at her waist. A flush of heat ran up to my head and pulled my hands away. “Sorry, was that okay?” I asked her.
She put her hands on my shoulders and laughed. “Yes, Brandon. It‘s fine.”
Neither of us said anything for the first few moments. At times, I‘d look at her face and watch the colored lights move across her cheeks and shine on her eyes. But when she turned toward me, I‘d look away and marvel at the mirror ball above us. When I thought it might be safe to look back, I‘d catch her looking down toward the floor. This happened a couple more times until we finally met eye to eye. We both laughed and the tension in my shoulders melted away. From that moment on, neither of us looked away.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hi,” she said.
“Tell me if I step on your feet. “
She smiled. “I will. “
“They‘re nice,” I said. “Your shoes, I mean. They‘re nice.”
“Thanks,” she said as she stroked her hair behind her ear. “I like your shirt. “
“This old thing?” I asked. I moved my hands from her sides to her back.
She rested her hands on my shoulders and bit her lip. “It fits you really well. “
My hands brushed against her hair. “I never knew your hair was so long. “
“That‘s because I usually have it tied up and under a baseball cap. “ Her fingers grazed the back of my neck.
“I like it,” I said. I moved my hands upward until I could feel the ends of her long strands of hair near the middle of her back. “It‘s soft. “
She brushed a few stray hairs away from my eyes. “You‘ve got soft hair too.”
The music swelled in my ears. My fingers brushed against the tiny straps of her dress. She caressed my neck with both hands and nestled her cheek against mine. I lifted my head from her shoulder and pressed my forehead against hers. I stared right into her closed eyes and I could feel myself losing air.
“Ally?” I asked.
Her eyes opened. “Yes, Brandon?”
I tilted my head and drifted toward her. I felt the heat from her lips getting closer and closer to mine. I got a whiff of her cherry perfume and felt dizzy. But as our lips were about to touch, I felt a rhythmic buzzing on my chest. Ally looked down at her tiny purse trapped between us. She looked down and I felt her shoulders slump.
“It‘s my pager,” she said.
“A what?” I asked. I knew what a pager was. But my brain wasn’t exactly working at the moment.
“Dad makes me carry one whenever I go out,” she said as she reached into her purse. “It‘s from home. I‘d better call them back. Did you see a payphone around here?”
I shook my head to get my vision back in focus. “Um…there‘s one near the bathrooms toward the back.”
She smiled and grabbed my hand. “I‘ll look for you when I get back.”
“I‘ll be here,” I said. We kept eye contact as she made her way across the room.
Author
Charmeljun Gallardo is a former Radiologist and author. His first book is Ready for the World young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photography enthusiast, sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie. He lives in San Diego, California with his wife and son.
Catch up with Charmeljun Gallardo On
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
The Book Series Ready For The World - Driver...
The Book Series
Ready For The World - Driver’s Education:
Fifteen year-old Brandon Delacruz’s wants are simple. He wants to be popular, drive a cool car, and have the girl of his dreams on his arm. Instead, he’ll have to settle for being on the honor roll, riding his ten speed bike, and having his best friends, Josh and Ally beside him as they learn the ins and outs of high school.
But as Brandon begins to discover feelings for Ally, a tragedy occurs that changes their lives. And now, he’ll spend the rest of the year sorting through his complicated feelings and his uncertain relationship with Ally...all while keeping his grades up. Because unlike getting a driver’s license, life doesn’t’t offer a practice test. Brandon will have to rise and meet the challenges of the real world, whether he’s ready for it not.
Ready For The World – Superstar:
Brandon Delacruz is destined to write the next great novel. At least, that’s what he hopes what’s in those stacks of notebooks around him. And why shouldn’t he be full of confidence? He’s doing great in school and after a long hard road, he finally has the girl of his dreams, his best friend, Ally.
But before the year can even start, Brandon’s life is turned upside down. Nothing is what he thought and things don’t happen the way he hoped. And as he sifts through his feelings and tries to make sense of everything, he meets Rachel, a confident and self assured girl that doesn’t suffer fools lightly.
Ally has been the love of Brandon’s life, but things between them have become complicated without explanation. While he and Rachel are seemingly a perfect fit. Which girl will he choose? And more importantly, which girl will choose him?
Purchase Links
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
Ready For The World: Superstar
Book Excerpt from Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
We pulled into the parking lot at the 32nd Street Bowl-A-Rama and jumped out of the car. Every Friday during the summer, they cleared the game room and turned it into a club. Josh spent the first few minutes gawking at every perm and pair of neon leg warmers that walked by.
“You‘re making us look like a couple of stalkers,” I said.
He walked up to this short blonde girl with a triangular haircut and neon green sweater. “Which girl did you think was cute, Brandon? THIS ONE?”
The blonde girl glared over at the troublemaker, which was me and not the doofus pointing right at her. Josh looked over at me and laughed his famous silent laugh with squinted eyes. But it wouldn‘t be complete without the knee-slap.
A few hours later, we were sitting at a table in the corner of the club. We were toasting ourselves with a couple of sodas on a great night out.
“Good times,” I said.
“This night ain‘t over yet,” Josh said after taking a sip. “Whose turn is it?”
“Mine,” I said. I slammed my empty glass on the table. “Go ahead. Bring it.”
Josh and I always played a game we called “Two Bucks.” It was “Truth or Dare” but without the truth part. One of us would come up with a task and a time frame to complete it. Whoever failed gave the other two bucks. Neither one of us had to give up any money in the last month and a half. The last time we played, Josh started every conversation by barking like a dog. It made for some great entertainment when we went to the McDonald‘s drive-thru that night.
“Since you‘re grounded, I‘m gonna go easy on you,” Josh said. “Two bucks says that you can‘t go over to that girl in the corner and get her to dance with you in less than fifteen minutes. You have to dance one whole song. If you guys start in the middle of one song, you must keep her on the floor with you through the entirety of the next song. Deal?”
I took his hand and shook it. “Which girl is it again?”
“That one,” he said. “The girl wearing the white sweater and pink dress.”
I saw a tall brunette with long straight hair and shapely legs in the far corner. She looked pretty good from where we were, but her back was to us.
I whipped off my jacket and threw it at his face. “Keep an eye on that for me.”
I walked through the dance floor and made a beeline toward the girl. It was getting near the end of the night and the DJ had already started up the slow jams. If I was going to win the bet, I had to work fast. I checked my breath by huffing into my palm and taking a whiff. It smelled passable enough, like a mix of French fries and spearmint chewing gum. I got close to the brunette and leaned in her ear. “Excuse me, do you wanna dance?”
“That depends,” the brunette said as she turned around. “Do I get a share of the bet?”
Standing before me was Ally. Gone was her ever present Cincinnati Reds baseball cap. In its place was a long, silky head of hair that flowed with every little motion. Her funky rimmed glasses were gone too. I saw a pair of deep brown eyes and long eyelashes touched with a bit of makeup. Her lips, which were usually smacking on a piece of bubble gum, looked redder and fuller. She had on a fluffy white sweater and a soft pink dress that made me think of the sky before sunset. She was the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen.
Ally snapped her fingers. “Earth to Brandon, come in.”
I blinked for what felt like the first time in a long time. “Um…sorry about that.”
“You and Josh are playing ‘Two Bucks‘ aren‘t you? What‘s the bet?”
“The bet is that I‘m…um, supposed to talk to um…the girl that he pointed at…um…you…which you already know…and we‘re supposed to dance for one song.” Jeez, how many times can a guy use “um” in a sentence?
She tilted her head and her hair cascaded down alongside her like a waterfall. “Well, I don‘t want to make it too easy for you,” she said.
“Huh?”
“The bet. I‘ve gotta make it at least look good.”
I smiled. “Oh you do, do you?”
“Of course,” she beamed. “So, let me hear it.”
I had never noticed how beautiful her smile was. “Um...hear what?”
“Your pick up line. If you didn‘t know me, what line would you have used to get me to go and dance with you?”
I shuffled my feet a bit. “I pretty much gave it.”
“So your best line consists of ‘Excuse me, do you wanna dance?’”
“Well, I tend to say it with a great deal of charm,” I said as I extended my hand. “So, what do you say?”
She gave me a tiny smile. “Okay.”
I walked beside her toward the dance floor until we got to a small clearing in the middle. We faced each other and I put my hands at her waist. A flush of heat ran up to my head and pulled my hands away. “Sorry, was that okay?” I asked her.
She put her hands on my shoulders and laughed. “Yes, Brandon. It‘s fine.”
Neither of us said anything for the first few moments. At times, I‘d look at her face and watch the colored lights move across her cheeks and shine on her eyes. But when she turned toward me, I‘d look away and marvel at the mirror ball above us. When I thought it might be safe to look back, I‘d catch her looking down toward the floor. This happened a couple more times until we finally met eye to eye. We both laughed and the tension in my shoulders melted away. From that moment on, neither of us looked away.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hi,” she said.
“Tell me if I step on your feet. “
She smiled. “I will. “
“They‘re nice,” I said. “Your shoes, I mean. They‘re nice.”
“Thanks,” she said as she stroked her hair behind her ear. “I like your shirt. “
“This old thing?” I asked. I moved my hands from her sides to her back.
She rested her hands on my shoulders and bit her lip. “It fits you really well. “
My hands brushed against her hair. “I never knew your hair was so long. “
“That‘s because I usually have it tied up and under a baseball cap. “ Her fingers grazed the back of my neck.
“I like it,” I said. I moved my hands upward until I could feel the ends of her long strands of hair near the middle of her back. “It‘s soft. “
She brushed a few stray hairs away from my eyes. “You‘ve got soft hair too.”
The music swelled in my ears. My fingers brushed against the tiny straps of her dress. She caressed my neck with both hands and nestled her cheek against mine. I lifted my head from her shoulder and pressed my forehead against hers. I stared right into her closed eyes and I could feel myself losing air.
“Ally?” I asked.
Her eyes opened. “Yes, Brandon?”
I tilted my head and drifted toward her. I felt the heat from her lips getting closer and closer to mine. I got a whiff of her cherry perfume and felt dizzy. But as our lips were about to touch, I felt a rhythmic buzzing on my chest. Ally looked down at her tiny purse trapped between us. She looked down and I felt her shoulders slump.
“It‘s my pager,” she said.
“A what?” I asked. I knew what a pager was. But my brain wasn’t exactly working at the moment.
“Dad makes me carry one whenever I go out,” she said as she reached into her purse. “It‘s from home. I‘d better call them back. Did you see a payphone around here?”
I shook my head to get my vision back in focus. “Um…there‘s one near the bathrooms toward the back.”
She smiled and grabbed my hand. “I‘ll look for you when I get back.”
“I‘ll be here,” I said. We kept eye contact as she made her way across the room.
Author
Charmeljun Gallardo is a former Radiologist and author. His first book is Ready for the World young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photography enthusiast, sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie. He lives in San Diego, California with his wife and son.
Catch up with Charmeljun Gallardo On
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
July 20, 2020
Ready For The World: Driver’sEducation Ready For The Worl...
Ready For The World: Driver’sEducation
Ready For The World: Driver’sEducation follows the story of Brandon Delacruz, a fifteen-year-old FilipinoAmerican teenager trying to make his way through life during the late 1980s.What Brandon wants out of life is simple: a cool car, a chance to be one of thecool kids at school, and most of all, a cool girlfriend. But instead, all hehas are his loving family and his lifelong friends, Josh and Ally, to help himget through the minefield of high school life.
As he looks for ways to get the carand status, Brandon fails to realize that the girl he’s been searching for hasbeen there all along. But before he and Ally can explore a new relationship, atragedy changes their lives. And now Brandon will have to find a way to balancehis deep friendship with the excitement, trepidation, and complexity that younglove brings...all while trying to keep his grades up.
Ready For The World: Superstar
Things couldn’t be better forBrandon Delacruz. After a long and winding road, he finally has the girl of hisdreams. To top it all off, he’s discovered his destiny. He’s going to write thenext great novel. Not bad for someone who is a few months shy of his sixteenthbirthday.
But after a tumultuous start to theyear, he finds himself stuck between two girls. On one side is Ally, his bestfriend since kindergarten who’s suddenly become more of a mystery. And on theother side is Rachel, a brilliant and strong-willed girl who isn’t afraid tospeak her mind. As he sorts his feelings out, he’ll find that the world isn’tlike the one he’s writing about in his book. Real-life is messy and perplexing,especially in high school.
And Brandon will learn that life canoffer true beauty and grace...and heartbreak.
Excerptfrom Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
AND THERE IT WAS. THE BRASS RINGTHAT HELD THE KEY TO MY FREEDOM, INCHES FROM MY GRASP. I grabbed Dad‘s keychainout of his fingers and turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled tolife underneath my sweaty grip.
It was the summer of 1986 and I wasthe proud owner of a driver‘s permit from the great state of California. Backthen, once you passed a driver‘s education class, you could get behind thewheel. But in my life, there was a more powerful governing body that controlledmy ability to drive: my parents.
“Make sure that you keep both handsin the ten and two positions at all times, “Dad said.
“But how am I supposed to hold my beerif both of my hands are on the wheel? “ I asked with a smile.
Dad seared a hole into my head withhis stare. “Don‘t even joke about that. Do you understand me? “
“I was kidding! “
“I don’t care. “
I caught Mom’s reflection in therearview mirror. She stopped going over the grocery store receipt to give meone of her looks. Eyebrows arched. Head tilted down. Chin to the left. It was alook I knew all too well. It was the “don’t dig yourself any further into thishole “look”.
My parents were pretty easy goingand fair, as parents go anyway. Mom and Dad were always cool with my friends,let me go out at night within reason, and even let me have a telephone in myroom. They moved to the United States in 1964 and luckily for me, weren‘t likethe “typical” Filipino parents. They didn‘t make me practice the piano eighthours a day, seven days a week. They didn‘t frown at an A-minus on my reportcard and ask, “Why isn‘t it an A-plus? “ And they didn‘t demand that I onlystudy medicine or law in college. They merely suggested all those things. Itwas a slight twist on the Asian parenting handbook.
When I pushed to get more timebehind the wheel, I knew what to expect. There would be lectures about how tobe super-duper safe on the road. I‘d hear how to be wary of the other drivers.But more than anything else, they stressed that I was not to be an idiot in anyway, shape, or form.
“Watch your speed! “ Dad said.“You‘re only supposed to go twenty-five around here!
“Around here were the suburbs of SanDiego. I grew up in a home like a lot of other homes with a yard like manyother yards. My neighborhood was like a lot of other neighborhoods. I graduatedfrom Pence Junior High School this past June. I would attend Howard McMillanHigh School in a few days. It was a little more than a mile from ourhouse.
“Dad, you know I‘m allowed to driveto school by myself with a permit, “I said. I kept my hands at ten and two inhopes he‘d notice. I don’t know if he did. But I did hear him grunt.
“Why don‘t you ride your bike toschool? “ Mom asked. “It‘s about the same distance from home.
“To a guy without his own car, amile was the distance between San Diego and the moon. It was 5,280 feet ofrugged terrain with steep hills and deep valleys. But to my parents, it was ashort bike ride.
“I read the DMV manual and itsays I’m allowed to drive, “I said.
“We know the laws, “Dad said. “Butyou’re not driving until we think you‘re ready.”
“But I‘ll be the only one in myclass not driving to school.”
“Then that makes you unique,“he said. “Be ready to make a right at the light.”
I couldn‘t believe it. My parentswere oblivious to how ridiculous I’d look pulling up to school on a ten-speedbike. Or worse, they knew and didn‘t care. I slumped in my seat and jerked thewheel as I made the turn at the light.
Mom’s piercing scream rang in myears. “BRANDON JACOB DELACRUZ! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? “
I shook my head a bit and lookedaround. Had I hit someone? I looked down at the dashboard and checked my speed.Was I going too fast? “What happened?” I asked.
PurchaseLinks:
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
Ready For The World: Superstar
Aboutthe Author:
Charmeljun Gallardo is aformer Radiologist and author. His first book is Ready ForThe World - a young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco StateUniversity with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photographyenthusiast, sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie.He lives in San Diego, California with his wife and son.
Catchup with Charmeljun Gallardo On:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
Ready For The World: Driver���s Education Ready For The...
Ready For The World: Driver���s Education
Ready For The World: Driver���s Education follows the story of Brandon Delacruz, a fifteen-year-old Filipino American teenager trying to make his way through life during the late 1980s. What Brandon wants out of life is simple: a cool car, a chance to be one of the cool kids at school, and most of all, a cool girlfriend. But instead, all he has are his loving family and his lifelong friends, Josh and Ally, to help him get through the minefield of high school life.
As he looks for ways to get the car and status, Brandon fails to realize that the girl he���s been searching for has been there all along. But before he and Ally can explore a new relationship, a tragedy changes their lives. And now Brandon will have to find a way to balance his deep friendship with the excitement, trepidation, and complexity that young love brings...all while trying to keep his grades up.
Ready For The World: Superstar
Things couldn���t be better for Brandon Delacruz. After a long and winding road, he finally has the girl of his dreams. To top it all off, he���s discovered his destiny. He���s going to write the next great novel. Not bad for someone who is a few months shy of his sixteenth birthday.
But after a tumultuous start to the year, he finds himself stuck between two girls. On one side is Ally, his best friend since kindergarten who���s suddenly become more of a mystery. And on the other side is Rachel, a brilliant and strong-willed girl who isn���t afraid to speak her mind. As he sorts his feelings out, he���ll find that the world isn���t like the one he���s writing about in his book. Real-life is messy and perplexing, especially in high school.
And Brandon will learn that life can offer true beauty and grace...and heartbreak.
Excerpt from Ready For The World: Driver���s Education
AND THERE IT WAS. THE BRASS RING THAT HELD THE KEY TO MY FREEDOM, INCHES FROM MY GRASP. I grabbed Dad���s keychain out of his fingers and turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled to life underneath my sweaty grip.
It was the summer of 1986 and I was the proud owner of a driver���s permit from the great state of California. Back then, once you passed a driver���s education class, you could get behind the wheel. But in my life, there was a more powerful governing body that controlled my ability to drive: my parents.
���Make sure that you keep both hands in the ten and two positions at all times, ���Dad said.
���But how am I supposed to hold my beer if both of my hands are on the wheel? ��� I asked with a smile.
Dad seared a hole into my head with his stare. ���Don���t even joke about that. Do you understand me? ���
���I was kidding! ���
���I don���t care. ���
I caught Mom���s reflection in the rearview mirror. She stopped going over the grocery store receipt to give me one of her looks. Eyebrows arched. Head tilted down. Chin to the left. It was a look I knew all too well. It was the ���don���t dig yourself any further into this hole ���look���.
My parents were pretty easy going and fair, as parents go anyway. Mom and Dad were always cool with my friends, let me go out at night within reason, and even let me have a telephone in my room. They moved to the United States in 1964 and luckily for me, weren���t like the ���typical��� Filipino parents. They didn���t make me practice the piano eight hours a day, seven days a week. They didn���t frown at an A-minus on my report card and ask, ���Why isn���t it an A-plus? ��� And they didn���t demand that I only study medicine or law in college. They merely suggested all those things. It was a slight twist on the Asian parenting handbook.
When I pushed to get more time behind the wheel, I knew what to expect. There would be lectures about how to be super-duper safe on the road. I���d hear how to be wary of the other drivers. But more than anything else, they stressed that I was not to be an idiot in any way, shape, or form.
���Watch your speed! ��� Dad said. ���You���re only supposed to go twenty-five around here!
���Around here were the suburbs of San Diego. I grew up in a home like a lot of other homes with a yard like many other yards. My neighborhood was like a lot of other neighborhoods. I graduated from Pence Junior High School this past June. I would attend Howard McMillan High School in a few days. It was a little more than a mile from our house.
���Dad, you know I���m allowed to drive to school by myself with a permit, ���I said. I kept my hands at ten and two in hopes he���d notice. I don���t know if he did. But I did hear him grunt.
���Why don���t you ride your bike to school? ��� Mom asked. ���It���s about the same distance from home.
���To a guy without his own car, a mile was the distance between San Diego and the moon. It was 5,280 feet of rugged terrain with steep hills and deep valleys. But to my parents, it was a short bike ride.
���I read the DMV manual and it says I���m allowed to drive, ���I said.
���We know the laws, ���Dad said. ���But you���re not driving until we think you���re ready.���
���But I���ll be the only one in my class not driving to school.���
���Then that makes you unique, ���he said. ���Be ready to make a right at the light.���
I couldn���t believe it. My parents were oblivious to how ridiculous I���d look pulling up to school on a ten-speed bike. Or worse, they knew and didn���t care. I slumped in my seat and jerked the wheel as I made the turn at the light.
Mom���s piercing scream rang in my ears. ���BRANDON JACOB DELACRUZ! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? ���
I shook my head a bit and looked around. Had I hit someone? I looked down at the dashboard and checked my speed. Was I going too fast? ���What happened?��� I asked.
Purchase Links:
Ready For The World: Driver���s Education
Ready For The World: Superstar
About the Author:
Charmeljun Gallardo is a former Radiologist and author. His first book is Ready For The World - a young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photography enthusiast, sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie. He lives in San Diego, California with his wife and son.
Catch up with Charmeljun Gallardo On:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education Ready For The W...
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education follows the story of Brandon Delacruz, a fifteen-year-old Filipino American teenager trying to make his way through life during the late 1980s. What Brandon wants out of life is simple: a cool car, a chance to be one of the cool kids at school, and most of all, a cool girlfriend. But instead, all he has are his loving family and his lifelong friends, Josh and Ally, to help him get through the minefield of high school life.
As he looks for ways to get the car and status, Brandon fails to realize that the girl he’s been searching for has been there all along. But before he and Ally can explore a new relationship, a tragedy changes their lives. And now Brandon will have to find a way to balance his deep friendship with the excitement, trepidation, and complexity that young love brings...all while trying to keep his grades up.
Ready For The World: Superstar
Things couldn’t be better for Brandon Delacruz. After a long and winding road, he finally has the girl of his dreams. To top it all off, he’s discovered his destiny. He’s going to write the next great novel. Not bad for someone who is a few months shy of his sixteenth birthday.
But after a tumultuous start to the year, he finds himself stuck between two girls. On one side is Ally, his best friend since kindergarten who’s suddenly become more of a mystery. And on the other side is Rachel, a brilliant and strong-willed girl who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. As he sorts his feelings out, he’ll find that the world isn’t like the one he’s writing about in his book. Real-life is messy and perplexing, especially in high school.
And Brandon will learn that life can offer true beauty and grace...and heartbreak.
Excerpt from Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
AND THERE IT WAS. THE BRASS RING THAT HELD THE KEY TO MY FREEDOM, INCHES FROM MY GRASP. I grabbed Dad‘s keychain out of his fingers and turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled to life underneath my sweaty grip.
It was the summer of 1986 and I was the proud owner of a driver‘s permit from the great state of California. Back then, once you passed a driver‘s education class, you could get behind the wheel. But in my life, there was a more powerful governing body that controlled my ability to drive: my parents.
“Make sure that you keep both hands in the ten and two positions at all times, “Dad said.
“But how am I supposed to hold my beer if both of my hands are on the wheel? “ I asked with a smile.
Dad seared a hole into my head with his stare. “Don‘t even joke about that. Do you understand me? “
“I was kidding! “
“I don’t care. “
I caught Mom’s reflection in the rearview mirror. She stopped going over the grocery store receipt to give me one of her looks. Eyebrows arched. Head tilted down. Chin to the left. It was a look I knew all too well. It was the “don’t dig yourself any further into this hole “look”.
My parents were pretty easy going and fair, as parents go anyway. Mom and Dad were always cool with my friends, let me go out at night within reason, and even let me have a telephone in my room. They moved to the United States in 1964 and luckily for me, weren‘t like the “typical” Filipino parents. They didn‘t make me practice the piano eight hours a day, seven days a week. They didn‘t frown at an A-minus on my report card and ask, “Why isn‘t it an A-plus? “ And they didn‘t demand that I only study medicine or law in college. They merely suggested all those things. It was a slight twist on the Asian parenting handbook.
When I pushed to get more time behind the wheel, I knew what to expect. There would be lectures about how to be super-duper safe on the road. I‘d hear how to be wary of the other drivers. But more than anything else, they stressed that I was not to be an idiot in any way, shape, or form.
“Watch your speed! “ Dad said. “You‘re only supposed to go twenty-five around here!
“Around here were the suburbs of San Diego. I grew up in a home like a lot of other homes with a yard like many other yards. My neighborhood was like a lot of other neighborhoods. I graduated from Pence Junior High School this past June. I would attend Howard McMillan High School in a few days. It was a little more than a mile from our house.
“Dad, you know I‘m allowed to drive to school by myself with a permit, “I said. I kept my hands at ten and two in hopes he‘d notice. I don’t know if he did. But I did hear him grunt.
“Why don‘t you ride your bike to school? “ Mom asked. “It‘s about the same distance from home.
“To a guy without his own car, a mile was the distance between San Diego and the moon. It was 5,280 feet of rugged terrain with steep hills and deep valleys. But to my parents, it was a short bike ride.
“I read the DMV manual and it says I’m allowed to drive, “I said.
“We know the laws, “Dad said. “But you’re not driving until we think you‘re ready.”
“But I‘ll be the only one in my class not driving to school.”
“Then that makes you unique, “he said. “Be ready to make a right at the light.”
I couldn‘t believe it. My parents were oblivious to how ridiculous I’d look pulling up to school on a ten-speed bike. Or worse, they knew and didn‘t care. I slumped in my seat and jerked the wheel as I made the turn at the light.
Mom’s piercing scream rang in my ears. “BRANDON JACOB DELACRUZ! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? “
I shook my head a bit and looked around. Had I hit someone? I looked down at the dashboard and checked my speed. Was I going too fast? “What happened?” I asked.
Purchase Links:
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
Ready For The World: Superstar
About the Author:
Charmeljun Gallardo is a former Radiologist and author. His first book is Ready For The World - a young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photography enthusiast, sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie. He lives in San Diego, California with his wife and son.
Catch up with Charmeljun Gallardo On:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education Ready For ...
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education follows the story of Brandon Delacruz, a fifteen-year-old Filipino American teenager trying to make his way through life during the late 1980s. What Brandon wants out of life is simple: a cool car, a chance to be one of the cool kids at school, and most of all, a cool girlfriend. But instead, all he has are his loving family and his lifelong friends, Josh and Ally, to help him get through the minefield of high school life.
As he looks for ways to get the car and status, Brandon fails to realize that the girl he’s been searching for has been there all along. But before he and Ally can explore a new relationship, a tragedy changes their lives. And now Brandon will have to find a way to balance his deep friendship with the excitement, trepidation, and complexity that young love brings...all while trying to keep his grades up.
Ready For The World: Superstar
Things couldn’t be better for Brandon Delacruz. After a long and winding road, he finally has the girl of his dreams. To top it all off, he’s discovered his destiny. He’s going to write the next great novel. Not bad for someone who is a few months shy of his sixteenth birthday.
But after a tumultuous start to the year, he finds himself stuck between two girls. On one side is Ally, his best friend since kindergarten who’s suddenly become more of a mystery. And on the other side is Rachel, a brilliant and strong-willed girl who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. As he sorts his feelings out, he’ll find that the world isn’t like the one he’s writing about in his book. Real-life is messy and perplexing, especially in high school.
And Brandon will learn that life can offer true beauty and grace...and heartbreak.
Excerpt from Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
AND THERE IT WAS. THE BRASS RING THAT HELD THE KEY TO MY FREEDOM, INCHES FROM MY GRASP. I grabbed Dad‘s keychain out of his fingers and turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled to life underneath my sweaty grip.
It was the summer of 1986 and I was the proud owner of a driver‘s permit from the great state of California. Back then, once you passed a driver‘s education class, you could get behind the wheel. But in my life, there was a more powerful governing body that controlled my ability to drive: my parents.
“Make sure that you keep both hands in the ten and two positions at all times, “Dad said.
“But how am I supposed to hold my beer if both of my hands are on the wheel? “ I asked with a smile.
Dad seared a hole into my head with his stare. “Don‘t even joke about that. Do you understand me? “
“I was kidding! “
“I don’t care. “
I caught Mom’s reflection in the rearview mirror. She stopped going over the grocery store receipt to give me one of her looks. Eyebrows arched. Head tilted down. Chin to the left. It was a look I knew all too well. It was the “don’t dig yourself any further into this hole “look”.
My parents were pretty easy going and fair, as parents go anyway. Mom and Dad were always cool with my friends, let me go out at night within reason, and even let me have a telephone in my room. They moved to the United States in 1964 and luckily for me, weren‘t like the “typical” Filipino parents. They didn‘t make me practice the piano eight hours a day, seven days a week. They didn‘t frown at an A-minus on my report card and ask, “Why isn‘t it an A-plus? “ And they didn‘t demand that I only study medicine or law in college. They merely suggested all those things. It was a slight twist on the Asian parenting handbook.
When I pushed to get more time behind the wheel, I knew what to expect. There would be lectures about how to be super-duper safe on the road. I‘d hear how to be wary of the other drivers. But more than anything else, they stressed that I was not to be an idiot in any way, shape, or form.
“Watch your speed! “ Dad said. “You‘re only supposed to go twenty-five around here!
“Around here were the suburbs of San Diego. I grew up in a home like a lot of other homes with a yard like many other yards. My neighborhood was like a lot of other neighborhoods. I graduated from Pence Junior High School this past June. I would attend Howard McMillan High School in a few days. It was a little more than a mile from our house.
“Dad, you know I‘m allowed to drive to school by myself with a permit, “I said. I kept my hands at ten and two in hopes he‘d notice. I don’t know if he did. But I did hear him grunt.
“Why don‘t you ride your bike to school? “ Mom asked. “It‘s about the same distance from home.
“To a guy without his own car, a mile was the distance between San Diego and the moon. It was 5,280 feet of rugged terrain with steep hills and deep valleys. But to my parents, it was a short bike ride.
“I read the DMV manual and it says I’m allowed to drive, “I said.
“We know the laws, “Dad said. “But you’re not driving until we think you‘re ready.”
“But I‘ll be the only one in my class not driving to school.”
“Then that makes you unique, “he said. “Be ready to make a right at the light.”
I couldn‘t believe it. My parents were oblivious to how ridiculous I’d look pulling up to school on a ten-speed bike. Or worse, they knew and didn‘t care. I slumped in my seat and jerked the wheel as I made the turn at the light.
Mom’s piercing scream rang in my ears. “BRANDON JACOB DELACRUZ! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? “
I shook my head a bit and looked around. Had I hit someone? I looked down at the dashboard and checked my speed. Was I going too fast? “What happened?” I asked.
Purchase Links:
Ready For The World: Driver’s Education
Ready For The World: Superstar
About the Author:
Charmeljun Gallardo is a former Radiologist and author. His first book is Ready For The World - a young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photography enthusiast, sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie. He lives in San Diego, California with his wife and son.
Catch up with Charmeljun Gallardo On:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
July 16, 2020
'Gangs of Social Media' mirrors the present-day cyber sce...
'Gangs of Social Media' mirrors the present-day cyber scenario throughout the world - Our lives are taken over by Social Media and we are hopelessly enslaved by our apps and devices which continuously inundates us with a staggering mass of fake and modified news!
This story follows India’s one and only Forensic Cyber Psychologist, Professor Fabulous who is summoned by the National Cyber Defense of India to hunt down the mastermind behind a cyber-attack on social media users, who intentionally or unintentionally spread fake news.
In a desperate race against time, Professor Fabulous encounters online scammers, cyber hacktivist gangs, paid trolls, Social Media business executives, Politicians, Cybersecurity Start-ups, and a forgotten victim of fake news, before the mastermind unravels his motive behind the cyber-attack.
Will this be the end of fake news? Or the end of social media itself!?
Gangs of Social Media is a crime mystery thriller set-in present-day India. The story spans over a time period of 12 hours when Mr. RAJPUT, Deputy National Cyber Defense Chief teams up with PROFESSOR FABULOUS, India's only Forensic Cyber Psychologist, to hunt down the MASTERMIND of the worst cyber-attack of all time on SOCIAL MEDIA users, who often indulge in broadcasting FAKE NEWS.
The story begins with three nameless youths in three metro cities of India - Bangalore, New Delhi, and Mumbai. All three of them, heavy users of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter to solely spread FAKE NEWS motivated by aimless emotion, blind political affiliation, and money.
But on that very day, all the social media users who have been spreading fake news with whatever intention, indifferent to the consequences, will have to pay a heavy price! A ransomware (computer virus) disguised in the form of a WhatsApp message or Facebook post or as a tweet is circulated and as usual, and unawares the users start sharing the message. The moment the users share fake news, their device will hang, and a message will be displayed, demanding a ransom of Rs.1,00,000 to be paid within 12 hours as a consequence of sharing fake news! If users fail to pay the ransom, the devices will be destroyed and all the data on the device will be made public.
Professor Fabulous and Mr. Rajput who shares a bitter past have to put their personal differences away to ensnare the culprit behind this cyber-attack. Gangs of Social Media sounds dangerous but there is not much to be worried about as Professor Fabulous is fabulous at his job.
As the book trades us through the process. It takes us from one person to the other. The end is what the reader must discover herself or himself. It’s the most surprising the realistic climax and leaves the reader with few open-ended questions.
Check out the sites where you can get the book from : Amazon India | Amazon USA
Here are a handful of interesting Quotes from the Book:
"Fake news existed in the past and will continue to exist until human civilization exists, there is no escape from it… "- Professor Fabulous
"Three greatest inventions of the 21st century. The Smartphone, the Internet, and Social Media. The device, the medium, and the platform. The holy trinity of Fake news Empire." - Professor Fabulous
“The color of this shirt is blue…that is a fact, and nobody can dispute that. The color of this shirt is awesome!!! That is an opinion… it is highly subjective, biased, and customized to individual needs. The color of this shirt gives me superpowers… that is false or fake news...” - The prime suspect
Let’s have a look at The Author:
Vasimraja was born on 29th February 1984, in India. He currently lives in San Francisco Bay Area, California USA. He started reading fiction novels at the age of eight after overhearing a story narration of Sherlock Holmes by his father. He grew up in different towns of Northern Karnataka State before his family relocated to Dharwad, the literature capital of Karnataka where he met celebrated playwright and author, Late Girish Karnad. He was greatly influenced by Karnad’s writing and personality.
Vasimraja works in the field of semiconductor engineering and has two patents on semiconductor memories. He is an avid reader of English, Kannada and Hindi literature. He presents the most complex ideas in a very simple form, leaving a lasting impression on readers.
Catch up with Vasimraja Bhavikatti On:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email
