Book Launch and Poetry Reading

I know that Tuesday will be here sooner than I can imagine, that I will be holding a copy of my book in my hands, reading poems from it’s pages, still feeling as if it is all happening to someone else.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a writer and/or one of Charlie’s Angels. It seemed like having my books in the shop windows and catching bad guys, would make a pretty rock and roll kind of life. The Angel thing really didn’t pan out, but the dream of being a writer and having a book published is one that I have been working toward for a lifetime. It is a dream that, at 51, I am seeing come to life. I don’t forget for one second how lucky I am, how all of the love and support and encouragement I have received has made this dream possible.

I hope that you will all be able to pop by my Book Launch/Reading, which will be my very first ever book launch and reading, so please be gentle! Here are some links:

The reading will be streamed through my Author Page on Facebook. 

You can buy a copy of my book on Amazon 

I will also be selling signed copies through my website 

My endless thanks goes out to River Dixon, a brilliant writer and publisher, a man who makes dreams come true!!!!

Darkness and Light and “Things My Mother Left Behind”

In just 6 days, my debut poetry collection, “Things My Mother Left Behind”, (from Potter’s Grove Press), will be officially out in the world. My heart and mind, my secrets and fears, will be in the hands of friends, and maybe even a few strangers, and I will have the immense good fortune of living through the fruition of a life long dream. For me, it is a light in these dark times that gives me immeasurable hope and joy, and somehow, it feels appropriate that my first book is coming out during a time that has been punctuated by loss and sorrow, as so much of my work explores these themes.

I believe that without the darkness, there can be no light, and the light that permeates darkness is one that shines more brilliantly, offering the most sustenance. As the light of a dream come true shines into my life, I am led into spaces of reflection. I am missing those I have lost, hoping they would be proud of me. I am grateful for the love I know and have known in my 51 years. I am grateful to have been given the gift of time and language.

My greatest hope is that my book will be read and that my words will offer comfort, clarity, a sense that we are not alone, maybe even a new way of seeing. For whoever reads my book, I hope that something in it resonates, that the words find a place in the darkness, and in peoples hearts.

“Things My Mother Left Behind” will be available through Amazon on July 14. I will also be selling signed copies through my website, and I will be doing a live reading via Facebook on July 14 @5pm PST. I hope you will pop by the reading. Links and more info to follow in the next couple of days.

As ever, my gratitude for this incredible creative community is overflowing. I am humbled every time I come here, by the heart, the talent, the support and the encouragement of all the amazing writers I have come to know.

Carrie Ann Golden’s Interview Series

I am thrilled and honored to have been asked to be a part of Carrie Ann Golden’s Interview Series. Carrie Ann did a guest post here on my blog and I adore her and her writing. This truly is an incredible community and I am so grateful to be a part of it. If you are interested in reading the interview, you can so so here.

Travertine

My Recorded Poetry Series continues with,”Travertine”, the fourth of five poems originally published in The Writing Disorder.

Stress Fracture

I am thrilled see my poem,” Stress Fracture“, published today in Literati Magazine. My huge thanks to publisher Renée Sigel!!!

Just Over a Month

I can’t believe it, but my book will be released in just over a month. Honestly, I still can’t believe I have a book coming out. I can’t believe I even wrote a book. You get the picture. Disbelief.

On July 14, “Things My Mother Left Behind” will be available in ebook and paperback from Amazon, and I will be selling signed copies through my website. If you think you might be interested in a signed copy, please let me know. You can also still pre-order the ebook for just $2.99

I will be doing a few live virtual readings via Facebook and my YouTube channel, sometime after July 14. Details to come.

As ever, I want to thank my publisher, River Dixon, founder of Potter’s Grove Press. He an incredible writer who also makes dreams come true for people like me!

The amazing video is all the work of my husband, Joe, including new comments from Tanya Klein, aka. The Incurable Dreamer.

I have gotten so much love and support about this book and I am very grateful!

“Things My Mother Left Behind” Available for Pre-Order

I am sitting in my very quiet writing space, typing this in a state of simultaneous disbelief and total joy. I am thrilled beyond the sky to announce that my book, “Things My Mother Left Behind”, is available for pre-order, on Amazon. This is a life long dream come true for me, and I will be forever grateful to River Dixon; an amazing writer, publisher extraordinaire and founder of the incredible Potter’s Grove Press.

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To pre-order the ebook version of “Things My Mother Left Behind” you can go here. To visit my Amazon Authors Page, you can go here. To explore the beautiful and diverse catalog from Potter’s Grove Press, you can go here.

I am so grateful for all of the love and support I have received from this incredible community over the years; it has given me a sense of courage I never thought I would feel, and helped a life long dream become reality.

Honoring Writers – Suzanne Craig – Whytock

I have come across so many talented, kind and generous writers during my time on WP; I am proud to be a part of such an incredible community. There are so many of you who I want to write about, to honor for your spirit and your work, I could write a post every day for the entirety of my time in the blogging world.

Today, I want to write about Suzanne Craig – Whytock. Suzanne is the real deal in every way. She makes us all laugh every week with her blog, My Dang Blog, she has written 2 novels, Smile and The Dome, countless short stories, and now her first poem, Dryad, has been published. She has incredible range and depth, and to top off her immeasurable talent, she is a kind, generous, supportive and absolutely lovely woman. She also has purple hair, which gives her that super cool awesomeness factor!

As a writer myself, there are writers who I can’t help but be in awe of, writers who teach me and make me want to be better; Suzanne is one of those writers. Her range is something I believe to be a rare gift; a person who can so seamlessly go from writing humor, to fiction, to poetry, and do all of it well, is extraordinary. As someone who aspires to write fiction, I look to Suzanne’s mastery of story telling, and it inspires me. As a poet, I can’t help but love the dreamlike quality of her poems, which are also beautifully crafted. As far as the humor, I just want her to keep writing her blog so I can keep laughing every Sunday!

Thank you, Suzanne, for everything you write and for all of the wonderful things you bring to the lives of so many! I am proud to know you!

Stiff Trigger

My latest recorded poem is up on YouTube. It is the third of six poems originally published in Chanterelle’s Notebook. Kendal Bell, editor of Chantarell’s Notebook, chose to nominate this poem for a Best of the Net award, which was a huge honor.

All of the credit for visuals goes to my amazing husband Joe Richardson!

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