Kaye Lynne Booth's Blog: Writing to be Read, page 62

Poetry Treasures 3: Passions #BookReview #GuestPost #Giveaway

For Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 3: Passions” Book Blog Tour we’re over at “Carla Loves to Read”, where Carla Johnson-Hicks introduces us to contributing authors Patty Fletcher and Willow Willers. We’ve got a #review, an #excerpt, and a poetry #reading for you. And don’t forget to leave a comment and enter the giveway for a chance at a free digital copy of “Poetry Treasures 3 Passions”. So please join us. I look forward to seeing you there.

Carla Loves To Read

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Poetry Treasures 3: Passions. Scroll down for a reading by Willow Willers and a gurest post by Patty Fletcher, two of the authors included in the book. There is also a giveaway. Perfect timing for Poetry Month.

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Day 3 of Poetry Treasure 3: Passion – Blog Tour with Diana W. Peach and Abbie J. Taylor

Join us for Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 3: Passions” Book Blog Tour over at The Showers of Blessings with Miriam Hurdle. Drop by for poetry readings by contributing authors, D. Wallace Peach and Abby Johnson Taylor. And don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a digital copy of the anthology in the giveaway.

The Showers of Blessings

I’m delighted to host the blog tour for the anthology Poetry Treasure 3: Passion. My guests today are Diana Wallace Peach and Abby Johnson Taylor.

.

Passions treasures within.

Open the cover

and you will discover

thePoetry Treasures

of guests on

Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s

2022 “Treasuring Poetry” blog series

onWriting to be Read.

Included are treasures from:

Patty Fletcher, D. Wallace Peach, Yvette Prior,

Penny Wilson, Colleen M. Chesebro, Abbie Taylor,

Yvette Calliero, Smitha Vishwaneth,

Chris Hall, Willow Willers, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer,

and Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Giveaway

Comment and let us know you were there and get a chance to win a copy ofPoetry Treasures 3: Passionsin the digital format of your choice. Follow the tour and leave your comments along the way. One entry per stop.

~ ~ ~

My first guest is Diana Wallace Peach. Diana and I have been friends in…

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Treasuring Poetry – Meet author and poet, Marcia Meara, and a book review #poetry #readingcommunity #TreasuringPoetry

Today, I am delighted to welcome poet and author, Marcia Meara, as my April Treasuring Poetry guest. Marcia is sharing some of her thoughts about poetry and poems and I am sharing my reviews of A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2 and

Why do you write poetry?

I’ve written poetry since I was 5-years old, when I filled legal tablets with page after page of verses about cowboys and horses. (As imagined by a little girl who’d seen a few movies.) I really can’t remember when I didn’t love writing, and poems were what got me started. The rhythm and musicality of poetry is what I love most, and the main reason I still write poems today.

Do you think poetry is still a relevant form of expressing ideas in our modern world? If yes, why?

I think poems are very relevant, indeed. Poetry speaks of beauty and love and hate and danger and betrayal and every other human emotion, need, or failing. Do I think it’s as popular as it once was? No. Nor does it sell as well as novels and other works of fiction. But neither of those has any bearing on the actual relevance of poetry, and the more readers we poets manage to attract, the more likely folks are to understand exactly that.

Which poem by any other poet that you’ve read do you relate to the most and why?

That’s difficult to say, since I’ve been reading poetry for 75 years or so, including most of the greatest ones from poets like Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, William Wordsworth, Amy Lowell, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Edna St. Vincent Millay, John Keats, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Walt Whitman, Dylan Thomas, Carl Sandberg, T. S. Eliot, Sara Teasdale, Ogden Nash, and on and on. You get my drift, I’m sure. It’s very hard for me to choose a favorite, but one poem I have always loved and never tire of is Poe’s The Raven. It’s long, I know, but the rhythm is so perfect, and the painful sadness of the subject, so very, very POE.

The Raven

Edgar Allan Poe – 1809-1849

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door—
“Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
               Only this and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
               Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
“‘Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—
               This it is and nothing more.”

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—
               Darkness there and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—
               Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—
               ‘Tis the wind and nothing more!”

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
               Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
               Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door—
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
               With such name as “Nevermore.”

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—
Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.”
               Then the bird said “Nevermore.”

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
               Of ‘Never—nevermore.'”

But the Raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
               Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
               She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite—respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
               Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—
On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—
Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”
               Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil—prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”
               Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—
“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
               Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
               Shall be lifted—nevermore!

Which of your own poems is your favourite and why?

I could say whichever one I’m writing at the time, but that wouldn’t be fair. Nor likely true, either, though I do think each one is a favorite at least during the moments of creation. However, instead of going that route, I’m going to choose the poem which most depicts large portions of my own life, spent canoeing on the wild and scenic rivers and creeks of Central Florida. Fittingly, it’s called On the River, and is included in my book, Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love.

An extract from On The River by Marcia Meara

“Crystal green flows beneath me,

Leafy arches rise above,

Dip, glide.

Dip, glide.

Slide.

Duckweed parts as I float by.

I wonder where they went,

Those ducks?

Gone overnight, it seems.

Another parting, another loss,

And I slide by,

Under all that green.

Dip, glide.

Dip, glide.

Just there, in deepest shade,

Sleeping emeralds cling.

Tree frogs rest in their

Smooth, damp skins,

Waiting for the sliver moon.

They’ll open their eyes for the silver moon.

Sleeping now,

I pass him, too.

And on I go.

Dip, glide.

Dip, glide.”

Is writing poetry easy for you compared to prose or do you do a lot of editing and revision of your poems?

Oddly enough, I seldom do much, if any, editing on my poetry. When I’m “in the zone” the words I want seem to come to me, sometimes surprising me by fitting together exactly the way I like. This is definitely not true when I’m writing prose. Then, I spend a lot of time cleaning up, tweaking, and cutting before sending it off to an editor for more of the same. With poetry, if I’m in the mood, the words seem to flow much more smoothly and easily.

What mode (blog, books, YouTube, podcasts) do you find the most effective for sharing your poems with poetry lovers and readers?

I’ve actually never done any real marketing with my work, be it poetry or prose, and that’s something I do hope to change soon. But all I did with my book of poetry was publish it on Amazon and share poems now and then on my blog, The Write Stuff. NOTE: This is NOT how I would recommend new writers get the word out, no matter what their genre or style might be!

My review of Summer Magic: Poems of Life and Love by Marcia Meara

This book comprises the most beautiful freestyle poetry by Marcia Meara. The poetry is divided into two sections, the first is about the magic of life as experienced by a ten year old boy and the second is about love.

I loved both sections of the book but the poems about the joys and experiences of a ten year old boy were particularly poignant and meaningful for me as I have two sons who were ten years old in the not that distant past.

The two poems in this section that I enjoyed the most are, firstly, The Rope Swing which depicts the freedom and joy of swinging on a hot summer day. The depiction of a young boy of ten is very accurate and brings back lovely memories for me.

My second favourite poem is entitled Moccasins and describes the lovely and understanding relationship moms have with their sons.

The Rope Swing
The first stanza goes as follows:

“Sailing up, up into

Blue summer sky,

Hot rope rough against his hands,

He shouts with joy, and lets go.

For a crystal moment,

He hangs suspended,

Frozen in time

Like a fly in amber.”

Moccasins
“His dad smiles.

Moms are like that, Mac.

Moms always know what

Their children want most.

And Moms always want

Their children to have their

Heart’s desires.”

The poem I enjoyed the most in part two of the book describes the beauty of young love and the joy of watching small children play and develop.

The Sound of Dreams Coming True
“Listen, she says,

Kissing his fingers,

As a little girl laughs,

Chasing butterflies

With her big brother.”

Purchase Summer Magic: Poems of Life and Love by Marcia Meara here: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Magic-Poems-Life-Love-ebook/dp/B00FNBLIPC

My review of A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2 by Marcia Meara

Sarah Gray and MacKenzie Cole from book 1, Wake-Robin Ridge, are now married and living in Mac’s lovely home built near the top of the mountain. Sarah is pregnant with their first child and Mac is happy and managing to keep his deep anxiety following the deaths of his ex-wife and son, Ben, under control. Mac’s emotional state is still delicate and he is desperately determined to keep his wife and their baby safe.

Ten-year old Rabbit has grown up in the mountains under the guidance and care of his grandparents who have taught him survival skills. The trios lifestyle is rough and ready with Gran living in a makeshift tent and the young boy and his grandpa generally sleeping outdoors in all weathers. At Grandpa’s insistence, the family has nothing to do with any people who are all designated as ‘bad people’ by Grandpa.

Gran has a progressive lung illness and Grandpa leaves his wife and Rabbit on their own one morning to travel into town and purchase medicine for her. He never returns. Gran continues to decline and, knowing she is dying, tells Rabbit that all people are not bad. She explains that contrary to Grandpa’s comments, there are also good people and Rabbit needs to find the good people, in particular, a man with winter blue eyes and hair like a crow’s wing. Gran dies and Rabbit is left on his own in the wilderness. With no other option, Rabbit packs up his belongings and sets off to find the man with the winter blue eyes.

Rabbit is well depicted as an old soul with a high intelligence despite his lack of book learning. His upbringing has provided him with survival tools and also the ability to assess situations and react in a clear headed and calm way. He is very endearing to the reader with his interesting way of looking at situations while still retaining the need for love and emotional immaturity of a young boy. He is very loving and giving and the reader can’t help routing for a good outcome for Rabbit.

Mac’s character continues to grow in this second book as he is faced with having to face up to his fears and deal with unexpected and unplanned events and circumstances despite his fears and anxieties. It is an intriguing journey to watch Mac struggling internally to move forward despite his anxiety and it is impossible not to be delighted by his progress and small victories.

Sarah is even more generous and loving than I remembered from book 1, and is the perfect wife to Mac. It is obvious she has a huge heart which is big enough for Mac, her unborn child, and Rabbit.

As with all lives, especially in fiction, the trio are faced with adversity and obstacles which they need to try to overcome. The storyline is engaging and entertaining and brings out the best in the various characters.

Purchase A Boy Named Rabbit here:

About Marcia Meara

Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years and four big cats.

When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. She enjoys nature. Really, really enjoys it. All of it! Well, almost all of it, anyway. From birds, to furry critters, to her very favorites, snakes. The exception would be spiders, which she truly loathes, convinced that anything with eight hairy legs is surely up to no good. She does not, however, kill spiders anymore, since she knows they have their place in the world. Besides, her husband now handles her Arachnid Catch and Release Program, and she’s good with that.

Spiders aside, the one thing Marcia would like to tell each of her readers is that it’s never too late to make your dreams come true. If, at the age of 69, she could write and publish a book (and thus fulfill 64 years of longing to do that very thing), you can make your own dreams a reality, too. Go for it! What have you got to lose?

Purchase Marcia Meara’s books

Novels
Wake-Robin Ridge: Book 1

Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3
The Light: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4

Swamp Ghosts: Riverbend Book 1
Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2
That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3

Riverbend Spinoff Novellas
The Emissary 1
The Emissary 2 – To Love Somebody
The Emissary 3 – Love Hurts

Poetry
Summer Magic: Poems of Life and Love

Reach Marcia on Social Media Here:

Blog: The Write Stuff
Facebook
Email: marciameara16[at]gmail[dot]com

About Robbie Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published thirteen children’s book and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

Meet the Poet: Robbie Cheadle

Check this out! Robbie Cheadle had an interview back in March on “Meet the Poet” with Colleen Chesebro. How did I miss this?

Word Craft Poetry

Welcome toMeet the Poet, a Word Craft Poetry feature written to introduce you to the poets in our writing community.

This is a way to get to know more about the poets and their work. Many of our poets have written both fiction and non-fiction, and self-published their works. We also feature many published authors. It’s a brilliant mix!

Some of our poets are also artists, crafting their magic through watercolors or other artistic means along with the written word. There are even a few musicians in our poetic community!

At least once a month, I’ll be introducing you to the poets in our community! Grab a cup of tea or coffee, and meet the poet!

Our guest this month is Robbie Cheadle.

Award-winning, bestselling author Robbie Cheadle has published thirteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

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Meet the Poet: Kaye Lynn Booth

You can learn even more about the creation of this outstanding poetry anthology, Poetry Treasures 3: Passions, and about me over at Word Craft Poetry. Check out my interview on “Meet the Author” with Colleen Chesebro! Check it out.

Word Craft Poetry

Welcome toMeet the Poet, a Word Craft Poetry feature written to introduce you to the poets in our writing community.

This is a way to get to know more about the poets and their work. Many of our poets have written both fiction and non-fiction and published and self-published their works.

Some of our poets are also artists, crafting their magic through watercolors or other artistic means along with the written word. There are even a few musicians in our poetic community!

At least once a month, I’ll be introducing you to the poets in our community! Grab a cup of tea or coffee, and meet the poet!

Our guest today is Kaye Lynn Booth. She’s the other half of the Poetry Treasures publishing duo, along with Robbie Cheadle. You can read Robbie’s Meet the Poet interview below:

https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2023/03/20/meet-the-poet-robbie-cheadle/

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is her passion…

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Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 3: Passions” Book Blog Tour

Day 2 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 3: Passions Book Blog Tour finds us over at Patty’s Worlds, where we’ll meet contributing poets Colleen Chesebro and Chris Hall, and Robbie Cheadle reads a poem for each of them. It’s the release day for this very special anthology. Come join in the fun, and be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a free digital copy of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions.

Day 2 WordCrafter book blog tour for Poetry Treasures 3: Passions featuring contributors Chris Hall and Colleen Chesebro #poetryanthology #poetrycommunity

Welcome to the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 3: Passions” Book Blog Tour

Welcome to the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 3: Passions Book Blog Tour! This is a very special tour, because at each stop, you will meet not one, but two of the contributing poets of the anthology. We’ve got a great tour planned with readings and inspiration posts from the authors, and book reviews. (Scroll down for the tour schedule with links, but be aware that the links won’t function until each post goes live.)Plus we have a great giveaway, so follow the tour to meet the contributing authors and additional chances to win a digital copy of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions!

Giveaway

Comment and let us know you were there, and get a chance to win a copy of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions in the digital format of your choice.Follow the tour and leave your comments along the way. One entry per stop.

About Poetry Treasures 3: Passions

 Passions treasures within.

Open the cover

and you will discover

the Poetry Treasures

of guests on

 Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s

2022 “Treasuring Poetry” blog series

on Writing to be Read.

Included are treasures from:

Patty Fletcher, D. Wallace Peach, Yvette Prior,

Penny Wilson, Colleen M. Chesebro, Abbie Taylor,

Yvette Calliero, Smitha Vishwaneth,

Chris Hall, Willow Willers, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer,

and Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Purchase Poetry Treasures 3: Passions from your favorite distributor through Books2ReadToday’s Stop

On today’s stop, we have video readings from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer and Smitha Vishwanath. Rosemerry is sharing a reading of her poem, “Twenty Years Ago, Ten Years Ago, Last Week”, and Smitha is sharing a reading of her poem, ” “. Both of these lovely poems are featured in Poetry Treasures 3: Passions.

Meet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

Today’s stop features a peotry reading by contributing Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, which is a real treat. Rosemerry is a performance poet, and I was privileged to attend one of her live performances back in 2010. She was spectacular. The way she draws you into the poem and makes you feel her words is amazing. Rosemerry is a wonderful, vibrant lady, who embraces the written word as if it were a lover, caressing and shaping it into what she needs it to be. I had the pleasure of featuring an interview with her, right here on Writing to be Read. That’s why I asked Robbie to invite her to be a guest on “Treasuring Poetry”, and why I am so pleased to have her work featured in this WordCrafter anthology. It is a privilege and an honor to work with her. I hope you will enjoy this reading as much as I have.

Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer co-hosts Emerging Form (a podcast on creative process), Secret Agents of Change (a surreptitious kindness cabal) and Soul Writer’s Circle. Her poetry has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, PBS News Hour, O Magazine, American Life in Poetry, onCarnegie Hall stage, and on river rocks she leaves around town. Her collection Hush won the Halcyon Prize. Naked for Tea was a finalist for the Able Muse Book Award. Her most recent collection is All the Honey. Her daily audio series, The Poetic Path, can be found on the Ritual app, her daily poetry practice can be read on her blog, A Hundred Falling Veils, and her book of mindfulness poetry prompts is Exploring Poetry of Presence II. One-word mantra: Adjust.

https://www.wordwoman.com/

Twenty Years Ago, Ten Years Ago, Last Week

If I could go back in time
and offer advice to my younger self,
I wouldn’t.
I would let her fail all over again.
I’d let her falter. I’d let her lose.
I’d let her stumble
and struggle and bomb.
But I would lean in close
and let her know
I am deeply in love with her.
It’s so easy now to give her this,
this self-compassion in full bloom,
this thing she believed
was impossible.

Reading of “Twenty Years Ago, Ten Years Ago, Last Week”“Twenty Years Ago, Ten Years Ago, Last Week”, by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer Meet Smitha Vishwanath

I first met Smitha Viswaneth through her interview with Robbie Cheadle on the “Treasuring Poetry” blog series, right here, on Writing to be Read, so I can’t say that I know her well, but I’ve been learning a lot about her. Smitha is an award winning poet of a National Poetry Month Challenge two years in a row, and she’s been nominated poet of the month several times on Spillword. She has poetry published in several online publications, and her debut novel, Coming Home, just came out last month.

Smitha Vishwanath is your quintessential ‘bored banker’ turned writer. After a rewarding career in Banking in the Middle East where she worked for leading banks in senior positions, she quit and moved to India in July 2018 with her husband who had been transferred to the country on an international assignment. Thereon she began her writing journey.

‘Roads’ is the first book she has co-authored. Having lived and studied in different countries and different states within India and worked with different cultures, Smitha understands that ‘change’ and ‘ups and downs’ are very much a part of life. It is this experience that reflects in her poems and her writing which are filled with positivity, acceptance and willingness to change for the better.

She also writes regularly through her blog: https://lifeateacher.wordpress.com

A child called, ‘Passion’

A child called, Passion,
I met him on my walk, one day
and asked him to come home.
He replied, ‘On one condition-
only if you give me your undivided attention.’

‘How difficult could that be? aloud, I wondered,
I raised a family with children- two!’
Smiling impishly, he said ‘Not much, if you surrendered.”
I laughed at his presumptuousness
Little knowing how true to his words he’d be.

The moment, Passion, walked in through my door
He obscured the rest of the world from sight
and kept me waking into the night
He pranced around all day-tireless, and unbound.
It made me loathe the day, him, I found.

Passion was a stubborn child
demanding complete allegiance.
His appetite was unappeased,
his thirst unquenched;
he made no allowance!

A ruthless master, a sorcerer
He turned me into a willing slave.
I fulfilled his every bidding;
the years went by, I couldn’t tell
and the children flew before I knew.

But, Passion, he stayed behind.
I grew old, and he grew kind.
Passion, that stubborn child
remained wilful until the end
and refused to leave,

even though my body was hard to mend.
He nourished my body and fed my soul
And made me feel as good as whole.
Passion, that stubborn child, simply would not let go;
no doctor could understand that child’s miraculous cure.

So, if you ever cross paths with a child called, ‘Passion.’
Hold onto him with a firm hand
Even if you must endure.
Lug around for a while if you must-
but don’t ever let go.

For when all the others leave-
He will be standing by your side
For, Passion, is a stubborn child
and loyal as can be
Let nobody tell you otherwise.

Reading of “A Child Called ‘Passion'”Wrap Up

That’s it for the first stop on the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 3: Passions Book Blog Tour. I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting Rosemerry and Smitha and the samples of their works. As an extra added treat, you can catch an interview with Robbie Cheadle and I on the Word Craft Poetry site with Colleen Chesebro, which happens to coincide with our opening day. So, after you’ve met our two poets, Rosemerry and Smitha, you might click on the link above to pop in and check that interview about the anthology, too.

A raving five-star review of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions on Goodreads.

Raving Revue

“…It’s an eclectic collection and a fabulous way to discover new poets to read. Expect varying interpretations of poetic passions. Not all are amorous! Some are thoughtful, personal to the author, (the author’s interests, experiences and loves,) and many have deep insight into human trials and tribulations…”

M.J. Mallon

You can find the full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128125978-poetry-treasures-3#CommunityReviews

Follow the tour to meet other contributing authors and for more chances to enter the giveaway. The links in the schedule below won’t work until each post goes live. Tomorrow we will be over at Patty’s World with Patty Fletcher with a guest post from Contributing author, Colleen Chesebro and a reading by Robbie Cheadle of contributing author, Chris Hall’s poem, ” What Will Become of Us?”, so don’t miss it. I hope to see you there.

Tour schedule 4/17 – 4/21

Monday – Opening Day – Readings by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer & Smitha Vishwanath – Writing to be Read

Tuesday – Guest Post from Colleen Chesebro & Reading by Robbie Cheadle of poem by Chris Hall – Patty’s Worlds

Wednesday – Readings by D. Wallace Peach & Abbie Taylor – The Many Showers of Blessing

Thursday –Reading by Willow Willers & a Guest Post by Patty Fletcher/Review – Carla Loves to Read

Friday – Readings by Penny Wilson & Yvette Calliero – Robbie’s Inspiration

Saturday – Closing Post – Reading by Yvette Prior & Guest Post by Judy Mastrangelo – Writing to be Read

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

CFFC: Anything small & Found in nature #photography #nature

Photo by Kaye Lynne Booth

I found this challenge through a post which Robbie Cheadle made earlier this week, where she posted several lovely photos. You can see Robbie’s response to this challenge on Roberta Writes. I went to Cee’s blog to see what all the fuss was about and it sounded like fun, so I decided to join in with this Saturday post. You can find out more about Cee’s cool challenges here.

The smallest of the bird species comes in a variety of colors with a plethora of different types of Hummingbirds all over the world. Above is a male Rufus Hummingbird drinking from one of my feeders while hovering in mid-air.

Photo by Kaye Lynne Booth

The small blooms of a Geranium flower.

Photo by Kaye Lynne Booth

The Indian Paintbrush flower comes in bright, dazzling orange.

Photo by Kaye Lynne Booth

Dwarf Marigold growing in my garden always brightens things up for me.

Photo by Kaye Lynne Booth

A butterfly lands on the tiny blooms of a purple bell flower.

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For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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#BookReview: Lion Scream: Syllabic Poetry About South African Life

Hey, “Writing to be Read” readers, check out this lovely review by Liz Gauffreau of Robbie Cheadles “Lion Scream”.

Elizabeth Gauffreau

Click on cover to purchase from Amazon.

My Review

Robbie Cheadle’s latest release, Lion Scream, is a book-length photo essay prompted by visits she and her family made to the South African bush. The book comprises photography (including a cake art piece), poetry, commentary, and short fiction to provide a range of perspectives on the plight of wild animals in Cheadle’s home country.

I found the photo essay form to be particularly well-suited to the author’s intent: “to share insights about the impact of habitat loss, hunting, and poaching on the wild animals of South Africa . . .” (“About My Poems and Photographs,” p. 3).

The photographs clearly communicate that these animals are in their natural habitat, and their natural habitat is where they belong. Moreover, humans need to respect their natural habitat as such. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words”!

That said…

View original post 591 more words

Book Review: The Rabbit Hole – Weird Stories #5

The Book

It’s no exageration when The Rabbit Hole – Weird Stories #5, compiled and edited by Tom Wolosz, Curtis Bausse and GD Deckard is described as “Just plain weird”. The stories contained in this volume, produced by the Writer’s Co Op, are all reprints that are just a bit quirky and different.

Welcome to the Rabbit Hole. On our fifth excursion into the warren of the odd, 37 authors lead us down their own little burrows of strangeness: an army of penguins, music that cures, aliens that communicate through old cartoons, images of the future that save, unwanted visions of the now, and, oh yes, it is raining lawyers. All have one thing in common, they are just…plain…weird.

Weird can be funny, weird can be sad, weird can be thoughtful, weird can be mad, but the one thing in common is that weird shares experiences you have, thankfully, never had.

Just be careful, all little bunnies are not nice, but they are memorable.

Purchase Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Hole-Just-Plain-Weird-ebook/dp/B0BHHM5KJ9/

Stories by: Pete Barnstrom, Lori M. Myers, Richard Zaric, James Rumpel, Rhonda Eikamp, Joseph Carrabis, Leslie Muzingo, H. Donovan Lyón, GD Deckard, Lesley Bungay, S.E. Reed, Alexis Cunningham, Taija Morgan, Matt Nagin, Carl E. Reed, Stefan Markos, Anna Ross, Jon Zelazny, Marie Anderson and Tom Chmura, Richard Hough, Joseph Farley, D. A. Becher, David M. Donachie, Sally Basmajian, Bobby Rollins, Anthony Regolino, Robin Pond, Christina Hoag, John Haas, Joshua Williams, Jodi Rizzotto, Louis Evans, David Castlewitz, Tom Howard, Ira Nayman, and Tom Wolosz.
Cover image adapted from an original design by Ian Bristow

My Review

I requested a copy of this anthology because the colorful cover caught my eye, and I’m a big Alice in Wonderland fan who never turns down a chance to explore a rabbit hole.Some of my favorites include:

“The Touch Stand”, by Lori M. Myers, which hits close to home as it reminds us all about things once taken for granted, which are no longer acceptable in a post-pandemic world.“Don Quitamo”, by Joseph Carabis, which is a delightful tale of high adventure between father and son.“James Thurber Saves the Day”, by Leslie Muzingo, which makes strong statements about censorship and classic stories in a very brief space.“Future Shadows” by Lesley Bungay, which explores the ‘gift’ ot the ‘curse’ of premonitions, when there’s more to the choice of saving your sight than you would think.“Definitely Dead”, by S.E.Reed, which proves that some recipes should not be improvised after trying to make a bad smelling tonic more pallateable.“Sweet Summer Swimming”, by Alexis Cunningham, which puts a new twist on a relaxing day at the beach.“The Blue Ghost”, by Taija Morgan, which is a delightfully frieghtening urban legend, very cool and very well executed.

This is a odd and different anthology, reminiscent of Weird Tales, and some of these stories are definitely weird. But the variety featured guarantees something for everyone, and you are sure to find stories here that will both entertain and amuse.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.