SPOTLIGHT - POETRY - A HOUSE WITH BAD BONES by Adeline Tatum

A House with Bad Bones

by Adeline Tatum

 Date of Publication: November 23rd 2024

Publisher: Quillkeepers Press

Cover Artist: Quillkeepers Press

Genre: Poetry

ISBN: 979-8-9891532-8-3

Number of pages: 85

Word Count: 4,555

 

Tagline: A poetry collection that focuses on themes of childhood and religious trauma, love and loss.

A House With Bad Bones is an eloquently penned poetry collection that focuses on themes of love, loss, childhood and religious trauma, and self-discovery. 

Reflecting on past experiences, relationships, and mental health, to seek solace and understanding in the midst of turmoil and confusion. 

The writing captures moments of vulnerability, longing, and resilience, painting a vivid picture of inner turmoil and the search for love and acceptance.

 Amazon

Excerpt:

I was born in a house with bad bones. I was seven when I saw him push her through the door, breaking her arm in a cocaine-fueled rage. I was dismantled at a young age.

He was never really around, you know he's gotta be a man. He had gone out to get himself a brand new life with no room for me or his past. She wasn't ready for the flood that would hit our home, drowning herself in bottles of rum. 

Perhaps nostalgia had began spilling secrets of the angry war vet she could never please as a little girl. I just don't know. I don't think I can blame her, though. Maybe she didn't know any better. 

But in the end, it was these two who gave me life; who sealed my fate. Who made me think that love feels like a punch in the face, Begging and going after people who just don't care. It was they, who left me to wonder if I was invisible. A deprived little girl with self-esteem issues.

Was it worth it? I know when you die, you'll know finally know who I am. I know you'll swim in a sea of my tears. Maybe then you'll know I was real.

Author Info

Adeline is a poet who grew up in a small town in Illinois. She attended Kankakee Community College, pursuing a degree in Psychology, and is currently studying Creative Writing. She was first published in the 2022 winter issue of the literary magazine Sequoia Speaks. She since had been featured in several poetry anthologies including, Because I F*cking Said So, Harvest, and Sapling.

 

https://www.instagram.com/poetdreams16/ 

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BOOK BLITZ - POETRY - DIARY OF AN ARTIST IN LOVE by The Muse Frequency

Diary of an Artist in Love

by The Muse Frequency

Publication date: August 15th 2023

Genres: Adult, Poetry

BLURB

A slender, beautifully illustrated volume of 30 poems, enumerating love in all its configurations and crucibles: through enchantment, presence, magnetism, illusion, nature, restlessness, wonder, and memories that rise from our past, and follow us into our future.

Readers will be immersed in a series of 15 poems called “Love is” I through XV, with 15 additional poems that sit between them, threading the eye of the needle that we call love, with topics that seem to successively build on one another and chronicle the different phases of this intangible marvel that rules our lives.

These poems include:

· “We Start Here”
· “Stay With Me”
· “Wondering”
· “Beautiful Things”
· “Limitless”

For seekers, artists, lovers, moon-gazers, anyone that dares to glimpse the beating heart within, this collection is a goldmine of inspiration and magical fairy dust.

On Audible
Diary of an Artist in Love is an intimate new audiobook of prose poetry best listened to with headphones on and eyes closed. The Muse Frequency presents listeners with a calming and ethereal meditation on love. Throughout this profoundly serene and uplifting experience, the artist and sound designer gently coax us into a meditative state using Solfeggio frequencies and by communicating in the most direct possible way through a sacred one-on-one conversation.

Originally inspired by the work of diarist Anaïs Nin, The Muse Frequency aims to design an audio experience that feels confessional and personal. At the heart of it all, this wholly unique project creates intimate experiences meant for one listener, where they can close their eyes, shut out the rest of the world and drift off to beautiful places.

Sound Design for Audiobook by Sébastien Nouat

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Author Info

The Muse Frequency is an artist, poet and producer working with musicians and creators around the world to design immersive and meditative experiences.

Website / Goodreads

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - CONTEMPORARY POETRY - A PLAGUE OF MERCIES by Adam Pelzman

A Plague of Mercies

by Adam Pelzman

Publication date: June 7th 2023

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Poetry, Romance

BLURB

A lethal plague sweeps the globe. Millions have died. Survivors are confined to their homes.

Gabriel passes his time in a small New York apartment on the city’s Upper West Side. During the plodding solitude of the lockdown, he observes several strangers in their nearby apartments. As he watches them struggle to survive a world at risk of extinction, he wonders about their lives—where they’re from, what they value, how they’re coping with a deadly contagion. All alone, he develops a vague yet important connection to these people, an affection for those who are struggling to survive isolation, fear and looming death.

Told in powerful, spellbinding free verse, Gabriel’s observations grow deeper and more elaborate as the endless days pass. But when he and a woman from across the street begin to watch each other from afar, his imagination begins to collide with the bleak reality of the times.

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EXCERPT:

There is a woman who lives in a building in New York City,

on the Upper West Side.

A man just a few years older lives in a building across the street.

These two people live at the same elevation,

the same height,

one hundred feet above the pavement,

above the crust of the earth.

They can see into each other’s apartments.

Every night before the woman gets into bed

she puts on a threadbare gray shirt.

The shirt is long and sleeveless and extends down to her knees.

She turns off the ceiling light

and then turns on a nightlight near her bed.

The light casts an amber glow reminiscent of a campfire.

The man in the other apartment wonders if the nightlight

is the woman’s response to a fear of the dark,

to a threat real or imagined,

an antidote of sorts.

After she turns on the nightlight

she looks briefly through her window.

Perhaps she is reflecting on another day passed.

Perhaps she is considering the quality of her life,

or the quantity that remains.

Perhaps she is scanning the dark street for signs of life,

for hope in any of its many forms.

 

Author Info

Adam Pelzman was born in Seattle, raised in northern New Jersey, and has spent most of his life in New York City. He studied Russian literature at the University of Pennsylvania and went to law school at UCLA. His first novel, Troika, was published by Penguin (Amy Einhorn Books) and later republished by Jackson Heights Press as A Cuban Russian American Love Story. He is also the author of The Papaya King (which Kirkus Reviews described as "entrancing" and "deeply memorable") and The Boy and the Lake (which is set in New Jersey during the late 1960s). His newest novel is A Plague of Mercies.

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HAUNTED HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR - POETRY - MESSENGERS OF THE MACABRE: Halloween Poems by LindaAnn LSchiavo & David Davies

Secrets of the Spell

I. Wasted Breath

Spite stirred in guts like poison mixed in cake.
Insistent maleness and disparity
Assembled heated breath, enough to hex
A British play. Heed this—or rue the day.

Old Scottish combat zones, intent on war’s
Mythology and trophies, replicate
Themselves wherever men fish for acclaim
To get their stories splashed across the stars—
In letters, law, or laboratories.

When males engage with chemicals, rank brines,
Intent on alchemy, employing fire,
Rapt by discoveries perhaps benign,
They’re being scientific, praised. They’ll bask
In backlit glows that manly fame bestows.

  The patriarchy does its best to hoard

  Awards—like weapons needed for attacks.

When females huddle over cauldron smoke,
Ancestral recipes astir once more,
Rapt by solutions stronger than strychnine,
Which sheriff thought, “Girls having fun outdoors!”?
Suspicious scribes malign spell-casting crones,
Implying they are doing devil’s work.

  The patriarchy does its best to warn,

  Forbid, discourage daughters, sisters, wives

  By commandeering rights to accolades.

Distrust of women’s power led to laws.
In 1542, King Henry VIII
Signed Britain’s first Witchcraft Act. Hundreds died,
Even if those accused denied the charge.

II. Macbeth

Elizabethan dramatists—all men!—
Put witches in the plot for novelty.
Meanwhile, witch hunts harassed the innocent.

  Misogyny’s increase deserved byplay.

  Real sorceresses jinxed “the Scottish play,”

  Their hex comeuppance. Bloodshed was repaid.

Macbeth depicts a pagan coven—though
Their wisdom’s minimized by childish speech
Like “Double, double, toil, and trouble”—rhymes
For children, to infantilize this spell.

With “eye of newt, toe of frog,” thespians
Portraying the Weird Sisters cursed the Thane
Of Cawdor, who rebelled against his king.

Macbeth’s debut was struck—streaked with bad luck.

III. Met Death

Before Scene 5, the Bard went backstage—found
Lady Macbeth mysteriously dead,
Unnerving King James in his royal box.

Which elements affected Brits the most?
Staged sorcery incited constant fear
His majesty intensified with trials.

Mark my words: women have always fought back,
Preserved infernal mysteries. Bewitched.
Dark invocations learned by stealth live on.

  Macbeth’s unholy spell won’t be withdrawn

  ‘Til every “witch’s” unfair death is mourned.

Messengers of the Macabre: Halloween Poems

by LindaAnn LoSchiavo & David Davies

Date of Publication: October 18th 2022

Publisher: Nat 1 Publishing LLC

Cover Artist: Benyamin Agum

Genre: Poetry

ASIN: B0B3NK7QG6

Number of pages: 49

Word Count: 6,400 approx.

Tagline: Your portal to the dark side

BLURB

All Hallows’ Eve, Samhain, Day of the Dead… during this interval, the barriers between the two realms are thinnest. Normal turns paranormal; what's natural becomes the supernatural. That's when the messengers of the macabre are in their rightful element. 

Step inside this collaborative chapbook and embrace a haunted harvest of verses embracing bewitchment, boneyards, and all things that go... BOO!

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/dQJA4_d_EsU

Amazon      Amazon CA    AmazonUK

Authors Info

New York City necromancer LindaAnn LoSchiavo, a wily clairvoyant, honed her psychic abilities during childhood and has the power to haunt any benighted soul who disparages this chapbook.

Some of her Elgin Award-winning poems have been seen here: Bewildering Stories, Blood ‘n Bourbon, Mermaids Monthly, South Broadway Ghost Society, Star*Line.

Formidable dragon slayer David Davies left Wales under baleful circumstances for The Lone Star State. “Have sonnets, will travel,” announces his business card.

His Pushcart- and Bram Stoker-nominated poems and stories have been known to appear in: Granfalloon, Green Lantern Press, MacroMicroCosm, Moon Shadow Sanctuary, Ripples in Space.

https://messengersofthemacabre.com/

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SPOTLIGHT - POETRY - EUPHORIC WONDERLAND: An Eclectric Collection of Psychedelic Poetry to Stimulate the Senses and Open the Mind by Ryan M. Becker

Euphoric Wonderland: An Eclectic Collection of Psychedelic Poetry to Stimulate the Senses and Open the Mind

by Ryan M. Becker

Date of Publication: March 21st 2022

Publisher: Trippy-Ass Books

Cover Artist: Matthew Revert

Genre: Poetry

ISBN: 979-8985433012

ISBN: 9798985433005

ASIN: B09W8X69HS

Number of pages: 96

Word Count: 10,625

Tagline: Open your heart to a compilation of musical poetry and surreal expression drawn from madness and mania.

BLURB

Artfully weaving a rhythmic tapestry of touching poetry that flows like music, this deeply personal memoir invites readers on a fascinating deep dive into the author’s raw and heartfelt world of living rhythms and authentic feelings. As a deft amalgamation of spoken word, truth to power, clever wordplay, and thoughtful reflections, Euphoric Wonderland illuminates a mad spark of creativity as it draws uplifting inspiration from even the darkest of times.

Stimulate your imagination and open your mind to a psychedelic and enigmatic assemblage that ranges from tributes to The Beatles, Pink Floyd, head-banging heavy metal, to vinyl records, slam-poetry, superheroes, mind-altering possibilities, and the Jekyll and Hyde living inside each of us. Euphoric Wonderland blossoms out of madness, grappling with psychological issues through humorous and uplifting vibes.

Shining like a beacon for curious minds, this eclectic collection offers a moment of reprieve for those who want to forget about their mental health-related challenges, gifting you with light, laughter, and inspiring you with a message of hope. Euphoric Wonderland carries you down a rabbit hole of unusual and trippy experiences that gives you a newfound perspective on love, pain, life, and the joys – and struggles – of existence.

*Now in Full-Color with art by Matthew Revert*

Amazon     BookBaby      Goodreads

Author Info

Euphoric Wonderland is Ryan Becker’s seminal literary work which was largely inspired by the relationship he has with his parents, both of whom are poets in their own rights and words. His father is a self-taught classical pianist, as well as an avid Shakespeare fan and aficionado. Those two elements of the fine arts were instilled in Ryan at an early age and were quickly absorbed through his father’s reading to him about famous musicians and writers.

As an avid collector of vinyl records, upon hearing the music of The Beatles for the first time, specifically their Abbey Road album, Ryan knew his destiny was to write. “Every step of this life’s journey is a learning experience,” proclaims Mr. Becker. He further adds, “The Beatles taught me how not to have hate in my heart, why we must help people in need, and to never hesitate to openly express my feelings in any situation.” 

Ryan credits his even-tempered, soft-spoken mother for his development as a human being. He tries to emulate her cool-under-pressure manner as well as her kind and empathetic heart, which she shares with anyone in need. It is those characteristics he’s inherited that allow him to express himself through his writing. 

Ryan’s childhood carried with it some undeniably emotional bumps and bruises, explaining “Everyone has struggles, and many have their inner demons. The only way for me to exorcize them is by taking them out of my brain and putting them down on paper.” 

Writing can be a wonderful escape from reality as well as a fantastic way of feeling comfort within one’s true reality. 

Watching reruns of Smallville on repeat, Ryan asserts that the character of Clark Kent, portrayed by Tom Welling, has taught him a few things about growing up. For example, it helped him learn how to speak and interact better with others—trust in people who treat him right and never disregard someone who has his best interests at heart. 

It is why he proclaims, “Don’t ever let anyone take a torch to your dreams. Use that fire to motivate you to achieve your greatness, no matter in which arena you might be endeavoring!”

Website: https://ryanmbecker.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21521632.Ryan_M_Becker

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SPOTLIGHT w/INTERVIEW - POETRY - Siren's Desire by Samirah the Sapphic Siren

Siren's Desire

by Samirah the Sapphic Siren

Date of Publication: May 2022

Cover Artist: Ahrabi Raj and Samirah the Sapphic Siren

Genre: Poetry

Number of pages: 122

Word Count: 7K

Tagline: I am not something desired. I am someone who desires.

BLURB

How do you leverage desire as power when navigating desire comes with navigating colorism and desirability? 

Samirah the Sapphic Siren’s poetry deals with that conflict directly then transforms ser societal reality through nature and the other worldly.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Colorism, Patriarchy, Rape. Trauma is not detailed with extreme depth or explicitness, but Samirah does express raw anger and hurt after dealing with them. This is about transforming trauma into anger, and then reconnecting with personal desire. This is not trauma porn.

Pre-Order Print Copies Here

https://bit.ly/3y4Eim7 

 

Author Info

Samirah the Sapphic Siren (se/sem/ser) is a nonblack brown skinned Tamil siren who is usually perceived as a woman. For sem, navigating desire comes with navigating colorism, patriarchy, and desirability. Ser poetry deals with that directly then transforms ser societal reality through nature and the other worldly. Se is @theSapphicSiren on instagram and sapphic_siren on twitter.

The Book Junkie Reads . . .Reckless Dreams  Interview with  . . . Samirah the Sapphic Siren . . .

How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?

My writing is honest, passionate, and it leaves you tired. Not because I tire you, but because of what the world puts me through. Oppression tires you. And the way I tell the story, you feel it with me - not because I am reliving every detail, but because I'm showing you the larger picture. I'm revealing the meaning behind what I experience. Everything is poetic. And when I flip the metaphor, it shifts not just my world, but yours too. For example in Siren's Desire, my debut poetry book - I take the Siren, an age old tale, but I don't center the men's desire. I center the desire of Siren semelf. 

Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?

It is both/and, not either/or. Poetry flows. Because first and foremost, poetry must be honest. But honesty, when practiced, becomes a skill, as well. Sometimes, it takes a while to get the words just right, and that is because I can feel when the word is honest, and when it is not quite there. I use honesty as my compass with all of my writing.

Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?

Yes, I do. I don't want to reveal details about them just yet. But they are one of the characters in my debut novel, which is not yet released. And even before I have edited and released my first  novel, this character is demanding that I write a second novel - a prequel, centering them and their story.

Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?

As you know, I have officially released my debut poetry book - Siren's Desire. Behind the scenes, I have also written my debut novel, Siren's Calling...but it is still in the editing stages. Siren is common to both because Siren is a part of me. There will be similar themes, but they are not planned as a prequel and sequel. They are completely different genres. While Siren's Desire is poetry, Siren's Calling is a novel. While Siren's Desire is nonfiction (as poetry is nonfiction), Siren's Calling is fiction. In Siren's Desire, I am navigating societal oppression along with my desire. In Siren's Calling, I get to re-imagine another world I want to l live in, and backtrack what it takes to get there.

Have you ever felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control? If so what? If no what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?

Yes. Siren's desire can't be controlled, and neither can Siren's calling. I let them lead, though it's not easy. Siren's desire, by nature, challenges capitalism, colorism, and patriarchy. Siren's calling takes me into the ocean, into it's depths, into the history of ancestors and spirits who have a story (the good, bad, and the ugly.)

https://linktr.ee/theSapphicSiren
https://twitter.com/sapphic_siren
https://www.patreon.com/thesapphicsiren 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TarotTeaPoetry
https://www.instagram.com/theSapphicSiren/  

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - POETRY - FIREFLIES AT 3 AM by Danni Thomas

Fireflies at 3 am
by Danni Thomas
Publication date: December 12th 2020
Genres: Poetry

‘Fireflies at 3 am’ brings a landmark new genre to the world of literature. It’s a book with the flow of poetry but the ebb of short stories – rightfully called “Shoetry”.

This creation takes you to the roots of humanity – stripping back the veneers of life, society and interaction to see people and their ways in an entirely new light.

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—

 

Author Info

As a child, he was known to cook up stories to save his little ass or to pass his exams. Then he grew up a bit, only in age and size, and went to college. There, he wrote plays, won a few awards and was told to try his luck in advertising. Some kind soul, who had limited knowledge about advertising, told him that this field was all about wearing jeans to work and late-night parties. He needed no further persuasion, and without losing any more time, got into advertising.

Over the last 18 years, he worked at some of the biggest advertising agencies in the world, made some memorable ads, won international recognition for his work, and learned how to manage acid reflux. Life was OK, but he decided to complicate it by writing a book.

People nowadays avoid him like the plague lest he ask them to review his work. His children have started studying harder and his wife has taken up baking so that they can escape his nagging requests, every now and then, to read what he’s written. But all said and done, none of that has dampened his spirits. Currently, he is looking forward to selling over a million copies and is busy convincing each of his friends to buy more than 3 copies of the book. Sucker.

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - A BEAUTIFUL BROKEN LIFE by Zoey Zane

a beautiful broken life

by Zoey Zane

Publication date: December 3rd 2020

Genres: Poetry, Romance

some of the best and worst things come in pairs

and two has always been my favorite number

they tried to break me

the two of them

if this was black and white

there’d be a clear winner

but it’s not

and there isn’t

there is only my story

muddled with color

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—

EXCERPT:

it was over

no sooner than it started

you broke my heart

and still

i found a way

to hear the beats.

– recovery

 

Author Info

Zoey Zane is a thirty-something author and poet; and, she has been a zealous reader for most of her life. She has a love for dark romance and thrillers, two genres that dominate most of the space on her bookshelves. a beautiful broken life is her first poetry collection. Zoey lives in Tennessee with her husband, their son, and their adorable pit-bull mix.

For Zoey, writing has never been optional; like eating and breathing are essential to living. She has always wanted to write poetry, has a love for creative writing, will never finish her TBR, collects bookmarks, and truly believes all people should use the Oxford comma. If you can figure out how Zoey Zane (very) loosely relates to her real name, she'll give you a cookie. Oh, and a signed paperback of her book.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram

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