Indie Weekend starts a little early with a reminder that Your Words Your Heart, a book of Christian poetry and photographs by Louise Bélanger, is out now. My review of this wonderful book is here.
*If you buy the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!
Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. Indie authors have to do it all sometimes, including marketing, and if I can help even a little bit I’m happy to do so. Below is my review of a wonderful Christian poetry book, Your Words Your Heart by Louise Bélanger.
BOOK DESCRIPTION AND EXCERPT
Beautiful imageries painted with words and brimming with gorgeous photographs.
Prayers To You
We equip them with wings And send them on their way
Oceans and oceans of prayers Riding the wind of our beliefs With wings of faith With wings of hope
Reaching Your shore Reaching Your heart
An excerpt from the poem Wings, part of this wonderful new collection.
Uplifting faith-based poetry about God, Jesus, hope, life, trust, and salvation. Sometimes comforting. Sometimes thought-provoking.
Your Words Your Heart also overflows with spring and summer photographs of magnificent flowers and gardens taken by the author in her hometown of Montréal.
Your Words Your Heart will be released October 19th.
BOOK REVIEW
This is the third book in Louise Bélanger’s wonderful Christian poetry collection. As I write this, it is the number one new release in both the “Christian Poetry” and “Religious and Inspirational Poetry” categories on Amazon. The poems are accompanied by stunningly beautiful photographs. The author’s strong and simple faith shines through on every page. Louise’s words show us that faith in God does not have to be complicated and will bring you great peace.
The poem Prayers in the excerpt above is one of my favorites, as it conjures up images of millions of prayers flying around the world, on their way up to God. I also love Who Wins, which starts out:
There is a glass inside of us Where trust and doubt compete.
It is about what we allow into our soul and who and what we trust.
My favorite poem in the book may be Petals like Hearts. It starts out:
Petals, like hearts are subject to frost.
That may be my favorite line in the book because it’s so true.
The poem most evident of Louise’s strong faith is With You. The poem makes me feel peaceful whenever I read it.
The photographs of this book were taken by the author in her home city of Montreal and they are absolutely spectacular. The cover photo blows me away. It is just so mesmerizing.
I must disclose that I helped with editing this wonderful book and Louise has become a dear friend who has inspired me with her limitless faith and kindness. That has not affected my honest review.
Although I saw an advance copy, I also pre-ordered the Kindle edition. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this book for free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(In her own words) I am a Canadian poet and the author of Your Words, Your Words Your World, and my new release: Your Words Your Heart.
All three books are beautiful and inspiring poems complemented by photographs of nature.
I started writing poetry in the spring of 2020. Pouring my emotions on paper. Describing beautiful scenery and stories that came to life in my head was quite new to me. With encouragement and help from many friends, my dream became a reality.
*If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!
Self-Published Spotlight is my attempt to help self-published/indie authors promote their books. It is not a book review, but a closer look at the book and the author. Here is a collection of poetry and flash fiction by MJ Mallon that will be released August 16th.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet is a collection of poetry and flash fiction celebrating the beautiful vulnerability of the forest kingdom. It begins with the poetic tale of the kind-hearted Hedge Witch, Fern, who discovers an injured stranger in desperate need of her woodland spells and magic.
The sweet pair learn from each other, and through Fern’s guidance, Devin embraces the power of magic to leave behind his troubled past and become The Musical Poet.
Poetry/flash fiction titles in section one of the collection include:
The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet, Rain Forest Love, A Forest Baby Boy, A Forest Baby Girl, A Modern Witch, Rock of Mine, Chester Don & I, The Network of Trees, More Trees Not Less, Two Boys Watching War, Mum Climbing Trees, Let’s Play, The Scorched Tree, Owl’s Holiday Home, A Man’s Holiday Home, A Child’s Excitement, The Teddy In The Woods, Run! The Organutans, All Hallow’s Eve Candy Girl, The Forest Bash, Dreaming At Halloween, A Face on Bark, Golden Willow Tree, Rainbow – Parasol of Light, Lollipop Sunshine Tree,
In Section two the author pays tribute to the following poets:
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline, Ruby Archer, King Forest, Bliss Carman, Woodland Rain, Emily Dickinson, Who Robbed the Woods, Rupert Blake, Stopping by The Woods on A Winter Evening,Oscar Wilde, In the Forest.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MJ’s motto is to always do what you love, stay true to your heart’s desires, and inspire others to do so too, even it if appears that the odds are stacked against you like black-hearted shadows.
MJ’s favourite genres to write are Fantasy/Magical Realism and Poetry because life should be sprinkled with a liberal dash of extraordinarily imaginative magic!
Her writing credits also include a multi-genre approach: Paranormal, best-selling Horror, Supernatural short stories, Flash Fiction, and Poetry. She has worked with some amazing authors and bloggers compiling an anthology/compilation set during the early stages of COVID-19 entitled This Is Lockdown and has also written a spin-off poetry collection entitled Lockdown Innit.
She’s been blogging for many moons at her blog home Kyrosmagica, (which means Crystal Magic). Her eclectic blog shares details and information about her new releases, author interviews, character profiles, and her love of reading, reviewing, writing, and photography.
Here are some great books from two indie authors that are on sale today!
First up are two books from award-winning historical novelist Gail Meath: Songbird, which is the first book in the Jax Diamond mystery series, Framed, which is the second book in the series, and Fire Blossom, a historical western. Click on the photos to buy these books on Amazon.
Self-published spotlight is my attempt to help bring attention to great self-published/indie books. Today, Claire Conroy is in the Spotlight! Read below about her poetry book, Listen.
ABOUT THE BOOK
“Claire Conroy is a spellbinding sorceress of words who can magically transport you mentally, emotionally and spiritually to the brief glimpses of time she captures and puts down on paper.” -Joia DaVida, Entertainment Journalist
A Sample of Claire’s Work
HOW TO PURCHASE
In order to purchase the book, message Claire on her Facebook page, Poetry by Claire Conroy. Claire also invites everyone to like and follow her Facebook page.
You can also order Listen by emailing Claire at Claire_Conroy73@yahoo.com.
Reblogged this great review of Liz Gauffreau’s Grief Songs, which is also self-published and perfect for Self-Published Saturday. Make sure and check out the original post from Merril D. Smith.
I have been a football fan since I was a kid, and right now I’m watching the College National Championship, thinking about risk, and writing a sonnet. I’ve always been a fan of the sonnet, although it doesn’t really seem to be in fashion these days. For those who don’t know, a sonnet generally has 14 lines, 10 syllables each line. There are three stanzas of four lines, and one of two lines. The stanzas of four lines have alternate rhyming and the last two lines also rhyme. The last two lines solve a problem or come to a conclusion. Below is my football sonnet, called Fourth and One.
FOURTH AND ONE–A FOOTBALL SONNET
The Bears and Rockets struggle on the field Five minutes left, the star receiver’s out The Rockets try to pass; the Bears won’t yield It’s fourth and one; defenders range about
Should they punt or should they try to go? The safest bet is punt and try again To go for one’s a risk, as they all know But safe won’t always win it in the end.
The Rockets walk determined to the line Their jaws are set, their hands upon the ground They lunge ahead; the measurement is fine But in the end they garner four more downs.
The Rockets put six points up on the board The greatest joy of risk is the reward.
Here is the mountain view from my future retirement house in Bryson City, NC. My grandfather bought this land in the 1930s and passed it to his children. I bought my Mom’s house in 2009 and will get to retire here in a couple years. I got to thinking about families who have been on their land for a long time and how you can just feel their presence. So that inspired the story poem below. At the bottom of the page are more shots of our property. All photos by Doug DeMoss.
Welcome Home, Rosalie
I was born here In a rough cabin knocked together Cold wind screeching through
But my mother kept me warm and safe In these mountains all her days
My children ran through these hills We sweated the fields and hunted the ridges. We struggled but we thrived
When my end came they gathered round to say goodbye And my soul rushed away, content.
I came back to visit often Watching over them as they laughed and cried Until they joined me, one by one Now there are no tears.
The cabins are fancy now The mules gave way to “cars” The way of life changed as I watched And before long my great-grandchildren met me.
Now another Rosalie has arrived Named after me, my daughter, and many other kin She walks through these hills, not exactly knowing But feeling all of us as we walk beside her
She can sense but not see Our hands on her shoulders as we welcome her home
Merry Christmas from Harold, Holly, and Hermann! Here’s a little poem. I don’t know how to describe it, but maybe rhyming free verse? For my next few posts after this one, I’ll sharing books our readers have nominated as their favorites of the year.
After Christmas
The presents have been given The food is put away Time to sit back and celebrate the day
The week to come Will end the year for all A season over, a new year calls
Our hearts are open And God will hear Our precious prayers for the coming year
Thanks so much everyone, for reading my blog, and for your friendship and support. This year has been a blast.
Self-Published Saturday is my effort to help Indie and Self-Published authors with one of the many tasks they are responsible for–marketing. If I can help in even a small way with the daunting task of marketing, I’m happy to do it. I missed putting the post up yesterday because of a very busy schedule, but as always, SP Saturday will still go up, even if it’s not Saturday anymore. Today we have a really cute kid’s book of rhymes/story poems accompanied by illustrations. Check out the review below.
BOOK REVIEW
This is a really cute collection of fun and whimsical poems that children and adults will love. They each tell a story that will have you laughing. The accompanying illustrations add to the joy of reading this book.
Each poem tells a story in delightful rhyme. The book reminds me a tiny bit of Dr. Seuss, with the author’s own unique touches, of course. My favorite poems are “Jeremy Myer is Such a Liar,” “Monster Under The Bed,” and “I Want The Very Best Birthday Party.” Parents and kids will have a great time reading these poems together.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. I also downloaded it on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free. My review is voluntary.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tony Philips
When he is not doodling on donkeys or writing silly poems on bathroom walls, Tony Philips is trying to answer the pressing questions that confound experts the world over, like who left the toilet seat up? He grew up in a suburb in Pennsylvania near a turkey farm. Every so often, frantic turkeys, escaped from the farm, would show up in his back yard, and he and his siblings would try to hide them. Have you ever tried to usher a crazed turkey behind a bush? It’s not easy. He attended art classes at the Baum School of Art and got a degree in Creative Writing from Haverford College. He tried writing for television, but found nobody wanted to hear his stories about freaked out turkeys. Or about how an unhinged turkey once bit his younger brother on the toe. It’s true, really. Tony lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter. He can be found online at TonyPhilips.com.
*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!
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