Tag: books
Enjoy the Process
I’ve been focusing a lot on adding value to my personal, spiritual, mental and professional life. This process has caused me to reflect on a lot of things, pay attention to my actions, my words, and my interactions with others. I’ve had to dig deep and to make decisions that were not easy to make but that were necessary for my well-being and for my mental health.
I want to encourage you to enjoy the process of writing your books and taking it through the necessary steps to get it published. I know how easy it is to stress out during this time as you anxiously anticipate the birth of your book. We are in the winter months now which can be the darkest time of the year. With the pressure of the Holidays, depression, violence, and suicide rates skyrocket. We don’t need to add to this the worry of writing.
Worrying about every aspect of the progression takes the fun out of publishing. Makes it tedious and all-consuming. We focus so much on the end goal, “the release,” that the process itself, the going from A to B, the journey, becomes a blur. A hair pulling, tear-jerking, depression-inducing blur with the only satisfaction being the hope of seeing the book in print. That’s not the kind of professional life I want for myself and that’s not the kind of professional life I want for you.
I am starting over, it seems, in many ways and I’ve realized this is not a bad thing. This is growth and it’s exciting. I feel like a newbie writer again setting out on uncharted territory. I want to take my time and I want to do this right. My goal is always to do better, to move forward and to progress a little more each day.
It is always my hope that you do well in your endeavors and whatever you set your mind to do. It is my hope that you can do what you love every day of your life and that you do so without compromising your integrity, your happiness or your love.
While I don’t participate in NaNoWriMo (too much for me), I am rooting for you, but I also hope you are not being too hard on yourself. Just enjoy the process.
Yecheilyah (e-see-lee-yah) is an Author, Blogger, and Poet of nine published works including her work in progress and short inspirational guide “Keep Yourself Full.” Learn more by exploring Yecheilyah’s writing on this blog and her website at yecheilyahysrayl.com. Renaissance: The Nora White Story (Book One) is her latest novel and is available now on Amazon.com.
Introduce Yourself Returns
I am just about settled in which means that I will be getting back into the swing of things with reviews and promotions real soon. I still have a few things to do before I am back full time so I am still somewhat MIA this week, but I’d still like to get some interviews scheduled in time for November if possible.
If you are not familiar with my Introduce Yourself feature, here is a short breakdown. For more information, please do check out the first post HERE:
Introduce Yourself is a free promotional opportunity for new and established authors via an author interview on this blog. Unlike the same questions over and over again, authors have the opportunity to choose from 50 questions (SEE ORIGINAL POST) they would like to answer in the interview from writing and books to relationships, religion, and politics. But that’s not all.
To further set this feature apart, I do not just copy and paste your answers so be sure your answers are juicy and interesting! Once you have sent me your Q&A, I go over them to see if there is anything I want to add by way of commentary and you are given the chance to respond. We email back and forth until the interview sounds more authentic and real life (as if we are two friends sitting down for coffee) because that is at the core of what Introduce Yourself is all about. We want to get to know the real you. While your books and links will be promoted freely on this site, I ask that you use this opportunity to do less selling and more connecting with potential readers. This is what social media is all about.
If you are an author (Indie / Trad / Hybrid) and you’re looking for more exposure, CLICK THROUGH TO THE ORIGINAL POST HERE, choose your questions and email them to me at yecheilyah@yecheilyahysrayl.com. I will look over them, email you back so we can chit chat and then schedule your feature. All interviews are scheduled to go live the Monday of every week @ 12:00am Eastern Standard Time.
REMINDER: Dear Book Bloggers (and others promoting authors) – Guest Post by, Yecheilyah Ysrayl…
REPOST from The Story Reading Ape Blog. Please click the link below for the original post to my latest guest post.
Also, I am actually back from my break so excuse that tidbit. I wrote this a couple months ago.
http://wp.me/p3mGq7-gup
Why I Built an ARC Team (and what it is) – Guest Blog Post by Yecheilyah Ysrayl
This post is scheduled. Be sure to stop by Dan’s blog for my latest Guest Post. I am still away but will be over to respond to your commentary at my earliest convenience.
Comments are disabled. Please click on the link below for the original post.
Click on the link or image below to join my team.
http://eepurl.com/cNWHKD Yecheilyah’s First Annual Poetry Contest – Grand Prize Winner!
Hey Guys!
I am honored to introduce to you our Grand Prize Winner of my first poetry contest!
First, a special thank you to Colleen and Lisa for helping me to put this together. With my schedule, I could not have done it without you two! Family, please go ahead and follow their blogs. You WON’T be disappointed!
Follow Lisa Here
Follow Colleen Here
Next, I would like to thank everyone who entered as well as those of you who shared this contest. It is not easy to “stand” up here and do something like this so thank you for your support.
Drumm Rollll…
Congratulations to Merril D. Smith for her poem “Zora Neale Hurston.”
Not only did it touch on our theme, but it embodied so much of Zora that I felt like if I didn’t know who she was before, I did now. Here’s what Colleen had to say:
“The author captured the essence of Zora and her strength to fight for the rights of African American women as if she was able to channel her bright spirit through the written word. Splendid imagery and descriptions. When I close my eyes, I can see Zora in all her glory!”
My favorite lines are:
“…her soul crawls out
from its hiding place
time and distance cannot shrink
her words…” – Colleen Chesebro
Whoop! Merril, here’s what you’ve won!
- Amazon Giftcard
- Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (hardcover)
- From When I was a Black Girl by Yecheilyah Ysrayl (paperback)
- And Still, I Rise by Maya Angelou (paperback)
- Your Poem on this Blog
- Social Media Support
Please tell us a little bit about yourself:
MDS: Thank you so much, Yecheilyah Ysrayl, Colleen Chesebro, and Lisa W. Tetting! I am honored to have been selected as the Grand Prize Winner for this poetry contest.
My name is Merril D. Smith. I live in National Park, NJ, which is a small borough right across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. I’m an independent scholar with a Ph.D. in American history, but my blog is mostly a poetry blog. Poetry is my creative outlet, though it is something I’ve come to only within the past few years. Perhaps I needed some life experience and time to reflect, but now my muse says, “write poetry.”
Do you have any poetry collections out Merril?
MDS: I don’t have a poetry book out yet, but it’s coming! I’m currently finishing up two reference books on rape. My other books are available on Amazon and other sites.
Before we get to your poem, please tell us a little bit about it. What inspired this piece?
MDS: The theme of the poetry contest was the Harlem Renaissance. I chose to write about Zora Neale Hurston because I think she was a brilliant and fascinating woman. She lied about her age (saying she was younger than she was) so that she could finish high school. Then she went on to study anthropology with Franz Boas, and she chose to do fieldwork on Afro-American folklore. She was said to have made an entrance when she entered a party, and in the photos, I’ve seen of her, she’s often wearing a hat. She definitely had a way with words, so I used some of her lines within the poem. Though she won some acclaim in her life, she did not earn wealth, and she died in poverty. Alice Walker is credited with “rediscovering” Hurston and paid to have a grave stone placed on Hurston’s unmarked grave.
Once again Merril, thanks so much for participating in our contest and sharing your heart with us. Without further ado, everyone we give you:
“Zora Neale Hurston”
by Merril D. Smith
She makes an entrance
(not tragically colored)
hat on head–
red, blue, black—
she sets back,
ready, life of the party,
her oyster knife sharpened
dissecting, uncovering
(rediscovering)
life
in tales of people, animals,
the divine, the devil,
people without souls
animals who talk,
eyes watching God
she writes of birds and bees
and peach blossoms in the spring,
of love, romance,
women and men
of rabid dogs
and jealousy,
she dies in poverty
almost
(not quite)
forgotten,
her soul crawls out
from its hiding place
time and distance cannot shrink
her words,
those she left behind
to flow like the sea
to meet our shores
©2017 Merril D. Smith
You can reach Merril at the social media links below. Go show her some love!
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Merril-D.-Smith/e/B001HOHXH6
Blog: https://merrildsmith.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @merril_mds
Instagram: mdsmithnj
This poetry contest is sponsored by Yecheilyah of Literary Korner Publishing and the release of Renaissance: The Nora White Story (Book One). Pick up your copy of Renaissance today. Click here.
Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews: The Truth She Knew by J.A. Owenby
Title: The Truth She Knew
Author: J.A. Owenby
Print Length: 304 pages
Publication Date: September 12, 2016
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B01HAKBWVI
The Truth She Knew is the story of a young woman manipulated by an abusive mother. Lynn uses religion for control purposes and has convinced her daughter that she is possessed by the demon of lust. Then Walker Farren appears, and Lacey experiences what it’s like to be loved for the first time. Walker’s family—his mother and brother—show Lacey kindness that she does not see at home. She can finally return to normalcy. But only for a short time.
Lacey lives with her mother, Lynn, and her mother’s friend Patsy (though rumors swirl, they are more than friends). Lynn sits in her favorite chair and utters prayers that keep her in tune with God, who reveals everything there is to know about what Lacey is doing and where she is. The number of times Lynn is correct terrifies Lacey, and she is convinced that her mother does, in fact, hear from God.
Lacey’s mom uses emotional, verbal, and physical abuse to control her daughter’s every move. The deeper Lacey falls for Walker, the more conniving her mother’s methods are. My heart broke for her. The lengths Lynn goes to convince Lacey that she is possessed are astonishing.
I enjoyed how the author showcased Lacey’s naivete and youth. I also like that Lacey had friends who could help her, so the book was not all dark and gloomy. I was also delighted to discover little plot twists toward the end because I was starting to think some things were too good to be true.
The Truth She Knew is a well-written story of young love, abuse, and mental illness. I look forward to reading more into this series.
This book is recommended for ages 17 and older, and contains language, sex, and violence.
Ratings:
Plot Movement / Strength: 5/5
Entertainment Factor: 5/5
Characterization: 5/5
Authenticity / Believable: 4/5
Thought Provoking: 5/5
The Truth She Knew is Available on Amazon. Go get it.
Be sure to follow this author online:
Website: http://www.jaowenby.com/
Twitter: @jaowenby
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JAOwenby/
The PBS Blog 