BOOK REVIEW: "Like A Box Of Chocolates" by Justin Bienvenue

Name of Book: Like a Box of Chocolates
Author: Justin Bienvenue
Genre: Poetry
Word Count: 50 pages
Publisher: Self Published
Buy Link: Amazon

Description:

Take every notion, feeling, experience and expectation that you have on poetry and throw it up in the air, just take everything you’ve ever known about it and toss it aside. Not because the boundaries of what makes it so are being broken, and not because simple fundamentals and poetic structures are being altered, no that’s not it at all. Simply take a deep breath, relax and remember that nothing is off limits, nothing is too right or too wrong or completely outside the box(pun totally intended). So untie that bow, put your hand on the corner and open…open the book and take in that fresh page aroma and all the splendid “flavors” that is poetry.

Excerpt:

Marshmallow Street

The birds glide and fly in the air
Doing what they do best
Just like a road the skies they share as their driving is put to the test
A pilot flies his jet with force
Doing tricks and trying to break sound
As he maneuvers, nature takes it course
As he lands safely upon the ground
A plane travels high above
As it departs from city to city
Look out, look down and fall in love
As the site is beyond pretty
All these things may share the sky
But one thing makes them complete
And if you yourself could also fly
You could join them on Marshmallow Street

My Review:

There's poetry you should read academically, there's poetry you should read to spark emotions, and there's poetry you should read for the music that will speak to your soul. Then, like with Edgar Allan Poe for example, there's poetry that you need to read for all of those things. Poetry that inspires beautiful imagery, emotions, music and has deeper meaning to dissect. That's what's in Like A Box Of Chocolates.
While reading these fifty poems, you'll catch snatches of inspiration from Poe, Cummings, Dickinson and even a little Brontë if you were to modernize the sisters' work. But each poem is wholly original, each one bringing about different feelings and situations. There's death, life, love and everything that falls between. None of the poems are long, and all of them have a good beat to read aloud.
If you're new to poetry and don't want to start with classics because you're intimidated, this is definitely the book to begin your love affair with poetry. It has everything you need to familiarize yourself with the genre, and it is definitely enjoyable!

4/5--a great display of modern poetry!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Scott Pinsker

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

Hmm…  Is a writer who you are?  Or is it what you do?
If it’s who you are, then I’ve always been a writer, Kelly.  Even when I wasn’t writing, I was still a writer, hijacking my skill-set for other endeavors.  Being a storyteller is a transferrable talent: From high school run-ins with angry teachers to smoke-filled single bars to PR clients in dire need of crisis communications advice, there’s a great deal of versatility to storytelling.
For decades, I did my best to avoid being an author of books, however.  Lord how I tried!  Writing books – at least for me – is an arduous, painful, dreadfully unpleasant task.  Speechwriting for others is easy: It’s their life, their story, and I’m happily shielded from the consequences.  But writing a book?  Telling a story that’s truly a piece of me – and letting total strangers poke around, meet my alter-egos and dissect my inner-most thoughts?  Aaahh!!  It’s like standing naked on a city corner!  Writing is a form of exhibitionism… and Kelly, I guess I’m naturally shy. 
I don’t enjoy being exposed like this… but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake this God-awful compulsion to share these stories…
So more than anything else, I guess I became an author because I had exhausted all other options.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today

When I was younger?  Too many to count, but one of the great things about being a Daddy (I have two boys, eight-year-old Daniel and six-year-old Micah) is that I get to relive my childhood by sharing the books I loved as a kid.  Bedtime reading is a family tradition.  We’ve already read Judy Blume’s “Fudge” series, Beverly Cleary’s “Ralph Mouse” series, the best works of Roald Dahl and we’re halfway through the final book in Tom D. Fitzgerald’s “Great Brain” series.  Together, we’ve met the Boxcar Children, got lost in the Phantom Tollbooth, mourned when My Brother Sam Is Dead, and we have vacation plans to visit The Island of the Blue Dolphins.
My four all-time favorite “grownup” books are Frederic Bastiat’s The Law, Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, Brain Droppings and Richard Bach’s Illusions.  I know that’s an odd combination, but what I adore about all four books is that they kind of stick with you, long after you close the final chapter.  Even when you disagree with the author – or, more accurately: ESPECIALLY when you disagree with the author – the ideas and theories linger in your brain for quite a while.  I like that.  It’s something I sought to emulate when writing The Second Coming: A Love Story.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel, The Second Coming: A Love Story?

I developed the concept about 15 years ago, while attending law school in Washington, DC: According to Christian theology, the Devil is thousands of years old and deviously brilliant.  I remember wondering one night, if such a creature didn’t want you to know who he was… how would you know?  How could you out-think a creature that’s not only smarter than you, but also thousands of years more experienced and capable of supernatural powers?  We get fooled by ordinary people every day – and most of the time, they’re not particularly clever!  So what “prayer” would we realistically have to outwit the Prince of Darkness?
Then I had a further thought: If the Devil really wanted to con mankind, he wouldn’t appear with a pitchfork and horns.  All those horror movies have it wrong; that’s far too obvious!  Instead, his best option would be to appear as a holy man – and to attach himself to the faith of his target audience. 
Because if I were Satan’s publicist, that’s what I’d recommend.
But hypothetically, what if we raised the stakes even further, and now there were TWO self-declared saviors – one who preached to Red America, the other to Blue America?  And what if all the key characters in the story were modern day updates of the major characters from the Bible?  What would happen then?  How would you know who is God and who is Satan?
This late-night “thought-experiment” became the basis of my debut novel – The Second Coming: A Love Story.

4. Religion has, and always will be, a touchy subject. You managed to make it fictional while not being satirical or offensive. In your opinion, what is it about the topic that is so personal that it has literally initiated wars?

I appreciate that, Kelly.  I respect religion, and when researching and writing The Second Coming: A Love Story, it was never my intent to apostatize for any one ideology.  I have no interest in arguing to the death about what happens after we die. 
That’s your burden, not mine.
But religion has – and will always be – deeply, passionately personal.  It has to be.  Religion attempts to answer our most personal questions, and clearly, people don’t take kindly to being told that they’re wrong.  Rejecting someone’s faith is tantamount to rejecting the essence of who they are – and nobody likes being rejected.
In fact, some respond quite poorly.

5. Many films and television shows have put an original spin on Satan, particularly Supernatural, which made Lucifer look as normal as anyone else. What has been your personal favorite representation of the Devil?

I sort of liked the Devil in Charlie Daniels’ song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”  Great tune!  Satan is capable of commanding demons, destroying souls and waging war against God Almighty – but for whatever reason, he’s apparently not a very good fiddle player.  (With all those decadent, drug-fueled rock stars burning in Hell, you’d think someone could’ve given him music lessons.)

6. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life (not religion)?

Absolutely.  You’ll notice parodies of today’s most influential talk-radio personalities, cable news anchors, TV evangelists and other celebs making guest-appearances throughout the story: For example, the character of bombastic talk-show host Nate Konrad has clear shades of Don Imus and Howard Stern – plus an ample dose of Rush Limbaugh.  But there’s a deliberate purpose to this: In today’s culture, celebrities – and the way we consume media – have become an extension of politics, and politics is an extension of religion. 
Let me explain:
Just 30 years ago, American households only had three or four TV channels, one or two daily newspapers, and a dozen-or-so radio stations.  The Internet didn’t exist.  There was an extremely limited number of media options, and this fostered cultural cohesion.  You, me – everyone – we all sampled and shared the flavors of society’s top tastemakers.  Red America and Blue America overlapped constantly; it was unavoidable.  Everyone knew about The Beatles, who shot J.R., Michael Jackson’s moonwalk, and why Johnny Carson hated Joan Rivers.  Jews, Catholics, Protestants, atheists, Republicans, Democrats – it didn’t matter.
Today, we’re hopelessly tribalized by our interests and our ideologies.  A conservative / traditionalist in Red America will see, read, hear and think something completely different than a liberal / secularist in Blue America.  This insularism further separates us, expanding the cultural divide.  It’s the difference between Rush Limbaugh and Jon Stewart; FOX News and MSNBC; CMT and BET; Ted Cruz and Al Franken.  Especially now with social media, we spend more time in our self-constructed echo chambers than in the outside world.
There is no more popular culture, Kelly.  It’s all just cult-culture… and who better to take advantage of cult-culture than a cultist? 
This is the very real backdrop of The Second Coming: A Love Story. 

7. You've ghostwritten speeches and written for various reputable news sources in the course of your career, and now you're a fiction author. What other forms of writing (or other fiction genres) would you like to try your hand at?

With apologies to Brian Williams, sometimes it seems like the most creative forms of fiction ARE on the “reputable” news outlets!  (I kid, I kid!)
This might sound weird, but I’ve always loved poetry.  Especially British poetry: Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Blake in particular. None of the critics or reviewers have picked up on this yet, but I wove-in dozens of homages to both poets in The Second Coming: A Love Story.  Phrases like “sinking like lead into the sea” (Rime of the Ancient Mariner) or “forests of the night” (The Tyger) or describing Hell as having “canyons measureless to man” (Kubla Khan) – you could almost make a drinking game out of all the references.  (And if Coleridge was still alive, he’d probably participate!)
I’ve actually written a book of poetry, but I’m hesitant to publish it.  There’s not much of a marketplace for poetry anymore.  I mean, I’m proud of it, and I honestly think it’s good… but it sort of seems self-indulgent and egotistical, doesn’t it?  At least a little bit?
(Or maybe that’s just my own insecurities rearing their ugly head…)

8. What would you do if you were in your story?

That’s an interesting question, Kelly.  In a way, I am in the story.  We all are: This is a story about today’s culture – how ideas, faiths, politics and social movements are orchestrated and manipulated.  It’s a theological-thriller in an ultra-realistic setting, and we’re all living in it.
So what would I do?  I’d guess I’d write something…

9. Would you like to see Second Coming as a film? Who do you want to see play your characters?

Oh, I’d absolutely love to see a film adaptation!  And y’know, it wouldn’t bother me one bit if a studio changed around the story and modified the characters.  The book is MY story; the movie would be someone else’s.  To me, that would be fun: To see how others adapt what I’ve already written.  Lots of writers are fearful of this, but I think the process would be fascinating.
As for actors and actresses?  One reviewer recommended FOX News’ Megyn Kelly for the part of Margaret Magdala.  I hadn’t thought of that before, but it would be a bold choice.  I don’t know if she has the acting-chops to pull it off, though.  If Heath Ledger was still alive, he’d be brilliant as one of the two saviors.  To make this story work, you really need someone who can be charismatic, moralistic and ambiguous all at the same time, and Ledger had those attributes in spades. 
Who else?  Hmm… Breaking Bad was genius: maybe Bryan Cranston as Reverend Phil Pharis and Aaron Paul as Michael Waters?  Jonah Hill or Seth Rogen as David Shepherd?  Or maybe something entirely different? 
What do you think, Kelly?  Who would you cast? [Heath
Ledger would've been perfect! Maybe Martin Freeman as Shepherd, Felicity Huffman as Margaret, and the rest of your casting is pretty spot-on!--KSR]

10. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

In ten years, my boys will be 16 and 18!  I can’t even wrap my head around that... and sadly, I don’t think they’ll be letting me read them Judy Blume books anymore.
I don’t know where I’ll be – or what I’ll be doing – in ten years.  I sure couldn’t have predicted the last ten years!  I’m (cautiously) hopeful that I’ve finally found my place in the cosmic ocean: Instead of battling against the celestial tide, maybe in another decade I’ll be exactly where I’m meant to be?
Maybe.  Maybe not.

11. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

Walking around with half-a-head, ‘cause without writing, my head would explode.  I don’t know how else to describe it, but sometimes I get these strange thoughts ricocheting around my skull.  If I ignore them, they’ll ricochet faster and faster – and then BOOM!!
Without writing, I couldn’t excise my demons.  I’d be a scary person to be around.

12. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

The Second Coming: A Love Story is the first book in a trilogy.  I’m completing the second book, Three Days Later: A Revenge Story.  (I’m holding-off releasing it until more people read the first book, so PLEASE help me get the word out!)

13. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I’d like to work with Bill Shakespeare.  (I know he usually goes by William, but I’m pretty sure he’d be cool with Bill.  We’d be pals, after all.)  Stan Lee would be exciting, too – he’s the guy who either created or co-created Spiderman, the Avengers, the X-Men, Hulk, Iron Man, Darevedevil, the Fantastic Four and on and on.  He doesn’t receive nearly enough mainstream credit for his achievements, but he might be the most influential storyteller who ever lived.  Yeah, okay, I can feel your eyes roll, but I’m serious: I’ll bet more people worldwide are familiar with the characters and stories Stan Lee helped create than any other single author.  It’s a mind-blowing accomplishment, when you stop and think about it: Arguably, the most prolific storyteller in human history is living right now!  And instead of leaving his mark in a “respectable” art form like a novel, opera or scholarly tome, he did it with flippin’ comic books!  Isn’t that wild? [Just a note here, I most certainly did NOT roll my eyes! I agree with everything said here!--KSR]

14. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

My pleasure, Kelly – and thank you for the opportunity.  How about this:

1.      When I did PR for QB Mike Vick and was overseeing a photo-shoot Vick was doing with Maxim Magazine – this was back when he was still an Atlanta Falcon – I mentioned to a certain person in his entourage that I had just adopted an American Mastiff puppy.  This person’s eyes lit up: He told me that Mike LOVED dogs, and that Mike had a big, sprawling property where he stayed during the entire off-season… along with his 40+ pit bulls.  “You never have to worry about Mike getting in trouble, Scott!  He spends all his time on his property in the middle of nowhere with his beloved dogs!  Say… do you think you could hook Mike up with one of those American Mastiffs?  They get real big, don’t they?”  That’s right, folks: I was asked to get a dog for Mike Vick!  I’m VERY glad to say that I never did.  About a year later, the dogfighting scandal broke and Vick went to jail.  (BTW, my American Mastiff puppy is now 10+ years old, weighs 220 pounds, and my little boys love to hand-feed him Cheerios.  Terrific dog.)
2.      I once did a (horrible, awful) National Lampoon movie with Kato Kaelin and a young Olivia Munn: National Lampoon’s Strip Poker.  The filming took place at Hedonism II in Negril, Jamaica – the world’s most infamous nudist resort.  I also starred in Academy Award-nominated director Brett Morgen’s film Ollie’s Army, and appeared in the Academy Award-nominated documentary A Perfect Candidate.  (Alas, neither of these documentaries were filmed at Hedonism II.  Nor did they include Kato Kaelin.)
3.      Whenever the movie Road House appears on TV, I’m compelled to watch it.  (HELLO, PEOPLE!!  HE TEARS SOMEONE’S THROAT OUT!!  BOOYAH!!  GO GET ‘EM, DALTON!!)  Also: Buffalo wings are the greatest invention ever created and nachos are a close second.  (Pepcid AC is third.)

 

Find Mr. Pinsker online via:

 The Second Coming: A Love Story on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KT6B3G0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SecondComingNovel

Twitter: @ScottPinsker

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Richard M. Knittle Jr

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

Well 9 months ago my Son Ryder was taken by his birth mother, I let her into my home after she had been living on the streets of Fort Worth, I bailed her out of jail for theft from her own parents.. She took him one day to use him as a peace offering to her parents... I hit Epic Addiction Proportions and had a mental breakdown, The Battle Lost: Ryder's Birth was from when he was born till I invited her to my home, The Battle Lost Friendships Lost is from where book leaves off... That writing was healing for me, I never even imagined that today I am full Fledged and Popular Writer. Let me say this this Ride that has just begun gives me a High better than any drug can imagine!

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

I was reading at a college level in 4th Grade I read EVERYTHING I could, J.R.R. Tolkien of course, Mack Maloney of the Wingman Series is awesome.

3. What was the inspiration behind your epic poem The Battle Lost: Ryder's Birth?

My son Ryder of course is a special little boy.. I believe he was born to do do much good.. His smile is magic..I love you Ryder..

4. What can we expect from your next poetry collection?

Next is if you can believe Darker and haunting.. a little secrete I wrote the last verse 6 months ago.. It all came true!

5. Why did you decide to write about your reality?

I am not sure I been told that I have a gift, in fact here I have poem that explains better..

This is called "Hope"

Hope

I was sitting alone in the park one day at lunch and I sat on the same bench where Ryder and I used to play we would sing our song and laugh and play while letting the world go by, those were bright and sunny days of just him and I. Then as I looked up it hit me I was staring right at the tree where I carved out our initials for everyone to see, so I got up and I looked but with all the tears that were now falling it was hard to see then I found it I love Ryder and Ryder loves me. All of sudden a terrible pain began in my chest and I fell hard to the ground it hit me so hard that it knocked me to my knees. I looked around and saw that everyone was watching so I threw my fist up into the air and I lifted my head up to God and I screamed as loud as I could why me? Why would you bring him into my life knowing how much I would care? I gave that little boy everything I had left to give in my heart, in my soul, all my strength that had left don’t you understand he was my reason I am still here my will to live.. I hate you God that wasn't fair at all and now I live with all of these memories that play over and over they are stuck in my head and not like I am in a dream, but now my life is nothing but a living nightmare. I look around with nothing but a blank stare I hear his little voice and I call out to nothing there. Then in a whisper I am sorry God I didn't mean what I said I am finished here I just wish you would take me now because I would rather be dead. I hurt so bad every single day from a heart that's broken and it will never heal and a soul that is dying and can no longer feel.. He is my son no matter what they do he is my little man my little bundle of joy and I miss him so very bad. I am tired of hurting from all this sorrow and regret and feeling so damn lonely and sad and I looked down and I cried. Then I remembered that he once had a son, I felt a hand as he placed it on my head then I felt him as my heart filled with so much love he wanted me to know he was listening from his home high above. He lost his one and only son to pay for all our sins. I smiled and I opened up my heart and I let him back in. I still hurt and I still cry for my son everyday but now I know our lord that is in heaven above is watching and he will let me see Ryder one day because it is fate either here on earth or high above at heaven’s gate and that is what I now Pray every night before I go to sleep... in his name

Amen!

6. What role has addiction taken in your life and what encouraging words do you have for those suffering from it now?

Addiction .. I know it can be beat I walked away from it never looking back, Now I write about it.. Your Heart, Your Mind, Your Creator are all you need to outcast that evil Traitor in fact it is the first verse of the next book.

Preview alert.....

Heart Mind Creator

Your Heart Your Mind and Your Creator
are what you need to outcast, the evil traitor.
Addiction, the evil of darkness unknown
infects your family and will find you alone.
It feeds from your anger, your pain, and your sins
that opens a door that invites it right in.
It changes the way you look at creation
and sets you up to live eternal damnation.
The darkness cares not, if your woman or man
as it spreads its evil throughout this great land.
Turning the rich in to beggars, paupers and thieves
while children become orphans our creator grieves.
He sits high above watching down in disgust
as his creations want nothing more
than money, drugs, and lust
Addiction, the evil of darkness unknown
doesn’t care if you’re poor or a king on a throne.
The darkness it spreads and continues without a fight
while we wait on a hero to help bring the light
that hero is here and is being trained as a fighter
that little boy is strong and his name is Ryder!

I say I understand your pain.. I know you will understand this...

Alone in your darkness with many people around
your demons will find you when you want to be found
it is the comfort they offer while your chaos exist
a persuasive proposal one not so hard to resist
creating a crises of conscience as it fights for your soul
it wreaks havoc in your life while it battles you for control
confusion of your emotions never peace in your head
causing reactions in thoughts that you’re better off dead
the choices you choose are out of desperation and despair
now drowning in guilt you find yourself gasping for air
bringing nothing but destruction with both families and alone
this is mankind’s greatest threat that it has ever known
it spreads like no other through cities and small towns
its name is called addiction and it infects with no cure found
the young and rich even old or poor it doesn’t care who
opens that door it only brings sorrow and heartbreak
and death evermore you can try to outrun it even hide
while you can for it infects every inch of our great land.
your family and neighbors even all of your friends can't
hide from addiction it feeds from our loneliness this evil
must end I know because it had me and my friends like Amy, DeAnna,
Stormie and Blue and many others that we all knew it changes
our thinking while destroying our souls all because we wanted to forget our own lives while we rolled and passed the bowl!

-Richard M Knittle Jr.

7. Would you ever consider writing fiction?

Yes I would, in fact. The Battle Lost goes fictional in book 3.. I just happen to have a preview :)

“He is coming let evil know that they are finished with no place to go”

“I refuse to fail or to give up and I will see my son again. I will not fall or lose my faith because I now lead Gods troops into battle for him. I hear him as he cries out for me he now sees me in his dreams our bond we have it never broke or so it seems.” A father, A solider, and A friend to all, not blood nor distance will keep them apart not even the Mother of Thrall, I have been through hell and beyond and death bygone they should know by now.. They will never break this bond or love of this Father and his Son…

The Man!

I used to be happy once with Ryder but now I'm as sad as I can be
I led my troops through battle and conquered evil as for as you can see
The demons that once roamed this land and over hill and dale
Tried to destroy me and tear us apart and they ended all to an epic fail
My lord and father who art into heaven and hallow be thy name
I know this world that was born to me is dying and going insane
Destroying people by the millions addiction now rules throughout this land
It joins with the Evil Dark Family in Emory as it waits to battle Ryder and The Man
Ryder has grown fast while away from The Man he is sad and feels empty inside
He feels like something is missing from him and the Evil Dark Family has something to hide
At night he dreams about this man who searches for him all throughout the land
He is angry and yet sad as he kills the demons and the darkness with just his bare hands
This man is myth, just a made up tale, his mother says this man he never existed
But Ryder knows that she lies and all that crystal she smokes has made her very twisted
Trading herself for poppy seeds with everyone she comes around
for days and weeks she disappears and hardly to be found
the last few nights when he closed his eyes a vision of this man would start
he could feel each and every emotion from this man in his soul and in his heart
he thought I need to find this man I know he must be real for these emotions that I am feeling are know these are for real

9. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

IT I've been working with computers over 30 years and enjoy it, and probably haunting someones dreams..
Poets are dreamers right?... We think with our hearts and listen to ours souls. Especially for the ones that touched both.-Richard M Knittle Jr.

10. If you were to write fiction, what authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

Wow.. Any Poet from 1600's down lol. I would love to actually work with J.R.R. Tolkien or even Hugh Hefner.. :)

11. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

Number 1 would be, you know how you have that one friend that makes everything sexual.. :)
2. would be that I had 5 Bypasses at 41, 5 percent blood flow and no damage to my heart..
3. I want a monkey.. Really I do!

Find Mr. Knittle online via:

Official site (has all other links)

BOOK REVIEW: "The Battle Lost: Ryder's Birth" by Richard M. Knittle Jr

An Epic Poetry Adventure that takes you on a emotional journey into one mans epic battle against the evil's of addiction and the search and fight for his son Ryder whom is not of his blood.

The Battle Lost by Richard M. Knittle Jr is a short epic poem that could be taken, in my opinion, as a literal or metaphorical read. It is meant to be taken metaphorically: demons and battles represent addiction and custody. But what I loved was that you could detach yourself from those themes if you wanted and read it from a slightly more fictional standpoint.
But it truly is a sad, loving letter really, from a father to a son. It's dark, it's heartbreaking and it's also very entertaining. It might not even take you a half hour top read, but it's words will stay with you long after the book ends.
I've always said that I don't like to criticize poetry, because it's a piece of the soul laid bare on paper for all to peruse. It shouldn't be criticized, yet it's my job to do just that. I would have liked to have read this without rhymes, just to see what the difference night actually be (if there is any).
The art that accompanies the poem is eerie, and somehow very fitting. It was a stark, cold contrast to the heated, emotional words. A wonderful medley.

5/5--beautiful!

Purchase The Battle Lost: Ryder's Birth via:

Official site (has all formats)

RELEASE DAY REVIEW: "Unleashed Poems" by Jennifer Raygoza

BLOG TOUR- November 11-17

Author: Jennifer Raygoza

Title: Unleashed Poems

Genre: Poetry

Release Date: 11.13.14

Publishing House: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly

Blurb: "It’s not always easy to see the light when you’re surrounded by darkness. Sometimes you have to make your own way out of the hole."

A collection of 23 poems, all written in my youth. I wrote a majority of them when I was sixteen to seventeen years old. This was a really hard time in my life. It was a time of heartbreak, pain, love, betrayal, and more. Writing these poems was a dose of sanity when the world around me was corrupting. It was my outlet when I couldn't breathe, and my safety rope when I was drowning. We don't get to pick our story in life. Usually the story picks you. So, with this release I am hoping to show inspiration. You can survive, and you can move on from your dark place. I dedicate this book to all the youth out there going through any type of struggle.

MY REVIEW: Poetry is emotion put into words. What we cannot say or recognize can often be realized in a poem. That was true for author Jennifer Raygoza when she was a teen, dealing with love, loss and hate.
She's now sharing these little pieces of her past with us, in the short book Unleashed Poems, published by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing.
There are over twenty poems in here, and I think that every reader will find at least one that he or she can relate to. I think I related to them all, but mostly to "Insanity" and "A Distant Lover".
To paraphrase John Green, "That's the thing about poetry, it demands to be felt." These poems were written during the time in her life that science has proved is the most emotional, and these poems are extremely emotional. You can feel her angst, love and hurt as you read these.
She was a teen, and these have a childlike feel to their words, which adds to their authenticity. I enjoyed taking twenty minutes out of my night to read these. I know you will, too!

5/5--beautiful and dark.

Bio: Jennifer Raygoza lives in Corona, California with her husband and children. She majored in Psychology at Fullerton College. She developed a love for writing poetry in her youth, and frequently used it as an outlet. It wasn’t until 2013 that she finally decided to release a novel that she had been working on for five years. To her surprise vampire lovers went crazy for it. Author of The Guardians 1: Feel the Fire, The Guardians II: The Revelation and The Guardians III: Blood Vengeance. She is also set to release her first erotica short story, "Tackle Me" in the upcoming anthology, Naughty Bedtime Stories. A collection of poetry from her youth will be published soon called Unleashed Poems. She is known as the ‘Rebel of Writing’ because of her cross genre style, and writer rule breaking attitude. Keep your eyes open for more work from Jennifer Raygoza. This girl is sure to please the readers with her fast pace writing and creativity.

 

 

Teaser-

Bed of Fire

Whispering words, my ears devour off the sweetness of your lips.

Intensity my body craves when your hands caress my hips.

It is you I need on a lonely night.

You to love me and hold me tight.

Touch me inside, outside now.

Rub it, feel me and tell me how.

My skin is hot, soaked in sweat.

Breathing is deep with no regret.

Volcano between erupts me in joy.

Lady during the day and at dark your toy.

Lay with me forever in a bed of fire

It’s pleasure just to hold you, my object of desire.

 

 

 

Buy Link- smarturl.it/UnleashedPoems

Online Release Event- https://www.facebook.com/events/1496915913925508/

Author page- https://www.facebook.com/jenniferraygoza12

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/Jenniferraygoza

BOOK REVIEW/AUTHOR INTERVIEW: "To The Lions" by Claire Meadows

REVIEW:

I always find it difficult to review poetry. It's a stylized version of emotions and personal memories, usually, but I manage to do it whenever a poetry collection comes my way.
Dagda Publishing seems to be today's best in finding and publishing the best modern poets out there, like Claire Meadows, whose latest poetry collection, To The Lions, is short, sweet and deep.
Each poem is different, though in the same style, and all fit perfectly together to make a beautiful and slightly dark little story.
The poems talk about love, loss, strength and survival of life. They are thought-provoking, and musical. If you like to dissect poetry for the deeper meaning, you'll love this book. If you like to read poetry for the music of the mind, you will also love this book.
I felt tearful at some parts, empathetic at others and always, I was entertained. I just wish the book had been longer than 15 poems!
I know I will be reading more from Claire Meadows!

5/5--beautiful and deep!

INTERVIEW:

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I've had a lifelong love affair with the written, and spoken word. I cut 
my teeth at the age of 3, teaching myself to read by absorbing the News 
of the World every Sunday morning. Cover to cover. I absorbed enough of 
the 'reportage' style of writing that I began crafting fake news stories 
to amuse myself. I remember at the age of 7 handing one of these into my teacher - some nonsense I'd made up about me marrying Jason Donovan and having a swimming pool and a thousand cats in a mansion. I don't think she quite knew what to make of it. I've always had a very fertile imagination, as you can see.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

I was fond of the racier end of the spectrum. Nabokov, and believe it or 
not Jackie Collins. At the age of 14, I made my local library order 
every single one of Jackie's Lucky Santagelo novels that they could get 
their hands on. The worlds Jackie created were glamorous, full-throttle 
passionate places - where I wanted to be, and were as far from my own 
home life as you could imagine.
Now, I read whatever takes my fancy. I have an omnivorous library of 
1500 books - everything from quantum physics to Colin Dexter.

3. What was the inspiration behind your latest poetry collection, To The Lions?

Those I have loved, do love, and will love.

4. Will you ever or are you planning on writing fiction?

It's certainly something I want to explore. Dagda have just published 
one of my short stories, Vacant Spaces, as a kindle download. It's had a 
great response so far. So let's see.

5. Your poetry in To The Lions was all of a similar style. What styles of poetry do you want to try writing?

I'm happy as I am, I think. There's nothing I hate as much as gimmicky 
writing, or writing that's contrived in any way to be something it 
shouldn't be. Stay true to your vision. If you want to experiment, 
that's great. But if you write falsely, your reader will sniff you out
in a moment.

6. Where do you take your general inspiration from (music, lost love, etc.)?

Inspiration hits when I least expect it. I'm sure many writers are the 
same. All I know is I get an urge, and I write. It can be anything.

7. What is it like working on After Nyne Magazine? How has it shaped your poetry career?

Bringing After Nyne Magazine to life has been, and continues to be, 
extremely exciting. It hasn't shaped my poetry career, but we seek to 
promote the work of other authors by publishing creative writing 
submissions in each issue. There's so much talent out there, and I love 
sniffing it out.

8. What genres of novels do you prefer?

It can be anything. Seriously. As I've got older, I've become more
comfortable with ditching a book if it's not doing it for me. Why 
struggle?

9. What do you personally see as the future of poetry, because, now, I
don't think enough people are enjoying it.

Those who want to be touched by poetry will be. The right teacher can 
make all the difference. The right teacher can make the sun shine 
through clouds of incomprehension, and break down barriers. This is why 
I would never approve of Shakespeare being taken off any curriculum - 
Shakespeare's Sonnets are sexy as hell. You just need someone who is 
passionate enough in teaching them to bring that out, and make it 
relevant to a contemporary audience.

10. Do you prefer to recite your own work or would you like an actor to narrate it? Which actor?

I think it's great for the author to recite their own work, as they are 
perfectly placed to offer the perfect interpretation. I prefer to do my 
own readings.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

Still doing exactly what I love, which is what I'm doing now. Ten years 
ago I was a civil servant studying for a degree on the Open University, 
and starting work on the poems that became my first collection, Gold 
After. I could hardly have imagined my life as it is now. Dream big. And 
have courage.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

I've tried not writing. I've done everything I can to get away from 
writing. And failed miserably. I'm stuck with it, I'm afraid. For better 
or worse.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

My publisher has asked for my fourth poetry book. It's brewing.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I'd love to work with Henri Cartier-Bresson, the photographer, on a 
version of To The Lions. He's a dead one, alas. But I'd love to have 
seen what photographs he could come up with to illustrate the book. 
Semi-sexual, gritty and real. I think we'd have worked together well.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

I'm a qualified legal secretary.
I'm taking French lessons in my spare time.
I know far more about naval history then you'd think I would. I'm fascinated by shipwrecks.

Find Claire Meadows online via:

Twitter

Official site (has purchase links for her books as well)

BOOK REVIEW/AUTHOR INTERVIEW: "My Little Book of Randoms" ny Joanne Marlowe

IREVIEW:

Sometimes, when you're down, you will have the desire to read a 50 chapter self-help novel that, in the end, well offer no real help at all.
Other times, you'll sit down and write a quick little book that has a strong sense of what you're going through abd well ease your own mind. That's what Joanne Marlowe did with My Little Book of Randoms.

Containing a little art and a lot of heart, Ms. Marlowe wrote down what was on her mind during a personal time of hardship. It just so happened to be poetry.
If you're going through a difficult time in your life, pick up My Little Book of Randoms and take a few minutes to read through it.
I just did. I have had a very difficult time as of late and reading this made me feel that she knew how I was feeling just an hour ago!
Great little thing to always have nearby fit those moments you want to take a breath and remember: someone else gets it. Even when it seems no one in your personal life does, Joanne Marlowe does!

5/5--loved it!

INTERVIEW:

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I always wanted to write.  When I was a little girl, I had journals and diaries but every time I wrote something, I immediately thought it was stupid and would throw it away.  As I got older, I wanted to write movies.  I always would create things in my head (movies) but never had the confidence in myself to write anything and keep it until last year.  I thought, it's now or never because I am not getting any younger and what am I doing with myself?

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

I am not an avid reader at all.  I really only enjoy reading books while on vacation and on a beach when I am relaxed and can read a book in one shot.  I have a small attention span and I am not someone who can read a few pages/ chapters a night.  I will end up reading the same pages over and over again if I did that. Plus, it's a time thing...I don't have much time to sit down and read. I do really like Nick Hornby novels and I like reading books after they become a movie.  Let's face it, books are almost always better than the movie....however there is the odd one that makes a better movie. 

3. Can you tell readers what inspired you to write My Little Book of Randoms?

The first social media I joined was Hitrecord.org which is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's website for artist contributions.  On the site, there were artist collaborations that turned into 3 published books called "Tiny Stories."  These were usually one or two liners and I found myself really enjoying reading them and than writing them.  I didn't get published through the site but that's because I didn't contribute to the collaborations!  I didn't remain on the site for long but met some really great people and artists.  I ventured on my own and compiled a small collection and put together "My Little Book of Randoms," just to see if I could do it.  And I did.  I learned so much a long the way and I loved the process and even more so that I did it all myself.

4. Will you write another book of poetry?

Absolutely!  I am already working on a second one entitled "This One Hurt."  I am venturing out a bit more with this book.  Longer poems, not so many quotes, short stories and maybe some more artwork....we'll see how it goes.  Maybe a collaboration with someone to do some artwork to go along with some of my stories...but I want to finish putting it together first, the written part.  I already have an idea for the cover art, something I have pictured in my head.  I want to take my time with it as I want to get my first book out there and generate some sort of buzz.

5. You mentioned that you don't look like you'd listen to Maroon 5. What kind of music do you usually enjoy? 

I listen to various music.  I love The Cure and The National and everything 80's, hair metal (Motley Crue), 90's shoegazer music (Swervedriver, Lush, Slowdive, MBV, Ride), Brit pop (Depeche Mode, Blur ), classic rock, goth-rock (Siouxsie, Sisters of Mercy), soul music (Al Green, Marvin Gaye). I still love Madonna.  I love Tori Amos.  I love the Bee Gee's. I am really into music with lots of keyboards and men with deep voices.  I love White Lies, Editors and a band called the Foreign Resort is my new obsession.  I love a lot of bands from France for some reason...Daft Punk, Phoenix, Alcest, Air, Ivy (although I  think they are NY based but orig from France).  I really like the Raveonettes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and I think my list could go on forever.  Maybe I do look like someone who listens to Maroon 5....I mean I guess I don't really know what someone who listens to them looks like. 

6. Would you ever write a fictional novel? If yes, what kind of novel?

That's a good question.  I don't know.  I suppose I could turn one of my screenplays into a novel or novella.  You know, I don't think I would do a fictional novel.  I don't know if I would be capable.  I like to keep things simple and short and sweet and to the point.  A novel would be long and it is very different than script writing and poetry.  Perhaps if I read more novels, I would be more inclined to write one.

7. You mentioned that you are writing screenplays. What actors would you love to star in something you've written?

I am so proud of my script entitled "Just Jane" and there was an inspiration behind that movie.  His name is Jonah Hill.  I think he is funny and seems sweet and when I wrote the character Ethan, I really had him in mind.  A total long shot for sure and getting Maroon 5 to perform in this movie would be as well.  You never know though.  As far as the other scripts, I really haven't pictured anyone specifically.  I wrote like a chick-flick comedy and I am thinking maybe Drew Barrymore or Anna Kendrick.  For my script "Strangegirl" I flip flop all the time on the male lead.  That script took like 15 years to write and I am still changing it. 15 years ago, I wanted Jimmy Fallon now I picture Matt Berninger who is the singer for the National and dozens of different actors in between (Ryan Gosling...I mean who wouldn't?).  I think I just change to whomever my Man Crush is that week!  But crushes aside, I believe that this one should be made with someone just starting out to make it a true indie film.  I love this one too much as it is something I have envisioned in my head forever and it took forever to write and I am still not 100% satisfied with it...but I know soon I will be comfortable with it and I really believe that it will make a great indie flick.

8. What are some of your favorite films?

Here is another list that could go on forever but I will try to limit it and just list them sans explanation because I think they speak for themselves....Annie Hall, The Exorcist, Some Like it Hot, Casablanca, Lost in Translation, Shopgirl, 500 Days of Summer, Mosquito Coast, It's a Wonderful Life, Blue Velvet, Manhattan, Say Anything, No Country For Old Men, Pulp Fiction, Grease, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Family Stone, Mask, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Rocky, Happiness, A Fish Called Wanda, Garden State....

9. The cover artist for My Little Book of Randoms is also your tattoo artist. What tattoos do you have and would you recommend getting one to readers who are vacillating on the idea? (I'm curious about this because I've got a few sentimental tats as well!)

I have two half sleeves that have various things on them. One arm has the cherubs from The Cure's Japanese Whispers album, hearts, diamonds, stars, water & flowers.  The other sleeve has bats, some lettering which is a Cure song called "To Wish Impossible Things," a gramophone, a mirror, a cupcake, dice and cherries, stars and a butterfly.  I also have a piece on time on one of my thighs which consists of an hourglass and a burning candle.  My other thigh is a work in progress which is a dagger and bird skull with a Strangegirl banner.  I have a couple small ones in other places as well.  If people want to get a tattoo, obviously I would say to go for it.  I am glad I waited until I was a little bit older though.  My first tattoo was a spider that I got when I was 16 which has since been covered and another one I desperately want to cover.  I think when you are young, you are anxious and want to be cool and fill your body with a lot of crappy stuff that eventually you end up getting covered up or regretting.  If people want to get tattoos, that's great but really think about what you want and finding a really good tattoo artist is key.  I am lucky that I have a great artist and I love colourful tattoos and mine are definitely bright.  I think his work speaks for himself.  

10. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

Oh dear....
I am very sensitive.  I love the Golden Girls.  I like board games.

Find Joanne Marlowe online via:

Website:  http://www.jomarlowe.net/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/strangegirljo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joanne.marlowe.73

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/strangegirljo/