Roots by Neetu
August 26, 2024 by Neetu Malik in category Poet's Day by Neetu Malik tagged as entrenched, miracles, Neetu, strength
Roots
She needs to dig deep
to pull the roots
that grow under her feet
to do so requires strength
and a sharp shovel
the earth on which she stands
has hardened to stone
she waits for a miracle from sunrise
to sunset, but none appears—
her own shadow lengthens before
it merges into night
and so days and months pass,
seasons roll by—
she cannot see, but feels the tug
of the roots,
how entrenched they must be
to hold her
bound.
© Neetu Malik
Some of Neetu’s Books
Lyrical Language Lab Poetry Contest
August 25, 2024 by Kidd Wadsworth in category Writing
On June 25, 2024, I posted about the Lyrical Language Lab poetry contest. The winners have been decided. You can read the winning poems here:
https://www.reneelatulippe.com/poetry-contest-winners
My entry won an honorable mention.
Happy Writing,
Kidd
Some of Kidd’s stories are in the following anthologies.
FLORES AND MISS PAULA by MELISSA RIVERO—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
August 22, 2024 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Flores and Miss Paula, Melissa Rivero, Reviews by Veronica Jorge, woman's fiction
BOOK REVIEW: FLORES AND MISS PAULA
MELISSA RIVERO
Ecco Books
2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-327249-1
At thirty-something, sharing an apartment with her mother, Paula, is not Flores’ idea of adulthood, freedom or independence. But now that Paula is a widow, Flores must find a way to help her mother cope with the loss of her husband and move on. At the same time, Flores has to deal with her own grief at losing her father, while trying to launch her life and career.
Mother and daughter attempt to support each other and get along, but their choices and understanding of life often clash. Paula wants her daughter to find a nice young man, marry and settle down. Flores wishes her mother would admit when she’s wrong and apologize. She would also prefer to see her mother choose best friends that aren’t always married men.
And she’s never sure if her latest headache is induced by her mother.
When a situation arises that they have to move out of their current apartment, the two women must decide if they should each go their separate ways, or if they can find a way to live together and create a mutual future with new hopes and dreams.
Flores is every child that values the sacrifices of their immigrant parents to create a better life for them. But she also longs to forge her own new path. The challenge is how to go forward without losing the past that she still values and which holds part of her identity.
Paula is every mother who wants a happy and better life for her daughter, but is unskilled at navigating the minefield of when to hang on and when to let go. And as an immigrant, and a widow, she must find the resources within herself to start a new life; whatever that may look like.
Both women struggle to make past and present converge into something new without losing the essential essence of who they are, and where they came from, while they explore their future destinations. The question is, Can they grow together? Or will they grow apart?
A story of loss, forgiveness, and love, Flores and Miss Paula, is a down-to-earth novel of learning what it means to be family, building a new life in a new country, and the tender yet sometimes frustrating relationship between a mother and a daughter.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on September 22nd!
Kitty Bucholtz, August Featured Author
August 16, 2024 by Kitty Bucholtz in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Featured author, Kitty Bucholtz, romantic comedy, Superheros, Write Now Workshop Podcast
August featured author Kitty Bucholtz is a writer, podcaster, and a book coach. She has combined her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher turned coach.
She writes romantic comedy and superhero urban fantasy, often with an inspirational element woven in. She loves to teach and offer advice to writers through her WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast.
Kitty has also created the Finish Your Books Coaching Program. Find out more about either 1:1 Coaching or Group Coaching on Kitty’s website. http://kittybucholtz.com/
Besides Kitty’s Coaching Program and WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast, you will find her here at A Slice of Orange on the 9th of each month writing It’s Worth It.
Books by Kitty Bucholtz
A Little Taste of Space
August 15, 2024 by Renae Wrich in category Writing tagged as Childrens Lit, Mac and Cheese, Outer Space, reading, Summer, TOGHello friends! How has summer zoomed by so quickly? Thankfully, my family and I have been able to sneak away from life and the softball field where we spent 90% of our summer (I wish I was exaggerating) for a little lake time.
Me sitting lakeside in Northern Minnesota with a local brew, good company, and Sarah J. Maas’ Crown of Midnight. –>
Weeks at the lake always give me the best perspective. I mean, how could it not?! It provides an opportunity to unplug from my day-to-day and focus on me, my family, and my favorite hobbies. While I didn’t get as much writing done this on this vacation as I have in the past (probably had something to do with the fabulous Sarah J. Maas), I have zero regrets about that. 🙂
One writing project that is moving along very well is my next children’s book! I’m excited to share is that the illustrations are completed!
My wonderful illustrator, Winda Mulyasari, finished the illustrations for my second children’s book over the summer and they turned out better than I ever could have imagined. The fact that she is able to take my bulleted illustrator briefing and carefully craft the images to match the crazy world inside my head completely blows me away. She’s so talented and I feel very fortunate to have her as a partner in this.
Mac and Cheese in Outer Space will be available this fall and I’m SO thrilled with how it turned out. I can’t wait to share it with the world. I have a few more boxes to check off before we are ready for liftoff, but it’s coming soon!!
Featured Books
MIDNIGHT MADNESS
As if Olivia Merriman doesn’t have enough to do in her beloved town of New Moon Beach, now her grouchy great-grandmother has recruited her to head up their coven of witches; her sisters are miffed, the coven is pushing her to accept the job, and to top it all off an evil wizard is messing with her love life.
More info →
