Flow Friday

Welcome to Flow Friday! Poetry lovers, kick back and enjoy the read!

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By Nabil Mouatabir (fox)

It was all

I could think of,

All day long.

As hard as my hands

Were holding gifts

And colours of joy

And as they all appear to be

In the hands of the man

That I am.

But no one knew,

And I doubt anyone could have,

If they see a battle of angels

Up in the sky,

Mistakenly being a million stars.

Some go bright,

And some never go, at all.

And I have see one.

Among them all

Falling all the way down into my hands

And holding onto my heart

As they both fell

Down.

If they go on a date.

And the gathering they call a date…

I must be doing it wrong,

Sharing a chair with you Is the light of the sun

Shared on half of my face

For I am the moon.

And kissing your lips

Is an answered prayer

The man that I am always had

Since I got out of work, at noon.

And just the smile you keep wearing

And I promise you

You wouldn’t need to wear any

Other clothing,

Shall we, share a bed?

And cuddle

Under the sea of your fallen mates

And above the surface of what seems

To be a moon to your planet

Wherever it is

You are not from this

Earth

And even if I am, I wouldn’t want to be.

Remember the day you were born.

Always,

And I bet, the whole world knew.

As long as they saw that light of dawn

Striking brighter

With the very first breath

You stole...

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Every Friday, I will showcase one or two other poet's work. If this is something that you are interested in participating in, please click on this link and fill out the form. Poems will be posted in no particular order so be sure to keep an eye out for yours!😉

Authors in the Spotlight 10/5

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have Penward Emelius Rhyme!

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Name: Penward Emelius Rhyme

How long have you been published? In the past I’ve had a number of academic works published in journals and through universities. In terms of story-telling literature, I only released my first work, Symbology, on September 1^st to the public. That puts roughly one month—give or take a long weekend—under my belt.

What's the worst part about being published? I wouldn’t say there’s any “worst” part to being published; rather, there are challenges to meet, and these challenges form a consistent evolution to the product you’re trying to market. Any author will tell you that the work doesn’t end once a book is published; promoting that book and getting the word out about it is just as vital as the writing and editing that came before. Many new authors, especially independent ones, underestimate the time and effort it takes to research their book’s audience and create a plan to get that book into their hands.

What's the best part about being published? Despite the energy that has to go into it, marketing a book can also be a very rewarding experience. Being self-published, I also happen to run all of my own promotional events. It’s tiring work, but it also gives me a chance to connect with my audience and the people of my city, Toronto. It’s fantastic being able to chat with them face to face about my story, listen to their feedback online, and answer questions they have through social media.

Are you self-published or did you go through a publishing company? I am a self-published author. On top of that, I do my own book designs, product marketing, social media managing, and (often on scotch-drenched Friday nights) my first three rounds of editing. In terms of my promotion plan for Symbology—along with what I ultimately hope will become the franchise attached to it—I’d like to involve a professional literary agency for further editing and polishing of the book. To this end, I have begun sending out queries.

What are the highs, if any? In a word: freedom. It doesn’t sound like much, but the freedom to control what you write, how you shape your story, and how you bring that story to audiences is both an exhilarating and richly rewarding experience.

What are the lows, if any? Self-publishing is not for the light of heart. It is much easier to make mistakes in your book when self-publishing, and if you do not have a refined product, convincing audiences to trust enough to invest in your story becomes all the more difficult. Symbology took three years to bring to market. Granted, my work on the book was on and off, but to give you an idea of the breakdown, I spent the first year writing the story; the second year was spent sending it out to test readers after I myself had gone through it several times. The third year was essentially me sitting at a desk in my study fixating over schemes for advertising my book.

What is the name of your book(s)? As mentioned, the name of my book is Symbology. It is the first part of a duology, Tautology being the follow-up, which takes place during the events in Symbology.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? If it’s an easy write, you’re probably doing something wrong! That’s not to say that concepts, ideas, even the flow of prose don’t come easily. In fact it’s more often the case that I’m swarmed with so many things I’d like to write down that the real challenge is putting them all in order. That said, I always enjoy tossing thoughts around in my head and pairing things I think will go well together until they fall in line on paper. Writing is an acquired taste, and though creating a good, polished story might not always come easily, there are times when a writer can really have fun with his art.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Persistence. That really is it, especially with larger projects. I intend Symbology to be the first in a collection of short stories, articles, and other books; as such, I make many references and allusions in Symbology that, while they may only be small ones, do connect to other works not yet written or published. It’s a lot to keep in mind, and I have about 200 good pages of rough notes, which I go through with a fine-tooth comb every now and then. But all of those notes and all of the work that goes into my books is a sustained effort at world-building that wouldn’t have happened if I had failed to persist. Food for thought: If you had asked me three years ago to pitch you this potential franchise, I’d have told you about an exploding rubber duck shoppe on the corner of Pushh and Padd—and not much else!

What's the easiest part about writing a book? Procrastinating, probably. No, wait, definitely.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? The nice thing is that Symbology in its current format is entirely free and can be downloaded through the Symbology Facebook Page. The book, however, is also attached to an online campaign aimed at raising $2,000 CAD ($1,605 USD) for various charities and initiatives. Those who would like to donate to the campaign can do so at here.

Donors to the project will receive a number of rewards depending on how much they choose to give, and readers of the book have the chance to enter two in-book contests, which carry cash prizes of up to $8,000 CAD.

Do you have any future projects in the works? Currently, I am working on two other books: An Experimental Dinner Party at Midnight (the first three chapters of which are available as one of the donor rewards for Symbology’s charity campaign), and Kingdom Animalia. The first of these books is about a company of American men who are taken on a journey across time and space by Professor Dedrigk Mulberry’s latest experiment; the second is about a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by sentient animals.

Is there a tentative release date? I expect to conclude work on these within the next two years, though I have not set a tentative release date.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Certainly! If your readers would like to download Symbology, they can do so by visiting Symbology Facebook Page. There, they will find a pinned post which contains links to the book, the charity campaign, and the Grey Owl wikia page. Better yet is the fact that through the Facebook page, readers will be able to learn about different promotional events and contests (which are open to audiences from around the world). If readers would like to contact me personally with questions or queries, they can email me.

Tell my readers something about your book: Symbology is the story of the daring and eccentric Professor James Hubert Moonly. It takes place in the fictional English city of Grey Owl in the years 1927-1928. The story is kicked off by a mysterious explosion at a local rubber duck shoppe, which brings the good professor head-to-head with a dangerous criminal syndicate known as the League of the Symbol’s Vigil. The professor is joined by various travelling companions, including a British intelligence officer, an American general, and a rare Egyptian sunworm that lives in the cavity of Professor Moonly’s skull. Together, the professor and his friends must face the League in order to prevent a cataclysmic event that threatens to unravel time and space.

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Join me next weeks as I bring you more authors!

Authors in the Spotlight 10/3

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author Fatima Munroe!

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Name: Fatima Munroe

How long have you been published? I’ve been published since 4/15, currently I have written 12 books and contributed to 4 anthologies. My next book has a tentative release date of 1/14.

What’s the worst part about being published? I haven’t really had a negative experience being a published author. I’ve met some great people in the industry, and some who weren’t so great. For the most part, being published is similar to any other job that I’ve worked.

What’s the best part about being published? Best part about being published is the reviews and feedback that I’ve received from my readers. Knowing that I put something out in the world that has been received both positively and negatively has given me the tools needed to grow in my craft.

Are you self-published, or did you go through a publishing company? What are the highs? Lows? Currently I am signed to a publishing company, however I have completed a project with a group of self-published authors. Highs: being able to share my work with an established reader base while growing my own. Lows: promoting my work with an already demanding schedule. But isn’t that every author’s challenge? LOL!

What is the name of your book(s)? I’ve written Chi-Town’s Queen 1 – 3, Madam Co’caina: A Queen Pin’s Story 1-3, Ain’t No Thug Like The One I Got, Married To A Kingpin, A Thug and A Gentleman: Misa’s Story, Love, Betrayal, and Dirty Money, All I Have: A Collection Of Hood Love Stories, I Stay Down To Ride, Tell Me You Love Me, Boss Status: Loving A Street King (part 2 will be available 1/14/17), The Ink Masters Street Report, and Til Death Do Us Part-A Domestic Violence Anthology.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Yes and no. My first few series were, but I experienced a rough patch coupled with the death of someone very close to me last year. My writing was affected because of it; there is one book written during that time where I can see that period chronicled in my work.

What’s the hardest part about writing a book? Word counts! Seriously, writing a piece that will keep the reader entertained. Anyone can sit down and put words to paper; being able to see a story in your head, see your characters interact with one another and put those scenes on paper in a way that makes sense is the real challenge.

What’s the easiest part about writing a book? When you type the words, ‘The End’! LOL! I think the easiest part about writing is in the outlining of the book itself. Forming the story line, getting your characters’ names figured out, what the book is about, that’s the easy part.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? From my website, of course! Sign up to receive newsletters, exclusive sneak peeks, and contest alerts.

Do you have any future projects in the works? Is there a tentative release date? I have a few projects in the works, no tentative release dates as of yet. I’m working on a few anthologies as well as a prequel for one of my series. I’ve also partnered with another author and we’re on a standalone.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share? Of course! Follow me at: Facebook, Twitter, IG, Google+, Website, Email, and Wattpad.

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Join me on Thursday as I bring you author Penward Emelius!