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Book Reviewers Request
Interested in becoming one of Keebie Press’s book reviewers? If so, please click on the Google doc. form below to sign up for immediate and future opportunities. Paperback and eBook editions are available in exchange for honest reviews on vendor sites. Current available genres are inspirational poetry and middle grade fantasy fiction. I look forward to building successful author/reviewer partnerships.
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Christian Publishers
Bluebirds and Faith, Elephant Wisdom, and Poetic Christian Discourse may now be found on Christian Publishers’ website. See below for links!
Bluebirds and Faith is a poetry collection that celebrates God’s gift of eternal grace by finding joy, humility, and comfort in our surroundings. Inspired by the death of a beloved father, Grant shares her journey of sorrow and healing in a world that seems so incredibly far away from heaven. Finding mercy in the wings of a bluebird, Grant discovers that the separation between heaven and earth may not be as vast as we think. Poetry, one of the world’s most treasured artistic expressions, is the vessel used to explore faith in a world stricken with fear and sin. Free verse and Haiku poetic forms are spread heavily throughout. Grant hopes sharing her spiritual evolution will bring solace and peace to others at a time in their life when they feel no one else is listening. He always listens. God bless.
Elephant Wisdom is a poetry collection that explores topics equivalent to “the elephant in the middle of the room.” In other words, through a variety of poetic forms, utilizing a combination of free-verse, narrative, and rhythmic components, the poems encourage readers to broaden their minds and consider connections between science and religion while introducing the paradox of collective consciousness and universal forces. Unfortunately, loss is a topic that humanity has difficulty addressing with their friends and loved ones, leaving a significant lack of support for those who have or are currently experiencing grief. Elephant Wisdom addresses this gap of communal support through taboo themes such as infant death.
Poetic Christian Discourse, Vol. 1, is an inspirational poetry collection that offers readers a sense of hope, acknowledging the idea that humanity is not, never has been, and never will be perfect. The collection embraces Christian living, inviting readers to apply concepts from the Bible in their everyday lives while highlighting how elements of scientific discovery further provide evidential support of a divine creator. The past year and a half have been uniquely challenging and isolating for many, and it is during these times that people begin to look for meaning and purpose in their lives. Poetic Christian Discourse encourages readers to accept the human nature of sinning; it fosters the idea that we are not alone. Tomorrow is a new day, and by embracing our universal faults, we may find hope through unity and faith.
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Book Review: Bluebirds and Faith
Be sure to check out our new page on Reader’s Favorite to include our 5-star reviews! So exciting!
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Perseverance in Writing
My writing philosophy closely aligns with Oscar Wilde’s famous quote, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Although I completely understand there are underlying mechanics of formal writing that many authors follow, and book publisher editorial staffs expect, I also believe that writing is a form of creative expression that shouldn’t be tamed. What I do know about writing, is it means something very different to each author.
Writing styles vary drastically among peers, and for this reason, true art may flourish without boundaries. If everyone used the same syntax, visual structure, or perspective, how bland the world would truly be. Some writers are very organized and methodical; they create outlines, reverse outlines, and design their story, whether formally written or organized only in their thoughts. Other writers use a more free form and write as they go.
Defining “good” writing is quite difficult as it is a subjective analysis based on the preferences of each individual reader. Therefore, I feel as though “good” writing captures the author’s intention. Compositions changed to fulfill a specific genre’s expectations or novels edited to an extreme extent where the storyline is completely changed may increase book sales; but are these changes examples of “better writing?”
J.K. Rowling’s fantasy series, Harry Potter, is an excellent example of this paradox. The book series has sold over four hundred million copies. Upon completion of the first book, Ms. Rowling queried agents and was declined “loads” of times before the London publishing house, Bloomsbury, accepted the manuscript (Gillett). I often wonder what agents who declined the manuscript for not being marketable must think now. Rowling has been identified as the first author to become a billionaire from writing (Carmichael).
A commonly held belief is that writing is easy for successfully published authors. I don’t believe this to be true. At the beginning of each and every manuscript created is a blank page, a pen or pencil, and/or a keyboard. Ms. Rowling speaks to the tenacity and perseverance that all writers must possess and how failure itself will help a writer discover themselves. I believe there is something for all aspiring writers to learn from the most successful female author in history, and it has nothing to do with a financial payoff.
As shown in the following video, Rules for Success, The Top Ten Rules for Success, according to J.K. Rowling, are: failure helps you discover yourself; take action on your ideas; you will be criticized; the process is subjective; remember where you started; believe; there is always trepidation; life is not a checklist of achievements; persevere; dreams can happen; we have the power to imagine better (Carmichael).
In my future classroom, I hope to utilize a teaching philosophy known as holistic education. Put simply, the foundational approach to this style of instruction is concerned with the student’s ‘whole self.’ It attempts to recognize and understand that each student has various potentials in areas of intellect, emotion, artistic, and creative modes, among others (Wikipedia). Below is a short video that attempts to explain how the holistic educational approach can somewhat fill in the gaps for student learning: What Does ‘Holistic Learning’ Mean for Students?
As a writer myself, I understand the fear of failure and being critiqued on something as personal as bearing your soul on paper. However, following the example of J.K. Rowling, I further hope to help my students embrace the concept of believing in themselves.
BibliU. “What Does ‘Holistic Learning’ Mean for Students?” Online video clip. Youtube. YouTube, 1 August 2019. Web. 25 August 2019, youtu.be/2aFIfCwSEnc.
Carmichael, Evan. “J K. Rowling’s Top 10 Rules for Success (@jk_rowling).” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 15 September 2015. Web. 25 August 2019, youtu.be/bvMtUuedLwU.
Gillett, Rachel. “From welfare to one of the world’s wealthiest women — the incredible rags-to-riches story of J.K. Rowling.” Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/the-rags-to-riches-story-of-jk-rowling-2015-5. Accessed 25 August 2019.
Hain, John. “Medicine Wheel.” Pixabay, 16 September 2014. pixabay.com/illustrations/medicine-wheel-wisdom-power-vision-444550/. Accessed 25 August 2019. Copyright-free.
“Holistic Education.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org, 14 August 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holistic_education. Accessed 25 August 2019.