Treasuring Poetry – Meet poet and novelist, Jude Itakali, and a review

Posted: March 20, 2024 | Author: robbiesinspiration | Filed under: Uncategorized | 44 Comments

Welcome to fabulous poet and novelist, Jude Itakali. As a fellow African, Jude is from Uganda, I always feel we have a lot in common and that our love of this continent, its wildlife, and its people, shows through in our writing. Welcome Jude.

What is your favourite style of poetry to read?

It’s so difficult to choose. I love different forms for different reasons and employ them depending on the purpose.

However, if I had to choose one, I’d go with “haibun”. The transition from vivid verbiage and concise prose, to a juxtaposed haiku which most often provides the ‘wow’ moment, really hits the spot for me. So yeah, haibun it is.

What is your favourite poem in your favourite style to read?

It’s near impossible to pick a favourite as I read poetry in a cocktail of forms and never really remember which haibun or sonnet was my favourite. But I’ll include two haibuns that I read recently that really got me:

Susan B. Auld

 Directed by reception I wait. But not in the same room where I once sat with other pregnant women, where we spoke soft conversations, smiled in recognition, crocheted pastel blankets, read parenting magazines, made lists of things to buy, to do. There is no baby now

winter rain

an empty nest

beneath the tree

Margaret Domaus

 His fingers – are what I can’t stop conjuring. Long and slender nails trim and clean, a baker’s hands lightly dusted with flour.
       snowbound     

 the underground pulse       

of hot springs

What is your favourite style of poetry to write? Why?

Another tough choice. Ask me on a different day and I’ll likely have a different answer. But Afro now, I’ll go with ‘etheree’. I love its descending/ascending order of syllables depending on whether to write a reverse etheree or not. This is because writing in this form enables me to expand my musing upon a single word or simple thought, or else to comprehend complex musings and reduce them to a particular word or single thought.

What is your favourite of your own poems in your favourite style?

My favourite amongst the haibun I’ve written is the most difficult question I have to answer here. It’s impossible to choose amongst my babies. I write all of them with so much emotion. Because of this, I’ll simply pick the most recent haibun from my blog. It’s a little bit longer than a single paragraph and haiku, so I’ll include the link instead:

World of the fae #haibun poetry

How do you promote your poetry and poetry books?

Not very well I’m afraid. Promotion is a work in progress. For now, I write for my blog, twitter, and do creative reels on my Instagram. I’m still trying to figure out the self-promotion thing, so any help is absolutely welcome.

Thank you so much for listening to me mumbling.

My review of Jude’s latest book, Dark Butterflies: Poetry and short stories of mental health

Dark Butterflies is a deep and compelling exploration of the darker side of life. Itakali uses poems and short stories to expose the mental health issues that lie hidden under the shiny surface of societies. Some of the poems and short prose pieces interspersed with syllabic poetry, are told from two or even multiple points of view and experiences, which I really liked. One of my favourite prose pieces is A Tale of Two Beauties which is truly heart warming.

A few of the themes explored in this book, with a relevant quote, are as follows:

Child abuse – ‘You carry the mark of a black kiss,
A bruise etched into your every wish’ from Child fleeing light

Loss of hope – ‘All wonder diminishes in their reflection
The light that once sparked is gone’ from Unseen

Split personalities – ‘By day she is Anne
By night she is Liz’ from Split

Drug abuse – ‘Syringe on the cracked floor
Pills to numb the stench of failure’ from Dark themes we do not see

Loneliness – ‘In the dark hour before dawn, I scale the precipice
Of loneliness. If only for a glimpse of a dream.’

Each of the harrowing mental illnesses or seemingly inescapable circumstances, is handled with compassion and understanding by the poet.

This is a beautiful collection that opens the reader’s eyes to the places in life where the shadows have ownership and trauma is the dwellers daily companion.

You can purchase Dark Butterflies from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Butterflies-Poetry-stories-mental-ebook/dp/B0CJ54YLST

Jude also has another poetry book and two novels in the Realms of the Mist series. You can find all of Jude’s books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jude-Itakali/author/B093BJSYTB

About Jude Itakali

Jude Itakali is a poet, writer and fiction author from the suburbs of Kampala, Uganda.

Itakali never liked sharing his books as a child. That has changed, especially since he started writing his own.

A lifelong obsession with ‘the good story’ evoked his personal phrase, “Reality is all around us, but fantasy is a part of us.” Egged on by a conniving appetite to consume works across genres, Itakali crafts the compelling themes and rounded characters in his books.

When not ‘life-ing’ or pursuing infrequent exercise routines, you can find Itakali writing fiction in a small cubicle, or under a tree, furnishing his website, Tales told different, with life epiphanies, ponderous prose, and poetry.

About Robbie Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and three poetry books. Her work also features in several poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie and Michael Cheadle have recently launched a new series of children’s books called Southern African Safari Adventures. The first book, Neema the Misfit Giraffe is now available from Amazon.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

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Treasuring Poetry, 2024: Introducing the poetry of DL Mullan and a review #poetry #poetrycommunity #TreasuringPoetry

Posted: January 17, 2024 | Author: robbiesinspiration | Filed under: Uncategorized | 54 Comments

Today, I am pleased to introduce the poetry of poet and author, DL Mullan, as well as my review of her poetry collection, The Descent.

Over to DL Mullan

Thank you for this opportunity to discuss poetry with your audience. I am grateful to share my love of the creative arts with fellow enthusiasts.

Poetry is a part of the writing craft that is an art and science with a touch of mysticism. It is much more than words on a page. It’s a feeling, a moment… a place engaged inside of our hearts and souls that cannot be duplicated on film or in prose. The science of meter and rhyme meet the art of turning a phrase or metaphor into a memory.

Still verses express an economy of words, which speaks volumes in the empty spaces. Poetry is about reading the content, but also extracting a personal meaning. Sometimes the poet gives the reader the context, and at other times, the reader grasps a connection with the words beyond the initial texture of the composition.

To illustrate, Transcendence, from my Impetus chapbook, is one of those poems that becomes both context and connection:

Transcendence by DL Mullan

I have this little place in me

that will always be alone.

No matter the circumstances

-the outside world,

or anything given to me-

it will forever be there.

It’s that part of me you can never touch.

Never be healed. Never feel redeemed.

A place so isolated from the rest of my life,

it keeps me hungry, destitute-

it’s a fragment that lacks belief.

Don’t try to heal me, or know this place;

this longing need keeps silent.

Without this solitary eclipse that creeps into my life,

I could never find any kind of peace.

This curse cuts me deep.

Penetrates my soul.

Reveals me. Liberates me.

The one place that keeps me from being whole

-is the one place you cannot reach.

Without this lone embrace,

my life, your love would be meaningless.

A poet has to be many ideas to many people: the fire bearer of unrivaled passion; the vocabulary of a priest, lover, and devil’s advocate; the heart of a broken soul; the perseverance of an honorable warrior; the spirit of a wise sorcerer.

People enjoy poetry, because the poet expresses what they wish to hear or say. Words reach through the ages. Consoles us. Enlightens us. Reminds us of our own vulnerabilities.

The Good Morrow by John Donne

I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I

Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?

But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?

Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?

’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.

If ever any beauty I did see,

Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.

And now good-morrow to our waking souls,

Which watch not one another out of fear;

For love, all love of other sights controls,

And makes one little room an everywhere.

Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,

Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,

Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,

And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;

Where can we find two better hemispheres,

Without sharp north, without declining west?

Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;

If our two loves be one, or, thou and I

Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.

And makes one little room an everywhere… a poet conjures such repleteness and amplifies our innate impulses, if we only have the courage to be as one with another. Do you have the courage to live forever because of love?

This poem by John Donne, The Good Morrow, began my journey into the magical realm of writing poetry. Some may believe that Edgar Allan Poe was the genesis, but the classics generated the progression toward his writings. The Descent: a darker breed of poetry is my genre inspired chapbook. Upon Reading Edgar Allan Poe is in homage to him.

Poetry seemed daunting to write at first. In adolescence, I would rewrite song lyrics for friends. It was easy to complete someone else’s rhythm and rhyme, while my original creations remained in prose. In college is where I met John Donne, and other poets throughout the ages.

In this concise form of narration, I enjoy telling stories. I have embarked on writing short thematic chapbooks as well as publishing long form poems. Effloresce: Earth Changes is my Arizona inspired chapbook, which is under expansion. Eclipse: Cloaked by Totality is a compilation of poetry about how humanity views solar and lunar eclipses from science to legend. My Long Form Poetry like Galactic Ride, Undisclosed, and The Rain take the reader on a journey beyond the norm. This past summer I published a lyrical prose short story piece called The Jonah Collector, based on seafaring lore.

To pick a favorite poem that I have written is difficult. Each poem is my favorite in its own way. I write poems which speak a universal truth. When a poem hovers at that level of mysticism, what isn’t there to love? Either lyrical stanzas or descriptive verses, every poem holds a special place within me.

Here are a few examples:

The Flower Within by DL Mullan

Hear not the silence in the new fallen snow

embankments high of drifted wonder hide

all that winter buries underneath its surface

and cocoons itself in an invisible whisper

when temperatures rise, sounds of rustling begin

from the depths of a volitional quietus

small lives will break beyond their shells

as they ascend toward the sunlit heavens

and discover how to unleash their power

by finding the flower within.

Weather by DL Mullan

Bending.

            Resisting.

Opaque patterns web across the aging twilight.

Reflection meets citrine, ruby, sapphire–

Shapes stretch.

Reaching.

            Touching.

The placid breeze spreads unevenly. Cumulus formations emerge.

Imagination awakens.

Building.

            Sweeping.

Luminous wings expand. Gracious angel, show the world your glory.

Magnificence reigns.

Collapsing.

            Fading.

Overcast merges with night. Dreams condense. The rain soaked wind roars.

The future of my lyrical rhymes is to write poetry that matters. A poet should have an authentic voice that reaches across philosophical lines. In addition to topic-based chapbooks, I create my own forms of poetry, including cinquains. I experiment with structure and form, as well as rhyme. I am interested in the challenge of creating something new and unsaid.

I would like to leave readers with a poem that combines art and science with that hint of mysticism: 

Asymptote by DL Mullan

The line observed.

Its angles transparent,

Like the fanciful dream of a sliding geometry.

It’s the hint of curve that plagues me

of a slender and willful architecture.

It’s the acute optics that pitch me downward

into a maze of unrevealed canvas

unearthed and unexplained

and spreading into the heart of oblivion.

Thank you, DL Mullan, for this lovely discussion.

The Descent: a darker breed of poetry by DL Mullan

What Amazon says

This chapbook houses “a darker breed of poetry,” from paranormal research topics to metaphysical literary iterations. There is a poem for everyone who is curious about genre-inspired poetry. DL Mullan’s readers praise her work as easy to read, understand… and satisfying:

“The poem [Breathe] is as scrumptious and sensual as it is dark and deep.”

“This is a first for me. I have never read genre poetry before. I love it. Hugely imaginative and utterly unique…”

“As if Poe came right off the page. This homage is literally perfect.”  

“The language and flow here is superb, the description detailed. This also has an air of mystery, almost Halloween-ish.” 

“‘Until once again, night revisits his kingdom and he is resurrected.’ You know your subject. Are you reminiscing about an owl, or our immortal souls?” 

“Both the language (the word choices) and the rich imagery here is exquisite! You have blended sound, description, meaning- all, in a way that shows precise crafting.” 

“A lot of thought has gone into this very interesting poem, which made me think, which is what poetry should be all about, 5-star poem

My review

This collection of mysterious and slightly chilling poetry revolves around the topic of death in all it permutations: the process of dying, what it feels like to die or be dead, grievers and grieving, the afterlife, and spirits and the spirit world.

A most intriguing poem about reading Edgar Allan Poe and the influence of his works on the poet, kicks off this collection. As a fellow member of the Poe admiration club, I really enjoyed this poem and identified with the poet’s thoughts and reactions to all his magnificent poems. This is a short quote from ‘Upon Reading Edgar Allan Poe’:

“A peculiar doorway opens inside of me.
Listen to the music playing, hear the voice, of beautiful Lenore.
Sing to me a violent ballad of love.”

Another interesting introductory poem, is entitled ‘Death Replies to Emily Dickinson’, an extraordinary response to Emily Dickinson’s poem ‘Because I Could Not Stop for Death’. This inspirational poem is the perfect introduction to the poems that lie ahead in this collection. For me, this stanza sums up the collection:

“Instead, come. Join the procession into the unchartered
where rarely seen a setting sun and gloom is discarded.”

I really enjoyed this unusual collection of dark poetry. It is certainly unique and inspired. A few of my favourite poems from this book, with short quotes, are as follows:

The Rocking Chair:
“Dusty chair rocks. He used to sit there: in the corner looking out the window.”

Spirit Box (My favourite of all the poems):
“Four different voices sung through the waves.
Each expressing their own distinct individuality.”

Alone with My Thoughts:
“Death can be harsh. Death can be amusing.
Your perspective is needed to see that death is a rite of passage
that all of us will be using.”

If you enjoy Poe and like to experience different perspectives on poetry, this book will enthrall you.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CKWKCNZ3

About DL Mullan

DL Mullan has been writing award-level poetry for thirty years. Recently, she has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. Ms. Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies.

As an independent publisher, she produces her own book cover designs and video presentations, as well as maintains her own websites. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet. 

Join her Undawntable Newsletter for everything Undawnted. Be sure to enroll in her Substack writing program, RhymeScribe, which focuses on the form and function of poetry. Become a YouTube subscriber for her Poetry Slam updates.

http://www.undawnted.com

http://www.undawnted.com/p/poetry.html http://www.undawnted.com/p/long-form-poetry.html

About Robbie Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work also features in several poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie and Michael Cheadle have recently launched a new series of children’s books called Southern African Safari Adventures. The first book, Neema the Misfit Giraffe is now available from Amazon.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

You can find example of Robbie Cheadle’s artwork in her art gallery here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/art-gallery/

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Treasuring Poetry – Thinking of cancer sufferers and survivors at Christmas, as well as those who have passed #cancerpoetry #bookreview #TreasuringPoetry

Posted: December 20, 2023 | Author: robbiesinspiration | Filed under: Uncategorized | 51 Comments

I like to keep this final Treasuring Poetry post for the year as a tribute to wonderful blogger, poet, and author, Sue Vincent, who passed on the 29th of March 2021. This year, I am adding blogger and writer, Mary Smith, who passed on Christmas Day 2021. Both Sue and Mary died of lung cancer, and were a huge loss to the blogging community which still remembers their community spirit, talent, and generosity.

This post is also a celebrating my mother, Elsie Hancy Eaton, a breast cancer survivor who has been in remission for nearly 7 years, and talented author and poet, Freya Pickard, who is a bowel cancer survivor.

Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent’s wonderful blog: Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo is still available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeXvcrOUl5I. You will find all her books listed there.

This is my reading of one of Sue’s poems which features in Poetry Treasures published by WordCrafter Press:

Mary Smith

I had the good fortune to meet Mary Smith in Dumfries during my family’s tour of Scotland in 2019. This is the post I wrote about our tour of Dumfries, with Mary as our marvelous guide, and my review of her book, Secret Dumfries:

A tour of Dumfries and my review of Secret Dumfries by Mary Smith and Keith Kirk

Freya Pickard

Freya Pickard is a talented poet and fantasy author.

You can find Freya on her blogs here: https://dragonscaleclippings.wordpress.com/ and here: https://purehaiku.wordpress.com/

My review of Vampirical Verse by Freya Pickard

What Amazon says

This book is for the broken, the damaged and scarred.

This book is for the walking dead who have learnt to live as best they can with hollow hearts and gaping wounds.

“They (the poems) are straight from the heart, soul and gut. They are never trite, never overblown but wonderfully, articulate and rich in imagery.” S Moore

Broken people get through the experience of brokenness and then have to adapt to living with it and its effects on the other side.

To deny we are broken is wrong. To try and forget the horror is wrong. Who we are today has been forged out of the trauma we have been though. Our lives now take a different, somewhat darker turn.

Vampirical Verse reflects the emotional, mental and spiritual fallout from cancer. These poems are an attempt by Freya Pickard to express the inexpressible.

Warning – the poetry in this volume contains themes of death, suicide, cancer and sexual acts which some readers may find upsetting.

My review

“This book is for the walking dead who have learnt to live as best they can with hollow hearts and gaping wounds.”

The author says her brokenness comes from nearly dying of bowel cancer, having open surgery to remove the tumour, a uterine fibroid, and her womb. She then had six months of chemotherapy.

I have had several first hand experiences of the emotional, mental, and physical devastation caused by chronic illness, and dreaded disease. It impacts on the patient and on everyone around them. My own experiences include nursing family members through breast cancer, a pulmonary embolism, a venous sinus thrombosis, and chronic and on-going illnesses suffered by both of my two sons. My younger son is a ‘medical mystery’ or a ‘medical miracle’ depending on your viewpoint.

People react differently to chronic illness and near death experiences, but no-one escapes unscathed. The poems in this book are the author’s expressions of the fear, anger, and stoic numbness which accompany different stages of treatment and survival. Experiencing these poems will change you, as the disease itself changed the author. They will teach you compassion, appreciation, understanding, and gratitude.

A few of the stanzas in this book that resonated with me the longest.

From: The Dead
“the dead feel –
I am not in stasis as you believe
I fluctuate between despair and hope
empty days, lonely nights”

From Camouflaged
“if you blink
you’ll catch a glimpse
and wish you’d not;
I am the thought
you didn’t want to think”

and a haiku
“on this side of death
shadows remain long, gaunt, thin
light never expands”

If you know someone who is, or has, suffered chronic illness or dreaded disease, these poems will give insight into their world. I encourage lovers of poetry to read this book and allow yourself to change and grow.

You can purchase Vampirical Verse from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Vampirical-Verse-Dragonscale-Delvings-Book-ebook/dp/B0CH4Q8KD8

This is a performance of Wake up and smell the corpses by Freya Pickard:

Elsie Hancy Eaton

My mum was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. She had 19 months of treatment including chemotherapy and herceptin.

Mum is my co-author for While the Bombs Fell. This is the most successful of my books and has 64 reviews on Goodreads. You can purchase a copy here: https://tslbooks.uk/product/while-the-bombs-fell-robbie-cheadle-and-elsie-hancy-eaton/

While the Bombs Fell is my mother’s story, growing up in Suffolk, UK during World War 2.

Wishing all my blogging friends a very Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2024.

About Robbie Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work also features in several poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie and Michael Cheadle have recently launched a new series of children’s books called Southern African Safari Adventures. The first book, Neema the Misfit Giraffe is now available from Amazon.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

You can find example of Robbie Cheadle’s artwork in her art gallery here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/art-gallery/

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Growing Bookworms – Guest post with children’s author, poet, and memoirist, Miriam Hurdle #GrowingBookworms #childrensfiction #readingcommunity

Posted: December 13, 2023 | Author: robbiesinspiration | Filed under: Uncategorized | 138 Comments

Today, I am delighted to welcome children’s author, poet, and memoirist, Miriam Hurdle, as my final Growing Bookworms guest for 2023.

Miriam is a diverse author with a poetry book, memoir about her cancer journey, and a delightful children’s book called Tina Lost in a Crowd. Welcome, Miriam.

What is your history of writing for children?

I was the Director of the Children’s Department in a literacy organization in Hong Kong. My job was writing for a children’s magazine and promoting literature in elementary schools.

After I came to the U.S., I always wanted to write children’s stories again. In 2006, I took an online writing course at the Institute of Children’s Literature https://www.instituteforwriters.com for a year. An instructor corresponded with me to provide feedback and suggestions on my assignments and revisions. The Institute also provided marketing tools and an annual catalog of 800 magazines accepting submissions. The goal of the course was to have my essays published.

The Institute suggested that children’s literature writers observe the children. If the writers were not teachers or adults with young children at home, they could volunteer at organizations such as libraries or Boy/Girl Scouts to get first-hand experience to understand their behaviors and language.

At the time of taking the writing course, even though I was a school district administrator, my interaction with the elementary school students was still fresh in my mind.

There were many fun memories of activities with my daughter, Mercy. I combined one story about Mercy, my understanding of the children’s behaviors, and my writing skills to write my first assignment entitled “Tina Goes to Hollywood Bowl.”

I kept the stories written during this course in a computer folder for many years. Early in the year 2020, during the lockdown, I revised the Tina story to prepare for publication.

Your book, Tina Lost in a Crowd, involves lost children. Was it based on a personal experience of some kind?

The story of Tina Lost in a Crowd is partly based on fact. When my daughter Mercy was eight years old, my sister Yolanda, her husband Patrick, and their son Enoch, who was Mercy’s age, came from Hong Kong to visit us. We took them on tours in northern and southern California. One activity was going to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. I drove the five of us to Rowland Heights Regional Park, then we took the Park & Ride bus to the Hollywood Bowl.

The sky was dark with bright stars when the concert started. Mercy and Enoch swayed side to side when they listened to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and smiled at each other. During the intermission, Patrick left his seat to buy some popcorn. Mercy and Enoch wanted to use the restroom. Yolanda and I urged them to catch up with Patrick.

Later, when Patrick came back without them, I panicked. Imagine losing 8-year-old kids in a crowd of 18,000 people. How would I find them? Yolanda and Patrick stayed in their seats while I followed the descending steps between the sections of seats to where I thought they could have gone.

I found them standing against a wall! It was such a relief, but I was curious about what made them stand there. “Were you scared?” I asked them.

“Not too scared,” Mercy said, “I learned from the Girl Scouts that if I get lost, I should stay at one spot to wait for the adults to find me.”

This was one of my fondest memories. I asked Mercy, “Should I write a story about this experience?” She answered me with no hesitance, “Of course!”

The story became Tina Lost in a Crowd.

The illustrations in your book are outstanding. How did you go about choosing an illustrator for your story? Did you have much input into the illustration process?

I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). On one blog post, it featured an illustrator and her work. I liked the style of her artwork, so I contacted her and got an idea of how much she would charge for the number of pages in my book and how long it would take to complete the job. She charged more than my budgeted amount.

Some blogging friends recommended some websites with illustration services, and I checked them out. Some illustrators charged by hours. They didn’t have a portfolio with sample artwork, so I couldn’t tell if I liked their style. I preferred using services charged for the job not by hours.

Another recommendation from a blogger was Fiverr. I decided to search for an illustrator on Fiverr.com. https://www.fiverr.com The “gigs” provide their bio, sample work, and prices. Some would provide limited, and some unlimited revisions.

I do watercolor painting and wish to illustrate my book, but I don’t do portrait painting. There are thousands of gigs out there, and it would take forever to scroll through all the pages to find one. I entered watercolor as the criteria for the children’s illustration and got 660 services. It took me six months to find one I liked. I paid for one sample page. It was the style I liked so I ordered the rest as part of my entire book.

After I accepted the sample page, I sent the story summary and the description of each page to her. She then sent me a few sketches at a time. I gave her my feedback and suggestions. She revised them and sent them to me. Sometimes I respected her creativity and approved it. But if they didn’t correspond with my story, I asked for further revisions until they were done to my satisfaction. It was a pleasant experience working with Victoria Skakandi.

What do you like best about writing for children?

I was an elementary school teacher for 15 years before becoming a school district administrator. I loved teaching small children. They love to learn and are receptive to new ideas. I started by teaching kindergarten and eventually taught first to fourth grade before doing administration. I had lists of students’ first 100, 200, and 1000 words, etc. So, I had a good idea of their vocabulary level. Some immigrant students might not have the same vocabulary levels but they were expected to understand the subjects of studies. Teachers would have to use teaching materials with high content with low vocabulary to teach these students.

From my teaching experience, I love to use grade-level-appropriate words to write stories that boost their creativity, stimulate their imagination, build their confidence, encourage self-confidence, or for them to read for fun.

What is your favorite children’s book or series for children?

When I was a kid, I loved to read Aesop’s Fables. When I read them to my students, they would shout with me at the end of the fable “The moral of the lesson is…” My granddaughter, Autumn, loved The Magic School Bus series. Between my daughter and I, we accumulated a good collection of different subjects. She loved to look at the illustrations and followed the school bus transforming into a submarine, an airplane, and other transportation. One subject of the Magic School Bus was dinosaurs. After introducing the names of the dinosaurs, it created some fun names with illustrations, such as “bananasaurs,” and “sockosaurs.” We laughed and made up our own funny dinosaur names.

My review of Tina Lost in a Crowd

What Amazon says

Tina invited her friend Erica to attend a popular Tchaikovsky’s Spectacular concert on a summer evening with her parents. During the intermission, her dad left the seat to buy some snacks. Tina and Erica followed him wanting to use the restroom. The shoving crowd pushed them away, and they lost sight of him. It would be impossible to fight through the 18,000 people to find him or go back to Tina’s mom.

This story tells about what happened to Tina and Erica after they got lost. Children can adapt to learning from different situations they may observe or encounter. Adults could have discussions with the children about the situations to help them develop problem-solving skills.

My review

Tina Lost in a Crowd is a charming book for children about two young school friends who attend a busy concert with Tina’s parents and get lost on their way to the restroom.

I enjoyed the character of Tina, a lovely and friendly girl who demonstrated politeness and respect towards both her teacher and her parents as well as consideration towards her friend. She has sufficient presence of mind not to panic in the scary situation of being lost in a big crowd.

The depiction of Tina’s family life and her mother’s interest in her and eagerness to plan some fun family outings for the summer vacation are heart warming and lovely to see in a children’s book. I liked the fact that Tina’s mother made a picnic for her family and Tina’s friend, Erica, to enjoy at the concert with good, wholesome food.

The illustrations in this book are a real treat and every page is a visual delight. I would recommend this book to parents and caregivers who like books that encourage good family values and level headedness by children in difficult situations.

Purchase Tina Lost in a Crowd from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Tina-Lost-Crowd-Miriam-Hurdle-ebook/dp/B095TWG9VS

About Miriam Hurdle

Miriam Hurdle is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She published four children’s books at twenty-six years old. Her poetry collection received the Solo “Medalist Winner” for the New Apple Summer eBook Award and achieved bestseller status on Amazon.

Miriam writes poetry, short stories, memoir, and children’s books. She earned a Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne in California. After two years of rehabilitation counseling, fifteen years of public-school teaching and ten years in school district administration, she retired and enjoys life with her husband in southern California, and the visits to her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters in Oregon. When not writing, she engages in blogging, gardening, photography, and traveling.

Learn more about Miriam at:

https://theshowersofblessings.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/edit/17252131.Miriam_Hurdle

Tweets by mhurdle112

About Robbie Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

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