Book Review: Ever So Gently – A Collection of Poetry

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

About the Book

In Ever So Gently, Lauren Scott shares her strong link to nature, taking the reader on a tranquil walk through a redwood grove. You’ll find an invitation to sit quietly on a patio, captivated by the simple beauty of a hummingbird. She’ll entice you to revel on the shore of a freshwater lake, mesmerized by its stunning beauty.

Scott shares how love has shaped her life. From that first delicious kiss to celebrating decades of marriage through a love that deepens over time. How her heart melted when she became a mom, then ached when her children started their adult lives across country. And how her adorable canine companions found their way into her heart.

Scott underscores how life presents mysteries we struggle to solve. We can’t help but ponder the deeper meaning of a simple vision. She prompts you to reminisce and reflect on your past, present, and future. Through the ups and downs. what matters most is to love and live ever so gently.

Purchase Link:

My Review

For me, poetry is best enjoyed in print, where I can hold the book in my hands and leaf through the pages, taking in each poem in small doses, and revisting those poems which have sparked further thought in my mind. So, I was tickled to receive a print copy of Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry from author Lauren Scott. In this delightful collection, we hear the author’s confident approach to life, feel her inner appreciation of the natural world arond her, and gain insight into value of connection with the people she loves and cares about.

Poetry is so personal, offering a window into the author’s soul, and Ever So Gently does this beautifully. Many of the poems contained within resonated with me on a personal level. As a both nature and animal lover, the vivid images of the cautiously flitting hummingbird, a garden renewed, and beloved pets helped me to feel the moments described within each, as if witnessing or experiencing them.

Messages from the Sea

listen intently

inhale, exhale, feel the calm

your soul will tank you

secrets ride the waves

ebbing, flowing in turquoise

we are not privy

whispers in the surf

ambiguous to discern

relish in their song

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For Lauren Scott, nature is soothing, healing. I can relate with that as nature is also where I go for solace.

Chilling Embrace

I have been embraced

by the chilling presence

of lonliness.

I have wondered where the niche

designed for me exists in this world

in which my breaths originate.

I have waited for the glow

to emerge behind the shadows.

But when I take that soft step

into the splendor of nature,

listen to the treeswhisper their sagacity,

feel the flowing rivers move my pain,

creating vast distance between it and me,

I have been revived by the compassion

that nature offers so unselfishly.

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But my very favorites were the poems in which she expressed her love of the written word, a love that I share, so can relate well with.

Books

Stories, poetry

Compelling, transporting, entertaining

Turning pages is exciting

Paperbacks

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But my true favorite is the poem that shares the title the book is so aptly named for. In it I see clearly the author’s positive, grounded attitude toward life. A wonderful outlook, to be sure.

Ever So Gently

Sometimes we get lost

in our thoughts…

losing focus of the stars

lighting up the night sky.

We tumble too deeply

into the frontal lobe,

allowing negative thoghts

to awaken, to throw a tantrum.

Remember, the breeze carries

burdens down river

and across oceans,

majestic trees sway with joy,

sheltering from shadows,

and the light shines even if only

a slight glimmer slips through.

Its glow will grow ever so gently

into a bright beacon of hope

rising with the golden sun

bringing clarity to our vision.

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With her uplifting poetic verse Lauren Scott basks in the earth’s beauty, cherishes loved ones, ponders life’s mysteries. Highly recommended. I give Ever So Gently five quills.

Five circles with WordCrafter quill logo in each one.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.


Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships” Book Blog Tour

Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Book Blog Tour

We’ve had a great tour for Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships, but now it’s time to bring the fun to a close. To wrap things up today, we have a guest post from contributing author and poet Leon Stevens.

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Why do I write poetry? Maybe poetry writes me.

I like the conciseness of a poem and how it can capture a moment, thought, emotion, experience, or an observation, like a painting. With descriptive colors, thoughtful hues, rhyming shades, and new perspectives, when inspiration comes—usually when I least expect it—I just need to put it into words.

People will often say that they don’t understand poetry. I try not to hide the meaning in the words, rather I want to use the poem as a way to describe the feelings I have at that time. Life is a struggle. Poetry doesn’t have to be.

I wrote the four “ego” poems out of a need to understand why people act in ways that seemed detrimental to positive interactions. Watching people posturing, jockeying for status, and exerting pressure for personal gain, left me shaking my head and rolling my eyes.

Ego. The mention of ego can set people on the defensive. Ego drives greed, fame, and power, but it can also drive ambition, innovation, and progress.

“You have an ego.” Is it an insult, a compliment, or a fact? We associate having an ego with a negative trait because usually, it’s somebody’s ego that gets in the way of healthy relationships, sabotages the progress of others, or projects a not-so-amiable image. But, if you have a strong sense of self and abilities, an ego can help propel you forward in your personal endeavors.

I suspect that many readers can relate to at least one of the poems. We know the one who always needs to be the center of attention, the person who is always right, the one who thrives on social status, and the person who constantly seeks affirmation. Often, they are the fragile ones, and we see the positives and for those reasons, we keep them within our grasp.

-Leon Stevens

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Leon Stevens is an author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publication is the novella, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories. He is currently working on a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.

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Get your copy today: https://books2read.com/u/3kP8aK

That wraps things up for the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Book Blog Tour. Don’t forget to leave a comment, because you have to comment on each of the eight blog stops to be entered for a chance to win a free digital copy of this wonderful poetry anthology. It doesn’t have to be a long or even particularly smart; just enough to let me know you were there. If you missed any of the stops, I will post them here and I won’t do the drawing until tomorrow, so everyone will have plenty of time to visit this last stop and any that they have missed:

Day 1: Writing to be Read: Guest post by Lauren Scott

Day 2: ShiftNShake: Guest post and three readings by Robbie Cheadle

Day 3: The Showers of Blessings: Guest post by Lynda McKinney Lambert

Day 4: Bay Dreamer Writes: Guest post by Miriam Hurdle

Day 5: Zigler’s News: Guest post by M.J. Mallon & Review by Victoria Zigler

Day 6: This is My Truth Now: James Cudney interviews Kaye Lynne Booth

Day 7: Robbie’s Inspiration: Guest post by Colleen M. Chesebro

Day 8: Brings us right back here to Writing to be Read and the wonderful guest post by Leon Stevens. Thanks for following the tour and don’t forget to get your copy of Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships. 😉 Bye for now.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Welcome to the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships” Book Blog Tour!

Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Book Blog Tour

In Celebration of National Poetry Month!

Relationships are golden and each of

 Arthur Rosch, Elizabeth Merry,

D Avery, Robbie Cheadle,

Harmony Kent, Lauren Scott,

JulesPaige, Leon Stevens,

Colleen M. Chesebro, Miriam Hurdle,

M J Mallon, and Lynda McKinney Lambert 

pay poetic tribute to their most intense

personal moments.

This is Day 1 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Book Blog Tour, and I want to tell you all, you are in for some real poetic treats this week. This wonderfully unique collection of poetry features works by Robbie Cheadle and her poetic guests from the 2021 “Treasuring Poetry” blog series right here on Writing to be Read, and it really is a treasure chest filled with poetic gems. We’ve got a fantastic eight day tour planned for you to learn more about this poetry anthology and I hope you will all join us through each tour stop.

Day 1: Opening Day here on Writing to be Read with a guest post from contributing author Lauren Scott.

Day 2: Finds us at the ShiftNShake blog with a guest post from blog series host, contributing author and editor Robbie Cheadle.

Day 3: The Showers of Blessings will host a guest post from contributing author Lynda McKinney Lambert.

Day 4: Bay Dreamer Writes will host a guest post from contributing author Miriam Hurdle.

Day 5: Zigler’s News will bring us a guest post from contributing author M.J. Mallon and a review by Victoria Zigler.

Day 6: The publisher, (that’s me), will be in the interview spotlight over at This is My Truth Now.

Day 7: Robbie’s Inspiration hosts with a guest post from contributing author Colleen M. Chesebro.

Day 8: Writing to be Read will wrap things up with a guest post from contributing author Leon Stevens.

Follow the tour and leave a comment at each stop to be entered

in a random drawing for a free digital copy of

***Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships***

That all being said, I’m going to turn this post over to a wonderful author and poet, Lauren Scott. Enjoy the tour. Don’t forget to leave your comments for your chance at a free digital copy of this wonderful collection of poetry gems.

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I am thrilled to announce the release of Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships, an anthology consisting of poetry from twelve authors. It is an honor to be among a group of amazing poets in this lovely collection that was compiled by Kaye Lynne Booth and Robbie Cheadle. Below is a little backstory of how Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships was born:

Kaye’s words:

In January of 2020, Robbie Cheadle introduced a new blog series on Writing to be Read called “Treasuring Poetry”, which quickly rose in popularity. Once a month, Robbie would feature one
author/poet in a formatted Q&A and review their latest book on a blog platform where favorite poems could be shared and discussed. Robbie had some wonderful guests who are both talented poets and authors, and Robbie was attracting quite a bit of blog traffic.


By the end of 2020, we had a list of 12 talented poets who we felt were gems, so in 2021 we created a poetry anthology and invited Robbie’s “Treasuring Poetry” guests from the previous year to add their own contributions. The result was the first volume of Poetry Treasures, which was well received. 2021 had an equally talented line-up of guests, so we decided to do it again.

In Poetry Treasures 2: A Treasure Chest of Relationships, we’ve found some new gems. From the “Treasuring Poetry” guests of 2021, we have contributions from some very talented poets who are treasures in and of themselves: Arthur Rosch, Elizabeth Merry, D. Avery, Harmony Kent, Lauren Scott, Jules Paige, Leon Stevens, Miriam Hurdle, M.J. Mallon, Lynda McKinney Lambert, and of course, Robbie Cheadle. But unlike the pirates of olden days, we won’t bury our treasures. We want to share them with the world. I hope that you will enjoy reading these poems as much I’ve enjoyed helping to put them altogether.

I have contributed four poems, and the first, “The Fine Points” was inspired by my 33-year marriage to my husband. He is literally my best friend. The love we have shared over the years survived tough times when life threw us curveballs out of our control, but that same love thrived in more joyful moments than I can name. From the beginning when we shared our vows, when cell phones and computers were unheard of, we delivered unconditional love to each other that harbored no expectations of us to change in any way. I can’t ask for anything more.

After a couple years of marriage, our daughter was born, then our son completed our family three years later. Fast forward many years and our children are well into their adulting years.

“2020 in Digital” speaks of the chaos that raged in 2020, but how our year was brightened by our daughter and son-in-law’s unconventional yet beautiful wedding. They had been engaged for two years, together for nine, then Covid entered into the equation. A big wedding wasn’t going to happen due to restrictions, and they didn’t want to wait. So, they chose to do the next best thing.

“Something Right” was inspired when my husband and I were close to becoming empty nesters. Our daughter who is mentioned above had been out of the house for three years. Our son was about to venture into the world, paving his own path. Exciting, joyful, yet bittersweet. They both live across the country, pursuing their dreams, and we couldn’t be prouder knowing they’re making it on their own. But there are just too many states in between us, so hopefully, we can minimize that number in the near future.

Lastly, the poem entitled, “The Roses” is about my parents who have left our physical world. They used to love working in the garden, taking special pride in their roses. We miss them so much. It’s very surreal losing both parents, the family’s foundation.

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Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships

If you’re a fan of poetry, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of this fabulous anthology that Kaye and Robbie worked hard in putting together. I’m sure there are poems within these pages that will resonate with you and touch your heart.

To purchase a copy:

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3kP8aK

Thank you for reading!

Lauren ❤️

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Lauren Scott resides in California with her husband of over three decades and their lovable lab, Copper. Their adult daughter and son live on the east coast. Lauren began writing poetry as a teen, but life intercepted her university plans, so as an adult she took writing classes at the local community college. Apart from these classes, her studies of poetry originated from reading the works of many great poets. Her strong connections to family and friends provide writing inspiration, as well as her love of nature and the marvelous wild world surrounding her. Backpacking trips with her husband along the California coast and Sierra Nevada mountains have stirred thoughts to pen about love, loss, family, and the many possibilities waiting to materialize.

Lauren was published in the anthology, Indra’s Net (2017). Additionally, she has been published in Woman’s World Magazine and The San Francisco Chronicle. She has authored three books: two collections of poetry – New Day, New Dreams (2013), and Finding a Balance (2015), and her recent memoir, More than Coffee: Memories in Verse and Prose (2021).

Visit/contact Lauren:

Blog: baydreamerwrites.com

Shop: hittps://www.amazon.com/-/e/B08NCRH4MK

Email: baydreamer25@gmail.com

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Poetry Treasures 2: Available now!

Yes! It’s finally here.

If, like me, you thoroughly enjoy Robbie Cheadle’s “Treasuring Poetry” blog series and can’t wait for her posts to come out each month, then you’ll be as excited as I am to learn that Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships is available at your favorite book distributors now!

Relationships are golden and each of

 Arthur Rosch, Elizabeth Merry, D Avery, Robbie Cheadle, Harmony Kent, Lauren Scott, JulesPaige

Leon Stevens, Colleen M. Chesebro, Miriam Hurdle,

M J Mallon, and Lynda McKinney Lambert 

pay poetic tribute to their most intense

personal moments.

That’s right folks. Now you can get this wonderful collection of poetic gems by Robbie and her 2021 “Treasuring Poetry” guests all in one place. We’ll be doing a book blog tour April 25 – May 1 so you can learn more about the amazing treasures contained within, but you don’t have to wait.

Just click on the Books2Read Universal Book Link (ULB) to find your copy at your favorite book distributor now!: https://books2read.com/u/3kP8aK