Treasuring Poetry – Meet talented poet, author and editor of Hotel by Masticadores, Michelle Ayon Navajas and a review #poetry #poetrycommunity #bookreview

Posted: June 19, 2024 | Author: robbiesinspiration | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Interview, Poetry, Review, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: Michelle Ayon Navajas, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, Treasuring Poetry, Writing to be Read | 46 Comments

Today, I am delighted to welcome talented poet and author, Michelle Ayon Navajas, as my June Treasuring Poetry guest. Michelle is also the editor of Hotel by Masticadores. Welcome Michelle!

What is your favourite style of poetry to read i.e. haiku, ballad, epic, freestyle, etc?

I love to read freestyle and ballad.

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

I love to repeatedly read Annabel Lee. Though technically, it’s not a ballad, but I trust that Edgar Allan Poe referred to it as one, because like a ballad, the poem uses repetition of words and phrases purposely to create its mournful effect.

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,

   In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

   By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

   Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,

   In this kingdom by the sea,

But we loved with a love that was more than love—

   I and my Annabel Lee—

With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven

   Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

   In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

   My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsmen came

   And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

   In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,

   Went envying her and me—

Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,

   In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

   Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

   Of those who were older than we—

   Of many far wiser than we—

And neither the angels in Heaven above

   Nor the demons down under the sea

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

   Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,

   In her sepulchre there by the sea—

   In her tomb by the sounding sea.

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

I love freestyle and ballad poetry because they offer a unique freedom of expression and emotion. Freestyle allows for spontaneous creativity, while ballads provide a structured yet melodious form to convey deep feelings and stories. Both forms can be deeply personal and evocative, resonating with the human experience in different ways.

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

“What If Snowflakes Don’t Fall In Winter?”

What if snowflakes don’t fall in winter?
and fresh buds don’t bloom in spring?
or summer doesn’t need sunshine?

nor leaves don’t fall in autumn?

Will you remember how we used to be?

the love we shared gently
like snowflakes falling smoothly in winter out of thin air unannounced, unnoticed
unspoken yet blissful

the dreams we dream, hopes we hope
like spring awakening the earth
bringing heaps of sunshine after
the cold, gloomy winter

the laughter we gave out
like sunshine on a summer day
rhyming along as the birds singing
passionately hot, vibrant, and crisp

the memories we created
like leaves falling flawlessly in the autumn breeze, with cooling temperatures and darkening nights

What if snowflakes don’t fall in winter?
and fresh buds don’t bloom in spring?
or summer doesn’t need sunshine?
nor leaves don’t fall in autumn?

Will you still love me tenderly?

How do you promote your poetry and your poetry books?

Promoting my poetry books involved a mix of traditional and modern strategies:

Social Media: I utilized platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to share snippets, and behind-the-scenes insights, and engage with my audience.

Book Readings/Events: I join readings at local bookstores, libraries, or cafes. I also join virtual events which can also reach a wider audience.

Collaborations: I partner with other poets, artists, or influencers for cross-promotion.

Press Releases: I send out press releases to local newspapers, literary magazines, and online platforms.

Book Reviews: I solicit reviews from book bloggers, literary magazines, and online reviewers.

Online Presence: I maintain a blog where readers can learn more about me and my work.

Book Signings: I join book signings at bookstores, festivals, or community events.

Book Trailers: I create short videos or trailers featuring excerpts from my book.

Email Marketing: I build an email list and send newsletters with updates, exclusive content, and offers.

But remember, consistency and engagement are key to building a loyal readership.

Hotel by Masticadores

Michelle is the editor of Hotel by Masticadores “Hotel of Broken Hearts”.

Hotel was born from a conversation within the masticadores Editors. Barbara Leonhard (USA), Miriam Costa (Brazil) and j re crivello (Barcelona-Spain), understand that all of us, at some point in life, would like to write a letter to: an ex-love, or a deceased relative, or remember that landscape or house that sheltered us in a stage of our life.

For this reason, we have created Hotel, an ephemeral tool that we put at the service of readers and writers. The only rule is a maximum of 600 words (in Word) and that the texts and images be accepted by the Editorial Board. That being said, Hotel will appear in Spanish and English.

You can send your collaborations to fleminglabwork@gmail.com

Hotel also publishes poetry and book reviews.

My review of Locker by Michelle

What Amazon says

We can close our eyes to reality and pretend things didn’t happen the way they happened. Fiction is the closest to escaping what’s true and painful. This collection of over fifty poetic flash fiction stories will push the boundaries of our reality. It will make us discern things for ourselves and will lead us to understand our true nature better.

Each is a stand-alone story you can read anytime, anywhere, without the need to finish the entire book. But, as soon as you flip to the last page, you will realize there is more to these poetic flash fiction stories than simply a collection of poetic tales.

My review of Locker

Locker is a deeply emotional and heartfelt collection of flash fiction. Each piece revolves around the central themes of love and secrecy. The title, Locker, refers to a school locker where students store their personal items. These comprise of a mixture of practical, everyday items and also their personal secrets. Love notes, drawings, and books are all articles that are stored in lockers.

Each piece of flash fiction draws on this concept of opening our own ‘mental’ lockers and looking through the memories stored there. Some are wonderful, bright flashes of happy joy in our lives, and others are sad or traumatic. All mould us into the people we are and are vital components of our life paths.

As with our own memories, some of these stories are wonderfully uplifting: the moment when we fall in love and everything in our world is perfect. Others cover losses of love interests, miscarriages, and even situations where love changes to abuse.

The author is a talented and well known poet and the writing style of her short stories is lyrical and poetic. The language is a treat for lovers of the written word and evokes intense feelings.

I highly recommend this beautiful and intense book to all lovers of character driven stories.

You can purchase Locker from Amazon USA here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CFD1637L

Michelle Ayon Navajas Amazon US author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08Z3VZ4Y5

About Michelle Ayon Navajas

Michelle Ayon Navajas (born June 23, 1976) is a Filipino poet, writer, and educator. She is a Best-Selling international Poet known for her books reaching the #1 spot within days of their release. Her 8th poetry book, “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark,” went straight to the top of both the best-sellers list and new releases on Amazon on short notice. Her 7th poetry book, “It Ain’t Winning If Without You,” went straight to the best-sellers list on Amazon in less than 24 hours of release by pre-orders alone and eventually became the number Poetry Book on Amazon India on its actual release day, soon after the book rose to the best- sellers list as well in all other Amazon Markets worldwide.

Currently, Michelle holds the title of having 4 books published in a row to have made it to Amazon’s Best-Sellers List (“I Will Love You Forever, Too,” “After Rain Skies, 2nd Edition,” “It Ain’t Winning If Without You,” and “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark”) and 3 books on Amazon’s #1Hot New Releases/New Releases (“I Will Love You Forever, Too,” “It Ain’t Winning If Without You,” and “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark”.)

Her poetry appeared in several international literary magazines and anthologies such as Spillwords NYC, MasticadoresUsa, and MasticadoresIndia. Her poems “Holding Hands” was voted as Spillwords Publication of the Month for November 2021 and “Love Happens” was voted as Spillwords Publication of the Month for December 2022.

She is also part of the award-winning ensemble of authors in two Poetry Anthologies, that are both Amazon Best-Sellers: Hidden In Childhood and Wounds I Healed.

Graduated with a Master of Education majoring in English in the Philippines (University of San Agustin, Iloilo City). Michelle was a former college professor, teaching literature, speech & oral communication, creative writing, drama, and theatre arts. She is also a graduate of Mass Communications major in Journalism (Centro Escolar University, Manila).

Michelle is active in her writing profession and works as a freelance creative writer.

Follow her online:

www.michnavs.wordpress.com

Twitter

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This segment of “Treasuring Poetry” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and the Poetry Treasures series.

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