Guest Author - Don Savant

Today's blog features author, Don Savant, and spotlights his upcoming release, TRUETRY, POETIC CONVERSATIONS.

Don Savant has been recommended by my new friend, Dominique L. Watson, of Diamond M'press Publications. He is a talented writer whose unique work is inspiring.

Keep reading for an excerpt from his book and Don Savant's social media links.

Interview 

1. How did you get into poetry writing?

When I was in the 7th grade, my English teacher had a project for us. There were 3 options. One was to read a book and do write a book report about it. The 2nd option was to do a poster board presentation. The 3rd was to write a senses poem. I opted for the 3rd because it seemed easier and at the point in my life academically, easy was great! I didn’t even like poetry at the time. After I wrote it, my teacher raved about it, said it was one of the best she’d ever read and encouraged me to lok more into the craft. That’s where my love for poetry was born. 

2. Tell us about your first published book.

My first published book came about due to some people who were there to encourage me when I needed it the most. I don’t tell this story much but it’s a part of my testimony so I will begin to share it more often. 

There was a point in my life when nothing was going right at all to the point where thoughts of suicide weighed heavy on me. I’d started posting online in the forums on the TP website. There were a couple of people that reached out to me from there one of whom stayed with me. She’d googled my name and found my work, encouraging me to have my work published. She gave me the title for my first book; Don Savant’s Book of Poems, Sonnets and Vows for Relationships and Weddings. 

The second part to that is, a gentleman came into my workplace about 2 weeks after I was given this title and told me he’d just had a book published and needed to know who to contact to see if we could offer it among our book selection. I was led to talk to him about his publisher and he encouraged me to submit my work to them so that day, I went home, pulled some poems from the collections of chapbooks that I’d written, submitted and a few months later, my first published book was born. 

3. What is your motivation behind your pen?

My motivation is a combination of life, love, hope, faith and inspiration. If it makes me smile, I write about it. If it makes me cry, I write about it. If I don’t understand it, I write about it and if I want to know more about it, I write about it. 

4. Are you able to write anytime, anywhere? How?

If I can get a quiet moment, I can write. I’m an observer and a thinker. There is constantly something churning though my mind and what I do is I take those thoughts, those questions and I turn them into ideas and try my best to make poetry out of it. I like to say that I am inspired by the wind as it blows across my mind, daring me to take hold of the things that travel with it. 

5. Tell us about your current book Truetry: Poetic Conversation. How did this book come about? What can readers expect?

Whenever I’m working on a project; writing its contents, there are always some pieces that I feel may not fit the vibe of what I’m doing at that time. When this happens, I’ll start a new folder in my computer and that’s where those poems will go. Truetry came about through that process because there is some personal truth in each poem that is contained within the book. The Poetic Conversations subtitle came by way of the feel I got when reading back over the work and the addition of the rants or conversations that are included called The Truth Of The Matter. Truetry was in my lineup of books to be released upon completion so that’s what I’ve been following. 

6. How do you market your books with poetry being such a hard genre to promote?

I use word of mouth for marketing purposes as much as possible. I’ve always firmly believed that if people are talking about it, then others will be curious about it and in turn will want to find out what all the talk is about. I also use different social media platforms to promote my work. I make memes for Instagram and Facebook. I will post poems, and of course share links to where my work is available. I also do videos occasionally and post them to YouTube so between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Google Plus, my Blog and just recently Snapchat, I have it pretty well covered. 

7. What advice do you have for up and coming poetry writers?

The advice I would give is to stay true to your craft. Keep your integrity intact always. Know that everything you do is a process and that nothing ever happens overnight. If you want success in anything you have to be willing to have the right amount of faith, the right amount of patience, the right amount of will, put in the right amount of work (because there will be night when you can’t sleep until the work is done) and most importantly, you have to stay prayed up about it all. 

8. What can we expect from you in 2015?

Truetry is actually my second poetry release this year. I released Love Skies in April so there’s that and after Truetry, I have another collection that’s done… I’m just debating on which way I’d like to go with it. It’s a genre that I’m familiar with but haven’t quite let the public in on as of yet. We shall see. In the meantime, I plan to keep writing and see what gets done throughout the year. I’ve got to keep some things to myself so that’s all I’ll say. 

9. Can you give us a snippet of your up coming book?

Pride And Prejudice
We’ve lived
For some time now
In a world where
Men are
Proud to be...
Absent from
The lives of their children...
Content with
Barely scraping the bottom of
Life, in every aspect
Of their existence
Too proud to
Find someone
Who has
Been where they are
That
May be able to
Lend a hand up
To help them
Get to where
They need to be...

More concerned with
Catching the liquor store
Before it closes than
Showing up at
Their child's
School function
To show them that
They have the support they require
At least in that way...

We live
In a world where
A man is STILL
Judged
By the color of his skin
And not
By the content
Of his character...
And I know that some
May lack in that area but
There are
No more valid excuses
As to
Why black men and women
Are still
Being persecuted…
Why they are
Still being
Knocked down and
Dragged out...
Passed up on and
Considered to be
Second class citizens

The ugliest part
Of these truths is that
So many of “us”
Accept
Where we are

So many of “us”
Allow “them”
To downplay our worth
To a point where
We feel
We’re really worth nothing at all...

And we do nothing to change…

The stains
That have been left
On our heritage...
With
So many
Tears shed and
So much blood lost
In the spirit of unity

But now...
It’s
Blood lost
And
Tears shed
Because we
Insist on
The continuance
Of the slaughter
Of our own people
By our own hands
And why?

Because

He’s wearing a
Certain color or
Because
She had something you wanted
But didn't want to work for...
Or is it that
He “took”
Someone from you
That
Never wanted you
In the first place...
Whatever the case may be
We can never
Erase what has happened
But we do
Have the power to
Stop it from happening
Over
And over
Again
With
The absence of pride
Prejudice will start to
Fade away...

Not saying that
It will ever be
Nonexistent but
Just
Showing that
We can be
Other than what we've shamelessly
Put on display
For all to see…

And implementing
The necessary internal change…
Would go
A mighty long way
In the name of
Justice
And equality
Amongst ourselves
And others...

Amen?

About the Author

Don Savant was born from the pages of poetry in the city of Spartanburg, SC. Already 25 years old at the time of his conception, he has grown into his love for poetry more and more with each year that has passed. With eight official collections of poetry under his belt as well as a number of anthologies, Don’s goal in literature is to spread love and truth through poetry until no more words can be spoken from his mind. With his poetic theme almost always revolving around love, he has been given the moniker, King of Love. 

Don’s latest release is the poetry collection Love Skies. The paperback, alongside his other releases, including his Battle of the Sexes Anthologies and other From A Writers POV collaborations are available online at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Lulu.com. 

Savant has also written for From a Writers POV Magazine, PEN’Ashe Magazine and So FYH Magazine. 

Don Savant can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, and Pinterest. You may also visit his YouTube page and view his book trailers. 

Follow Don Savant and keep up with his ever-changing but always love-filled thoughts at: www.donsavant.info

Don Savant's Contact Information:

Twitter
FaceBook
Instagram

Check out Diamond M'press Publications:

Diamond M'Press Publications' Website

Guest Author - A. A Schenna

The carefree stroll in the woods managed to trap them in timelessness. The four students along with their teachers would have to deal with an absurd fate.

The red scorpions, the large eagles, the nasty bats, and the bloody creatures were determined to haunt them forever. The moment they came across the craziest adventure of their lives, they would have to struggle to survive.

***

Green Lake was a beautiful place any time of year, a beautiful place where ten people disappeared every century at the end of a muddy rope.

On the verge of graduation, Nick and Leona knew nothing of this. It wasn't until the nightmare came for them that the curse became real, and their futures changed far beyond what they could ever have dreamed.

***

The black angels have come, destroying the world to remake it in their own image. Some humans will survive, even overcome. As their world burns, they will rise from the ashes.

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Guest Author - Mandy Colton

Secure your seat-belt and get ready...

Veronica Lane, travel dilatant extraordinaire, has a dream job in the travel industry and well laid plans for her future until one hellish day of travel fantastically crescendos with the worst of news. Waking up the next morning to a big surprise, confirms that drowning her frustration and loss in the hotel bar the night before was a bad idea.

Gathering up the remains of her dignity along with her travel bags, she returns home to Peachtree City, Georgia. A few calls after returning home confirm that her situation has definitely changed. Answering an employment ad in the newspaper for a group escort with a small tour company in Atlanta has her flying to Jamaica the very next day with her first group. A few curious hiccups and fishy behavior of one unusual and charismatic tour member raises an inner alarm. It’s the next trip to Puerto Rico ending with an extreme situation that makes her realize that the little travel company in Atlanta may be much more than what it seems, and she may be in waters way over her head.

Veronica’s adventures and misadventures, lead her into hilarious situations, surrounded by crazy tour participants, family, friends, neighbors, and pets. After a long dry spell, she now has an overabundance of romance, drama, and intrigue in her life. Her new life is sometimes very bumpy, yet very exciting ride.

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Guest Author - Lynn Kathleen Russell

About ten years ago I was researching material for a novel on NDERF (Near Death Experiences Research Foundation). I, like many people, was fascinated with the near-death phenomenon and enjoyed the chat group there. That was when Dr. Jeffery Long asked for a volunteer to do research for him and I agreed.

After I had researched a couple hundred cases I started to see hidden messages. As I continued these messages became clearer I and decided these messages were for everyone, thus my book, THE WONDER OF YOU, What the Near Death Experience Tells You About Yourself.

I respect and appreciate all the people who have had experiences and come back to talk about them. Without them we would not have their amazing new information. Although there are many book written by NDErs, each one can only talk about their own individual experience. THE WONDER OF YOU, What the Near Death Experience Tells You About Yourself talks about a very wide range of experiences. It takes the reader through all the different aspects of the experience, explains them in detail and tries to put them together to a clear conclusion.

The main thrust of THE WONDER OF YOU is to show the reader what magnificent creatures they are and how they play an active role in the creation of all they know. And finally, the book looks at a bit of science, although not a lot. I peek at how scientists are discovering a new paradigm for the universe. As Michael Talbot’s book, The Holographic Universe explains, it appears the universe is a hologram. This understanding has put everyone into a spin because it goes against all we know. If everything is a hologram where does that leave us? The conclusion is, we are consciousness and it is that same consciousness that is the spirit that enters the body and lives the life as a human. While there are still some physicists who argue the holographic hypothesis, the concept has gained main-stream acceptance. If we are One with the Loving Light NDErs talk about, then we are indeed amazing creatures.

There are still a thousand questions. Every new understanding opens a door and ten more questions come along with it. Human beings are curious creatures and we don’t rest until we have our answers. We will continue to ask, probe and study to find answers that will lead to new understanding and probably new questions.

The Wonder of You is getting absolutely fantastic reviews.

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Guest Author - John L. DeBoer

Featuring another fascinating mystery, and sequel to GET THE PICTURE? by author, John L. DeBoer:

THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY

Former surgeon Jack Lansing, M.D. has become a bestselling mystery writer. At a book-signing event he meets an old colleague who, unbeknownst to Jack, has carried a grudge against him for thirty years. Then murders start popping up in and around Jack’s peaceful beach town – murders that mimic the plots in his books and make him a suspect. Jack must convince the police and the FBI of his innocence while trying to solve the mystery himself. Because, realizes, he and his wife could be the killer’s final victims. It is a chilling tale of twists and turns worthy of Jack’s imagination. But this time he doesn’t know how it will end.

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Guest Author - John L. DeBoer

Today's featured author is John L. DeBoer author of the crime thriller:

GET THE PICTURE?

Jack Lansing, M.D. is a widower who’s now ready to get on with his life when a chance meeting with a beautiful young woman changes everything – but not in the way he hopes. After a one-night tryst with the enticing vixen, the unsuspecting surgeon finds himself the target of a powerful U.S. senator, organized crime, and a figure from his past he’d long forgotten – all because he succumbs to the charms of a woman he can’t resist, despite the predicament she has put him in. Beginning in Jack’s once-peaceful North Carolina beach town, a deadly game of sex, money, and retribution plays out to a thrilling conclusion.

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Guest Author - Shelley “AjeeDaPoet” Fowler

Shelley “AjeeDaPoet” Fowler, the author that brought to you the Unprecedented Melodious Words of Ajee Da Poet has now written her debut novel, the compelling Roses Bloom in the Ghetto.

Lena Summer Johnson, a young girl who grew up on the impoverished streets of the South Bronx, longed to understand the absence of her deceased father and the nonexistent love from a hateful mother, Robin Johnson who profited off of her daughter’s pain for own selfish desires. Unable to comprehend the difference between love and sex Lena searched out the attention that she craved in the arms of men. Some voluntary, some not.

A few months shy of her eighteenth birthday, Lena made a decision to make some much needed money anyway she could. On her short lived quest she runs into Gordon Lenox, an older suave and debonair man who turned her life around, giving her a life that most could only dream of. A life that was wonderful beyond her wildest dreams, made a sudden turn, leaving Lena once again seeking answers about her life.

Roses Bloom in the Ghetto will take you through the twists and turns of a young girl transforming into a young woman who all of her life just wanted the one thing that no amount of money could buy, love.

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Guest Author - Suzanne Matthews

If you haven't yet, you must read Suzanne Matthews' latest novel:

THE PRICE OF HONOR

What price is a woman willing to pay to restore a man’s honor?

When her husband is falsely accused of treason and murdered, Isabelle de Caen vows to find those responsible and see justice done. Of royal descent, Isabelle is stunned when the king orders her hasty marriage to one of his favorites, a man she detests. To save herself from a fate too awful to contemplate, she disobeys the king’s edict and commits treason of her own to find the truth.

Childhood friend, Guy Poirier, an aristocrat in New France, has always loved Isabelle. When he discovers her hiding in his cabin aboard ship, he agrees to hide her from her fiancé and help her clear her husband’s name. It doesn’t take them long to realize there’s more at stake here than her husband’s murder. With the fate of the colony in their hands, can Isabelle and Guy prevent a war and find love in the new world?

Order The Price of Honor:

Get Your Copy Here From Amazon  

Guest Author - Bracken Lea's Esma Race

If you like a great short story you won't want to miss reading this standout creation:

THE TRAVELLER

When Alan is knocked off his bike on his way to visit his long-lost great-grandmother, no-one can identify the vibrant redhead who saves his life. What is the connection between her and his great grandmother? And who is the beautiful young girl in the photo?

This clever short story by Bracken Lea author Esma Race will warm your heart.

GET YOUR COPY HERE

Guest Author - P.A. Estelle

Read P.A. Estelle's newest novel:

AT WHAT PRICE

Katherine Gardner is awakened at 6:30 in the morning with a call from a strange woman who claims to have her granddaughter, Rio. This woman is calling the police if Katherine doesn’t make arrangements for somebody to pick this little girl up.

Katherine is a fifty-six years old woman and all alone, since her husband died over three years ago. Her life takes a dramatic turn when six-year old Rio comes to stay with her. Rio is a scared little girl whose life is filled with uncertainty and fear.

In her grandmother, Rio finds a safe haven and an unconditional love that she has never known in her six short years and Katherine has found a love to fill the void that has been absent for way too long.

Unfortunately Katherine’s daughter, who deserted Rio, has other ideas.

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Guest Author - A'Sunnshine

Continuing right where part one left off at. This time around Myiera isn’t the only that’s in the hot seat. Both Syrus and Taivon past are coming back to bite them in the ass a few things they neglected to share with both Atiyah and Myiera. Atiyah also has a secret she’s hiding and refuse to let out the bag just yet.

Will the couples make it after everybody’s secret is unleashed and reviled to each other. Or will they crumble from the secrets being too much to handle.

Is the guys past coming back to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs or just wreak havoc in their lives.

Only time can tell what will become of these couples.

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Guest Author - Nathan Rhodes

Murder Seen through the Eyes of a Child is a story about three young boys growing up then getting into all kinds of mischief as they watch and witness a terrible tragedy unfold. 

The boys live in a time period when corruption is rampant in law enforcement and corporations. These individuals will resort to almost anything to fatten their bank accounts even if that means destroying people and the land they own to achieve their goals.

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Guest Author - A'Sunnshine

Myiera Nova West isn’t your typical female love never was for her. Instead of going from relationship to relationship she went from situationship to situationship it was less hectic and less drama for her.

Chezem June Hill aka Cannon is a one of a kind type of man. Being feared and respected king pin he’s always been use to women throwing they selves at him and wanting a relationship but that wasn’t for him his style was more like fuck’em and flee’em that was until he met his match in Myiera.

Syrus Naurice Knowles known as Ghost in the streets is a powerful man. Ever since his wife was murdered while away on business his heart has turned cold. Until visiting his brother and being introduced to Myiera. Seeing something different and unique about her he was determined to get to her.

Finally being done with going through the motions with Chezem. Myiera just wanted to be alone and continue on school and following her dreams. However Chezem won’t let her that easy. Follow Myiera as she struggles with her feelings for both the men in life.

GET YOUR COPY HERE

Can You Create an Unforgettable Protagonist?

In many groups, I've seen folks posting for suggestions regarding character names and even descriptions. Personally, characters are an intimate part of my creative process. Since I'm a minor control freak, giving away that decision just would not go over well with my inner crazy

Character development kinda unravels as I write. And a protagonist will reveal his or her-self as my story unfolds. Creating an unforgettable protagonist - well...that's always a challenge, but according to K.M. Weiland your minor characters do most of the work. I agree!

Check out K.M. Weiland's blog article for more details.

Read Article Here

Guest Author - Jacqueline Lunger

There's DNA to Prove It, message from beyond. A real life tale of a message from a murdered child who brought a message to a medium that was then taken to a cold case detective in Buffalo, NY. He took a chance on the message and the results were shocking, thrilling, most unexpected and exonerated two innocent people who had been in prison for many years. Lives were changed, awards for false imprisonment became law.

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Guest Author - TA Weber

"Rose Cross Returning Home" is a short story about the universal human longing for more meaning in life and doing something about it. It takes courage to jump into the unknown and go in the opposite direction to society, but ultimately there is nothing else to do when one has just ‘had enough’ of the old way. In any event, it seems we don’t really make that choice of ourselves anyway!

Rose, who is just like you and me, takes that leap, and a whole new way opens up for her which is full of unexpected surprises.

There are layers of meaning embedded in “Returning Home” and each reader will gather what is theirs.

It is my sincere wish that this short occult tale will help change lives for the better.

GET YOUR FREE COPY HERE - TODAY ONLY!!

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Low Cost Author Services

Looking for a company for book marketing and promotions? We advertise books at low prices because we know authors don't deserve to break their banks to get their work published.

We offer book trailers, editing and proofreading services, book cover models, book cover designs, author love chat sessions, social media promotions and many more. Click the link below for more information.

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Guest Author - Lewis E. Graham, Ph.D., D.D.

A hardy handful of 4th Age survivors heroically devoted themselves to a vast rescue mission. For generations, ‘the Nephilim’ rebuilt an altered world, broadcast survival systems, transmitted social codes, and preserved old wisdom.

Those perceptive ‘heroes of old’ saw that the world clock had sped up in a new solar context and knew December 2012 would mark the next Turning of Ages. It would launch an era when we'd sorely need their ancient wisdom. All those events and insights are reviewed herein.

For decades we were in the final twilight of the 5th Age that ended in December 2012…an event horizon for humanity when the 6th epoch began—each person’s chance to create life of grace and ease as the unseen context of earthly life shifted. Each reader would gain from spiritual supports in this new era.

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Guest Blogger - Texas, 1872

When a stagecoach is robbed, two men are killed and young woman is kidnapped. Soon after, Yancy and Cooper Landon find themselves pursuing them.

Meanwhile, their old foe Lee Mattingly has his own problems. Betrayed by his partners, Lee sets out on a path of vengeance while at the same time trying to help a young captive girl.

It isn’t until their trails cross that both sides realize just how entwined their paths are. And, they soon realize that if they are to achieve their goals, they will have to go down the same path together.

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Guest Author - Jim Vines

Armed with the fantasy of becoming the next hotshot Hollywood screenwriter, young Trent Nordhoff packs his bags and flees his home town of Wilkesburgh, Pennsylvania. Driving hell-bent for three days and nights, he ultimately touches down in the proverbial land of milk and honey—Los Angeles, baby!—where he settles into a dreary Hollywood apartment and an even drearier day job selling solar energy products by phone. What follows is a nine year odyssey as the budding scribe becomes caught up in the maelstrom that is Tinseltown: the ubiquitous shysters, gold-diggers, dealmakers, misfits, backstabbers, and an unending cavalcade of lustful women. Trent’s journey is a perilous fence-walk between sanity and insanity en route to distinction and prosperity—and Luigi’s Chinese Delicatessen vividly captures every sublime step and gut-wrenching stumble along the way.

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Creation

Woke up in the middle of the night with questions about creation. Probably because I finally watched Noah earlier in the day.

I mean at some point there was no-thing right? There had to be? So how did every-thing be-come? How did it all start? If everything comes out of nothing where does nothing start? How does nothing become something?

Think about it. Before there was electricity only the sun and fire provided sources of light. Then some courageous soul thought about converting energy into light. The knowledge necessary to make electricity popped into that person's consciousness and after a series of experiments: voila! The same process works for everything: planes, cars, television, eyeglasses, computers...I think you get my point. We call this inspiration or an idea. But where do the answers for the idea originate? What is the source of the inspiration and the answers? And is this source part of the no-thing? Or is there some-thing other than the no-thing which orchestrates all that is and will ever be?

Then there's nature and of course life. How do the organs in our body know what is needed to sustain life independent of each other? How does the heart know to pump and circulate the blood? How does the body know to inhale in order to continue breathing even when you're asleep? How does it know to expel the waste from the food we intake? The cell itself is considered the beginning of life. How did the first single cell originate from the no-thing? How did it know what to do to bring forth life?

So many questions.

Although my childhood was spent in church, almost daily, I am not religious. I consider myself spiritual. Through seeking I have come to understand many mysteries, but this one about creation still remains unanswered.

Book Promos and Author Services Needed

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(1) Post Title;
(2) Description of services or book blurb;
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