Hello Write Queeners and Poetry Lovers,

Whether you are an avid reader or a writer obsessed with their craft, it seems as though you can never find enough books of poetry. I know that nearly every two weeks, I'm buying another poetry book. How does one support such a bad habit? Barely, but I do in a couple of ways.

In another post, I will talk about bookstores and events that I've been to that have great poetry selections. Right now, I want to tell you about how I support my habit electronically. 

That's right, e-books of poetry. They are not as easy to find like many fiction and non-fiction works, but it's not impossible. You may be able to find them with sites or apps you already use.

1. Amazon: If you are an Amazon Prime user and have a Kindle, you are very lucky. A perk of being a Prime member is being able to borrow and read books for free. Finding poetry e-books that fall under Prime is not easy, but it is possible. If you don't have a Prime membership, there is a wonderful and growing collection of poetry e-books as mainstream publishers and small presses start to see the value of e-books even for poetry. They are usually cheaper than their physical counterparts. 
2. Wattpad: Wattpad is one of the largest communities for writers and readers to come together. You can put out your latest work in parts, letting readers rate and comment on your writing as you go. They have an impressive amount of poetry books in the making.
3. Oyster: This one is one of my new favorites. For $9.95 a month, you have access to hundreds of books. Think about how much you spend on buying a few poetry books in a month. Now think about if you only spent ten bucks a month and have access to poetry, novels, memoirs and more! It's been called the NetFlix of Books. I adore this service and the fact that they acknowledge National Poetry Month with a section of books. If you want to try it out, Oprah has teamed up with Oyster for people to sign up for a two month free trial. Just click the link!
4. NetGalley: For the professional reader who reviews and recommends books, publishers on NetGalley request or invite you to read digital (some physical too) advanced copies. The catch here is that you have to have a blog, be an educator, a reviewer, journalist, etc. in order to receive books. Their poetry section is small, but there are interesting reads. If you have a Kindle, you can have it delivered straight to your device. Or you can download a PDF copy.
5. EBooks.com: Which device do you have? A Kindle, an iPad, a Nook? At Ebooks.com, it doesn't matter because they sell e-books for most devices. They have a wonderful collection of the latest contemporary poetry e-books and more.
6. Free-Ebooks.net: Free books galore with user submitted books. Good way to study the work of other poets.
7. BookRix: BookRix is another self-publishing book site community. BookRix promises to help you self-publish your work and distribute it to all the major book sellers. It is also a community where you can either read from the site or download books to read on the go. With over 200 pages of books, there is a lot to explore.
8. PoetrySoup: PoetrySoup is a poetry community instead of a book site. And all they really do is categorize the links to Poetry books on Project Gutenburg. But hey, if you are looking for classic poetry by category, PoetrySoup saves you the trouble. Plus you can join the community and read their users poetry. It's a win-win for everyone.
   

There is a growing amount of places where you can find poetry e-books. Know any? Leave your recommendations in the comments!

Till next time, 

Christina

Hello my loves,

What is Comprehending Forever? Is it sitting in a low lit venue by the bar while cracking the spine of poems in the middle of a book release party? Or is it the drowning that occurs while doing so, reluctantly putting the book down even though the poet is about to read a selection from the book? Perhaps, but it is also the title of Rich Villar's first book of poetry. 

I've heard and seen Rich's name around the internet, knowing that he was kind of a big deal. I barely have had the chance to be exposed to his work, but trusting the greater community on the internet and my friend Annette, who asked me to tag along with her to his book release at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, I was curious and eager to see what he was about for myself. 

Published by Willow Books, the literary imprint of Aquarius Press, Comprehending Forever is a book of love poems that pushes you through the phases of beauty, worship, and grief. You see Rich's dedication to his beloved, his craft, and loss that resonates through finding solace in another being through this landscape of words. I have not been moved by a set of love poems by a male poet within or close to my generation in a long time. You can easily fall in love with Rich's spirit through reading this body of work. I have read love poems by men in the recent years, but not in this abundance with the high level openness and craftsmanship that Rich possesses.

The blurbs on the back of his book compared his work to that of Pablo Neruda. Rarely would I say or agree that anyone in this generation is reminiscent of a poet as classic as Neruda, but I do have to agree that not only is this true, but Rich Villar also has a voice that is all his own. 

When I purchase a book, as I did at his release, I usually flip through the pages as a preview and then am able to put it away till later. I was so intrigued by his work that I started to read it at the release while sitting at the bar. Even when he was about to read from the book, I was reluctant to stop because I was so caught up in the beauty of it. I continued it this morning and closed the book with great content.

As for his book release party, that was great! It was filled with love and support from his family, friends, and peers. Martin Espada, Eduardo Arocho, Vallerie Matos, Lauren Schmidt, Lynne Procope and Thomas Fucaloro all performed before Rich took over the mic and read from Comprehending Forever. It was a great night of poetry and it's definitely one of the nights that any poet who reaches this point looks forward to.

Here is a snipplet of his reading from the release (and I mean snipplet because this was Instagram'd). To purchase the book, go to the Willow Books online store.

To find out a little more about Rich Villar, you can visit his blog Literati Boricua or awesome networks like Twitter. Or Google because Google is cool too.

Hi Write Queeners,

The Book Jumper strikes again! This time I have a list from a once in a lifetime adventure (okay, maybe this might happen again, but definitely not anytime soon!) to the Strand Books Warehouse. The warehouse is a labyrinth of books in no particular order that makes sense to the average person. You   have to search up, down, side to side and around the world for a book that catches your attention or your particular genre. The warehouse is moving from its Flushing Avenue location in Brooklyn to a bigger warehouse, so to help ease the hardships of moving, they are having a sale this weekend only!

Paperbacks are $1 while hardcovers are $2 and everything else is up to $5. You can get a bag and fill it till your heart's content for $15 or fill a box for $30. 

I am a creature of habit and obsession so all the books I acquired for myself were poetry books (with the exception of three and some random DVDs and audiobooks for my mom). It was a heck of a mission to find any, having to guess by title and shape if a book was possibly a poetry book. I got there around 2:30 and I didn't leave until their 5 o'clock closing. In the end, I found 32 poetry books. For 15 bucks, that is an amazing and dreamlike steal.

A warehouse full of books with the snow falling outside - cozy right? Swoonville!

Since I am a shareaholic, I spent some time typing up a list of my finds and providing links to where you can buy them (mostly Amazon, my favorite site in the world!). Let's read them together or let me know if you have read any of them before and what you thought of them in the comments.

1. Nerd Haiku by Robb Pearlman
   
2. The Broken Word by Adam Foulds
3. Byt by William Fuller
4. Panic by Laura McCullough
5. Mole by Patrick Warner
6. Treason by Terese Svoboda
7. Light's Reservoir by Rebecca Lilly
8. Obscenely Yours by Angelo Nikolopoulos
9. The Time at The End of This Writing by Paolo Javier
10. Scratching for Something by Kim White
11. Trace by Eric Pankey
12. Green is for World by Juliana Leslie
13. The First Flag by Sarah Fox
14. Roads by Joseph Spece
15. Rough Day by Ed Skoog
16. Failure and I Bury The Body by Sasha West
17. Alight by Fady Joudah
18. Handling Destiny by Adrian Castro
19. The Swing Girl by Katherine Soniat
20. Saltwater Empire by Raymond McDaniel
21. Bright Body Aliki Barnstone
22. Road Scatter by Sandra Meek
23. Facing It Again by Corinne Robins
24. Writers Writing Dying by C.K. Williams
25. The Next Hunger by Cloutier Green
26. Mother Desert by Jo Sarzotti
27. Upriver by Carolyn Kremers
28. The Exchange by Sophie Cabot Black
29. Swoop by Hailey Leithauser
30. Necessities by Christopher Merrill
31. Living in Quiet by David Kherdian
32. From A Season of Sleep by Sreya Bremtin

Non-Poetry extras:

• Laughter by Henri Bergson
• Dirty Yiddish by Adrienne Gusoff
• Signposts to Elsewhere by Yahia Lababidi

Tomorrow, February 16th is the last day so go go go! Here's a link to help you figure out where you are going: Book Sale!

Hi Write Queeners,

Just a day after he leaves my department with promises of more fulfilling work in our Law department, I finished David Abts' Mother's Day at the Orphanage: Stories Without A Home while hacking up an abundance of mucus in between the unfortunate settling of a cold and laughter.  I had the book in my possession for a couple of weeks, but as anyone who burns the candle at both ends, I was too tired to hold open anything, let alone a book.

When I finally did, I chastated myself for not doing so earlier! Within the span of 24 hours, I finished the whole thing, feeling a little empty when I realized there wasn't more (FYI - as I mentioned earlier, battling a cold and I had errands to do after staying at work until 8:45 PM on a Friday night, don't judge how long it this short read).

About 60 something pages of pure insanity, I had to wonder how a couple guys like David and Michael Shattuck, authors of the book, get into such hilarious trouble that I would have gotten beaten for as a kid and quite possibly an adult (the wonders of being a boy vs. girl, I guess).

From career day flasher costumes to attending weddings in Italy, each story makes you wonder "Did this really happen? OMG!" followed by fits of laughter, making you realize that whether they are true or pure exaggerations of ordinary events, you don't care. You immediately find the narrators charming and trustworthy because who doesn't like a guy who makes you laugh? 

A surprising aspect of the book that I didn't expect were a small collection of stories from others in the last section of the book. I found myself wanting more of their stories too. 

Reading Mother's Day at the Orphanage is like hanging out with bunch of friends, sitting around laughing and telling stories while having "a splash of wine" as mentioned a few times in the book - only you get to do that while on your daily commute or on a Friday night while quarantined in your room, nursing a sudden cold. 

With laughs, earnest gusto, and tenacity only seen in the brave (or really oblivious) and creative, you will find yourself wanting more stories from David, Michael, and the rest of the gang.  Crossing off another book finished from the notorious Book Jumper (okay maybe not notorious, but I'm something), I give Mother's Day at the Orphanage a Write Recommendation and urge you to go buy the book today! 

Go and read an excerpt from a review on the New York Daily News:

You can buy it at http://www.mothersdaystories.com/.

Make sure to follow the book on Facebook and Twitter:

Happy New Day Write Queeners,

To start a new cycle of experimentation, trips, falls, and elevation, I present another e-book experiment. This time, we have a bilingual book of poems. Now before people wonder and get excited, I have to warn you that this is a rough experiment of skill and technology using my not very fluent skills in Spanish and Google Translate, to see how form and word play work in another language. If you don't know Spanish, you may find this beautiful. If you are amazingly fluent in Spanish, you may kill me.

But I am very open to more direct translations and corrections. I would love to write longer poems in Spanish one day so helping me will help my art =)

Without further ado on the coldest day in 20 years, I present Su Pequeña Lengua Rápida - Her Quick Little Tongue.

Hello Write Queeners!

So many blogs these past few days, right? Consistency is definitely one of my current goals.

I have developed an terrible habit of buying and starting several books at the same time. What usually helps is that most of them are poetry. It's when I get to fiction, memoir, self-help, etc that I am in trouble.

The reason I am a book jumper? It's because these books contain outstanding work and sometimes a girl needs to take a break from all of that grandness and mull over it. Then I get busy and don't pick up the book for a while. I miss the semi-free time of college. Heck I miss the care free days of high school. Yeah I said it. Care free. Compared to now, high school was a breeze. 

Anyway, here is a list of my current reads along with a link in case you want to read along with me (maybe you'll motivate me to finish faster). Maybe we can start a Book Jumpers club!

1. Her Book: Poems by Éireann Lorsung
2. Chasing Utopia by Nikki Giovanni
3. Urban Tumbleweed: Notes From A Tanka Diary by Harryette Mullen 
4. Mother's Day at the Orphanage by David Abts and Michael Shattuck  
5. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini  
6. Emotional Wisdom by Mantak Chia and Dena Saxer
7. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

And I have finished other books in between some of these. This also doesn't compare to the many books I've bought this past year that I haven't touched yet. So many books, so little time!

Till next time loves!

Hello Write Queeners!

I want to take you back to way over a year ago. Remember the Late Night Feelings blog? I know you do. It's the Book tab. 

Remember when I was promoting a sampler called Bitten In The Wake of Dusk: Anticipating Late Night Feelings? Of course you do! I told you to print, fold, and go! 

Well now, for those that don't have the time or ability to print, fold, and go - I am happy to tell you that it is available as an e-book. Eight delicious morsels you can sample of Late Night Feelings. 

Ever since downloading Creative Book Builder on my phone, I have been making plans to turn many things into e-book format. They make it so easy!

Bitten, made available on Payhip, is free with the option to pay as you wish if you would like to donate to The Write Queen blog. Funds go towards publishing Late Night Feelings, Home Sweet Home, Sweltering Sugar and other projects.

Bitten is available in .EPUB and .MOBI format (ie iBooks and Kindle). It is also available in its print, fold, and go PDF via the Late Night Feelings blog.

Don't forget to spread the word and if you haven't already, subscribe to the blog!

Hello Write Queeners!

Yes, you are reading it right. An e-book! In a decision to self-publish my work, I decided to start with a little experiment titled Beloved. The reason I call Beloved a mobile e-book is because everything was written on my phone AND the e-book was created on an app via my iPhone. The app is called Creative Book Builder by Tiger Ng, who not only has this wonderful little app, but a few more that help you create interactive e-books on the go! I do promise that you will get a review of these apps within the week.

Beloved is an e-chapbook of poems and musings about opening, swimming through, and drowning in floodgates. This is a mobile e-book creation and experience that was complied between the condensation of Summer and the chill of Fall. It's FREE for a short period of time (or indefinitely...still deciding!). You can also pay-as-you-wish, where the funds would be used to put out Late Night Feelings, Home Sweet Home, Sweltering Sugar and other projects. Beloved is available in .EPUB and .MOBI formats (i.e. iBooks and Kindle) and a special edition web app for the iPhone and iPad.  

Be on the look out for a post on the Late Night Feelings blog about the process of creating Beloved.

Don't you just love the cover? The photo I used for the cover is by my wonderfully talented best friend and business partner, Alshawn Rushing. He is the Head of Photography and co-founder of EAT Media. If you want to use his awesome skills, head over to EAT Media's website or check him out on his website NerosisMuse Photography.

Look out for an update on the link to the web app. Still working on getting that up!

Don't forget to subscribe to the blog so you can receive updates like this and more!

Hello my Write Queen loves,

Today I have another recommendation, but I'll keep it short and sweet. This time's Write Recommendation is Lady Chaos Press. It's not just because the lovely Shannon Lynette and Andrea Bonacci, the editors of this press, choose my work to be in their anthologies, but because they aim to give talented poets the exposure they deserve.

Founded earlier this year in February, they already have two anthologies under their belt. You can check out their deliciousness and support the press by following the links below.

Skeletons just came out today so make sure to start your autumn by buying a copy and curling up with some secrets on these coming chilly nights.

Till next time my loves, enjoy this beautiful fall weather.

Hello Write Queeners,

July, July...oh July was a lovely month! 

It began with my 27th birthday on the 2nd. For some reason, I felt like this was going be the year of things happening. I've been right so far. Though my life still has some major hiccups, I have been experiencing a lot of great things (or at least have learned some really great lessons).

I've been taking a course called Digging Deep, Facing Self. Led by Caits Meissner, it is a 30 day intensive online writing course designed to uplift, heal and transform women into their boldest selves. 

With this course, I have felt a tremendous shift in how I approach my writing. I have ventured into topics that I can only talk about with those really close to me and even ones I haven't been able to mention. The group's support has been heartwarming. I love being in a community setting and knowing that there was a group of ladies out there willing to listen. It wasn't just about writing. It was about healing, growing, and learning.

These women have grown so dear to me. Even days after the end of the course, we are still communing within our super secret space and catching up with exercises, talking about what's next and talking about how we feel about this journey. Some of us have added each other on our favorite social networks and are continuing the bond. 

I feel honored to have been a part of this group. I hope that we do keep in touch and watch each other grow because you are only as strong as your backbone and it never hurts to add more love and strength to it! 

Amazing things have happened to me while taking this course, from getting the chance to speak to one of my poetry idols, Sonia Sanchez to being including in our anthology A Thing of Beauty Painted By Words.

There are two pieces from most of the ladies in our group and let me tell you, it's a wonderful read (not just because I am a part of this group). It showcases a vast range of emotions, especially bravery because for some, this was a new and frightening experience. I am proud to be included and proud of each woman I've worked with. Go click on the cover and take a look. It's FREE! Please share it with everyone you know. This is a group that needs to be read. 

A funny thing about this is that there is a major typo on one of my pieces. I look like a skipping record as two of my haiku are repeated in a series of nine (but I promise there is a III and IV). I read it this morning as I was looking through the anthology and I busted out laughing on the train. It will be fixed tonight though, so go and take a look at our special typo edition hehe!

You must take this course in the fall if you are looking for a new experience in writing and facing self. Find out more about the course on Caits' website: http://www.caitsmeissner.com/course/ 

Other exciting news in The Write Queen's world: I am going to have a couple of poems included in another anthology, coming out some time towards the end of summer or in the fall. It's called Skeletons and it is edited by the lovely Shannon Lynette of Lady Chaos Press. 

I also reunited with someone who has always been a great inspiration and help to my writing. I am a little anxious to see where this relationship will go this time.

I am a little anxious for August too! I hope that the good vibes of July continue this month.

Till next time loves, stay inspired!

P.S. I am running a little fundraising campaign to help offset costs for submitting my manuscripts to contests and small presses. These things can get a little pricey when you are paying bills (especially dental, my goodness I do not like my mouth these days), helping parents, and investing in your freelance projects at the same time. 

I feel weird asking because the territory of donation is new to me. I'm used to giving if I can, not asking so if you can please spare me the awkwardness and donate towards my campaign, it would be greatly appreciated. Anything helps, even if it is a dollar. 

You can go to my Go Fund Me site at: http://www.gofundme.com/publishme to donate.

And I am working on something special to give to everyone who donates, so please don't think you will come away from this empty handed! I give, I have to. I don't feel right taking without giving back. Stay tuned!