Category: Death

Scattered Words Is Making Its Rounds

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A review by Candice Louisa Daquin of ThisKeptAche

Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt

I am not one to push grief and loss onto anyone. Compiling poems for this book was cathartic for me. I needed to do this. It has been helpful for my grieving process and the appropriate mourning of a dog who meant the world to me. She was such a lifesaver for me; my calm, my peace. I am certain there will never be another like her.

To know that this work is not only helping me but also others in their grief is the icing on the cake of creativity. This work was not produced in vain. Candice Louisa Daquin, a long-time friend and fellow creator/writer, reviewed Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt, and what she said about it made me truly see that I have given the world some magic, even in my sadness.

A snippet of her review is below:

It says a lot about how much animals can impact lives, including the lives of those around us, who understand they are family and the loss is incalculable and akin to losing another human being. Jernee’s life will never be forgotten and this is where Scattered Words comes into its own. To say this is a eulogy isn’t sufficient. This is a testament to love. It is also filled with light and love, because Tremaine knows, Jernee is waiting for her and not far away.

From the first page where there is an image of Tremaine with Jernee, and it says, “hello rainbow bridge / treat my baby with kindness / she deserves it all” to the last image, which is more of a portrait of Jernee, there is grief and loss and love and hope all wound together in this brave and honest homage and reflection of a life well spent.

It isn’t fair that we only had 17 years with Jernee, but one thing I know is, every one of those years was filled with meaning and the bond between them, inseparable. I remember seeing the photos of Jernee after she died, and also leading up to it, and it opened wounds in me I had forgotten I had. This is not a bad thing, it is a necessary thing. We do feel. We have pain. To pretend otherwise is foolish. I like that about Tremaine, she is unflinching in her examination of what is real.

These poems were written after Jernee’s death and during her life. They are sometimes terribly sad, but for any pet-owner, animal-lover or really, person capable of understanding the bonds we forge, this is a book we wish we all had someone write about our life.

You can read the review in its entirety by visiting the original blog post for it.

As a writer who depends on emotions, it is encouraging to know I didn’t overshoot this one. I thank Candice for pointing that out, and for giving Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt such a remarkable review.

Scattered Words: Hardcover $26.00 USD|Scattered Words: eBook $11.00 USD

Guard Your Empathy

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A Book Review

The Cruelty by Candice Louisa Daquin. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

If I can be completely and utterly honest, there are probably about six books I can recall from my entire lifetime that have shaken me to the very core and left my mouth agape while I read them, and long after, when I think about them. The Cruelty by Candice Louisa Daquin has been added to that small collection.

As a debut novel, I expected more turns of phrase and moments of slipping into poetry, since this is the author’s main genre, and although there are bits of poetic cameos, this is definitely a novel through and through.

The gory and thoroughly brutal details are so vivid, I cringed during many chapters, and was forced to take my fair share of breaks to avoid sensory overload.

My patience and empathy were tested.

I wanted to fight, to jump into various scenes with guns a-blazing, to light the demon and his demon spawn on fire and watch them burn—anything to provide aid to the story’s protagonists, but they clearly did not need my help.

I got lost in every inch of every page of this book, and I know for a fact that other readers will, too.

Here is the review I shared on Amazon and Goodreads:

The “Cruelty” is an Understatement

I don’t think I’ve ever read something as emotionally stressful, yet incredibly engulfing and enveloping as “The Cruelty.” As her debut novel, Candice Louisa Daquin unleashes an undeniably sound writing style incorporating gore with poetically flowing imagery that managed to keep me glued to the storyline—afraid to look away, but also having to take a few breaks to be able to fully digest the content.

What both Camila and Julia endured surpasses True Crime and Unsolved Mystery episodes. And to come out on top and in love, with hopes of a flourishing future?! That is the Chef’s kiss I didn’t see coming.

I applaud the author for taking a chance on this novel and sharing its intense content. The bite of it is sharp and long-standing, and the characters are layered; feeling like family or the creepy neighbors of which one steers clear.

The way the novel ends signals there could be a sequel? And in all honesty, I am eager to see if that will come to fruition.

After taking a deep dive into a book that is so creatively woven to hit several genres of writing, I now wonder, what would top this?

Will Candice Louisa Daquin give us another piece of Camila’s puzzled life?

I surely hope so.

If you’re looking for a rape-revenge, intense survivor thriller, and a warranted cliffhanger, this should be your next read. You will need a solid stomach for gore, vulgarity, and vivid descriptions that fit extreme levels of mental, physical, and emotional abuse.

This page-turner will do more than enthrall you; it will change you forever.

Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt is available now! Have you gotten your copy? Hardcover|eBook

Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt

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“Everything I do is in remembrance of you.”

Photo Collage of Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

The moment I (and maybe you, too?) have been waiting for is finally here! Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt is live, and can be purchased in both eBook ($11.00 USD) and Hardcover ($26.00 USD) formats via Lulu.com. The hardcover format has been approved for Global Distribution, but I have no earthly idea when Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers may pick it up for distribution. Amazon did not start distributing Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction until nearly a year later, so I am not approaching this with the mindset that they or any other major book retailer would move this book before that timeframe.

Many of us like to use the phrase, “My blood, sweat, and tears” went into creating this, but I can actually say this as a fact. I’ve cried. I’ve sweated. I’ve lost blood… all in the name of producing this book in honor of my sweet baby girl, whom I miss terribly. I hope… truly hope that I am making her proud.

A blurb about Scattered Words…

In Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt, the author wants you, the reader, to experience Jernee in totality and understand why she has lost the greatest companion she has ever known. If you have ever grieved the loss of a pet, many of these poems will not only resonate with you, they will set up holding spaces in your mind, crawl into your heart, and retreat only when they have been commanded to do so.

You will laugh, cry, nod in agreement, and reminisce about your furry family member(s) and how they have become your strength. Grief is not linear, and every creeping moment it decides to invade your heart, there is a poem in this book to greet it.

In Scattered Words…, Tremaine celebrated, lamented, grieved, loved, and released Jernee Timid Loadholt. Every day, she will probably do these things again—not necessarily in that order.

If you have never met a dog who had the uncanny ability to be more memorable than some of the people you know, with this book of poems, you will have your chance.

The Specs: What will you receive, and what should you expect when you purchase it?

Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt includes 4 sections, 24 poems, and 9 original photos (digitally animated by Google Gemini). It is comprised of 40 pages, and shares the life and death of 1 dog who is no longer with us.

The photography is in color and cartoonized. The font is big enough for those of us with visual impairments and aging eyes to see. The cover is a hard one… I want this book to stand the test of time and any possible minor damage that could occur to it. It is 8.5 x 11, durable, engaging, and one you can share with your friends, family, children, grandchildren, and students.

Four months later, this is how I remember my love: introducing her to some and reminding others of who she had been to me.

I hope you will allow me to do that. I hope you can understand why I need to do it. I hope you will respect what she had been and who she still is to me. Thank you so much for your undying support. I appreciate all of you more than you can ever know.

Scattered Words: Hardcover $26.00 USD|Scattered Words: eBook $11.00 USD

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discuss recent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.

Monday, January 12, 2026, Is the Day!

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Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt

Scattered Words Photo Montage. Created by Tremaine L. Loadholt.

You will laugh, cry, nod in agreement, and reminisce about your furry family member(s) and how they have become your strength. Grief is not linear, and every creeping moment it decides to invade your heart, there is a poem in this book to greet it.

In Scattered Words…, Tremaine celebrated, lamented, grieved, loved, and released Jernee Timid Loadholt. Every day, she will probably do these things again—not necessarily in that order.

4 sections. 24 poems. 9 original photos (digitally animated by Google Gemini). 40 pages. 1 dog who is no longer with us.

The publishing date is January 12, 2026, four months after Jernee’s passing. It will be released via Lulu.com. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers will be announced when Scattered Words is distributed by them.

Stay tuned!

Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book & Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discuss recent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.

The Proof Copy of Scattered Words is Here, and…

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A brief, but exciting video about receiving the proof copy of Scattered Words; however, there’s a flaw. Lol! Video Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

4 sections. 24 poems. 9 original photos (digitally animated by Google Gemini). 40 pages. 1 dog who is no longer with us.

The tentative publishing date is still January 12, 2026, four months after Jernee’s passing. I will know more after this minor flaw has been corrected, and I request another proof copy for review.

About the Book:

In Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt, the author wants you, the reader, to experience Jernee in totality, and understand why she has lost the greatest companion she has ever known.

If you have ever grieved the loss of a pet, many of these poems will not only resonate with you, they will set up holding spaces in your mind, crawl into your heart, and retreat only when they have been commanded to do so.

You will laugh, cry, nod in agreement, and reminisce about your furry family member(s) and how they have become your strength. Grief is not linear, and every creeping moment it decides to invade your heart, there is a poem in this book to greet it.

In Scattered Words…, Tremaine celebrated, lamented, grieved, loved, and released Jernee Timid Loadholt. Every day, she will probably do these things again—not necessarily in that order.

If you have never met a dog who had the uncanny ability to be more memorable than some of the people you know, with this book of poems, you will have your chance.

Jernee Timid: posing as she normally did while in DIVA mode. I think she was probably around 7 or 8 years old in this photo. This was taken while I was spending the weekend in Savannah, GA, at my Godmother’s house. Jernee loved being there, and my Godmother ADORED her. She never let any child or other animal on her bed, but Jernee?! Jernee had free rein of her home, and if I tried to discipline Jernee within earshot of her, I got my hind-end handed to me. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Scattered Words is approaching its tentative release date, and I believe it will meet the deadline I have in place for it. Because I am anal retentive, I will go through this proof copy with a fine-tooth comb, so to speak, to be sure nothing else is needed before it sees the world. I truly believe this book will be my best offering to my readers/supporters yet. However, I am insanely biased about this one.

Stay tuned!

Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book & Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discuss recent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.