Tag: Authoris

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.

Great Things Are Ahead for The Conversation

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A Book Review

The Setup for reading and relaxing. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

I have been reading books for an extremely long time; I started when I was at least three or four years old. Dr. Seuss’ books lined my childhood bookshelf.

But I have only been reviewing books that I have read for maybe twenty years?

I have learned that constructive criticism and your honest opinion aren’t always welcome by certain writers/creatives. With a few that I have encountered, ego gets in the way, and they feel as though everything they put into the ether will shit gold and piss silver.

But it will not. If an unedited book has a great core, a grounded foundation, a plot that readers can follow, and versatility, that book can be salvaged, edited, and reintroduced to the world to get the flowers it deserves.

And I know this can and will happen for “The Conversation” by J. R. Floyd. Below is the review I shared for it on both Amazon and Goodreads:

“The Strength Is There But It Deserves Editing

I appreciated the fact that the author is versatile. In this book, you will find a play, fiction, spoken word/poetry, and simple dialogue between a mother and daughter.

The development of each piece is sound and vividly expressed with poignant details, however, grammar, syntax, punctuation, etc., takes away from the full enjoyment of the book.

The author’s voice cannot be denied or buried. It comes out swinging and demands a listening ear and attentive eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book and sunk deeply into the plots and storylines.

With an overhaul and some solid editing, this could be a remarkable project. The strength is there, and one does benefit from reading it in its form, but I believe this is a rough draft that could shine with two or more digs into its bones.

The core is alive–bringing it to the surface in a more pristine form can happen, and I hope it does. The talent is unshackled, it simply needs to be formed, ironed out, and polished.

I hope to see a revised, edited version. I would purchase it as well.”

I reached out to J. R. to share the review with her first, and to let her know that I will be ready for the book’s golden return to the reading world.

She was receptive to the review and admitted she appreciated my honesty and that she knows the potential this book manifested in her head and heart, but it does need more care and attention.

I asked her if I could share it here just as I do with my other reviews, and she said that I could. Trust me, if I were not granted permission, you would not be reading this. This is a community of writers and readers. We deserve to grow amongst one another.

As a writer, I want openness and honesty about my work. As an author, I want reviews that are going to help me grow and keep me aware of my potential to get better, not just “Yes People” gassing my head up for the sake of ratings and approvals.

I am hopeful The Conversation returns when it is time, wearing a new dress, sassy heels, and a mink coat that would make its counterparts jealous.

Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?

I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak about the most recent events with my place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination. I welcome your visit.