Tag: Community

Is Your Heart Big, Fat, and Juicy?

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A Book Review

BIG FAT JUICY HEART by Deanne (Dee) Dennis. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

If you’ve read/viewed my previous post, then you’ve seen this photo and even got a little blurb about the above book in the caption as well. However, this blog entry is its formal review of it. Deanne (Dee) Dennis is an up-and-coming writer whom I follow on Substack. She is one to keep an eye on, seriously. I enjoy her bubbly spirit, enticing words, and drive to grow and learn more about the woman she is becoming.

Below is the review I posted for Big Fat Juicy Heart on Amazon and Goodreads:

The title is appealing, and so is the book!

I was intrigued by the title, and even more ecstatic to read the words within the cover. I began reading the poetry of Deanne Dennis by way of Substack.

Poetry is my first love, so naturally, I gravitated toward her offerings. I am happy I did, and as a subscriber, I have remained.

Big Fat Juicy Heart is short, sweet, poignant, truthful, and luring in all the right ways. The writer gives the reader just enough poetry to know her capabilities, but does not completely fill the cup or surge into an overflow.

Every poem is strategically placed, flows well, and builds a strong tower all on its own.

I would have loved to see a few more pieces about self love and familial love because these two subtopics regarding love are near and dear to me.

However, for her debut poetry book, Deanne Dennis soared high above what many have been able to do with verse, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

There’s just something about poetry that makes you want to write poetry, and this book… well, this book reminds me how good it feels to be poetic. You can find Big Fat Juicy Heart on Amazon in Kindle ($4.99) and Paperback ($9.99) formats.

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.

From My Small Family To Yours

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Another year is almost here, another one is almost gone.

Christmas Season 2025 (Zumi Tye Loadholt and Tre L. Loadholt). It feels so peculiar without my baby girl… but here we are. I know she’d want me to be happy instead of being sad, so for her, I’m pressing on. Image created via Canva.

I wish the very best for you, your family,
and anyone else
you may come into contact with
for this holiday season and beyond.

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.

Titillating Literary Culinary Offerings

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A Book Review

Milkshakes & Chilidogs by Bartholomew Barker. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

You will never have to twist my arm or convince me to purchase a book of poems by Bartholomew Barker. If he’s writing them, I’m buying it. Some people master structure, line breaks, wordplay, and intensity all in one go with their poetry, and Bart is one of those people.

I assure you, reading about dinner, drinks, and dessert will never be the same. You’ll find yourself thinking you can actually undress a glass of wine, see full and supple breasts in a bunch of tomatoes, and hear heaven’s angels sing while you’re baking a fresh batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies.

It was a pleasure to read and review this chapbook, which I did on both Amazon and Goodreads.

Serve Me a Symphony of Purple in a Glass

I knew that I would not be disappointed as soon as I opened “Milkshakes and Chilidogs”, and began reading. Barker has a way of working language, playing with phrases and rhythm, so that his poetry not only sticks with you, it is pleasing to the ear when read aloud.

His line breaks are intentional and powerful. Every stanza is a welcome wave of sighs of relief for a reader and writer of poetry.

There are so many quotable phrases throughout this chapbook such as:

“I keep time with an hourglass
because I prefer the shape.”

“Sunday morning pancakes
start out pale like her skin
in early spring.”

“Tomatoes
Firm as your breasts
Red as your lips
On a night out
Drenched in Merlot.”

And this doesn’t even begin to scrape the surface of his brilliant use of form and structure. I loved everything about this offering except for the fact that it’s not long enough.

I would have loved to see a formal book of poetry regarding dinner, drinks, and dessert, especially if they’re going to be written by Bartholomew Barker.

Currently, at just $1.99 for Kindle and $5.45 for paperback, Milkshakes & Chilidogs is far beyond affordable and worth so much more. If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer for a few of your wordsmith-like friends, this chapbook would make the perfect gift!

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.

Life In Photos #5

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Daily photographic musings

Jack Frost paid us a visit last week. The coldest day during that time was 13°, and it felt like 6°. This photo was NOT taken on that day. LOL. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Sunday morning breakfast. Grits, cheesy scrambled eggs, and sausage links. Sunday, December 14, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
My little red Christmas Tree. Saturday, December 06, 2025. I forgot to share this photo collage last week, so here it is. DELAYED but not DENIED. LOL! Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Zumi Tye consumed its fill of food and was heading back to its hidey hole in this photo. Sunday, December 14, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Oh, nothing… I’d just washed my hair, and I was letting it dry under one of my favorite towels. Sunday, December 14, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
This lovely piece of art is situated perfectly near two of my neighbors’ apartments on our floor. I love walking past it. It’s such a unique piece to me. Sunday, December 14, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
A chilly Monday… I was dressed for the heavy winds that had been blowing outside over the past weekend. I knew to layer up before heading out to work. Monday, December 15, 2025. That was the last VERY COLD day before a warmer streak began on Tuesday night. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
You’ve seen this photo in the most recent post about Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction, but I took the photo earlier this week, so you get to see it here, too. LOL! Tuesday, December 16, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Same with this one… Tuesday, December 16, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
My little home away from home: my cubicle space at work. Tuesday, December 16, 2025. Do you know which movie my Christmas shirt is referencing?! Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

I want to take this time to share two business ventures with you, both are from two close friends of mine, whom I love dearly. I am proud of them for stepping out into the world of creating, entrepreneurship, and testing the waters to get closer to fulfilling their dreams. I hope you will take the time to peruse their sites, become familiar with their initiatives, support, and/or purchase a few items wherever applicable.

I know I’ll be doing so soon. If you have no interest in either, please share the links with someone or a few people you believe would be interested. Thank you for your time.

Lyfer’s Choice (By SemsLyfe)
&
Clarity to Clients Collective

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.

Life in Photos #4

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Daily photographic musings

Workout Mode. Friday, November 28, 2025. I’m on a mission. Don’t play with me! Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Lunch: Diced baked chicken, lettuce & spinach, diced tomatoes, onions, blackberries, cheese, & ranch dressing. Friday, November 28, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Ollie, the perfect Mini GoldenDoodle. I visited my friend/co-worker in the country (Dobson, NC, about 45 minutes away from me) on Saturday, November 29, 2025. I had a BALL! Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Lily (or as I call her, “Lily Girl.”), a Red Golden Retriever. She and Ollie are Niece and Uncle. LOL! Lily is my friend’s dog, and Ollie is my friend’s parents’ dog. I kept thinking about how Jernee would have had a great time with them, simply lying in the grass and enjoying the sun. Saturday, November 29, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
I swear, this could be the corn field from Children of the Corn. I mean, when you’re in the country, you take photos of corn fields. You just do. LOL! Saturday, November 29, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
My Snoopy sweater, because YAAAASSSS!!! It made everyone who saw me that day smile. Saturday, November 29, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Pond #1 along the walking trail at work. Wednesday, December 03, 2025. Pnoto Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Pond #2 along the walking trail at work. Wednesday, December 03, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Thursday, December 04, 2025, chilling in my dentist’s office, in the waiting area. My dental hygienist, while cleaning my teeth, kept saying, “Your teeth are just so clean, Tre. Goodness! They’re so clean.” Every time I go there, they compliment me on my smile and my teeth. My mouth is actually featured in photos on their website. Lawd, help. I’m particular about my oral hygiene. I’m SUPER DUPER anal retentive. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Christmas Decorations at the dentist’s office. I just love their little tree. Thursday, December 04, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
In between exams at my Optometrist/Cornea specialist’s office. For those of you who do not know, I have an eye disease called keratoconus, and I am monitored twice per year to continue to keep surgery at bay. GOOD NEWS! The eyes are the same; no changes, and there’s no need for surgery at this time. The hoodie is an item created by Ernio Hernandez, a dope artist & writer, who is in a class all by himself. Dude is out in left field with his art, and I love it! Thursday, December 04, 2025. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

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 speak about recent events with a previous place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination, growth from the transition after resigning from that company, and life’s foibles and overall experiences. I welcome your visit.