The day has arrived for the reveal of Sentinel Peak by Jay Chalk! The cover, done by the talented Jenny Eickbush, is perfect for the alien-themed mystery. If you follow our social media channels, a special discount code will be beamed into your inbox for following @inksmithpublishing on Instagram and liking our Cover Reveal photo! Remember to do both to get that discount off our pre-order sale launching September 15!
Ink Smith Publishing’s Pre-Order Sale for The Flight of the Ravenhawk is live!
A second-born prince. A banished elven princess. And a power-hungry Necromancer.
Kalero Tremayne is second-born Prince of the Allurian Empire and a talented wizard and scholar. Sheltered by the throne he writes boldly about the Lightdweller religion, the Wizardium, his brother, the King, and the treatment of non-magickal subjects in the kingdom.
After distributing his writings on forbidden magick through Alluria, Kal is brought before the tribunal to face his crimes of treason against the crown. He is ordered to recant his beliefs, but Kal refuses. The punishment: Death.
In dragon-form, King Darnashi embraces the power of the Underdark in an attempt to carry out Kal’s sentence. Forced to flee, Kal finds himself in the Ancestral Wood with, Sylvara, an elven princess outcast. While Kal learns the balance of his power, the world of Apeiron is crashing into war.
*The pre-order sale will run until midnight on June 30th, before pricing returns to normal. All orders will ship to customers before July 7th, depending on date of order.
Sometimes reading a book isn’t enough to satisfy our need for a connection with the mind behind the story. We asked A.L. Glennon to share some fun facts about herself so her readers can delve a little into the mind behind Wait for It!.
Her favorite color is red, and her favorite food depends on the day. She did reveal that she can’t live without chocolate, and who can blame her? Sweets are a source of fuel for writers, and brain food is always required when world building. Especially when that world is home to three very different personalities like Mike, Zeke, and Zelda!
Like most authors, and readers, when asked those dreaded questions, “Who’s your favorite author?” and “What’s your favorite book?” she said no! There is no way she could pick just one favorite book or author. “I have loved tons of books for tons of different reasons,” she said.
She did go on to note that she is a big Harry Potter fan. “I love the way J.K. Rowling created a world and characters that appeal to readers of all ages!” Ink Smith Publishing couldn’t agree more. We think Glennon did a solid job making Wait for It! a novel YA readers and adults can enjoy.
Quick Fun Facts:
Robert Frost is one of the most notable poets in history. He has been the recipient of four Pulitzer Prizes, and even served as a consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress. Additionally, in 1962, he was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal.
Robert Frost was even asked to read a poem at the presidential inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. His work has spanned multiple genres of poetry, with subject matter ranging from self-reflection to inanimate objects as his focus.
According to The Poetry Foundation, “to accomplish such objectivity and grace, Frost took up 19th-century tools and made them new.” He wrote most of his poems in regular verse, not straying to far into the free verse realm. He was most known for portraying ordinary people in everyday situations which allows readers to connect immediately with the poem.
His most notable poems, The Road Not Taken, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Birches, and Out, Out— are cornerstones to any literature enthusiast or student. Today, we note the affect that Robert Frost has had on the poetry community in honor of National Poetry Month.
About Corinne
Corinne has her MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University and her MPS in Publishing from George Washington University. She has been an editor at Ink Smith Publishing and Native Ink Press since 2013, taking over the company in 2019. Since her first trip to the library when she was a toddler, Corinne has been collecting books, recommending her favorites, and providing commentary on the less-than-stellar. Her belief is that if you have a problem, it’s nothing that a good book can’t solve.
Happy Easter to all our readers! What is your favorite springtime poem?
Photo Credit: Chronicle Live
Here are some notable Easter poems for your Easter Sunday enjoyment.
The Silver trumpets rang across the Dome:
The people knelt upon the ground with awe:
And borne upon the necks of men I saw,
Like some great God, the Holy Lord of Rome.
Priest-like, he wore a robe more white than foam,
And, king-like, swathed himself in royal red,
Three crowns of gold rose high upon his head:
In spendour and in light the Pope passed home.
My heart stole back across the wide wastes of years
To One who wandered by a lonely sea,
And sought in vain for any place of rest:
“Foxes have holes, and every bird its nest,
I, only I, my wander wearily,
And bruise my feet, and drink wine salt with tears.”
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Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.
Tall ears,
Twinkly noses,
Tiny tail,
And—hop, he goes!
What is he?
Can you guess?
I feed him carrots
And watercress.
His ears are long,
his tail is small,
And he doesn’t make any
Noise at all!
Tall ears,
Twinkly nose,
Tiny tail,
And—hop, he goes!
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most known writers/poets among readers and non-readers alike. His name, and his work, are dark and emotional. “I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity,” is one of Poe’s famous quotes. And done of the best quotes to describe his work, in my opinion.
And everyone recognizes Poe’s raven. “‘Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!’/Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”‘ When Poe’s name is mentioned, the first thing I picture is the raven flying; and of course a heart under the floorboards.
His work was one of the turning points in my interest in poetry as a high school student. I know that a lot of my peers felt the same way. Even those who were not avid readers like myself have found great interest in Poe’s works. The darkness he portrays, the madness, the use of symbols most often related to omens (both good and bad!), and the vivid imagery all have played a significant part in the macabre curiosity in Poe’s work.
Today we recognize Poe for his writing and influence in the poetry realm. Happy National Poetry Month Poe!
About Corinne
Corinne has her MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University and her MPS in Publishing from George Washington University. She has been an editor at Ink Smith Publishing and Native Ink Press since 2013, taking over the company in 2019. Since her first trip to the library when she was a toddler, Corinne has been collecting books, recommending her favorites, and providing commentary on the less-than-stellar. Her belief is that if you have a problem, it’s nothing that a good book can’t solve.
Over the last few years, poetry’s presence on Instagram has been growing. The ability to mesh two mediums, imagery and beautiful words, has been around for centuries. But today, the accessibility to quickly put together a lovely phrase and an even lovelier image is so easy that it has taken Instagram by storm. Mashable did an article, titled The radical, democratising power of Instagram poetry, in October 2018 about the rise of interest in poetry via mediums like Instagram. Interest has exploded in millennials particularly, per the article. Millennials, who are the leaders in social media trends have spurred this revolution, and revival of poetry interest . Mashable noted that while literary leaders have scoffed at the Instagram poetry movement; young readers are loving it.
If you’ve never considered purchasing a book of poetry, I encourage you to check out some of the poets below. You can view snippets of their work on their Instagram accounts and whet your appetite. Take a poetic tour of the internet and enjoy this artistic medium wherever you are! And while you’re at it, check out @poetryfoundation to meet even more authors and writers during National Poetry Month.
These are some of the top Instagram poets that we follow.
Do you have a talented Instapoet that you follow? Make sure to share their information in the comments so other readers can discover their craft.
As an angsty teen, I wrote a lot of dark, broken-heart poetry. As I flip through pages of old journals, review old Word documents that are buried years deep in my hard drive, and even peek at that blog I started years ago when I thought my poetry was great; I realize that poetry is a reflection of the times.
I spent some time last year rewriting some of my poetry from when I was younger. I changed words, lengthened stanzas, reorganized structure: but I never got rid of the original. Instead, I put them side by side: a child’s love poem vs the adult version of that very same poem. I’ve decided to share one here in the hopes that it encourages some of you to reflect on some of the poetry you wrote back in the the day, you know naive ones that makes you cringe.
We waken, only to remember the faded wisps of the evening’s dreams.
By the time our feet touch floor and hair drips from the shower and the sun
intrudes into our bedroom we are charging towards the black, blankness
of midnight where we may fall in love with freedom; only to reawaken into
the nightmare our union has become.
We have romanticized our ability to trick, cheat and be ourselves
into proper love; a word where we mask our resentment of time
in the simple duties of marriage:
-Dishes
-Laundry
-Mowing the lawn
-Sweeping the stairs
Eventually, the dishes pile up because the meeting went late.
The laundry remains in your basket because I can’t stand the smell of her perfume.
We hire a landscaper because business trips call us away on the weekends.
And when we don’t return home to climb the stairs, who really cares if we don’t sweep them?
I waken to harsh
white light
forcing its ways into the bedroom.
You blink
to the sound of birds
screaming from your post on the couch.
For a moment,
we ignore the sun,
hanging on to the faded wisps of the evening’s dreams.
By the time our feet touch floor and hair drips from the shower
we are charging towards the black, blankness of midnight
where we may fall in love with freedom;
only to reawaken into the nightmare our union has become.
We have romanticized our ability to fake proper love.
Our world has become a place
where we mask our resentment of these new selves
in the simple duties of marriage:
-Dishes
-Laundry
-Cleaning the bathroom
-Mowing the lawn
-Sweeping the stairs
Eventually, the dishes pile up because the meeting went late.
The laundry remains in your basket because I can’t stand the smell of her perfume.
Your sink is dusted with chin hairs because I’ve escaped to the spare bathroom.
We hire a landscaper because business trips call us away on the weekends.
And when we don’t return home to climb the stairs, who really cares if we don’t sweep them?
Reflection
This was oddly challenging, emotional, and fun. I encourage anyone who has written poetry to try this. Dig down and find that angst filled Tuesday in high school, when your crush decided to date someone else; unfurl that crumpled piece of paper with your tear stained words on it, and try again. It’s a very real way to see how far you have come as a writer, and as a person.
I have discovered two things: my vocabulary was severely limited when I was younger and I had the very cliched emotional range of a teaspoon. Our skill in writing grabs the reader, but first our experiences must grab us.
Assignment!
Share you re-writes with us! Send us your original and re-worked version to EditorInkSmithPublishing@gmail.com.
About Corinne
Corinne has her MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University and her MPS in Publishing from George Washington University. She has been an editor at Ink Smith Publishing and Native Ink Press since 2013, taking over the company in 2019. Since her first trip to the library when she was a toddler, Corinne has been collecting books, recommending her favorites, and providing commentary on the less-than-stellar. Her belief is that if you have a problem, it’s nothing that a good book can’t solve.
Everyone knows who William Shakespeare is. He has graced many classrooms, theaters, and households for generations. As a student who found herself in many literature classes, my time with Shakespeare was one spent analyzing the structure, decoding the metaphors, and connecting the words and events to social and political happenings in the years in which the pieces were written.
As a graduate, and as someone who spends her time amidst countless books, across multiple genres, I was drawn back to Shakespeare. Mostly because of the beautiful editions that have since been published of The Bard’s great works, but partly because I wanted to read them without the pressures of responding to them in essay format. I wanted to read for the sheer purpose of enjoyment rather than academic excellence.
And so, in honor of National Poetry Month, I started with his Sonnets. They can be found all over the internet, but I wanted to share one of my favorites them. I encourage all of those who have read Shakespeare, or any author for that matter, for the sole purpose of academic requirement, to go back. Fresh eyes allow us a new opportunity to appreciate the works of centuries past without the pressure to see the author’s meaning/intent. Instead, we get the opportunity to feel it.
Let those who are in favour with their stars
Of public honour and proud titles boast,
Whilst I, whom fortune of such triumph bars,
Unlook’d for joy in that I honour most.
Great princes’ favourites their fair leaves spread
But as the marigold at the sun’s eye,
And in themselves their pride lies buried,
For at a frown they in their glory die.
The painful warrior famoused for fight,
After a thousand victories once foil’d,
Is from the book of honour razed quite,
And all the rest forgot for which he toil’d:
Then happy I, that love and am beloved
Where I may not remove nor be removed.
About Corinne
Corinne has her MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University and her MPS in Publishing from George Washington University. She has been an editor at Ink Smith Publishing and Native Ink Press since 2013, taking over the company in 2019. Since her first trip to the library when she was a toddler, Corinne has been collecting books, recommending her favorites, and providing commentary on the less-than-stellar. Her belief is that if you have a problem, it’s nothing that a good book can’t solve.
Name something good
about a place where nobody dies,
some endless beach of a world,
temperate, well-lit, so calm
the ennui has room to grow solid
on the air,
and the people you’re with
will never go anywhere else, every
bit of them, inelegant,
prone to bumbling
the weight of balance I need
to be who I am, their pact
against composure
unbreakable, keeping peace
from ever hovering down
to find you again.
I can’t see it either.
The way things are
there just isn’t a way
around moving from one spigot
to another, draining worlds
into our hands and the hands
of our young. Come on. You
do it, too.
Still, like anyone,
we could be mistaken,
so if you can do better
we’ll hear you out.
But do not expect us
to not be proactive
in the meantime.
About Greg Lehman
Greg Lehman earned an MFA in creative writing from Lindenwood University and a BA in journalism from California State University at Fullerton. He has published and edited as a professional journalist, and continues to pursue the field through his website loudowl.org. He also enjoys writing short fiction and novels, as well as poetry, sometimes
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