How About That–One More!

The 2016 Poetry Marathon anthology is now available to buy for 7.99 per copy! It isn’t on Amazon yet but will be soon. Thank you, Catilin Jans!

Today’s the DAY!!!!!!!

Rosa and the Red Apron is officially OUT in the world!

You can buy it online or just contact me ! You can send me a check for $15–12 plus 3 for shipping or if you live near me com by and pick it up!

 

Today’s the Day!

So, here it is! And what is Rosa and the Red Apron “about?” Some of you have guess ed that it involved cooking–and you are right!

But the story also deals with the importance of reading to a child and oh, yes, there is a third idea introduced too—they joy of giving to someone else. I know, tricky! I told you to guess one of two themes, but I was keeping number three under wraps until you saw the cover. There’s a lot packed into this little read-to for the kindergarten and younger set.

You can order it now from Theaqllc.com or wait until after November 30 when it will be on Amazon.com

One More Day! Can You Guess?

So, tomorrow, my cover reveal! Have you guessed the two topics in this book,

Rosa’s Red Apron?

Something good is coming!

Don’t you just love anticipation?

Stay tuned for my cover reveal coming on Friday!

Book Three in the Rosa series

Rosa’s Red Apron-the book has two themes–can you guess what they are?

 

Pears?

On the weekend of October 22 , we were too word out from various hurricane related incidents to make the drive to Norton Centre in Danville KY for the October 24 grand opening of EAT! an exhibit that selected my story, “The Magician;s Trick (Pears),” as one of the 11 to have a work of art created for it. Sarah Jane Sanders created a wonderful photo of pears, partially eaten to represent the delightful pears in my story!

The photographer says.”EAT is a collaboration between literary works and photography. This collection was developed by an eagerness to create a body of work that ultimately heightens the senses, occupies the viewer’s attention, and triggers memories and experiences built around food, causing a conversation to begin. Each photograph offers a suggestion in understanding the writer’s tone as well as my own perspective of the piece. In the exhibited literary works, certain signifiers caused a flood of sensations that stimulated my own personal language built around food. This language is the core of each photograph in this collection.”

Here is the link (you only get to see a bit of the photo but I took a photo of the smaller version they sent to me and here it is, below! also a photo of me holidng it–I look tired, but the artwork is great!

http://www.nortoncenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Leotta.pdf

Nothing New Under the Sun

Today I received a rejection from a publisher–said my picture book was too much like another on the market already–a best selling one at that!  Hope these three tips help you in preparing your manuscript to send out!

My bad that I had not read that book (2012 release). Looking into the matter further, I see that my book is not really like that one but the title–oh my the title is almost exactly the same, highlighting any similarities.

I have several ideas in mind (including a title change!) to make sure that my book is different, but this incident shows:

1. Ideas happen! To many folks all at once.
2. . I need to be more aware of what is going on the picture book market (humbling because I thought I was keeping up)
3. Do not neglect title research before sending out a manuscript!

 

Up and Coming

This is how I often feel–life is like meeting waves.

The title of this post means, one poem up–one poem up and two poems coming into publication. That is one way to look at things–another is to realize that as a writer I am often like this seagull–meeting waves, watching waves go in and out, having to keep my spirits up when the rejections are coming in–keeping my footing and keeping on with the work when acceptances roll in like gentle waves onto the sands of my email.

 

Just back from the conference–will post some fun news about the conference tomorrow, but my inbox had some good news I’d like to share-
Thanks to the lovely editors at visual verse- and to the editor of Brick Landing Press, I have one poem up and two coming out in an anthology this month. Takes the edge off of November’s gray skies and reduced hours of sunshine.

My poem, GLOVEMAKER’S COLLECTION FOR ARTISTS, has been accepted by and posted on visualverse.org in response to the November ekphrastic prompt.
Brick Street poetry has accepted two of my poems into a children’s anthology,The Bee’s Grocery and A Handful of Bears
The book will be published by the end of November 2016 with the title Words & Other Wild Things

Help from the Publisher

My publisher, Finishing Line Press is featuring me today!!!!! ON Pinterest, on Facebook, twitter and more–they have picked Languid Lusciousness with Lemon, aka Languid…with Lemon as their book of the day!!!!!

This to highlight that there are just two weeks remaining to pre-order it (which makes a huge difference for me–pre-orders factor into how many books they will print.

Opened up the computer after lunch and got word that Finishing Line Press has made Laguid…with Lemon (Languid Lusciousness with Lemon, the featured book today!!!!!
So exciting!!!! Pre-orders can be made until November 18 and the book will ship January 13–my Dad’s birthday!
You can read some of the wonderful things (blush) Alice Osborn and Pat Reviere Seel have said about the book here:

In Languid Lusciousness with Lemon, Joan Leotta’s poems balance the sugar and salt of our existence with a dash of humor: “Life’s sweetness stands out, / oft best preserved / when accented with tart,” ever evoking food, family and T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” especially the peaches of that famous poem. Memories of apple picking, Fourth of July picnics, and oysters bring the author’s family together across time and distance: “By the time plates are empty, hearts are full. / Long after the sweetness of dessert is a memory.” After savoring Leotta’s collection, you may experience your own special food memories and remember, “Everyone hears when called to table.” —Alice Osborn, award winning poet, author of Heroes without Capes “Everyone hears / when called to the table,” Joan Leotta writes in her latest collection, Languid Lusciousness with Lemon. The title itself is a call to the table of lush language and insight that melds family and food. In this chapbook, Leotta serves up a feast of poems that explore our deep connections — to each other, to the food we carefully choose and prepare, to what nourishes and sustains us. Life’s sweetness stands out, / oft best preserved / when accented with tart, she writes in the title poem. You’ll find both the sweet and the tart along with a myriad of other more subtle flavors, so, come to the table, have a poem; have another, and fill yourself. These poems will leave you sated. — Pat Riviere-Seel, award winning poet and teacher of poetryPREORDER PURCHASE SHIPS Jan. 13, 2017https://finishinglinepress.com/product_info.php?products_id=2754&osCsid=ir9u0sofi0lrbn5c5mqebguun0#poetry

Me on TV!

Ok, so the camera adds ten pounds–uh, or maybe…. But all kidding aside, the wonderful Diane DeVaughn  Stokes invited me on to her television show  Inside Out to make the soup recipe that is in my latest children’s book, Summer in a Bowl. This is the last and continuing step in writing a children’s book, or any book–selling it, publicity is wonderful. Thanks, again, Diane. The video of my interview is on her Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/HTC-Inside-Out-879234852106041/

Scroll down the page to October 5 to watch the video. I cannot add videos directly at this time to the page—sorry for the two-step process.

Thanks in advance for viewing it!