Jasmine's Wish Boxset

The Five Divisions in Each of the Books

When my daughter Jasmine decided she was going to pursue her idea to have my poems published, she realized she needed a title and to make them presentable.  First things first, she decided on the perfect title, Voices In My Head.  Now she could concentrate on the second task, presentation.  At the time, I had a Brother Word Processor that created beautiful pages.  Using various fonts and colors, she printed out every poem I had written that she could find.  The volume of paper she ended up with was more than she figured on.

Unwilling to be thwarted, she decided the poems just needed to be put into categories.  Jasmine attempted to sort them several different ways.  Her final choice was to separate them into 5 basic themes:  People In My Life, Nature In My World, Visions In My Mind, Days In My Years, and Pieces Of My Heart.  Once the divisions were settled on she decided to call the entire collection Voices In My Head. 

Sorting turned out to be rather frustrating as a great many of the poems could easily fit into more than one category.  Her decision was to place them where they fit best.  Jasmine's divisions had  the poems in alphabetical order.  Her reasoning was that a publisher would put them where they wanted to anyways.

Voices In My Head, the first book in the Jasmine's Wish set, is her design.Besides mixing up the poems, the only difference between what she mailed out and this volume was the addition of poems written after her attempt at publication.  

People In My Life

In this section, the theme of the poems is people. Some of the poems are about actual people, like my daughter and granddaughter. They tell what I feel about them and what they are doing.  Others are ideals, how I wish things were, or how I once thought the people were, as an example the poems about Moms.  Requested poems are also here.  "Adonis" or "Cereal Killer" are examples of poems where I took lots of characteristics and blended them into someone everyone knows. 

Nature In My World

Everything to do with nature. Weather, landscapes, animals, even outdoor activities are included in this category. Most of these poems are fantasies, mere mixtures of memories--theories on what the subject could be.  The poem "Sailor" envisions sailing across the oceans while "Cave Paintings" question the real reasons for the discoveries.The seasons have a major presence.  I have always been moved by the continuously changing displays of Mother Nature.  No two seasons are every exactly the same. 

Visions In My Mind

 Magic, fairy-tales and dreams are the mainstays of this section.  As you can probably guess, all of the poems could easily fit into this category as all the poems are just ideas in my head put down in ink.  Jasmine agreed with that assessment yet felt some would fit nowhere else.  Here we find poems like "Jack Frost" describing his painting the world, or ones with fairies dew-kissing the flowers.  Many relate tales of the paradise I wish the world was. Some are fanciful while others are thought provoking like "Child's View." 

Days In My Years

These are rhymes about actual days, specific times in my life. Poems in this section include birthday wishes I've written for people as well as my views on various holidays celebrated throughout the years. Days in general are also topics as I write of the need for coffee to face the day and how weeks have way too many days.  It is a section devoted to time as its ripples guide our lives.

Pieces Of My Heart

 

Emotions, thoughts and feelings about everything are gathered here. Anger, angst love and grief flicker through many of the stanzas. Laughter and sarcasm find homes in my heart as well. In this section, my voices help me understand and accept the way I feel. The verses help me find the balance that emotions destroy.  In these poems, as with any of the sections, the details are not necessarily my own experiences.  I try to put myself in someone else's shoes, see the world through their eyes.  I attempt to be them for a few moments and thus see both sides of situations.  I mainly write in the first person so no one will feel like a target, while still giving a truthful representation of the behavior I am witnessing.  Just knowing someone else feels what you feel or simply understands your pain is often the balm a heart needs to keep trying. 

The divisions Jasmine decided on were perfect, in my opinion.  For that reason, I used them for the entire set of books in this collection.  It is hers, a gift from my heart to her.  None of my other collections are divided, except 365, everything about them is random.  I feel it is the right thing to do.  Jasmine's Wish is the fulfillment of her dream for me and it should be special.

As a special note, I would like to thank Erika Szabo and Golden Box Books Publishing for the pictures used for each category. Erika added them to the e-versions of my books making them beautiful. 

Find Cindy on her:

Blog:
https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com/

Website:
http://carternovels.com/author-cindy-j-smith.html

Twitter:  @cindysvoices

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/

GOODREADS:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6505989.Cindy_J_Smith

Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindyjsmith1/

Portfilio Links
https://view.joomag.com/golden-box-book-publishing-cindys-voices/0568888001561494976

http://pubhtml5.com/ahsh/nmba

Multi-Author Colaborations

Multi-Author Box Sets and Anthologies are the worth the effort?

Anthologies are awesome in theory. You get samples of the writing styles of various authors usually for a pittance.  For the contributors, we get a little publicity with the possibility of increasing our fan base.  Avid fans of an author will often buy anthologies they are part of and, theoretically, they will read the books and see what the rest of us do!

How exciting, and it seems to be one of the easier methods of promotion.  One short piece and you have permanent exposure. Or so we believe.

Well, theory and reality don't always meet in the middle.  I remember being so excited when my poems "Balloon" and "Mausoleum" were accepted to be part of Cogs In Time.  I was over the moon!  They were my first attempts to write Steampunk, so I did not really think I had actually met the criteria. To be included with all the talent that was in that collection gave my ego a big boost. I continued to offer poems for any anthology.  

The Cogs In Time anthologies were just done for their promotional value. I actually was included in Cogs II but declined being in Cogs III.  At the time I could not guarantee that I would be able to promote as much as I should.

Others I was part of offered their royalties for good causes:  Read For Animals and  Authors Against Bullying were for social issues.

While Klarissa's Dream, Un-Turn This Stone, and Not Enough To Quit are to help raise money for cures.

One, Touched by Shadow, Caressed by Light,  I just participated in for the sake of seeing if I could write erotic poetry, lol.

For all of them, I enjoyed being part of the process.  There was camaraderie and mutual respect shared among all the participants.

Except for the ones raising money for cures, they are no longer even available, except as resales of paperbacks. Once the hype of the release events were over, there was no more interest. The books got very few reviews and they were mainly from the authors who had taken part. There was no increase in fan bases, no new readers, just another book that got lost in the internet.

Multi-Author box sets I believe are suffering the same fate.  Although they get some sales, "15 books for 99cents" is a great deal. I do not believe many people actually read them.  They may read the one their "fave author" included but I think that is the end of it.


I am guilty of this attitude myself.  I will help out my fave authors, if they are in an anthology/box set I will buy it. If it is for a good cause, that is just a plus.  However, I would bet I will never open the first book.  I was made aware of this trait recently when Eva Pasco released her novella, Mr. Wizardo.  I have Once Upon A Fabulous Time, the anthology that it originally was published in...bought it the day it went on sale.  It is somewhere on my kindle.  I bought her book as a stand alone, and actually read it.  My only disappointment was realizing I had this entertaining work gathering cyberdust instead of being enjoyed.

I think these types of collections could do all they are supposed to.  I will continue to offer my support for any good cause, be it by participating or by purchasing the creations.  But in all honesty I will have to admit I won't read them.

I just believe that there are too many free and underpriced books out there filling up peoples electronic bookshelves that no one could ever read them all. Big time authors will be read, and us Indie Authors have to keep our fingers crossed hoping someone will take a chance.  I do not see how flooding the few true readers will ever be beneficial. 

What do you think?  Do you read all the collections you buy?

Why Poetry?

Journey taken to become a misfit

My newest book, Why Poetry?, came about at the suggestion of my friend and fellow author Erika Szabo.  She is very determined to make me write in full sentences.  It is just a short book, she wanted 6000 words but that did not happen.  Luckily she allowed me to add a few poems to emphasize my choices. 

Sometimes what we do, we have no say in.  I cannot recall making a conscious decision to write poetry.  I just know that I always have.  I think our talents are similar to our likes and dislikes.  I don't remember when I decided chocolate was awesome nor do I recall deciding escargo was something I would never try.  Both of those are now just facts about me.

A funny thing happened on the way to publication of this book.  Erika shared with me the cover she designed (isn't it beautiful?).  Well, I thought it was gorgeous and In read the piece of poem on it.  It sounded so familiar.  I asked her 3 times where she found it because I could not place who wrote it, I just knew I recognized it.  I think she thought I was kidding when I asked because after the third inquiry she finally answered---It was mine.  That did explain why it sounded so familiar.  Here is the poem in its entirety.  I wrote it for my sister Rae Jo. It is the final poem in a set based on her three favorite lines,  A river of hope, An ocean of regrets, and A waterfall of faith.

A WATERFALL OF FAITH

Life is such a hard road to travel

Potholes and pitfalls litter the way

Sadness and heartache fill the horizon

Hiding the laughter and love from view

My body trembles as I raise my foot

Another step into the abyss that is the future

My will is slowly fading as burdens increase

Family estranged, my health declining

What is the point of it all

Why do I still try so hard to live

Then I look up into the dark sky

The sun's rays peeking through the clouds

Showing me beauty I had forgotten

God's love pouring down from the Heavens

Washing away my woes and anger

In a waterfall of faith

© Cindy J. Smith

While writing this short piece, I noticed tiny nudges that did lead me on.  Nothing obvious at the time, just some gentle prodding.  The end result is what stands before you  A Poet, A Misfit in every sense of the word.

Why Poetry? is available at your favorite digital store.  If you take the time to read it, I hope you enjoy the journey.


Find Cindy on her:

Blog:
https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com/

Website:
http://carternovels.com/author-cindy-j-smith.html

Twitter:  @cindysvoicesFB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/

GOODREADS:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6505989.Cindy_J_Smith

Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindyjsmith1/

365 narration by Karina Kantas https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d0UNM-QtpvOBS84qlAr9fiEK6by7QkwG/view

https://www.ebooknetworking.net/blog/bookshelf/?bs=bCdYOpgww

Nature's Beauty

Waterfalls sing the songs of my soul

By Cindy J. Smith

	I love waterfalls from a trickle cascading down the side of a rocky cliff  to the thundering majesty of a raging river.  Each has a unique beauty that speaks to me.
	My job as a truck driver, I had the opportunity to see a lot.  It was one of the few benefits of traveling the 48 contiguous states. It is also the only thing I miss as I still drive but on a designated route.
	I would watch the mountain sides as my husband drove looking for them.  Tall falls at the beginning of spring filled with winter melt-off were spectacular.
	Sometimes the rocky ledges carved out for the road to pass held mini ones especially after a storm.

	Hidden cascades deep with forests are my favorite.  Easily I envision fairies and elves dancing among the spray. The sound itself is peaceful. All worries lost, they slowly float away.
	I find myself amazed at how pictures of them affect me the same way being near one does. I can almost feel the spray as its music fills my ears.  From roars to tinkling bells, the sounds are clear.
	Most enchanting is the way frozen falls reveal a life put on pause. Beauty for all to behold.

THAW

In town the icicles
Finally began to melt
From the caressing warmth
Of the Spring sun I now felt

On snow-capped mountains
The thaw had also begun
Drops becoming trickles
Joining together in fun

Rivulets meandering
Along worn ancient ways
Searching for shallow pools
Joining together to play

Levels growing slowly
Water-drops’ excitement strong
Knowing that their parades
Would be starting before long

The final drops get added
Causing the pools to overflow
All vying to be first
To begin annual show

From the high mountain top
To the valley far below
The drops now becoming
A cascading water flow

Magnificent Spring falls
For all in nature to see
The mountain was ending
Winter’s hold most gracefully

© Cindy J. Smith
from Voices In My Head

Website:
https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @cindysvoices
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/
GOODREADS:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6505989.Cindy_J_Smith
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindyjsmith1/

Caesar And The Bluebells by Cindy J. Smith

Caesar And The Bluebells

Caesar lives on a farm with his owner, Lori. Caesar is a retriever who loves playing in the field of bluebells while protecting the farm. Lori puts two gnomes in her garden for decoration. Caesar thinks something is not right about them. The next May when Lori and Caesar visit their bluebell field, it is destroyed. The fairies are worried. Their queen is missing! Caesar knows the gnomes are involved. Can Caesar find the Queen and fix the mess?

A friend from high school wanted a story about her dog and her bluebell field. I explained to her that I just write poetry and the project was beyond my abilities.

The voices do not like it when I say I am unable to write things.  Despite having absolutely no idea how to connect a dog and a bluebell field, Oscar and the Bluebells, was fully developed within a week. 

Unfortunately, my friend wanted to change everything.  Heartbroken to think it was so terrible it needed to be rewritten by someone else, I took it back.  I changed the name of the dog, the owner and the location of the field. Then I forgot all about it being on my computer. 

Several years later, I was "organizing" my laptop and gathering all my poems written in various documents into one file.  When I came upon it, I decided to ask a fellow author what she thought of the story.  I was surprised to find she loved it and in fact had started coming up with illustrations for it!

The initial version was published by Erika M. Szabo at Golden Box Books with her illustrations.

I decided I would write another story and that I wanted to have the illustrations more lifelike.  I hired Daniela Frongia of Cais Arts to redo my book. This is the version currently available. 


SNIPPET:

I am an old retriever named Caesar
Lori Simpleton is my owner
We live in Ohio on a farm
It is my job to keep all from harm

When not working, I run, hunt and play
My favorite time is early May
'Cause that is when the sweet bluebells bloom
Delicate end to Winter's deep gloom

I am very lucky, for you see
Lori has a field of them for me
When we're there I jump and roll around
Then cool off in mud puddles I've found

I chase bunnies and beavers I track
For following trails I have a knack
My owner just laughs with such delight
When the turkeys and pheasants take flight

She enjoys the pretty flowers there
Takes pictures of beauty everywhere
But, she can't see the tiny fairies
Lori thinks they're just large bumblebees!

BUY LINK:

https://www.amazon.com/Caesar-Bluebells-Cindy-J-Smith/dp/1974614204/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

REVIEWS:

"When the world suddenly loses its charming bluebells, Caesar comes to the rescue. Written with a light rhyme scheme, Caesar and the Bluebells is a wonderful tale of a dog who solves the mystery by snooping on the yard gnomes. My grade school grandkids love this story!" WhittyOne


"Terrific for boys and girls alike!! A truly beautiful book!

I absolutely loved this book! The story is wonderful, mysterious and fun! The illustrations are beautiful and go along perfectly with the story!! This is definitely a must have for your child, niece, nephew or friend's child...I am purchasing one for my great nephew and my best friend's granddaughter!!

This book was given to me for my honest opinion! So thank you for that...it was refreshing and a true pleasure to read as well as review! " Kim Page


"This unique and wonderful children's book is full of life and poetry that's perfect for apparent to share with their child. The adventure Caesar goes on to help the fairies and deal with the gnomes is delightful from start to finish. If you have a young one at home, like I do, this book is the ideal bedtime reading that you all can bond over."  Jeremy Croston

Find Cindy on her:
Blog:
https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com/
Website:
http://carternovels.com/author-cindy-j-smith.html
Twitter:  @cindysvoices
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/
GOODREADS:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6505989.Cindy_J_Smith
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindyjsmith1/