Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch With Nature-Word Crafter’s Book Blog Tour

Kay Castaneda,

Hello everyone! Welcome to Day Three of Word Crafter’s Book Blog Tours for Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch With Nature. Poetry Treasures 4 is an anthology featuring the works of twelve poets. Today’s stop includes an interview with Emily Gmitter and a reading by Selma Martin.

Giveaway

Leave a comment for a chance to win one of three free copies of

Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature.

Leave a comment at each stop for additional chances.

Winners chosen by random drawing.

You can keep up with the tour through the links in the schedule below, but they won’t work until each stop goes live.

Mon. April 8 – Writing to be Read – Reading by D.L. Finn

Tues. April 9 – Yesterday and Today: Merril’s Historical Musings – Reading by Andrew McDowell

Wed. April 10 – Book Places – Interview w/ Emily Gmitter & Reading by Selma Martin

Thurs. April 11 – d.l. finn author – Guest post by Patricia Furstenberg

Fri. April 12 – Colleen Chesebro, Author & Poet – Guest post by Merril D. Smith

Sat. April 13 – Carla Reads – Review/ Reading by Robbie Cheadle

Emily Gmitter

Emily lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. She loves to spend alone-time at the beach, fun-time singing at local karaoke clubs, and the rest of her time engaged in activities with family and friends … when she’s not reading, writing, or painting.

Emily’s poem is When The Mountain Calls

Interview with Emily Gitmer

Welcome Emily!

I’m so glad you’re here with news about your new book Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch With Nature. I have some questions for you so readers can get to know you. Thanks for agreeing to visit Bookplaces blog.

Tell us about yourself. Where do you live? Where did you grow up and attend school?

I’ve been an East Coaster all my life. After living a time in Methuen, Massachusetts, we bought our first home in Salem, New Hampshire. I was six months pregnant with our first child at the time, but commuting into Boston every day for work became a bit much, so we returned to Massachusetts when our daughter was four years old. That was 44 years ago.

Are you married or single? Any children or pets? 

Married, with one beautiful daughter who is my pride and joy. We’ve always had pets, both canines and felines, but over the years, we became more “cat people”; they are just easier to care for. And we’ve been fortunate that all our felines were affectionate, very social and playful. When our daughter made her first move away from home, she rescued a glorious black cat she named Gabriel. He truly was an angel! Affectionate, smart, and completely attached to my daughter Michele. Currently, my husband and I share our home with a single, black and white tuxedo cat named Zoe.

Are you employed now? Retired? If so, what was your previous occupation?

I retired about seven years ago, after a long-standing career in clinical research, overseeing the conduct of clinical trials. Often, the work was as sad as it was gratifying.

Are you a coffee or tea drinker or other? Do you listen to music or need silence?

Only coffee and tea, both with extra cream, please. I need a fair amount of quiet time every day. I do love music and listen to my favorite artists pretty regularly, primarily while I’m driving. When I’m at home, my mind is usually too preoccupied with other things usually word-related (i.e., reading, writing, editing) to enjoy the music. And when I am listening to music, I’m also singing.

What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have any hobbies? Vacations?

I traveled more when I was younger than I do now. I once attended a conference in The Netherlands, and that was a beautiful experience! We have vacationed in Bermuda, Canada, and The Bahamas, but we stay closer to home now, limiting our travel to within the US and those destinations we can more easily drive to. I’m a homebody at heart. As for hobbies, I enjoy writing, editing, painting, and singing karaoke—and I do the latter as often as possible, going to karaoke shows up to three or four times a week.

Would you consider yourself a reader? What types of books do you like to read?

I was an avid reader growing up. Until I reached full retirement age, I worked full-time outside the home; between that and raising a little one, I had less time for reading. But I made sure to read to my little girl from the time she was a baby until she could read for herself. She became and still is an avid reader. These days, I’m once again enjoying more time to read. I prefer print books, still loving the feel of a book in my hands, so there are always large piles of books everywhere (and many e-books on my Kindle as well); however, that doesn’t stop me from buying more! I know I’ll get to them eventually. And I do, having now moved many from the “to be read” piles to the “finally read” shelves. On occasion, I sort through these and share with family and friends and give some away to “free libraries”—those little houses on stands you see along the streets in some towns. I enjoy a variety of genres from romance to celebrity autobiographies. Some of my favorite authors include Robert Ludlum, James Patterson, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and John Steinbeck. Oh, and Michael and Kathleen Gear, a husband and wife writing team, who are archeologists and bestselling authors. The Gears write fast-paced, fact-based fictional novels about pre-historic America and the indigenous peoples of that time. Their background in archeology lends an incredible authenticity to their “People of the …” series (i.e., People of the Moon, the Lake, the Wolf, for example). I find their novels fascinating. I still have not read every one they’ve written but I’m working on it!

Have you ever taken any writing courses or studied writing in school?

Not really. At least no formal “creative writing” courses. I have taken courses in English Literature and Composition in my day.

Tell us about your books, especially your newest one. What was your inspiration?

I am so excited about my current book! It’s entitled Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature, and I appreciate the opportunity to tell you about it. (I say “my book” but I am one of twelve poets who co-authored it, and each of us can and will proudly claim it as our own book.) It is truly a beauty, from both a physical as well as a philosophical perspective. Poetry fans will, of course, love it, but I believe this anthology will convert those who believe they do not like poetry. This is a book that is easy to love and, again, I am so excited and proud to be a part of it!

Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature is an anthology of poetry inspired by Mother Nature. Each poem is related to nature in some way or another, and each one is printed on a striking color photograph chosen for its relevance to the author’s poem. The book was created by immensely talented poets who will speak to your heart and soul with their imagery and creativity. Some poems will make you smile, some will pull at your heartstrings, others may give you a jab to the gut. Still others might compel you, perhaps, to look at the beauty around you with new eyes or raise your awareness and maybe provide a different perspective on the value of the wonderful wildlife that surrounds us. Poetry Treasures 4 is a “many splendored thing,” consisting as it does of myriad types of poetry, from rhyming and free verse to haikus and other specialized styles of poetry. This is a beautiful book that promises the buyer an exceptionally enjoyable read!

My last book, Happiness is a Warm Cat, published in late April 2023, is a collection of my short stories, poetry, and artwork. All the fictional stories are told from the perspective of my cat, Zoe, who has an interesting take on life and loves to poke fun at me. Most of “the Zoe stories” are humorous, some might make your eyes tear up a little. While her tales are fictional, every story is based on something that actually happened in our lives. The stories told by the human in this household–that would be me—include fictional romance stories. Then there are the true stories of my visits to Nashville, how I met Kris Kristofferson, organizing a benefit concert to help raise funds for Boston’s Garden of Peace (can you guess which artist I approached?), and family life.

Is there anything you’d like to talk about related to your writing life?

I am currently co-authoring a book about some local, everyday people with interesting histories—people who are not widely known as heroes but who are heroes in their own way. Anticipated publication date is September 2024. And I have been asked by a victim of domestic abuse to write her story, and that is currently a work in progress.

What type of characters do you enjoy writing about?

I don’t write a particular type of character; it all depends on the storyline. But I do find myself drawn to writing about people who are dealing with conflict; hopefully the end of the story resolves the conflict, but real life doesn’t always work that way, does it. And so my characters don’t always find the resolution they seek.

Do you self-publish or are you with a traditional publishing company?

I am with a small publisher and that has worked out well for me.

How do you market your books?

I am not a big social media fan but do have a Facebook account and promote my books that way. I also have seen some success with advertising via Amazon and other organizations such as E-Reader News, Fussy Librarian, and Book Gorilla, as well as with writing Guest Posts for, and doing interviews with, bloggers.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

Three tips only:

  • Read. A lot. And read a variety of genres.
  • Do your homework. It’s not only non-fiction that is enhanced by authenticity. The best fictional novels also have a ring of truth to them; that’s how you put your reader right into your story. A writer can do that only by doing the relevant background research. For example, if you’re writing about a character moving to a particular locale, research that place or region so you can describe it in very credible ways and make your readers understand why the character has chosen that locale. Fiction that is based in fact will make the story more interesting for your readers, and will avoid the risk of receiving negative reviews pointing out your lack of knowledge and/or your poor researching skills.
  • Write once, edit many times. And that’s BEFORE you hand off your manuscript to an editor. You really can’t edit your own work. You need an objective set of eyes. If you give your manuscript multiple rounds of your own editing (at least ten rounds) before you hand it off, you’ll be amazed at what you find with each reading. When it’s as perfect as you think you can make it, then hand it off to an objective set of eyes; you may be surprised at what the editor sees. And the fewer corrections an editor has to make to your manuscript, the fewer dollars you’ll have to spend for their services.

What is one surprising thing you would like your readers to know about you?

I once slept in Kris Kristofferson’s bed. (However, Kris was not in it—dang it! Guess I better explain.)

If my concert buddies and I had traveled any distance to see Kris, we’d often stay overnight at a local hotel. Sometimes, we’d discover that Kris and his group were also staying at the same hotel. Once, in the wee hours of the morning, when we knew Kris and the band had checked out, heading for their next gig, my friends challenged me to obtain the key to his vacated room. It actually was not much of a challenge, as it turned out. Without many words at all, I was able to convince the front desk clerk that I knew Kris personally and that he would not mind my using his now-empty room to crash for the night. She gave me the key and after my surprised and giggling friends enjoyed a look around the room, that’s what I did … that’s all I did. Just crashed, falling into a deep sleep with sweet dreams of the concert I’d just seen. But the fact remains: I did sleep in the bed Kris had slept on, and that was quite enough for me!

Do you have a quote that has personal meaning for you? This could be from an author, famous person, community or religious leader or someone close to you.

I have many that carry personal meaning for me. This is from an old Kristofferson song. I always try to live it:  “…life is the question and life is the answer, God is the reason, and love is the way…”

Kris also wrote: “If I look like a voodoo doll who’d rather bite you back than crawl, that’s what I am.”

(In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I have a crush on Kris Kristofferson.)

But I have other favorite poets as well, old and new, including many of my co-authors in Poetry Treasures 4. One poem, from the “old category,” that has stuck with me from the moment I read it was written by Khalil Gibran, entitled Do Not Love Half Lovers. It’s hard to pull out any one line/quote as my favorite; it’s more the concept of the poem that speaks to me. The poem is easy to find online if you’re interested. My interpretation of it is this: If we want someone to give us their all, we have to do the same. For me, it comes down to, more simply, everyone should live life to the fullest. Not a new axiom by any stretch, but the way he strings the words together to make this age-old point is what appeals to me. “Do not love half lovers. Do not entertain half friends.”

Don’t live life halfway. Be present. Be full. Have convictions and live by them.

Thank you Emily, for stopping by Bookplaces Blog to answer these questions! I learned a lot about you. Readers and other writers will enjoy your interview and getting to know you as both a person and a writer! 

Kay

It was a pleasure to participate, Kay. Thank you for the invitation!

Emily

Purchase Link

https://books2read.com/u/mlM5YA

Our next poet is Selma Martin. She reads her poem The Bridge Home

Thanks Selma for a wonderful reading of your poem. 

Giveaway

Leave a comment for a chance to win one of three free copies of Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature.

Leave a comment at each stop for additional chances.

Winners chosen by random drawing.

Thanks for stopping by Bookplaces today.

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Comments (51)

  1. It was a pleasure getting to meet fellow writer Emily Gmitter.

    I enjoyed “Mother Nature, Father Time” written by Emily and included in “Poetry Treasures 4.” I thought it was a lovely poem that captures the essence of life’s cyclical nature. From the delicate beauty of diamond dust to the stoic strength of mountains, each line creates a vivid picture of the world’s wonders. The poignant reminder that we can’t have one without the other deepens our reflection on life’s eternal dance. “A truly inspirational piece.” Learning how she is a cat person, I look forward to reading more from what Emily wrote.

    “The Bridge Home” by Selma Martin (whose accent, setting and reading I
    adored) was a treat. “The Bridge Home” is a heartfelt and deeply moving poem that conveys the essence of love, loss, and longing. The color purple is commonly associated with spirituality, transformation, and royalty. In this context, I believe the “purple path” denotes a sacred or transcendent journey imbued with deeper meaning beyond the physical realm. The path’s description as “like a ribbon fallen from the sky” suggests divine guidance
    or intervention. It implies, I believe, that the path is more than just a physical route, but a spiritual conduit that leads the old man to his destination. I adored this. The use of color and imagery emphasizes the deep
    bond between the old man and the person he wishes to return home to. Sadly. It implies that their connection transcends earthly boundaries and continues to exist after death. (goosebumps!) Such a spiritual journey of love remembrance, and reunion is depicted in Selma’s poem. Thank you, Selma!

    I, too, am deeply impressed by the extraordinary effort and dedication
    demonstrated in “Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature,” and I express my heartfelt gratitude to Robbie Cheadle for curating such an outstanding collection. The poems in this collection demonstrate the contributing poets’ talent and creativity, with each capturing the beauty and essence of nature with eloquence and grace.

    Thank you, Kay, for hosting this leg of our book blog tour. :) It was a lovely stop.

  2. It was a pleasure getting to meet fellow writer Emily Gmitter.

    I enjoyed “Mother Nature, Father Time” written by Emily and included in “Poetry Treasures 4.” I thought it was a lovely poem that captures the essence of life’s cyclical nature. From the delicate beauty of diamond dust to the stoic strength of mountains, each line creates a vivid picture of the world’s wonders. The poignant reminder that we can’t have one without the other deepens our reflection on life’s eternal dance. “A truly inspirational piece.” Learning how she is a cat person, I look forward to reading more from what Emily wrote.

    “The Bridge Home” by Selma Martin (whose setting and reading I adored) was a treat. “The Bridge Home” is a heartfelt and deeply moving poem that conveys the essence of love, loss, and longing. The color purple is commonly associated with spirituality, transformation, and royalty. In this context, I believe the “purple path” denotes a sacred or transcendent journey imbued with deeper meaning beyond the physical realm. The path’s description as “like a ribbon fallen from the sky” suggests divine guidance or intervention. It implies, I believe, that the path is more than just a
    physical route, but a spiritual conduit that leads the old man to his destination. I adored this. The use of color and imagery emphasizes the deep bond between the old man and the person he wishes to return home to. Sadly. It implies that their connection transcends earthly boundaries and continues to exist after death. (goosebumps!) Such a spiritual journey of love remembrance, and reunion is depicted in Selma’s poem. Thank you, Selma!

    I, too, am deeply impressed by the extraordinary effort and dedication
    demonstrated in “Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature,” and I express my
    heartfelt gratitude to Robbie Cheadle for curating such an outstanding collection. The poems in this collection demonstrate the contributing poets’ talent and creativity, with each capturing the beauty and essence of nature with eloquence and grace.

    Thank you, Kay, for hosting this leg of or book blog tour. It was a lovely stop!

  4. Thank you, Patricia, for visiting today’s stop for Poetry Treasures 4 Book Tour. Your comments about the poems are wonderful. I love your thoughtful analysis. I’m sure Emily and Selma will appreciate your remarks about their poetry! I loved getting to know Emily through the interview also. Selma’s reading of her poem The Bridge Home was an extra treat! The book sounds amazing and I’m going to get a copy soon.
    I’m sorry I couldn’t reply sooner. My website was down all day. WordPress tech service finally got it working.

  5. Hey Kay. So happy to awake to open an email that told me your website is back up. Sorry you had to go through that. Thanks so much for sticking to it till the end. Bless you. I’ll return to read slower. And respond to the interview Wowser in this lovely book blog stop later in the day. (And tell my audience to hop on over here—all this after coffee) Thanks for hosting this leg of the tour. Blessings.

  6. Probably holding for moderation? I hope so… thanks for doing this. Thanks for the interview and the video 🙈 too. All for a good cause. Xoxo 🥂 here’s to the success of this lovely anthology. I should be cheering with coffee cups. But there’s no emojis like that 😜

  7. Hi Selma,

    I’m happy you could get into my blog after so long today. The tech fixed the problem. It was because WordPress did an update at the same time I scheduled my post to go live! I had set the post to publish after midnight. The update locked my blog. Now I know to publish at a better time.
    I loved your reading of “The Bridge Home”. The ocean background was perfect. I’ll buy a copy of Poetry Treasures 4 soon. It seems like a wonderful book. Thanks for allowing me to have you as a guest on the book tour.

    Kay

  9. A wonderful stop, Kay. So glad they got your site back up. Thank you for such a thoughtful interview with Emily. I learned many things that I didn’t know about her. It was lovely getting to know her.

    Selma, I fear I owe apologies. When I added your reading to this stop, I neglected to provide photo and bio for you. An oversight on my part. So sorry. But your reading was absolutely beautiful. So heartfelt.

  10. Hi Kaye,
    The tech was so helpful in getting my problems solved. I can revise my post if you want to add Selma’s bio and photo. I would be happy to interview her and make that a new separate post for the tour or book’s site.
    Thanks for being patient while I got back online!

  11. Thanks for stopping by, Patricia, and for your lovely post. I appreciate your taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment and wonderful analysis!

    I also enjoyed Selma’s poem very much–spiritual, enlightening, and comforting. Selma’s reading added to the beauty of her words, and, of course, the sea added to the beauty of her reading.

    Many thanks to Kay, as well, for hosting this tour stop, and to Robbie Cheadle and Kaye Lynn Booth for all they’ve done and continue to do to promote the art of poetry.

  13. I definitely appreciated Patricia’s post, Kay! And thank you again for taking part in the tour to help promote this wonderful book of poetry! I’ve shared this to my FB page. 😊😻

  14. This was a pleasant surprise. I was hopping around the internet and landed here. The name Emily Gmitter caught my eye. “I know that woman!” I said to myself.

    I’ve worked with Emily on eleven books (8 of mine, 3 of someone else’s). We couldn’t have gotten to the point of publication if not for Emily.

    The part in the interview where she talks about editing … well … I can attest the woman knows what she’s talking about. She’s edited every book I’ve ever written and books I’ve published for others. She’s tireless and meticulous when it comes to editing. She’s not a bad writer either. I read “Happiness is a Warm Cat” and enjoyed it thoroughly. Now, I’m looking forward to getting my copy of “Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature.”

    Thanks for posting this riveting interview.

  15. Hello, Selma, loved your poem and the exquisite delivery and background –just perfect! So, no coffee emoji to toast with, but I did find this 🥂 ☺ so here’s to you and our fellow co-authors!

  18. Thanks for visiting today, Andrew. I’m happy that you liked Emily’s interview. Poetry Treasures 4 looks like a wonderful book.

  19. Hi Kay, thank you for hosting Emily with this lovely interview. I learned a lot more about her through this interview. We share similar tastes in books.

  20. Hi Robbie, it was my pleasure to interview Emily. I always love to read author interviews. I’m happy you liked it.

  24. Pingback: Day 11: NaPoWriMo 2024–Eleven, Eleven, Eleven – Selma

  25. Aww, the beautiful things you say, Patricia. I loved the interview with Emily. Wow. Thanks Kay. Thanks Emily. Learned so much. Loved so much. Bless you both and Patricia too. Xo. Selma

  26. I add my voice of gratitude to Emily’s. Thanks, Kay. Thanks Emily: What honor to be here in the same post with you… and in the same book too. 🤗
    I’ve had tech difficulties too: been getting the annoying ‘unexpected error sending your message’
    So sorry for taking this long to return.
    I’ll be happy if this comment makes it through. If not, I’ll return on Monday (l’m mourning a friend this weekend—) bless you all. 🤗

  28. 🥂 ing with you Emily. Thanks for the encouraging words about the video. 🙇🏽‍♀️ Happy about how this came about. 🥂 to the success of this stellar anthology. 😉

  29. Oh darling’, Kaye Lynne. No apologies needed. Your role in this matter is exemplary. Wow Thank you. And Robbie too. 🙇🏽‍♀️

  30. I love Emily’s poetry. She is an amazing writer and artist too! Hearing Selma recite her poem brought tears to my eyes. Thanks so much, Kay, for hosting. I’m glad your site is finally up and running. xx

  32. You’re welcome Colleen. I’m pleased that I could meet the wonderful writers iof Poetry Treasures 4.

  33. I received a comment back that I made to you. I forget which one. It’s probably floating in cyberspace! 😃

  36. Thanks Colleen! I will look for yours also. I plan to go back and collect blog address of all the poets and people who have responded. 😊

  37. Hi Kay. This was a wonderful interview with Emily. I also enjoyed the great tips she shared with us. Hugs <3

  39. I’m happy you liked it Debby. Emily’s replies were wonderful and it was fun to interview her. Her story about Kris Kristofferson and her friends was hilarious!

  41. Pingback: Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature #BookReview #BlogTour #Giveaway – Carla Loves To Read

  44. Kay, that was a thorough and entertaining post, both the interview and the poem read by Selma Martin. It was fun to see her in person and hear her beautiful voice. I enjoyed getting to know Emily and I can tell by all the comments, that your readers enjoyed it, too. Thanks for sharing. I’m featuring this post on the attendance roster of Story Chat. :)

  45. Hi Marsha, it was fun to host the book tour although WP decided to update my blog the same day! No one could get in. My blog was locked to me also. After several emails a tech fixed everything. I may have to creat a new blog. I’m happy that people checked back later and left comments. Emily had wonderful answers to my questions. Selma’s reading by the ocean made her poem extra special. The poetry book sounds amazing and I’ll be reading it soon. Thanks. 🥰

  46. That’s a strange thing. I’ve never been on when they are doing that. Or at least not that I know of. It all worked out in the end, and it was a great post. I would hate to start all over again. I have done that, but I didn’t get the same amount of traffic.

  47. I had set my blog post to publish at midnight so the link would work for the tour. WordPress updated at the same time that night and that’s why the trouble happened. They said my theme was outdated so that’s why I have to make a new blog. I’ll keep the same blog name. That job will probably take a week or more. I’m slow!

  48. I have updated my theme several times. Mine was outdated, too, so I’ve had this theme for about six months or so. I didn’t get a new blog, though. It looks like you have done some work on your blog. Have you?

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