Behind the Scenes: A Love Gift

A Love Gift 💝 is a collection of poetry gifted to anyone who's searching for love, whether from another human or from God. The poems talk about love between friends, in a family, or directed toward the Creator. 💕

Inspiration / Muse:
Nature, songs, holidays, and special people have all inspired the words in this collection. The experiences lived with those muses fueled the emotions that penned the words. I wanted to share the essence of the poems with others as a gift to reopen even when the world doesn't feel quite right.

Theme:
Love makes it possible to forgive, try again, persevere, reach for the stars 💖, stay grounded, care for others 💞, nourish self 💓, believe in the impossible 💗, and heal 💔. The problem is humans keep forgetting that love is the key to many wonderful things. Perhaps, these poems will remind us.

Journey:
The poems were written over a decade from middle school through college, as were my previous collections. It is eye-opening rereading the words. Some were memories while others looked to the future, like the poem Being in Love. 💘

Meaning behind the cover:
This cover was painted by the same college student who painted the covers for Real Purpose: You Are Special, Life Experienced, and Encouraging Through Sharing: A Christian's Perspective. Without knowing, she painted one of my favorite flowers--cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Impact / Tribute:
Hopefully, these poems lift the spirit of every reader, reminding them to love one another and that someone in the universe loves them too. 💟

The ninth in the Behind the Scenes series is planned for July 4, 2020.

Behind the Scenes: Adelle & Brandon: Friends for Life

Adelle & Brandon: Friends for Life is a short story about a young woman's hope that a long time friendship will grow into something more. In the meantime, she remains as a shoulder for him to cry on whenever he has a breakup.

Inspiration / Muse:
During a South Jersey Writers' Group meeting, a guest speaker talked about about the best way to write descriptions of the scene so the reader isn't bored. In response, I started writing the first half of this story the moment I arrived home.

Theme:
Friendship, love, and longing pretty much covers it.

Journey:
For two years after finishing the first part of the story, no additional scenes came to mind. I thought the story was complete until a dance performance with a similar beginning inspired the rest. Only then did I know the end of the story had arrived.

Meaning behind the cover:
The pinky-swear and Coney Island are involved in a major turning point in Adelle's and Brandon's lives--the day they promised to remain "Friends for Life" despite the fact that they'd be living in different cities. When the graphic artist asked me whether I wanted to use warm or cold colors on the cover, I had no idea how to respond. After a bit of research on the internet, I choose a rainbow of cold to warm colors from top to bottom to depict the progression of Adelle's friendship with Brandon. I'm very pleased that this cover has received many compliments.

Impact / Tribute:
I enjoy rereading Adelle and Brandon's story over and over. I've spoken to others who feel the same way. It's a sweet, feel good kind of story with a bonus short, a tribute to my dad, to wrap up the small book. I hope you enjoy it too.

The eight in the Behind the Scenes series is planned for June 20, 2020.