Sally at Smorgasbord Blog Magazine features Ever So Gently!

On By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Book Promotions, Book Reviews

Dear Friends,

Sally at Smorgasbord Blog Magazine is always so kind and generous to support authors in promoting their books, and I’m thrilled that she featured my latest,
Ever So Gently.
If you haven’t met Sally, please visit her site. She is a pillar in this wonderful community. Here’s what Smorgasbord Blog Magazine is all about in Sally’s words:

“Smorgasbord Blog Magazine was the follow on to a physical newsletter that I published every month for two years, on subscription to listeners to my radio show.. I expanded the original format which was mainly health articles, to including book marketing, music, humour, lifestyle, cookery and food and short stories. My aim was to create a watering hole that provided a wide number of topics to chat about….This has now developed further to provide a platform for other authors to share their work. This year the blog celebrates twelve years, ten of them as Smorgasbord Blog Magazine.”

In this series authors were invited to share an excerpt of 500 words from any of their published books .

Submissions are now closed for this series but there will be another in early 2024.. My thanks to all who have participated.

Today I am sharing a poem by Lauren Scott…from her recent release Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poems.

About the collection

In Ever So Gently, Lauren Scott shares her strong link to nature, taking the reader on a tranquil walk through a redwood grove. You’ll find an invitation to sit quietly on a patio, captivated by the simple beauty of a hummingbird. She’ll entice you to revel on the shore of a freshwater lake, mesmerized by its stunning beauty.

Scott shares how love has shaped her life. From that first delicious kiss to celebrating decades of marriage through a love that deepens over time. How her heart melted when she became a mom, then ached when her children started their adult lives across country. And how her adorable canine companions found their way into her heart.

Scott underscores how life presents mysteries we struggle to solve. We can’t help but ponder the deeper meaning of a simple vision. She prompts you to reminisce and reflect on your past, present, and future. Through the ups and downs, what matters most is to love and live ever so gently.

Book trailer created by Robbie Cheadle with my photos.

One of the poems from the collection in honour of Lauren’s father-in-law:

She Listens

He cares for his father whose body tires,
pain raging at cyclone force
from one hundred years of living a lifetime.
Yes, one hundred years! We were thrilled
to celebrate this monumental milestone,
but our emotions undulate –
who wishes to watch a loved one suffer?

Another week of work comes to an end.
With glass of wine in hand, we exhale
on the patio. Then the sun says,
“Good night, my dear friends,” as he
descends, making room for the moon.

And when the moon appears, Oh, my!
She takes our breath away!
Bright and bold as if she senses
we could use light in our souls.
She pays attention,
but most importantly, she listens.
And though the stars act a bit bashful,
they eavesdrop, and we are fine that they do.

The moon and stars hear us,
just an ordinary couple enjoying
a Friday evening but with heavy hearts.
Their absolute attention, imagine this,
out of all eyes gazing at the brilliant sky –
we know the moon’s lustrous presence
is for us alone.

Then we rise from our seats and head into
the house, feeling relaxed from the wine’s
fluidity, and appreciative that our troubles
have been received.

©Lauren Scott

One of the reviews for the collection:

Balroop Singh 5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and relatable  Reviewed in the United States

Scott’s poetry celebrates memories and moments in her latest collection – ‘Ever So Gently.’ Her connection with the surroundings blends into the wisdom of nature that unfolds through stunning imagery like: “hear the rustle of a skittering squirrel,” “petals of velvet invite raindrops to bask in their peach enchantment,” and “breeze carries burdens down rivers.”

From the birds that ‘flit and flutter’ to build their nest to the owl who proclaims his presence with his ‘high-pitched toots’ and the hummingbirds that flutter around the “bright pink petals” – all find a place of honor in this book to delight your moods. Lauren’s realism captivates and appeals to all the senses. Some of her poems express profound love that we cherish and yearn for – she tells you how valuable that love has been in her life.

From ‘The Peach Rose’ to ‘Firestorm’ and not to forget ‘I Was Adopted,’ her poetry slides most naturally on the wide canvas of creativity. However, poems that speak of love, of growing up and bonding are the ones that touched my heart. Who can ever forget ‘The Old Afghan,’ which is most relatable!

I haven’t read a more beautiful description of sunset – “The sky explodes in tangerines, salmons, canary yellows – brighter with every second. It’s as though a painter swished her brush back and forth…”
Some more examples of Scott’s brilliant style:
“And water hasnt caressed the hills
The earth, parched like Chile’s Atacama.”
“Silk-thread drizzles dusted rooftops and parched hills.”
“How he tenderly tiptoed through the syllables.”(I could feel the poignancy of the emotion)

A combination of free verse and syllabic poetry like haiku, tanka, etheree, shadorma etc. this is a lovely collection of poetry. Read it slowly to savor each emotion.

Head over to buy the collection: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

Also by Lauren Scott

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Website/Blog: Baydreamer – Facebook: Lauren Scott Author

About Lauren Scott

Lauren Scott is a poet and writer of short stories, both fiction and reflections of her life. She enjoys small-town living in Northern California with her husband, Matthew, and their lab, Copper; they have two grown children.

She has authored two collections of poetry: New Day, New Dreams (2013) and Finding a Balance (2015). In 2021, she released her memoir, More than Coffee, and her latest book is a poetry collection, Ever So Gently, that was released in July 2023. Her poetry has been published on Spillwords Press, and she was voted author of the Month for May 2023. Lauren is a contributing author in the anthologies, Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships (2022) and This is How We Grow (2023).

She has recently finished her first children’s book and is working with her illustrator, planning to publish it in early 2024. Her writing inspiration comes from love of family, spending time in the great outdoors, and finding joy in the simple things.

Thank you for dropping in today and I hope you will be leaving with some books.. Sally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Thanks again, Sally, and thanks to you who have purchased my book
and who have written wonderful reviews. The happy dance continues
and my heart is full of gratitude. ❤️❤️

Smorgasbord Free Book Promotions 2023- Share an Excerpt from one of your published books – #Poetry – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poems by Lauren Scott

56 thoughts on “Sally at Smorgasbord Blog Magazine features Ever So Gently!”

  1. Wonderful Lauren!
    Congratulations 🎉
    Great reviews by Sally, Lauren!!! Another great review!Love all the books and so happy for you. She’s the best! Will head over soon!💕💕💕

  3. Pingback: Sally at Smorgasbord Blog Magazine features Ever So Gently! – Lots Of Book Love 📚💘

  15. Adore this post. Sally is so generous. And the words she weaved to describe your lovely book are special and so true to the way I feel about it.
    And then Balroop? You are o e wealthy lady, my friend. May the reviews continue coming so more people can benefit from this gentle collection. My honest wish for you. Blessing. Xoxo

    1. Thanks so much, Selma. I agree, Sally is very generous, and I’m grateful for all the wonderful support I have received for my book, which includes yours! I appreciate your wish (and I hope it comes true (smile) ).
      Wishing you a lovely day, and I hope your birthday was the best! ❤️🎉🙏🏻⭐️

  18. This is terrific, Lauren.
    Sally is great person to share and endorse your book….. any book.
    I’m enjoying reading again the poems that those who have reviewed your book are sharing/highlighting.
    It’s intriguing to see what each has personally selected.
    Cheers to Sally and you!!!
    🌺💖xx

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Resa. Sally is so generous when it comes to supporting other authors. I’m touched that you’re re-reading some poems too. I appreciate you! And I agree, I love seeing different poems highlighted and learning how they resonated. Thanks again, my friend! 💖💖🤗

  19. Nice work, Lauren. I watched the entire trailer – so well done. Your pictures are beautiful. I’m working on a book – the collection of short stories on Story Chat – with Amazon and creating a trailer is a new experience for me. Congratulations on your new book. I hope you have many more. Thanks to Sally for sharing this post.

    1. Thanks, Marsha. Robbie offered to create the trailer, which was so nice because this was a first for me. I love how it turned out, and your lovely words are appreciated. It was wonderful to be featured on Sally’s site and I’m thrilled with the great reviews. It’s always rewarding to read how our writing affects our readers. Good luck on your new book too, and if you need help with the trailer, maybe ask Robbie. 🙂 Thanks again and I wish you the same. ❤️

      2. Thanks! I liked that too. I just visited your post and babbled a bit. 🙂 Congrats! It’s a big project that looks great! I almost used photos in my latest book, especially for the nature section, but the formatting became too tedious. I do look forward to reading yours and sharing a review, and if you enjoy poetry, I invite you to check out my book also, Ever So Gently. I have to offer a slight nudge. 🙂 Anyway, I will watch for publishing details to come.

      3. I want to eventually publish a poetry book, and I love using photographs, but I love your trailer idea. It allows you to do some of that without having to publish it.

Comments are closed.