SPILLWORDS INTERVIEW IS LIVE TODAY!

On June 15, 2023 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Interviews, Writing97 Comments

Dear Family and Friends,

I am excited to share with you the Q & A I had the privilege of doing with Spillwords. This interview is aligned with being Author of the Month for May. Thank you again to Dagmara and her team for this incredible opportunity! I won’t repeat myself, so I’ll let you get to the questions…

We offer our first and exclusive Q&A Interview with Lauren Scott, a writer whose literary works have been featured on our Spillwords pages as well as being Author of the Month of May 2023.

What does it mean to be selected as Author of The Month?

I feel honored to receive this wonderful accolade, and I am grateful my family and friends took the time to vote for me. It means my writing has been acknowledged and gained valued exposure among talented authors on your esteemed, literary website.

How have your friends and/or family influenced your writing?

The support I receive from family and friends continually motivates me to write. My son nudged me to start a blog years ago, which has been a wonderful platform to share my writing. These loved ones have also assisted with my books in various ways. Their love and encouragement provides the fuel for me to stay on this path of creativity.

What inspires you to write?

I enjoy the challenge of wordplay, which probably stems from my enjoyment of playing Scrabble. Shaping words into phrases or sentences to express a deep emotion or to paint a picture. Many poems are inspired by my strong marriage, and then motherhood followed, which brought new emotions to the surface. I also feel a deep connection to nature, spending time outdoors, especially camping and backpacking. I find living in the wilderness with essentials tucked into a backpack to be a profound adventure.

I’ve asked for your support before, but I’d be grateful if you’d visit Spillwords.com to read the full interview. You can land there seamlessly by clicking here. 🦋

You don’t need an account to ❤️ the interview, but you do if you’d like to leave a comment, and I welcome your lovely comments here or there. 🙂

Thanks so much for your support that is greatly appreciated!

Have a beautiful day! ❤️❤️❤️

Let’s talk about coffee and mugs…☕️

On June 12, 2023June 12, 2023 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Art, Books67 Comments

Are you a collector of mugs like I am? Every so often, I have to let go of a few so I can buy more! I always find another mug on a trip that I can’t pass up. My latest additions are from my talented and lovely friend, Marina. She is a fantastic photographer, artist, and musician. In fact, she and her husband, Oannes, have a band MK-O [the music of Marina Kanavaki & Oannes]. I think it’s easy to say Marina is definitely multi-talented! But she is also one of the kindest people I’ve ever met (even though it’s only through blogging). Please visit her blog if you haven’t had the pleasure yet. You’ll love her incredible talent but also her gentle nature.

The mugs below are my new additions with artwork by Marina, and I think they are just gorgeous! For some reason, I couldn’t get my act together to take a photo with coffee in them.😁 But I believe you can imagine. They are perfect for a hot, soothing cuppa! Don’t you love the colors and the cheer? We’ve had June gloom weather, so these delightful designs and colors brighten the mood. So, why don’t you pour yourself a cup and enjoy!

**If you’re in the mood to shop, check out Marina’s page where you’ll find a whole host of her amazing designs and products.** **I hope you’ll do some shopping!**

Thank you, Marina, for being YOU! I look forward to perusing more of your gorgeous art! ❤️

And now I don’t mean to overwhelm with more about coffee, but yesterday I saw the link come through from Selma’s blog. She wrote a review for my latest book, More than Coffee, that couldn’t help but put me in the mood to dance! I haven’t known Selma for long in this warm blogging community, but in a short time, I know she is a lovely and compassionate individual, not to mention, a beautiful poet. And I already consider her a dear friend. If you haven’t had the chance to meet Selma,
I encourage you to pay her a visit. She will welcome you with open arms where you can immerse yourself in her incredible writing. Below is her stunning review. I am over the moon again!

More Than Coffee—Memories in Verse and Prose by Lauren Scott

Ah, life! It doesn’t come with a manual on how to live it, but if you’re looking for a role
model to live authentically to radiate happiness from within, I invite you to look no
further than More Than Coffee—Memories in Verse and Prose by Lauren Scott. What
a lovely book. It’s loaded with personal stories sprinkled with heartfelt poetry that
enhances each phase reached in the Author’s narrative. Her resonant heart and calming voice befriended me from the get-go.

From the preface and the first story, entitled Silver Heirlooms, that opens with the
Author telling us about an old set of silverware she inherited from her mother. To the
last one, Magic, a poem, she had me glowing with gratitude, as was her hope for me in
the preface. Mission accomplished. I’m all lit up.

This Author doesn’t overuse language, and in More Than Coffee, she writes about her
life with reverence. The cadence of her voice reached under my skin, and I found myself
nodding to her words.

This 63-page paperback compilation of memories in verse and prose is estimated to be
a 100-minute read. It is if you want to breeze through it. But slow reader that I am, a
sentimental romantic, who loves her family just as much as this Author loves hers, I
went slow—savoring her beautiful words. And glad I did—I had many epiphanies and
pauses that helped to uplift me for knowing people with beautiful hearts like Author
Lauren Scott exist.

In this modern age of AI, fake and negative news in the media, and varied lifestyles, in
the middle of just such a life, there exists room for more happiness—this book will get
you one step closer.

Because happiness does that—seeing someone happy gets us all closer.

I’m glad I read More Than Coffee—Memories in Verse and Prose by Lauren Scott
and want to recommend it to everyone—a resounding 5-star rating.

…Because even second-hand happiness makes us all happy.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Thank you again, Selma! My heart is bursting with gratitude! ❤️

Selma’s original post can be found here, and you’ll be able to read her wonderful review for
It Ain’t Winning If Without You by Michelle Ayon Navajas, another book added to my TBR.

Thanks so much for dropping in, and I wish you a wonderful week! ❤️❤️

A slight glimmer…

On June 10, 2023 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry79 Comments

Remember, the breeze carries
burdens down rivers
and across oceans,
majestic trees sway with joy,
sheltering from shadows,
and the light shines even if only
a slight glimmer slips through...

Keep hope in your heart and enjoy your weekend! ❤️

This verse is from a poem in my upcoming book.
Photo: Samuel P. Taylor Park – magical moments with Redwoods.

Spillwords Press Author of the Month for May!!

On June 1, 2023June 1, 2023 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Celebrations, Poetry124 Comments

Thanks to your generosity and time, I was voted Author of the Month for May on Spillwords Press!!!

I’m excited to receive this honor among so many amazing writers! Thank you to Dagmara K. and her team for providing this literary site for authors to share their emotions through words. I’m thrilled to be a part of this community!

A Big thank you again, dear friends, for your vote and wonderful support, and for visiting Spillwords to read my poem, “Toots and Circles.”

I wish you a fabulous day and weekend ahead! ❤️❤️

Trouble – Acrostic Poetry

On May 31, 2023May 31, 2023 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry81 Comments

Trouble – An Acrostic poem inspired by Colleen’s post , but mine turned into a double acrostic with a more somber twist. It may even be more of a story than a poem. When I saw the word ‘trouble’ my father-in-law came to mind…

Thriving in life’s sunrises and sunsets
Reveling in life, travel, staying active,
Over the last century he’s lived a fulfilled life,
Unaffected by pessimism, his sanguinity
Bestows a light on all who walk in his circle.
Legendary in his knowledge and keen memory,
Enervated and full of pain is his body now.

Taking each day as it comes, persistent agony
Rarely breaks from its stopover, but complaints
Outstandingly never fall from his lips. It is
Unusual for the query to escape, but he
Breathes gently before asking when the distress will
Liquidate his bones and muscles, when it will all finally
End.

Maybe you can relate? Perhaps you’re in the same situation with a loved one?

On a lighter note, if you find yourself at a loss for words, desperately needing poetry writing inspiration, visit Colleen.

Thank you for reading. ❤️

Spillwords Press publishes “Toots and Circles”!!!

On May 24, 2023May 24, 2023 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry68 Comments

Dear Friends,

Spillwords Press has published my second poem today , “Toots and Circles” and I am honored to have my writing featured on their site again!

This poem evolved one morning when a friend in nature woke us up with its morning greeting just before our alarm sounded off…

Toots and Circles

Perhaps he was a Western Screech Owl
that I heard outside our bedroom window
in the early darkness before the sun
fashioned its glorious arrival.
I cannot say with conviction,
but it is certain he proclaimed his presence
with his high-pitched toots.

But what I really want to know…

You can read the entire poem here…

And I”ll be grateful if you head over to Spillwords and click on the heart to “like” the poem. 😁 I’d even do a happy dance if you’d leave a comment, but of course, you’ll need to create an account and log in. I won’t ask you to do this since we are all inundated with user names and passwords. One can hope though!
Please know your time and support is greatly appreciated if you choose one of these options.❤️

Thank you again to Dagmara K. and her team for accepting my submission. I am thrilled to the moon and truly gratified!

I hope you enjoyed my poem, and I wish you many miracles in nature! ❤️

Living Ever So Gently

On May 20, 2023May 20, 2023 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Book Promotions, Poetry98 Comments

I’m thrilled to share the collaboration has begun with an amazing illustrator for my first children’s book!! The release date will be later this year, specifics TBD. This road is one I haven’t traveled before, so a learning curve is ever present. But the journey will be delightful as I watch my adorable character come to life in color on pages through beautiful illustrations. Not to mention, the important message included in the story for both children and adults. More information will follow throughout the year as progress moves forward, and I’m sporting a Big smile…

So, food for thought in haiku form…

visualize dreams
transform into intentions
rewards lie in wait

As I’ve mentioned in prior posts, the progress for my upcoming book, Ever So Gently, is slowly advancing. Life has interrupted at times, but the plan is to release it next month. For the cover, I wanted a minimalist design with soothing shades to complement the title and message I’m conveying. I may play around with the font and placing of the text, but below is a mock sample:

A snippet from the introduction:

“Ever So Gently expresses how I welcome nature’s offerings. The gentle way in which I should react to life’s challenges. The gentle grace in my heart that is full of gratitude for the love in my life, for being loved. For the support of my family and friends through every stumble and every celebration. When I greet a new day, I am reminded to breathe and live gently. We live in a world riddled with chaos and tragedy, but beauty surrounds us if we open our eyes. I may not always succeed in gentle, but if I slip up, I will try again. A variety of emotions is felt throughout the collection because life can be joyful, but it can also be messy. As to the style of poetry, most are free verse, but since I enjoy trying different forms, I’ve included syllabic poetry as well.

Style notwithstanding, the purpose of compiling this collection is for you, the reader, to discover at least one, but hopefully, a few poems that will evoke a special memory or remind you that you are not alone living with the emotions in your heart. Perhaps you’ll get a good laugh or experience an aha moment. Most importantly, when you turn the last page, I hope you discover the reward of living Ever So Gently.“

Thank you for reading and for your wonderful support in the past! Stay tuned for more information on both books in future posts. May your weekend be filled with adventure and big smiles! ❤️