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Search Results for: long enough to love you

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Love, Life, and Literature: An Interview with Kirsten Pursell, author of Long Enough to Love You

Kirsten Pursell is an American author and sometimes blogger. Released on January 1, 2023, Long Enough to Love You is her fourth book. Previous works include her memoir, On Becoming Me: Memoir of an 80s Teenager, released in 2021, and two other novels: Harvard and Company Clown. Her memoir has been #1 on Amazon’s Women’s Biographies and Memoirs and Company Clown has been #1 in Satire Fiction and Two-Hour Literature & Fiction Short Reads. Her books were downloaded over 10,000 times in 2022. She resides in Oceanside, California.

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Long Enough to Love You, by Kirsten Pursell

Jenn, fifty-something and empty-nesting, feels like a donut: whole on the outside but missing the middle. The deafening sound of silence in the picture-perfect, oversized home she shares with a husband who does not see her makes the voices arguing in her head hard to ignore. One voice tells her to stay because safe and simple is good; another says leave so you can be the version of yourself not defined by others. The thought of ever after without happily feels like purgatory.

The chance discovery of her long-forgotten diaries unearths memories of a first love long buried, reminders that the most beautiful love is sometimes wasted on the young. Her words become a very real reminder of everything first love had been when she reconnects with Tripp in unexpected ways.

Long Enough to Love You by Kirsten Pursell follows Jenn – a courageous yet vulnerable protagonist – as she dissects and unpacks her marriage in an emotional journey to stay true to herself despite societal norms and middle-age stereotypes that would suggest otherwise.

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Writing Young Adult Fantasy Novels

In the realm of young adult fantasy, writers hold the power to transport readers to fantastical realms where anything is possible. From the towering spires of enchanted castles to the depths of uncharted oceans teeming with mythical creatures, the canvas upon which these tales are painted knows no bounds. But crafting a compelling young adult fantasy novel requires more than just a vivid imagination; it demands careful planning, skillful world-building, and an understanding of the unique elements that resonate with readers in this genre.

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An Interview with Annie Hayes-Allan, author of Now You See Us, Now You Don’t

Over the last year, coming back to writing after a long health and caring forced break, I have had a poem, articles and letters printed in The Writers’ Forum Magazine, before its closure, and short stories shortlisted. I have entered various competitions with NYC Midnight and took part in Mary Adkins’ 10,000 Words in 10 Days Challenge. I am currently doing a creative non-fiction course with Nicole Breit.

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An Interview with Ingrid Jendrzejewski, author of Love and Bayes’ Theorem

Ingrid received a BFA in Creative Writing and BA in English Literature at the University of Evansville before going on to earn a BA and MSci in Natural Sciences (Physics) at the University of Cambridge. At the University of Evansville, she served as Non-fiction Editor, then Editor-in-Chief of the Evansville Review. Ingrid currently serves as Co-Director of the UK’s National Flash Fiction Day, Editor-in-Chief of FlashFlood, and a consultant for The Prose Poem.

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Elegant Authenticity: An Interview with Janine Dennis, author of The Absurdity of Doing You

Janine is the Owner/Chief Innovations Officer for Talent Think Innovations, LLC, a multidisciplinary business strategy and management consulting firm. Her career spans eighteen years in HR, Talent Acquisition, and Talent Management that has taken her through the world of pharmaceuticals, the arts, K-12 education, technology, private equity, healthcare, staffing, and R&D, just to name a few sectors she has worked in. Janine is a dynamic speaker, entrepreneur, and an important and respected voice bringing both a human touch and business savvy to the companies and businesses she works with.

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Sparrows and Selections: An Interview with Jerry Lovelady, author of Grief and Her Three Sisters

I am a 68-year-old native Texas poet who has lived many different lives. I have resided in Texas most of my adult life, but for some years I made my home in the great states of Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, California, and Arizona. I grew up in a small, conservative community in East Texas in the 1960s and was greatly influenced by the Anti-Vietnam War and Civil Rights movements

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I Got You, by Angie Wren

Sometimes yucky-day-havin’ mamas get lucky enough to find the perfect addition to their life when they least expect it.

Join Mama as she makes her way through this real-life inspired journey that starts with a bad day—but doesn’t stay that way for long. When Mama finds the courage to peek under a noisy lumpy blanket, she finds a reason to forget about her bad day and enjoy happier days than she’s ever known.

I Got You is a book about the instant love between a mother and child that just might broaden the brush used to paint the picture of what the miracle of motherhood can look like. This sweet mommy-and-me story incorporates a silly song, beautiful illustrations, and a deep, meaningful message that is sure to connect with readers of any age.

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I Am Not Young And I Will Die With This Car In My Garage, by Blake Rong

 

The speakers in Blake Z. Rong’s gorgeous debut, I Am Not Young and Will Die with This Car in My Garage, inhabit a world emptied of people but haunted by distorted memories of human contact. As Rong writes, “The city becomes human in its unraveling.” This is a poetry of place; the poems span the globe—Singapore, Miami, New York and Dalian—but each place just reminds the reader of what’s missing. Can poetry fill the loss? Read and find out.
-Joanna Fuhrman, author of To A New Era and other books

Blake Z. Rong’s debut is a feat—and without a doubt a must-read. Rong’s honesty, tenderness, humor, awe and wonder at the world, and attention to detail come through in a way where the speaker is us—or a friend we’ve known for a long time. For instance, the lines, “Down on the street all you gorgeous bodies/vibrate against each other like/supercharged miracles” are unforgettable and gorgeous. So much of the book is full of lines that are beautiful but also starkly honest, such as “There are no off-world colonies.” The book ultimately leaves me having just enough but always wanting more of these words, this insight.
-Joanna C. Valente, author of A LOVE STORY and other books

“There are particular American cruelties / hard-wired into our veins. Watch me, / just watch me / catch this rubber bullet between my teeth.” Blake Z. Rong’s debut collection of poems is a visceral, lyrical, and unflinching look at where we are as a country, who we are when we dare to love, and what happens when we fall short. Rong’s collection is a timely, imaginative story of coming of age in the 21st century as young Americans find themselves torn apart by economic strife, imperialism, racism, social isolation, gun violence, and cultural dislocation. And yet, in that dangerous world, the speakers of these poems defy stigma, forge human connections, and love across cultures and histories
despite taboos. These speakers are unafraid to embrace their beautiful and contradictory selves, and in doing so, they create a vision for the future that’s startling, original, and sublimely human in its intent. A must-read debut.
-Rita Banerjee, author of Echo in Four Beats and CREDO: An Anthology of Manifestos and Sourcebook for Creative Writing

In his debut full-length collection, Blake Z. Rong attempts to answer the following questions:

What do doomed cosmonauts think about as they plummet to Earth?
Has a bird ever pooped on your pizza?
Did Van Gogh ever get laid?

I Am Not Young And I Will Die With This Car In My Garage is a chronicle of failures. These grandiose failures take place across time and space and distance, from Singapore to Tokyo to Disneyland, and onward to the end of the world. Through these 37 poems Rong alights on our deepest longings, the darkest results of loneliness, and our inability to hold on to the people we love most.

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brierley

An Interview with C.L. Brierley

C.L Brierley is a Manchester-based writer dabbling in fantasy, horror, thriller, romance, and more. With a love of mythology, history, gaming, and fantasy from a young age, she developed an excellent imagination very quickly that serves her well to this day for creating stories. She has been writing since she was fourteen and has been on a few different platforms but now is on Inkitt, where she has won awards and had many stellar reviews, as well as Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and more.

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An Interview with Kathryn Rossati

Kathryn Rossati is an author of YA and children’s books, and a poet. She is neurodivergent and has hypermobility spectrum disorder. Her favourite hobbies include: country walks (despite her achy limbs and misbehaving joints), tai chi, painting, and anything to do with The Legend of Zelda games. She lives on the Isle of Wight and is often found daydreaming or receiving “constructive” criticism from her boisterous parrot and chatterbox budgie.

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An Interview with Koushik Banerjea

Koushik Banerjea is the author of two novels, both written while still the sole carer for his late mother: Another Kind of Concrete (Jacaranda 2020) and Category Unknown (London Books 2022). His short stories have appeared in Feign Lit, Jerry Jazz Musician, Salvation in Stereo, Minor Literatures, Verbal, Writers Resist, and in the crime fiction anthologies Shots in the Dark and Shots in the Dark II. He has had poems published in Third Space, Building Bridges (forthcoming Renard Press November 2024), Mogadored (Tangerine Press), Razur Cuts Magazine, and online in House of Poetry magazine.

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Book of the Year

Atmosphere’s Book of the Year Finalists Atmosphere Press is proud to recognize these five finalists for our first-ever Book of the Year Prize. These five books are exemplary for their

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austin

An Interview with Elizabeth Austin

Elizabeth Austin’s writing has appeared in Huffington Post, Thrillist, Reactor Mag, Business Insider, and others. She holds an M.F.A. from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her two children and their many pets. Find her at writingelizabeth.com and on Instagram @writingelizabeth.

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jones jennifer

An Interview with Jennifer A. Jones

Jennifer A. Jones adores animals, rainy days, and the thrill of living a frugal lifestyle. Married with two grown children, Jennifer enjoys her Texas home, where she cuddles with her dogs, immerses herself in books, and expertly pinches pennies because every cent leads to a dollar.

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An Interview with Carrie Lehtonen

Carrie Lehtonen is an entrepreneur, passionate animal advocate, and storyteller. Her work has been featured in Elephant Journal, YOGA+ Life, and Well magazine. She earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and spent over eighteen years working in Human Resources. After surviving a heart attack at thirty-one years old, Carrie chose to pursue an education in health and wellness. Carrie attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a Holistic Health Practitioner. She also trained to become a Registered Yoga Teacher and Educator. Carrie eventually left her career in Human Resources to start her own business, Firefly Community LLC. Pawsitive Perspectives is Carrie’s first book.

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wells

An Interview with Claire Wells

The story of Lightborn came to me in a dream. I had the vivid image of a young girl running from something sinister. She raised her hand and opened a portal, racing through and snapping her hands shut before she could be followed. The next day, I wrote the first chapter, using this image. The rest progressed from there.

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An Interview with Christie Goodman

Christie Goodman, APR, Fellow PRSA, is director of communications at IDRA, a national education equity and civil rights non-profit based in San Antonio. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University (and a Goin’ Band and Courtjesters alum). She was a long-time leader of two Girl Scout troops and a board member of the March of Dimes San Antonio, among other volunteer roles. Christie is writing a memoir featuring a motherhood journey through infertility and near-death premature childbirth, twice, while weaving the stories of feminist biblical heroines with surprisingly parallel struggles and life consequences.

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