Good morning Wordsmiths! How you feelin’? You good?
I’m good. So good! 👌🏾
Last night’s book launch went off without a hitch! So much joy, love, book talk, and laughter. Being in community, sharing insights, and performing made me feel so absolutely lifted. This writing life ain’t bad at all.
Big thanks to everyone who joined us last night and asked awesome questions and engaged. Our conversation was not only fun but much needed. There is so much secrecy in publishing and there is no need for it. There is room for all of us.
TINAL book launch crowd: looking good
My next reading event will be May 1st! Details to come. I hope you’ll join me.
Hey Wordsmiths! Do you know what today is? Of course you do!
It’s release day! This is Not About Love #TINAL is out in the world! I feel so happy, grateful, and free!
I’ve honestly always dreamed about writing poetry and stories and having my words published for all the world to see. Today is a dream come true! One of many!
I want to give a huge heartfelt THANK YOU to all you Wordsmiths! You show up, encourage, and support me with no question.
Also to my publisher BLF Press, thank you for taking a chance on me yet again. Stephanie I still look at your editorial notes and get chills! Lauren thank you for this banging cover! You did that!!!
JL Herndon, Jason B Crawford your blurbs brought me to tears! Thank you for taking the time to read my words and see me!
Friends, lovers (past and future) get ready. Grab a copy of this collection and be prepared to sit with how you feel and just know it’s all LOVE even though…This is Not About Love
Join me Saturday April 10th for conversation and community as we celebrate the launch of #TINAL
Happy Weekend, Wordsmiths! 🌈I’m excited for poetry month even though I celebrate poetry and writing all year there is something fun about a concentrated month of it. I won’t be writing a poem everyday this month. I did it last year and it took me out. By the end of the month my mental faculties were absolutely wiped! LOL
I’m so thankful to my publisher, BLF Press, who is dedicated to putting out incredible work by women of color. I feel so supported working with this Black press and having my work respected and taken seriously. I’m treated the same way and shown how much I matter in this industry. I received an awesome care package from BLF Press this week too with all the things writers need and love: A book of poetry, a fancy notebook, a totebag, and SNACKS! Thank you so much!
My publisher sent me an awesome care package! Thank you BLF PRESS!
It’s been such a good week. With the release date for This is Not About Love right around the corner (April 6th) I feel excited! And I can admit also that I’m a little nervous. I keep telling myself this is normal. This is normal. 😬
As promised I found a tasty and refreshing recipe for our LOVE LIBATION!
I’m glad tho because we all have so much to offer ourselves, and each other. Being able to look into the center of a struggle or problem and pull ourselves to the other side is absolutely INCREDIBLE!
This week reminded me to rest, reach out, listen, and reimagine what could be.
Yeah, this week tried it & LOST! ✊🏾
Time to fall into the joys of the weekend! Sending you all #Rest #Peace #Support and #Healing🙏🏾
Upcoming Events:
BLF Press presents Krystal A. Smith in conversation with DeMisty D.Bellinger. April 10th 6pm to 7:30pm EDT Register here
Daylight Savings is so unnecessary! ⏰ I don’t know why we even still do this. Is it for farmers? Is it because of the time space continuum? Is this the only way to keep the earth on its axis?
I’m exhausted! Always this springing forward warps my sense of everything! My body has the hardest time adjusting. I’ll be sleepy but can’t sleep.
The weather this week didn’t help either. A little bit of sun ☀️ and a whole lot of rain ☔️ and wind 💨 and tornado 🌪 warnings!
But! 🤗 The week wasn’t all bad. No siree! I got to experience a joyous (virtual) gathering of time traveling letter writing creators! I wrote a letter to my favorite wig – Mermaid Tendrils and tapped into a future self that will be absolutely instrumental in living my best life. #Living🙌🏾
I read two short Black lesbian romance novellas and even got some writing done.📚💜
I got some stellar cocktail recipes and suggestions from my Facebook pals today (hence the late night post) and yummy 😋🍹 My bar cart is adequately stocked again!
This gives me an idea! What if my poetry collection had a signature cocktail🧉 Yep! I’m gonna make one and post it before my book release.
Stay tuned for 💕Love Libations💕🍸😉
In the meantime preorder This is Not About Love and sign up for the launch party on April 10th! I’ll be in conversation with DeMisty D. Bellinger!
Hey Wordsmiths! What a long mundane week! Better than chaotic and out of control, but still, bluh.
That’s okay though. Sometimes we need the lulls to make the highs stand out. And I’ll take weekend chores over a 7-day work week every time (because I have worked 7-days a week before and that shit should be illegal). 🧹 🧼 🧽
I can hardly remember what took place this week. I remember going to work and coming home and that’s it. I started a new WIP and have been working on that in the evenings. I played around with making videos and reading poems on camera and I still feel very much like a fish out of water. The tech, my voice, my FACE🙄…LOL Talk about stepping out of a comfort zone, more like leaping. 🤾🏾♀️
I’m about to go to the store to nab groceries and cat supplies. Once I’m back I plan to read and do some creative stuff, but a girl might just take a nap. 😴
Enjoy the weekend, friends! 💋
UpcomingEvents:
BLF Press presents Krystal A. Smith in conversation with DeMisty D.Bellinger. April 10th 6pm to 7:30pm EDT Email info@blfpress.com to register
Photo Alt text: Stems of lavender on pink background. Quote text overlay: “Deliver me from writers who say the way they live doesn’t matter. I’m not sure a bad person can write a good book. If art doesn’t make us better, then what on earth is it for.” – Alice Walker
That’s a wrap! 3-5-21
It’s Friday! Huzzah 🙌🏾 Another week down. We did it.
Lots of story and project ideas popped up for me this week. I wrote them down and started on one I’m extremely excited about!
The urgency to create and produce has come upon me in such a way this week. It’s flared my anxiety with time. There’s never enough time it seems. The WhatIfs started knocking at me. Then the doubts. #TheStruggleIsReal😔
Somehow I keep on keeping on. Maybe that’s why I’m so proud of my work. Maybe that’s why I cant shut my mouth about this poetry collection. Writing was just a thought one day in Mrs. Ramey’s English class. Now it’s a way to say something, feel, represent! #WritingIsTheWay #WritingIsEverything
Anyway…
Event scheduling continues for This is Not About Love #TINAL. I GOT CONFIRMATION this week that a writer/creator I absolutely adore and respect will host me in conversation. I feel so honored that they are making time for me and my collection of poems! More details on who and when coming soon but it’s 🤫 for now.
This week also had me thinking about writing advice and information. I enjoy talking about writing, process, and the act of creating. I don’t necessarily like the way people try to take advice as one-size-fits-all gospel. I do feel like I have some fresh thoughts on writing so I’m going to roll out some videos soon to share those thoughts. 👍🏾
That’s it for the week! I hope you all get to do something fun this weekend. Eat something really delicious and take a nap. 💜
UPCOMING EVENTS:
BLF PRESS Presents:
Krystal A. Smith in conversation with DeMisty D.Bellinger. April 10th 6pm to 7:30pm EDT Email info@blfpress.com to register
(Featured post image by Gaelle Marcel Unsplash 2019)
#WednesdayNightWrite
Went to virtual writing group tonight even though it’s been such a long time. Feeling welcomed and encouraged is such a balm any time, but especially now when we are all working through so much. Grateful for that! 🙏🏾💜
Managed to put 914 words on the page. I’m absolutely going to celebrate that! Whoohoo! 🥳 And double Whoohoo Whoohoo🥳 because this new project is outside my comfort zone. Completely different from my SpecFic or my poetry collection This is Not About Love coming out April 6th!
My cat – Tiny Cat- was asleep during my writing session so she, rightfully, had to attack my headphones 🎧 once she awoke.
The calm after the storm. Headphones belong to Tiny Cat now 😅
Show yourself some love and get some rest. Good night, y’all!
