Barbara's Meanderings

I hope you have all had a very pleasant month and a few days. I love this part of the year when it gets warmer and the flowers bloom. I'm a summer baby so this is when I feel most comfortable. 

 Sadly, we must say goodbye to Wendy Blanton for now and I am sure she will be back with her new book very soon. Let's welcome our new guest Deepika Singh. She is not an author yet, but she has been published in multiple anthologies. I remember the time when I wasn't an author yet. So I extend my hand to anyone who would like to be seen. I think you will find she is very interesting and talented in several areas. 

Welcome Deepika Singh and we are all interested in learning more about her. Here is her interview.

Where were you born and where do you live now?

I am an Indian native born and brought up in Margherita-Assam. Surrounded with lofty hills and vibrant tea gardens.

Besides writing do you have any other occupations? Do you have any hobbies?

Besides writing I am a torch bearer, a teacher. My hobbies include reading, writing and making rangoli. I feel that if a person tends to write then he/she must read enough. Rangoli is the traditional floor art of India. I also made a state and World record in Rangoli (2020).

That is great! Congratulations!!!Who or what influenced you to begin writing?

I did my Bachelor degree in English major and was very much influenced by Rabindranath Tagore, William Wordsworth and John Keats writing style. In my Master degree I started writing for newspapers. In the year 2012 my father went to heaven and I stopped writing. After some years I got married which didn’t go well and ended up in divorce.When the whole world was struggling against the Corona pandemic I was going through my divorce and I realized that pain is inevitable. I tried to transform my pain through writing and thus my pen started flowing again.

How wonderful, though it is sad that this caused you to start writing again. I also began writing again due to sadness. It is greatly healing to write when you are sad. 

Do you speak any other languages besides your native one and English? What are they?

India is a land of cultural diversity. Here in India other than the mother tongue and English language , people can easily speak fluently in other native languages tooI can speak easily in Bengali, Assamese , Hindi and English well.

Why did you become a teacher and what do you teach?

My mother is my strength.She was a teacher and I followed her footsteps. I have been in this profession since 2010 and I teach English and Social Studies. Teaching moulded me. It gave me a new ME. The best thing which I learned from my students is to always be kind.

That is a wonderful lesson and you can learn from your students. They are the greatest teachers.

How did you start to write poetry?

I don’t want to keep myself limited. I always wanted to explore myself and thus my writing journey started. As I already mentioned that pain is inevitable , I thought why not let’s make my pain beautiful by writing. I feel that poetry is like an art and the words are colors. Every verse gives me new birth and rejuvenates me.

What would you say are your main themes for your poem

My poems mainly deal with nature and life. And both are intertwined with each other.I am from a small town, where communication is not easy, books are not easily available butone thing which I am blessed with is bountiful nature. So I have become more inclined to write about natureAlso as we grow we become more entangled with life’s problems. We should use our pain as a shield and wake up like a Tigress and set an example for everyone how to fight back with your pain so that the whole world applauds.

Wow, I totally agree that people respond to painful poems. I have had the most comments on my saddest poems.

I noticed all of your poems are in free verse. Do you ever write in rhyme?

To be very honest this is my limitation. I always love and prefer to write in free verse. I believethat through free verse I am able to express myself more.

Your poem: “Ode to Chipko Women” is dedicated to the Chipko Women in Uttahrakhand,Inda. Are you a member of this group? What inspired you to write this?

Well I am not a member of any such group. The Chipko Movement originated in Himalayanregion Uttarakhand , India in 1973. When this region was facing rampant deforestation due tocommercial activities. What caught my attention is that the women group who started thismovement were simple peasant women not much educated. But still they understood the value ofnatural resources.It was a nonviolent movement. They hugged the trees and encircled them to prevent being hacked.Soon all over the world people came to know about this eco feminist movement and still we are following its legacy.

You mention in your bio your work is translated into many different languages. How did this occur?

When my work gets translated my poems get a new life. Many brilliant luminaries appreciated my work and they showed interest to give a new light to my work through their translations. I am very much grateful to them.

Many of your poems are published in anthologies. Have you thought of publishing your own book?

I know my limitations. As I always write in free verse, I feel that if I need to publish a book I need to explore more in the poetry genre. I need to work harder to catch readers' attention.

Well, you captured my attention and I'm sure our readers will enjoy your poetry too. You have to take the leap. 

Do you believe poets are important for society? Why or why not?

Poets'; words have echoed since ages , from ancient civilisation to modern era. They help us to delve into our imaginations. They dive deep into emotions offering solace through words and sometimes words can also have the impact to change our lives.

That was a great answer. I agree and feel that is why poetry has captured the spirit of society again. Poets translate events of the day and help people understand how to cope with them. Poets are the soul of our world. 

Please share your website and social media links here.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100028332699779&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Finally, my last question and the one I ask all my guests. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Inother words, do you outline before you write or do you just write?

I always jot down the words or beautiful sentences which come to my mind. Then I choose a. theme and start working on it. I dive deep into human emotions and always try to keep my poems simple so that common people can easily understand .My message to budding Wordsmith- no matter how remote region you live, if you love to write just be a voracious reader. Whatever you get, just read it. Make it a daily habit. We all go through mental trauma, don't stop yourself, rather rise like a tiger and roar like a lionby your creativity. God has made us all creative, we just need to explore ourselves.

Thank you Deepika Singh for being my guest here on the blog. This interview will be up here for about a month. Your words are so powerful and now let's see your poems. 

Here are some of the anthologies in which Deepika Singh is published:

Here are photos of Deepika Singh doing Rangoli and one of her Rangoli pieces. Rangoli is floor art. Please check it out here:

Here are some of Deepika Singh's poems:

MY REBIRTH

Time favoured bestowed with happiness,

And I build the kingdom of hope.

But life stabbed and crumbled me again and again,

My voice is choked, tongue tied up.

Went through innumerable dark nights.

The softest heart bruises the deepest.

The walls witnessed my pathos,

But life goes on.

I was like a caged bird,

Poetry gave me wings to fly.

You gave me beacon of hope,

You rewired my entire DNA,

A renewal of the new ME.

You crafted me, you nurtured me.

Poetry sanitized my mind,

And evoked my ink.

I woke up like a Tigress.

And roar like a Lioness

My words are my weapons now.

Which my mates adore 

And my foes abhor.

JUST A FIGURINE

In my yesteryears I played with a lovely doll.

I caressed her everyday.

She was my soul,

And I was her heartbeat.

When I stepped in my budding days,

She smiled and said, “You are a dol”.l

I ignored her,

Never dived deep into the depth of her words.

I smiled and got engrossed in the mortal coil of life.

As days passed by I realised,

That I am just like a rag doll.

In the hands of fragile hearts.

Some souls are just pastime gadgets.

Life is so uncertain.

People step in our life.

Shower with a million dreams.

Toy with our emotions.

To expertise in flamboyance,

To master in oratory.

Their hunger is never fulfilled,

Always in search of new prey.

Leaving us abandoned,

When we need them the most.

And then come the mass parade

To hear our raw story.

Instead of helping hands,

Giving us a hamper of pit hole tips.

Adding more spices and advertising our tales.

too difficult to stitch our tormented heart and trust again.

Painted face carries its glory.

Beautiful soul lies somewhere in the corner of dark room,

Finally, we become the effigy.

© copyright 2024 by Deepika Singh

UNFILTERED STORY 

I was like you, one among you, 

Chirping all the time.

I loved to be enveloped with people. 

Always extended helping hands,

I was an ointment who healed the scars.

Fresh breeze, nutrition of thoughts.

I thought others to be the same, 

Who value honesty and treasure those humble souls.

Acidic remarks hijacked the pleasure centers in my brain. 

Bestowed with hollow promises.

I carry the burden of scars,

Don’t accept me to be normal.

Embarking on a great battle.

I don’t play the tune of my sorrows now,

Drained out hopes, faith in dwarf planets. 

Deep down my soul always cries,

Scars are nowhere to heal.

Bitterness is paralytic.

Storm of tears and mosses of sadness.

In solitude I find comfort now.

A piece of me dies every second.

If you don’t walk in my shoes 

You don’t know the path,

I had walked too.

I am just a laughing stock and topic of discussion,  

For bugging minds.

Everything seems alien now. 

Emotional battles hard to deal with, 

I cry tears of blood.

Arrogance reflects in my face.

I don’t like to see mirror now,

Yes I am harsh too.

In fear of getting pangs,

I too was unstained,

Betrayal contaminated my soul,  

Lost in unethical coil.

 © copyright 2024 by Deepika Singh

PACT with PEACE

Flapping her wings a butterfly whispered in my ears,

Call for peace, sign the treaty of love.

Our power is in our hands and devotion to our work.

Sweat till the flag of tranquility flutters in the sky.

We don’t want ponds of blood.

There is only one earth and we are God’s dazzling creation.

Bitterness is alien to our Almighty.

We are here to do our part,

To preserve the heritage of holy peace.

To fabricate our earth as the safest heaven .

Be alert, don’t fall prey to devil’s exploiting path,

Which only exhibits hatred.

Don’t let the path of peace short,

Quest for peace is not far.

Just shun your ego,

And drown in the stream of love.

We all are tired of strolling in the pavement of barbaric blocks,

Power peddlers don’t you feel guilty?

Civilization is on the brink of ashes.

It’s a hard picture to draw and too hard to be photographed.

Outburst noise of uncivilized nation,

Will be documented in the pages of history.

Restoration of love and peace is the utmost cry now.

Sow the seeds of love and breed humanity.

Spin thread of nonviolence,

Sing the melody of friendship .

Peace can only be gained when we sparkle love.

Let hope not be the luxury word

which we cannot attain.

Peace adds to empowerment; it’s the key to prosperity.

© copyright 2024 by Deepika Singh

Bio for Deepika Singh:

Deepika Singh is an Indian native from Margherita, Assam. She holds an M.A. and a B.Ed. degree,by profession, a teacher. Her writings are a reflection of the everyday experiences she has. She thinks the correct words have the power to transform our culture. Her works were featured in various publications, including Sipay Journal, The Poet Magazine, Womensweb, Journal of Macedonia Scientific Society, Poetry Zine Magazine, Archer Magazine, etc. Additionally, her writings were translated into Hebrew, Chinese, Macedonian, Spanish, Serbian, Tajik, and Turkish. She also recited poetry on Kent’s BBC Radio.

________________________________________________________________________________

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Deepika Singh and I wish all of you a great rest of this month of June and July. Happy 4th of July to my US readers. We are celebrating it on July 6th this year with my brother as we usually do. I hope some of you will comment on this and thank you to Deepika Singh for sharing her life with us. I am still adding authors to the blog so if you want to be on here please let me know. My next guest author will be Renee Drummond Brown. With all of the books she has authored I might need two posts for her. LOL Until the next time, keep reading and get out and enjoy life while you can. 

Friends, I know I was supposed to put on all the poems from Poem A Day but April was very busy for me and I had some health issues. But now I will post the rest of them on the My Poems section of this blog. The reason is I am starting my Author Interviews today with author Wendy Blanton. Each month I will be featuring another author. Please contact me if you are interested. I am on Facebook: BarbaraJEhr.

Wendy is someone I met at Prosateurs, a group which meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on Zoom to write and share our results. All we do is meet the first five minutes to talk of what we will write and then the last five or ten minutes to say how we did. It has enabled me to work on my writing in manageable increments and given me motivation to write all the time. Stephen Bagley, who is our leader, creates an atmosphere of confidence and openness with his funny comments and offhand remarks. Anyway, that is how we met and I learned of her new book series. I always admire authors who write about dragons, even though I know I couldn't possibly do it. With her Balphrahn Books she brings you into the world of dragons.

Interview with Wendy Blanton

1. Where were you born and where do you live now?

I was born and raised in Michigan and I live near St. Louis, Missouri.

2. What made you decide to go into the Air Force? Did you know how to fly before you enlisted?

Oh, no, I don't fly. You have to be an officer and have special training before they let you do that. I enlisted so the Air Force would pay for my college education, but really, being in the military is an education in its own right. It's a blessing that I had no idea what I was getting myself into at the tender age of 19. 

3. How did you meet your husband? Do you have any children?

I met my husband in the Air Force. The squadron I worked for housed single airmen in the first two floors of a dormitory, and his squadron had the third floor. We tangentially lived together before we even met. We met, married, and birthed our two children in North Carolina. It was our longest tour in his career.

4. Describe the difference between being in the Air Force and being an Air Force wife. Were there any funny or unusual incidents you might relate to our readers?

On active duty, you're told what you need to know and nothing more. We said we were mushrooms--kept in the dark and fed BS. But there was a comradery in that, and we did have news trickle down through the chain of command. 

As the wife, it was the same, but sometimes the news didn't get to us. We got news from our spouses, but if they were deployed, we were at the mercy of whoever was supposed to remember to contact us. The spouse also takes on the responsibility of keeping the family together--caring for the kids/house/car/pets when the airman is away (and you can plan on something breaking within the first week of their departure), overseeing all the details of every move, and changing jobs with every new duty station. The job situation might be a little easier now, but when we were in the Air Force there was no such thing as remote work. We barely had the internet. It's a challenging life, but there are nuggets of wonderful. We lived in Italy for a year, and while that had challenges of its own, it was an amazing experience and came when our kids were the perfect age for it.·       

5. Who or what was your greatest influence for writing?

I've been a reader since I was little, and I've been making up stories almost as long. I think it's part of my DNA. My mom's family is artistic, and my dad's family is imaginative and witty. And sarcastic. I learned the fine art of BSing at my grandparents' table.

6. Why do you write about Balphrahn? What significance does it have for you?

 Balphrahn came into existence through a Facebook comment. I was working on short stories for the Blackbirds anthologies, and I posted about needing ideas. My friend posted a comment about fire exploding across the sky--the dragons were back. I thought it was cool, but I didn't want to write fantasy. At the time I thought I was going to write historical fiction. Silly me! I did one short story, which led to another and part of a third before I dissected them and scattered the pieces through the first novel. That was nine years ago, and it has taken on a life of its own, as projects like this often do. 

 7. How do you know so much about Celtic history? What made you decide to go to the festivals in Scotland?

Oh, I hope to do a festival in Scotland someday. For now, I tell Celtic folktales and history at Highland Games in Missouri (although I'm open to traveling under the right circumstances), and at local libraries. I got into it accidentally. The guy running the Clan Campbell tent at the St. Louis Scottish Games is a storyteller, and since I'm a writer, I volunteered to apprentice under him. He agreed, and the best part of a decade later, I'm doing it myself. I've gained knowledge through my mentor, but most of it has come from reading and study. I still have a lot to learn.

Thank you for clarifying that.

8. Please describe a typical day of writing for our readers.

Oh, you don't really want to know that, do you? I generally write between 8 am and 11 am, and I schedule sessions from 1 pm to 3 pm, but those hours are flexible and are usually writing-related things, like editing, marketing, scheduling social posts, and so forth. We won't get into the cooking/cleaning/scooping cat litter part. I think if you are working from home it's necessary to do all these things along with writing.

9. Why did you republish this book with a different name? 

Dawn of Shadows was originally Dawn Before the Dark, and it was published by Bear Publications. I had a three book contract with them, and writing the second novel made me realize we have different ideas of how the series should go. I negotiated to get my rights back, and changed the name and the cover to make it clear that it is no longer with Bear, but also to avoid any confusion with Amazon. It also marked a fresh start in my career, which was more important than I realized.

10.  Are you planning to add more books to this series after Book 2?

Yes, there will likely be 3 in this series, and I have a prequel series in my head that will probably also be a trilogy. As I write book 3, I'm getting ideas for spin-offs, so who knows how many books there will be?

11.  Are you planning to have any in person or online events for the book besides this blog, of course.

I'm open to it but don't have any plans currently. I have enough going on with editing book 2 and writing book 3, and I'll get more serious about promotion when I have more books out.

12. Please put your links here so our readers may learn more about your work. 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Wendy-Blanton/author/B00OFLL43M

https://www.coffeewithdragons.com

https://www.facebook.com/coffeewithdragons2021

https://www.instagram.com/coffeewithdragons

 Coffee With Dragons? Where did that come from?

Dragons can represent the challenges we face in life. When you come up against one, you can kill it, but there will be another one right behind it. Killing dragons takes a lot of effort and energy. It's better, in my opinion, to find out what it's trying to teach you, and what better way to do that than over a cup of coffee?

Plus, I'm a coffee junkie. I quit drinking coffee for a while in the '90s and my family says I was hard to live with, so here we are. 

To give credit where it's due, I got the idea from Stephen B. Bagley. This is the second time his name was mentioned on this blog. Hmmm. No, seriously, Stephen is practically our muse.

13. Finally, this is always my last question. Are you a plotter or a pantser? In other words, do you outline or do you just write? 

I'm a pantser, which is strange because in every other part of my life, I'm a long-term compulsive planner. I've tried plotting, though, and it locks the process up, so it is what it is.

Excerpt from Dawn of Shadows

Chapter 1

    Three bodies lay like discarded rag dolls, all with the throats cut, but no blood. Not one drop. 

    Tanwen paced in the clearing. "What do you think it means?"

    Her dragon, Quillon, opened one eye. His silver scales glittered in the sun. He answered telepathically. I have not seen its like before. Speculation would be futile.

    She snorted and turned away from him to look at the carnage at the far end of the clearing. "What do you make of the tree burned into the side of the house?"

    It is a fair rendering, if a bit crude.

    She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Do you think it was done by magic?"

    I think all of this was done by magic. He lumbered to his feet. The others are coming. Though I wish to bask here in the sun with you, I will circle to guide them in.

    His muscles bunched as he leaped and flapped his wings to take off. He clipped the top of a spruce tree with his tail and circled the clearing.

    Tanwen turned away from the wrecked homestead and focused on the flowers in the meadow. Someone had been encouraging certain wild herbs to grow in the area. She recognized feverfew, skullcap, and coneflowers. All the other plants had been pulled out, and the grass that was there was patchy. She wondered if someone who had lived in the house suffered from headaches.

    From the west, she heard the clink of chain mail and the murmur of voices. "Tanwen?"

    "Over here." 

    A few minutes later, her husband rode out of the woods, followed by two other men.

    Liam slid out of his saddle and led his horse to her. His black hair was tied back, and the blue of his tunic matched his eyes. He kissed her lightly and said, "What are you doing in the woods?"

    He smelled of leather and chainmail, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Looking for you."

    He smiled, and her knees melted a little.

    Behind him, Siril said, "It's the same necromancer. See the tree branded on the side of the house?"

    She shivered. "Nice of him to sign his work, I guess."

    The others dismounted, and they led their horses to the clearing.

    Siril stopped as the sunlight reflected on his bald head. "We should tie the horses up here and let them graze. I don't like what I'm sensing over there, and they won't either, I'd wager."

    They led the horses to a patch of alfalfa at the edge of the woods and tied the reins to bushes before walking toward the scene. 

    As they got closer, Liam nodded. "I see what you mean, Siril. It's odd, like necromancy, but not the same."

    "I felt it at the last scene, too."

    "Pity a magical signature can't tell you who it is," said Tanwen.

    "Without a known signature to compare it to we can't, but when we find him, we'll know," said Siril.

    "But you're sure all the homesteads have been attacked by one necromancer acting alone?"

    "One bad single mage," said Colum.

    Liam bent next to the nearest body, looking at the wounds. "We need to check the buildings."

    They searched the house and outbuildings and found no people. There was evidence of cows and horses, but they were missing, too. Only the chickens and a barn cat were left.

    The cat twined around Tanwen's ankles. "I wonder if the dead are the people who lived here?"

    "Where are the women? There were two here, judging from the clothing I saw," said Colum.

    Siril ran his hand over his bald head. "I'm not sure it's possible to say just now. We'd better get back. Arwyne will need the details to pass along to the king."

    Liam nodded. "It's going to be close to dark when we get back." He took Tanwen's hand. "Are you going back with Quillon?"

"    Yes, I'll go ahead and report to Arwyne. Should Aithne and I wait to have dinner with you?"

    "No, go ahead. She'll be starving and cranky if you wait."

    "I might be, too." She leaned in to kiss him. "See you at home."

Wow, this excerpt makes me want to read the book! You have packed so much into this first scene. I want to know more about the dragon and Tanwen's life. 

Wendy Blanton Bio:

Wendy Blanton has been telling stories since she could string sentences together. In addition to the Balphrahn Books, she is featured in several anthologies with her writing group, including Yule Tidings, Prosateurs, Tales & Truth, Blackbirds First Flight, Blackbirds Second Flight, Blackbirds Third Flight. She is a United States Air Force veteran, having served on active duty for the United States Air Force for eight years and an additional thirteen years as an Air Force wife. Being the wife was a harder gig.

In addition to writing stories she performs as Scottish festivals and private gatherings, telling Celtic folk tales aned history to educate people about Celtic culture. If you see her at an event please feel free to ask her for a story. She divides her time between various locations in Balphrahn and her home in Missouri with her husband and cats. Visit her website at:
wendyblanton.com

*************************************************************************************

Thank you for being here, Wendy, I hope our readers will have comments for you. If you, as a reader, wish to comment please remember to be courteous. I moderate the comments so please be respectful and do not spam. Other than that please feel free to leave a comment and it will be posted as soon as possible. For Goodreads readers please add Wendy's book to your list of Want to Read books.

Wendy's interview will be up here for the rest of May and some of June, since I promised her a whole month. Until the next time, check out my poems from this April in the Poetry tab here. I will start with April 9. Also, please check out my books: If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, and You'll Probably Forget Me Living With and Without Hal.