Book Tour – Rhapsody for Lessons Learned or Remembered + Giveaway

Today I am honored to be the first host for the Rhapsody for Lessons Learned or Remembered NURTURE Book Tour with author Georgia Ann Banks-Martin! Welcome Georgia!!

Georgia has generously agreed to let me interview her! Check it out below:

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

My most interesting writing quirk is my insistence on looking at images and ideas from a slant. I’m always looking for a different way of considering, explaining, or describing an idea.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I like to work in my flower gardens. This year, I’m growing day lilies, elephant ears, zinnias, diamond frost and butterfly bushes, four-o-clocks, and roses.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a published author?

To become a published author, one must research possible presses carefully before submitting a manuscript. Make certain the press is interested in publishing the type of material you write.  Once she or he has selected a few presses to approach, make certain that the manuscript is as polished and complete as possible. When preparing the manuscript package for submission, be certain that all requirements of the press have been fulfilled. Also, do not send items that have not been requested.

Is there anything that you find challenging in your writing?

I find that some of my allusions are difficult for the reader to grasp if he/she hasn’t yet, had some of the life experience that I have, so I always look for ways to provide context clues, and clearer language.

Is there anything you need in order to write? (i.e., music, silence, chocolate)

I need an environment that is quiet and distraction free. I also like to have some snacks but those vary, sometimes it’s chocolate, or popcorn, other times it is a glass of Merlot with Dubliner cheese and Keebler crackers.

Do you have any writing projects you are currently working on?

My mother died at the end of last summer and although I dedicated Rhapsody for Lessons Learned or Remembered to her, I’m beginning to write a series of poems based upon memories, impressions, and reflections I have of her.  I jotted down many of them in a journal, during the time just prior to and since her burial.

If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I would love to have met Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis because I love her sense of style. She was very self-aware – aware that she always was being watched – and behaved with resolute grace, unlike many women who are in the public eye today.

What does the word success mean to you?

Success means that I have accomplished my goals. Some writers make a lot of money but, realistically, most of us do not. So, the amount of money I make does not play a serious role in how I measure my success. I have earned my M.F.A. in Creative Writing; I have published many poems in the past; and I recently published my new collection, Rhapsody for Lessons Learned or Remembered. I am able to do book readings and workshops both in and outside of my state, write book reviews for other poets, and I’m the editor of New Mirage Journal, a poetry magazine in which I have the pleasure of publishing works of both beginning and established award– winning poets. To me, being able to publish and serve other poets is what it means to be a successful writer.

If you could only look at one specific painting for the rest of time, which painting would it be and why?

That’s a hard question to answer. Rhapsody for Lessons Learned or Remembered is a collection of ekphrastic poems –- poems inspired by art – so, I have spent much time of late looking at paintings. I think my choice would be Marsden Hartley’s Birds of the Bagaduce because, of all the paintings I have worked with recently, it is the one that best conveys a sense of calm and serenity.

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Thank you Georgia for sharing your thoughtful interview with us!

You can find a complete list of tour stops HERE but here are the next few in line:

• July 19th – Vanessa J. @ Love, Laugh & Read
• July 20th – Sue F. @ Books, Books, The Magical Fruit
• July 21st – Norma @ Wakela’s World

Georgia can be found at the following places:

Website

Facebook

GIVEAWAY: I have One (1) Print Copy of Rhapsody for Lessons Learned or Remembered by Georgia Ann Banks-Martin to giveaway to one of my readers! Contest is open to US, UK and Canada only. Giveaway will close at 11:59pm EST on July 31st, 2011.

Fill out the form below to enter:

Happy Reading,

Jaidis