Cover Reveal: Inhale the Night

I've absconded to a new blog at WordPress. Follow me there for more poetic ramblings https://benjaminditmars.wordpress.com/

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Join Ben Ditmars, author of Night Poems and Haiku in the Night, on his final journey through the Midnight hours. Explore and breathe with him as night descends and stars emerge into new memories. Through free-verse, epic, and haiku poetry, some roads are darker than others....

Release Date 10/10/14

Available for Preorder

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Find more on Amazon 

Blog Hoppin

Thanks to my friend Scott Morgan for tagging me on his blog WriteHook.  I’ve known Scott’s writing for some time and was lucky enough to meet him in Dallas last year.

Scott has asked me to answer some questions and pass them around to a couple friends. In the coming days Chris McQueeney and Nikki Sherman will answer these questions as well.

Read Scott’s responses here.

1. What am I working on?

I am currently working on a full-length poetry collection titled Inhale the Night.

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

Inhale the Night is my first full-length collection.  It has a wide variety of different styles ranging from free verse to haiku, tanka, and a short epic.  I don’t think I’ve seen so many elements work seamlessly together.

3. Why do I write what I do?

Recently, I have written poetry.  I like the challenge and the beauty in finding the right words.  I see things differently when I finish creating something and I hope others do too. Also, it keeps me from going crazy and that helps everyone.

4. How does my writing process work?

I’m very meticulous when I write.  People will tell you to just write and edit later, but I’ve never managed it.  If I see something wrong I stop and work it out.  I’m compulsive like that.

Pale Blue

In Memory of Carl Sagan

his pale blue
sense of wonder
suspended
in a sunbeam

taught beauty in
the faint sensation
of our atoms
put together.

a legacy of
dust and stars
billions upon billions
of stars

I saw the sky and
endless possibility
stretch over me like
broken shackles
form the past

and we remain the
momentary masters
of a fraction
of a dot.

© Ben Ditmars 2014

“Carl Sagan – 1980” by PBS – ebay. Via Wikipedia.

Lightning Burning

lightning never
sees its fire burning
the trees

absent and forlorn
as love can be.

I can feel your
thunder on the
mountainside.

we will tame
the ashes, fan the flames,
and the pray the sky
returns to calm
forgetful sleep.

© Ben Ditmars 2014

Image Source: Flickr

Lifelike

I wrote a poem inspired by Charity Parkerson's book, Inoperative: Cyborg One . Be sure and check out her awesome story on Amazon.


Lifelike

lifelike confessions
play out like make believe

your metal warms
against my skin
reprogramming resistance

fabricated sweet talk
counterfeit concern
become too real

and I am drawn
more willingly
than magnetized.

© Ben Ditmars 2014

Image Source: Flickr

Dreams

rain falls like
streams of our
subconscious
in a dream.

she was no
small dream
but she has faded
like a song.

paint your
dream town
red.

everything is
just a dream.

fall inside your
rabbit hole and
dream of cabbages
and kings.

scream my name -
make love like it’s
your dream because
it’s my dream too.

sweat and breathe
emotions as our
dreams connect

we will connect
and move like tides
of some forgotten shore
where dreams exist
in layers like the sand
and we can live forever.

©Ben Ditmars 2014

The Chocolate Book Tag Challenge

I've been invited to write a blog post about delicious books and chocolate.

Thank you to author Maria Savva for tagging me. You can read her blog here.

The rules are to choose between 6-8 types of chocolate and link them to different books.

Here it goes.

Nocturnal Embers

Nocturnal Embers by Helle Gade is fine and rich like Ferrero Rocher. The photographs and poetry are like magic on your tongue.

A Splash of Hope

Beautifully written and moving story with characters you can't forget. A Splash of Hope by Charity Parkerson is like chocolate covered cherries exploding in your mouth.

From the Cafe and Beyond

Milk-chocolate covered espresso beans capture the essence of From the Cafe and Beyond by Nadia Hasan. Her emotions are powerful and so is the espresso. Both keep you awake and wanting more.

Sandcastle and Other Stories

Sandcastle and Other Stories by Justin Bog sifts through your consciousness like the crumbles of a Butterfinger. These psychological thrilling stories are ones you don't want to miss - much like your next bite of chocolate delight.

Trailer Trash, With a Girl's Name

Stacey Roberts is talented and hilarious in his book Trailer Trash, With a Girl's Name. And what candy sounds more funny than Whoppers Malted Milk Balls?

Pulse

Pulse by Natasha Head bleeds words like the dripping chocolate of a rose. It is intense and memorable.

Now, I'd like to tag my partner in poetic crime, Chris.

In Memory of Maya Angelou

I wrote a post in 2010 titled My Regards to Maya Angelou.  In memory of a great poet I thought I would share it today.

I Know Why the Twitter Bird Tweets

The free bird leaps
on Google’s back
and scrolls down page
till the browser ends
and dips his wings
in Facebook rays
and dares to claim the internet.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow page
can seldom see through
his lists of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his claws to tweet.

The Twitter bird tweets
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tweet are read
on the distant hill
for the Twitter bird
tweets of freedom

The free bird may watch tivo'd Glee
And order up some good Chinese
and laugh as Sue Sylvester drones
On and on of kids off tone.

But Twitter bird stands on the grave of tweets
Getting “trends” for Trick or Treat
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his claws to tweet.

The Twitter bird tweets
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tweet is heard
on the distant hill
for the Twitter bird
tweets of freedom.

The Chair (Freestyle Poetry)

©Ben Ditmars 2014

3D Print

3D print me into
something real, impulsive 
and distinguished.

successive layers
built around a
pulse and backbone.

fused electrons hardwired
to my brain like therapy.

we are broken and
the sum of our spare parts.

©Ben Ditmars 2014

Image Source: Flickr

The Fresh Maker

Hello, everyone! It's good to be back. Thanks to Chris McQueeney for getting me back on Blogger.

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Club wielding imps were nothing.  I took them out with some well-placed Mentos and a Pepsi bottle.  But the assassin sent more fantasy creatures to dispatch me.  There were creatively concealed as always.  My box of Corn Pops did not hold delicious corn bites, but rather, unicorns.  They came charging out as I poured milk in my bowl.  Unicorn Pops!  I screamed.  Luckily, I remembered Tinker Bell from Peter Pan and called out, “I don’t believe in unicorns!”  They burst into flames and died a horrible death.

I packed my belongings and prepared to move again.  If I kept going place to place maybe the diabolical zookeeper would lose interest.  Or he would run out of fantasy creatures.  I mean, really, how many could he spare?  I was about to find out.

Before I went to the store I put on a fake mustache and parachute pants.  If I picked items at random there was no way a pixie or unicorns could hide inside them.  I became so confident I grabbed some of everything: Mountain Dew, M&Ms, deli meats, and so on.

I opened the first can of Mountain Dew carefully and there were no monsters inside.  It looked like I had finally fooled my nemesis.  The M&Ms and deli meats were delectable together and I kept gorging myself until I had one left of everything.  That’s when it happened.  The can of Mountain Dew let out a rabid Mountain Dew Goat.  The M&Ms released the Minotaur from Greek mythology.  I had no weapons to defend myself and a serious case of indigestion.


This is the third installment in the Pop Wars Saga started with Sprite...followed by Rasher of Bacon and Club Soda by Chris McQueeney.

The Bus Stop

THE BUS STOP 

CHARACTERS 

AGENT, CONSPIRACY THEORIST 

 SETTING 

A neighborhood bus stop

(A conspiracy theorist with an aluminum foil hat sits next to an agent in a black suit.)

AGENT: This can’t be good.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: It couldn’t be better.

AGENT: I’ll take your word for it.

(Uncomfortable pause.)

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Are there aliens?

AGENT: Of course not.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: But there’s all this evidence!  You can’t deny the evidence.

AGENT: Listen, I work for the government.  I can’t make a call to across town without someone releasing it online.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: I’ve seen UFOs, man.

AGENT: You have?

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Well, my best buddy’s friend did.

AGENT: Let me guess.  He got drunk and saw a bunch of lights in the sky?

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: How’d you know?

AGENT: We get requests under the Freedom of Information act to see “video from that strange thing in the sky” all the time.  It’s usually a helicopter or a gun they were shooting into the air.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Come on, man.  Just tell me where you’re hiding the UFOs.

AGENT: Okay, you’ve got the best of me.  We’re hiding the alien spacecraft directly up your ass.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: (attempting to look at his butt.) I knew the feds put something up there.

AGENT: You’ve got to be smarter than that.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Smarter than what?

AGENT: Exactly.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Can you at least tell me why you killed Kennedy and faked 9/11?

AGENT: Me?  I was only five when they killed Kennedy.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Aha!  You said they.  So it was an inside job!  And so were the twin towers.  My blog is going to be so popular.

AGENT: So, it’s all about blogging?

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: I like to be important.

AGENT: Maybe you should volunteer at the soup kitchen or read to kids.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: That would make me important?

AGENT: Well, it only makes the world a better place.  No big deal.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Yeah, but that doesn’t do anything for me.

AGENT: You know, I think you are better off blogging about UFOs on the internet.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Duh.  Now, tell me something I can use.

AGENT: Okay, I’ll tell you a huge secret.  9/11 was an inside job planned by Obama and George W. Bush.  They wanted an excuse to invade Iraq for oil contracts and kryptonite to kill Superman.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Superman doesn’t exist.

AGENT: Not anymore.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: You just blew my mind.

AGENT: But I shouldn’t have.  The military wouldn’t sit on alien technology when they could sell it or win a war with it.

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: I never said alien technology.

AGENT: Blast!  Where’s my memory wiper?

(He gets out a metal pen and flashes a bright light).

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: Gee wilikers!  My memories!

(The Agent looks around confused.)

Luckily, my foil hat reflected the rays.  I recall everything and now I will be the most awesome blogger since Arianna Huffington.

AGENT: That’s a strange name.  Is she with the band?

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: No, but she told me I could have that pen you’re holding.

AGENT: Oh, this thing?  I thought it was a coffee stirrer.

(He hands him the memory wiper.)

CONSPIRACY THEORIST: (Standing up.) Now I have the power!!

(The conspiracy theorist runs away laughing and leaves the agent alone.)

AGENT: What a bizarre man.  I hope he enjoys his coffee.

Guest Blog by Author Deena Rae Schoenfeldt

A Must Have Book for Authors from E-BookBuilders

Navigating The World Of E-Book Publishing was released fourteen days ago and it has been on several Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk Top 100 Bestselling Lists since. This is a short e-book with some of the basic beginning steps on the road to e-publishing your manuscript by Deena Rae Schoenfeldt. This is not a roadmap to getting a best seller nor it is a technical manual or writing guide, rather it addresses things that most aspiring authors don't take into consideration before starting their publishing journey. Filled with tips, tricks, and helpful advice, this book a must read if you have aspirations of joining the indie publishing ranks, have already published your own book or have a full back-list of titles already on the bookstore shelves. So, who will benefit from this book? Absolutely anyone interested in exploring the process of self-publishing, traditionally published authors with a back list of title reverting back to them, aspiring authors who are frustrated with the query merry-go-round as well as those who want to retail complete creative control from the very beginning.

Book Description

With a no-nonsense, conversational style, Deena Rae of E-BookBuilders gives advice to aspiring authors about indie publishing. Filled with information about social media, pricing, formatting styles, covers, reviews and platforms (to a name a few) there is a wealth of information for the novice author. Even experienced authors and publishers will find this book helpful and informative. With sections such as 'Authors - Quit Doing This!', 'In Praise of Audio(books)', 'Twitter Primer for Authors', and 'Should You Use Amazon's Author Central', Deena Rae gives detailed information that anyone in the industry of publishing should know and consider. Whether you are just starting on your publishing journey, considering entering the literary world or have 30 books for sale, there is something for everyone in this book.

If you would like to add the book to your Goodread's shelf - just click the button!

What Other's Are Saying

This book is a must read for Indie Authors. Deena lays out the ins and outs of ebook publishing that many other people fail to hit on. From the novice writer to the seasoned pro, there are hidden nuggets of gold for everyone in this book. The author shares her viewpoint, having worked in the industry on several sides, as if you were talking to a friend. With helpful hints, do's and don'ts, this is the best "get your feet wet" book I've come across. -Janet W., Amazon Customer

...I got down to reading and oh my word. Almost a year into self publishing the hard way, learning everything on my own, I thought I knew it all, but no. Deena Rae's book is filled with little known information, tidbits of advice, obviously picked up from years of working in the trade. Not only was there much information to be soaked in, but my brain was pleasantly sponging every little thing up because the book is written in a fun and engaging way. I read it in one sitting, and as my kindle can attest, any other tech book is rarely read beyond 40%. -Lisa G., Goodreads Reader

...This book will answer so many questions that come up during the process, which had me baffled and almost ready to throw in the towel. The author also gives excellent information on how to promote your book. She does all this with a personal touch. You will not be buried in tech speak where even a dictionary would fail miserably....I highly recommend this book to anyone that is considering self-publishing their work, or is interested in seeing how it is all done. -Amazon Customer

I had the feeling of believing and trusting Deena knowledge, straight shooting style and passion for what she does while reading her book. She produced an ebook that was easy to read and kept me scrolling through without stopping.-Mauri B., Amazon Customer

Like many authors I wish had had read books like this before I published my first book. However it is never too late to learn. It is good to read about the things I seem to have got right, the things I could improve on and to learn a few tricks from scratch. The book is very well laid out with descriptive chapter titles so that it will be easy to dip back into which I certainly will. -Wendy U., Goodreads Reader

Who Is Deena Rae?

E-BookBuilders is the online alias of Deena Rae. She was born and raised in Texas - home of bluebonnets, boots, beef and big hair - into a family that was in the printing and publishing industries. Her father was a computer programmer for major newspapers when the equipment took up whole rooms and mother has been a publisher for almost 30 years - trying, unsuccessfully, to bring her into the family business. She is a second-generation genetically perfected super-nerd.

She was happily living her life, having three third-generation genetically perfected super-nerds herself, but then through a series of events (unfortunate and fortunate), she officially joined The Book Connection - her mother's publishing and packaging company - as the Digital Director, to create the e-publishing division in 2011. Her computer skills, willingness to help authors, love of literature, no-nonsense attitude and quick wit has helped shepherd many authors through the maze of digital publishing.

Through her work with E-BookBuilders, Deena Rae has been able to meet authors and writers from all over the world and in every genre imaginable. She has a biting wit, obscure sense of humor, awareness of the absurd, and a love of literature all which led to the creation of Bluebonnets, Bagpipes and Books, the #NSFW publishing discussion podcast she produces and hosts with Janet Wrenn and Peter Burnett. Her no-nonsense attitude makes for some hilarious discussions and plenty of "Oh my God, did she really just say that?" moments. Sometimes it is as if there is no filter between her brain and her mouth. But if she likes you she tries to be nice - sometimes. Deena also has the safe-for-everyone author interview show, B3's Bookworm. You can find her most hours of everyday attached to her computer either researching, tweeting on her 6 accounts, posting on her different Facebook timelines and pages, coding e-books for her fabulous friends/clients or with her nose buried in her Kindle reading.

If you are serious about publishing your own work, or just kicking the idea around, head over to Amazon and download the ebook Navigating the World of E-Book Publishing, available exclusively on Amazon. I am also available on many social media platforms and you can track me down that way if you have a question about e-publishing.

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Inhale the Night

Check out the pin I made for my new collection of poetry, Inhale the Night. It hits Kindle shelves this January.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/271834527482285168/