Danielle Pitter's Blog

I’m celebrating my latest poetry book, Destinations, with a short Fall Tour!

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Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

Destinations Fall Tour – August 25-September 5

I’m so happy to announce that I’m going on a book blog tour this fall to support my latest poetry book, Destinations!

From August 25 – September 5, blog tour hosts will be reading, reviewing and interviewing me about my book. Blog tour hosts consist of book bloggers who sign up to read ARCs of my book and give feedback. It’s a great way for both authors and bloggers to get to know each other and share their experiences.

Book promoters RABT Book Tours & PR and I have worked together on my Reality Check book tour back in 2022, and they’ve always done great work. Their team is so supportive and easy to communicate with. I can’t wait to see what they have planned for this next tour.

ENTER TO WIN a Signed Copy of DESTINATIONS

Click any of the tour hosts (book bloggers) links in the tour dates list below to enter to win a signed copy of Destinations. (Usually, after you click on a tour host’s link, find my name and book title on their home page and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to find the giveaway label: Win an eBook Copy of Destinations)

Destinations Fall Tour Dates 2025:

August 25 – RABT Book Tours – Kick Off

August 25 – The Faerie Review – Spotlight

August 26 – On a Reading Bender – Review

August 27 – Book Junkiez – Excerpt

August 28 – Crossroad Reviews – Spotlight

August 29 – Momma and Her Stories – Excerpt

August 30 – Tea Time and Books – Spotlight

August 30 – Always Reading – Spotlight

August 31 – The Avid Reader – Interview

September 1 – Nana’s Book Reviews – Spotlight

September 2 – Texas Book Nook – Review

September 3 – Book Corner News and Reviews – Spotlight

September 4 – The Indie Express – Review

September 5 – Liliyana Shadowlyn – Spotlight

September 5 – RABT Reviews – Wrap Up

Check out more tour info on RABT Book Tours & PR’s website.Comment below…Hope to see you on tour this fall! Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

Destinations, my second poetry collection, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Cave Marie

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post The ‘DESTINATIONS’ Fall Tour 2025 (Enter to Win a Signed Copy!) first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.

Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP via AP.com

Over the Influence by Joanna “JoJo” Levesque is a great look back into the life and future of a pop icon!

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

Joanna’s Beginnings

I’ve been following JoJo’s career since her second album The High Road in 2006, and I’ve witnessed the ups, downs, and everything in between with her career. A shy little girl from Foxbourough, Massachusetts, JoJo first got into music and acting at 7 years old when her mom had her audition for Bill Cosby’s reboot show Kids Say the Darndest Things in the 1990s. At such a young age, she was already singing DOWN the house, copying vocal powerhouses like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Aretha Franklin. JoJo had a close relationship with her mother who was her manager at the time. It was so endearing to read about her and her mom’s adventures traveling across Boston, New York and New Jersey. Meanwhile, while JoJo was living her dream, she’d always kept in mind of how much her mom struggled with money and finances. Her dad was in and out of her life, also dealt with addiction issues. And JoJo is an only child, and always felt like she had to carry the weight of both parents.

JoJo’s Big Break

JoJo wrote about getting her big break by meeting with Aaliyah’s uncle (Yes, that Aaliyah!! RIP) Barry Henderson, along with executive producer Vincent Herbert at 12 years old. She got signed to Blackground Records shortly after meeting Barry and started working on her first album. Reading along her adventures as a young kid growing up in the music industry, touring with Usher, meeting Britney Spears, so many other incredible things was so much fun to look back on as a fan. I remember being around 10 years old watching JoJo on the Kids’ Choice Awards back in 2004, singing her little face off!! What was really *tea* was reading JoJo’s experiences on the album cycle of her first album, which was self-titled. From the music videos for “Leave (Get Out)”, “Baby It’s You” with Bow-Wow, the pressures from the industry to look a certain way (a.k.a. skinny and pretty), it was a lot on someone so young.

I became an even bigger fan of JoJo after her second album, The High Road (2006), was released. I was maybe 12 or 13 years old at the time; I don’t remember how I got a copy of her CD, but I remember blasting that album with my nieces playing every track! Little did I know that behind the scenes, the making of that album was a little rocky, according to JoJo’s memoir. To help lift her career back up, she took to acting in two movies, Aquamarine (2006) with Emma Roberts and Sara Paxton, and RV with Robin Williams and a young Josh Hutcherson. Apparently, JoJo’s management didn’t like that she did those movies because it took her away from music. But what else was she supposed to do?!

Label Troubles and Mixtapes

From 2007-2009, things became super rocky for JoJo’s career. From label issues, substance abuse, boy problems, her parents’ addiction and mental health issues, Jo was taking hits on all sides. Her words from the further chapters really made me immersed in her story. JoJo was really going through a lot, and her stupid label Blackground wouldn’t let her release new music because they legally owned her recorded voice. But she found a way around it by releasing two free mixtapes, Can’t Take That Away From Me (2010) and Agápē, (2012) which means “unconditional love” in Greek. In 2009, JoJo finally reached a deal with Blackground Records, making her third album in hopes to release through Interscope Records. In between that time, JoJo also went on tour with Joe Jonas and Jay Sean. She also released a female version of Drake‘s “Marvin’s Room”, titled “Marvin’s Room (Can’t Do Better)” through Rap-Up’s YouTube channel. Even Drake loved it!!

It was also interesting to read about JoJo’s thoughts about her singles that record labels wanted to push instead of her. Like “Disaster” in 2011; it’s very pop-rock heavy, which wasn’t something JoJo was used to.

“Sure, I liked the song and knew it was catchy and that it sounded good on it—but it was still hard to talk myself into it. The truth was that it basically repeated the same formula as “Leave (Get Out)” and “Too Little, Too Late”—and that bugged me.”

It sucked that she still wasn’t given full control of her career the way she wanted it to. After Blackground lost their distribution deal with Interscope Records, this delayed JoJo’s third album again. She then took some power back and released Agápē, (2012) on her 22nd birthday, December 20. She also named her dog after the mixtape!

#FreeJoJo

In 2013, I remember the #FreeJoJo movement on social media, fans begging and demanding Blackground to let JoJo out of her contract. That movement was so powerful and possibly one of the first times I’d seen fans root for an artist against their label. I know that it’s common for artists to be screwed out of their label, but to see it in realtime was crazy then. JoJo filed a lawsuit against her record labels, Blackground Records and Da Family, claiming they caused “irreparable damage to her professional career.” She argued that the contract she signed in 2004 should have expired in 2011, since she was a minor at the time and, under New York State law, minors cannot be bound by contracts lasting more than seven years. In December 2013, attorneys for both JoJo and Blackground agreed to dismiss the case.

In 2014, JoJo was finally free!!!

She also signed a new contract with Atlantic Records, released her #LoveJo EP, and the III EP (it’s pronounced like “Tringle”), went on tour with Fifth Harmony. In 2016, ten years after The High Road, JoJo finally got to release her third album, Mad Love. I know JoJo was so relieved to be releasing new music again!! And her song, “I Can Only.” featuring my fave Alessia Cara still slaps!!

The unfortunate part though, was reading about JoJo’s father’s death in 2015. The emotions, the uncertainty, the love, the hope that he would get better, the sheer pain of losing him that last day.

“I missed you even while you were here,” I wrote. “I will miss you infinitely more now that you’re gone. Thank you for holding on as long as you did. I know you tried your best. You are free now. I will love you always, Dad. I can feel you with me. Rest now. In PEACE. I miss your voice. I wish more people could have heard it. I promise I will keep singing for you.” Joel Maurice Levesque January 8, 1955 – November 14, 2015

In 2017, in between grieving her father, JoJo left Atlantic Records, and announced her new music venture, Clover Music, in a joint deal with Interscope. She described the complexities of not having her old music on streaming services, which her former manager (whom she calls M.M.) suggested re-recording her old music. So before Taylor Swift’s “Taylor’s Versions”, there was JoJo’s 2018 re-recordings! I thought that was a great way for her to take even more control of her career. She even applauded Taylor for doing something similar years later with her own music. However, in 2021, Blackground and Empire Distribution re-released JoJo’s first two albums to streaming, which threw her off. She tweeted on Twitter that she doesn’t make money from those old versions, anyway.

“On December 21, 2018—the day after my twenty-eighth birthday—I released the new versions of JoJo and The High Road online as well as two of my more recent singles, “Demonstrate” and “Disaster.”

“Taylor Swift has shed light on the nuances of ownership in recorded music. It’s an important conversation. While I chose to rerecord my first two albums under very different circumstances, I applaud her for doing the same thing a few years later due to her own situation with her “Taylor’s Version”.

In 2019, JoJo wrote about her experiences writing the song “Say So” with R&B singer PJ Morton, which ended up being nominated for a Grammy the next year! Her first Grammy nomination!!

In 2020, she released her fourth album, Good to Know, which she described as a good way to explain where she was in her life. Like recognizing old habits, ego, addiction, fear, and wanting to change. She wanted to tour, but she couldn’t due to COVID-19. BOOO!!!! However, reading about her doing odd jobs like the Masked Singer made me laugh! She was clearly insecure about doing something so out there and different than what she’s known for, but who cares? She still sung her face off in that Black Swan costume!

In 2021, she released her fourth EP, Trying Not to Think About It, which was probably her most emotionally revealing album. She wrote that this was a project “I felt like I had to make. On my own terms. The songs I sang from here on out had to be my story.” And I’m so proud of her for stepping up to her anxiety and depression through her music. Even has a song entitled “Anxiety (Burlinda’s Theme)”, naming her anxiety ‘Burlinda’ gave it purpose on how to deal with it.

Moulin Rouge!

Later on in the book, JoJo describes probably what I’d like to think of the turning point of her personal and professional life. In 2021, before signing in to do her Broadway debut as Satine in Moulin Rouge!, she had this great amazing experience with this guys, even was engaged to him a few years ago! (I remember seeing the photo on Instagram and feeling so happy for her to finally found love!) only for that relationship to end so abruptly before the next year. And she never explained why or what happened publicly, but reading those last few chapters and how much hurt and pain she went through with her ex made me feel for her deeply. Not just as a fan, but as a young woman. To want to feel love so much all your life, to then finally think you have it, and then to lose it after being cheated on again. I cried reading those parts because I could really feel JoJo’s pain.

But what had helped her through all of that trauma was taking a risk, moving to New York, and starting this new venture on Broadway with Moulin Rouge! I’ve never seen her show, but reading her experience makes me wish I’d had. I could tell that she had an amazing time on Broadway and learned a lot about herself as a performer. Between performing 8 days a week, rehearsals, body and vocal changes, learning a new city, making friends, NYC gave JoJo the green light to set herself free.

Where is JoJo Now?

JoJo is still everywhere. Aside from this amazing memoir, she’s still releasing music; NGL, her latest EP that came out in January, is so good! After everything she’s been through since she was a child, her resilience and tenacity to keep going after the music industry was against her for so long. I’m glad that she has countlessly taken matters into her own hands and rewrote her narrative.

I can’t wait to see where she goes next!

Comment below…Have you read JoJo’s memoir or listened to her music before?

NOT SPONSORED Just my personal testimonial: I listened to this book on audiobook, and JoJo’s voice was both soothing, hilarious, and stunning to listen to. Audible gave me a good reason to listen to this book on audiobook for a good price, even after the free trial. Go check out Over the Influence on Audible and many other incredible stories.

Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

Destinations, my second poetry collection, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post ‘Over the Influence’ by Joanna “JoJo” Levesque // Book Review first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.

My second author signing at the Passaic County Book Festival has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 27, 2025. The festival is from 11 am – 4 pm at Weasel Brook Park in Clifton, NJ.

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

About the Festival:

Celebrate the 4th Annual Passaic County Book Festival, a full-day event filled with engaging panels, poetry sessions, and author meet-and-greets. Enjoy family-friendly activities like arts and crafts, story time for kids, and even reading to dogs. With delicious food truck options and a vibrant literary atmosphere, this festival is a perfect celebration of creativity, knowledge, and the written word for all ages!

Here’s the full list of participating authors.

Also, here’s the list of panels that are currently being held during the festival.

I hope to see you there!

Comment below… Are you coming to the Passaic County Book Festival?

Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

Destinations, my second poetry collection, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

Cave Marie

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post [RESCHEDULED] Book Signing: Passaic County Book Festival 2025 first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.

I have my second author signing this Saturday, June 14 at the Passaic County Book Festival! The festival is from 11 am – 4 pm at Weasel Brook Park in Clifton, NJ.

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

About the Festival:

Celebrate the 4th Annual Passaic County Book Festival, a full-day event filled with engaging panels, poetry sessions, and author meet-and-greets. Enjoy family-friendly activities like arts and crafts, story time for kids, and even reading to dogs. With delicious food truck options and a vibrant literary atmosphere, this festival is a perfect celebration of creativity, knowledge, and the written word for all ages!

Here’s the full list of participating authors.

Also, here’s the list of panels that are currently being held during the festival.

I hope to see you there!

Comment below… Are you coming to the Passaic County Book Festival?

Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

Destinations, my second poetry collection, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

Cave Marie

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post Book Signing: Passaic County Book Festival 2025 first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.

Pride Month is here once again! Here are some LGBT+ book recommedations to celebrate.

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

About Let’s Talk Bookish:

Created by Rukky @ Eternity Books & co-hosted by Dani @ Literary Lion and Aria @ Book Nook Bits, Let’s Talk Bookish is a segment where discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts every Friday. Aria also created beautiful, new graphics for the meme.

This week’s prompt: Pride Month Book Recs!Prompts: Happy Pride Month! To celebrate, we’d love to hear about your favourite LGBTQIA+ books, why you love them, and what books you’d recommend for a summer Pride reading list. Are there any new releases you’re looking forward to reading this Pride Month?

Heartstopper Vol. 1-4 by Alice Oseman

The best gay boy British YA graphic novel series ever!!! I’ve read through this series twice now, and each time, the connection between Charlie and Nick makes me giggle, laugh, cry, and cry some more. I’m highly anticipating the upcoming feature film (instead of a fourth season), hoping when it will come out.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Another fantastic, gay boy British/American love story between Alex Claremont-Diaz, the first son of the United States, and young Prince Henry of the UK. Their story is so funny because they started off as bitter enemies based on a misunderstanding, then were thrust together after a high profile scandal, then became friends again, then slowly fall in love. Their families are hilarious, and I can’t wait for the sequel movie coming next year!

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the love interest Bradley is bisexual. It’s vaguely mentioned in the book, but I do remember that being a key component in Bradley’s POV. I don’t think it was a huge issue between him and his best-friend-turned-enemy-turned-love-interest Celine, but it’s important to point it out because I don’t get to read many Black bi boys in YA.

Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

It’s been a long time since I’ve read the Shadowhunters Chronicles in full (at least the first six books!) but I remember Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood being a staple in my mind as I was watching both the books and in the show. They had such a force of magic and sexuality that I will never get again from another YA duo in fantasy.

Girls of Paper & Fire by Natasha Ngan

I remember reading this book about 5 years ago, and I really liked it. I loved the friendship and incoming romance between Lei and her partner Wren, in a world where they have to constantly fight to surivive. There are two more books in this trilogy, so I have to reread the second book (Girls of Storm & Shadow) to understand it again.

Comment below…How are you spending your Pride Month this year? Any book recommendations?

Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

Destinations, my second poetry collection, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

Cave Marie

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post Pride Month Book Recs // Let’s Talk Bookish! – June 2025 first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.

May 2025 Recap – Here’s a full recap of my very busy month!

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

May 2025 Recap

Since there was so much happening throughout May, I thought it would be easier to do a recap of the three main events in my life last month: Community Arts Day in Piscataway , Author Signing in Princeton, and my Masters graduation in Piscataway.

May 2025 Recap: Community Arts Day (May 3)

I had the amazing opportunity to come back to Piscataway Public Library for their annual Community Arts Day, which was at their Kennedy Branch on Saturday, May 3. There was a mix of children, teens and families at the event, and I felt pretty familiar with the space.

Given that I was working with Peggy Wong, one of the librarians there, it felt familiar to read in front of a crowd again. I’d read “Places” and “This Summer” from Destinations, and it was a bit of a difference reading my work aloud. I had gotten some laughs from reading “This Summer” because of a few inside jokes about my family, and also some critiques about reading about Mai Tais and doing Tik Toks in front of children. But I didn’t think anyone had noticed. I still thought I did a good job!

May 2025 Recap: Local Authors Day (May 10)

This day was so much fun! I had applied to be one of the authors for Princeton Public Library’s Local Authors Day 2025, where authors can come in and sell and sign their books. I had to not only apply for the event, but become a vendor by filling out the NJ-REG form. The state of New Jersey requires vendors to collect sales tax. So that was a whole new ordeal I had to learn. But the event was a lot of fun, I met some really cool people and more poets and authors in Princeton.

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May 2025 Recap: Rutgers University New Brunswick Master of Information Graduation (May 15)

The most hectic day of my life!! lol

First off, I had the whole day planned. I woke up at 7 AM, because I had to be at the venue (Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway) at 9 AM. The ceremony started at 10AM-12PM, and of course, I was late. I woke up three hours before the ceremony time, and I was still late! My niece Aniya drove us to the venue and it was kind of a crazy way to get around.

My mom, Aniya, and my Uncle John almost missed my walk because they had trouble getting a good seat. I had a panic attack on the way to my Class’ section because in my rush, I first sat with the Bachelor’s students (I was supposed to sit up front with the Master of Information students). So almost 20 minutes into the ceremony, I ran down the middle of the aisle to catch a last-minute seat with my Master of Information group. You can probably see me running in the Rutgers livestream lmaooo!

It was just a mess!! lmaoo

But when I was finally called my name and I got to walk across the stage… it was the best feeling. It was like a feeling I can’t even describe. I didn’t even hear anything, not even my niece screaming her whoops in the background lol. All I saw was my teacher, Dr. Joyce Valenza, and me shaking my former program chair, Rebecca Reynolds’ hand, and giving her a hug. I was Rebecca’s program assistant 2 years ago, and she was super sweet and helpful with my first work study job. So it was so surreal that this whole moment for us came back full circle.

I’m just super happy to be officially done with school. I’ve spent the past three years in this MI program (9 years altogether, if you include my Associate’s, Bachelor’s and now Master’s degrees). and I just want to work as a professional librarian and really put my work to good use. Next step, find a job!!

And no, I’m not doing a PHD… for now. If there is a really good, irresistible opportunity for me to do the Doctorate, then maybe. But until then, my education is done for now, and I’m really proud of myself.

Any of my NJ librarians out there, if you’re hiring, please let me know! I’d love to do an interview with you!

Watch Rutgers University New Brunswick’s School of Communication and Information Convocation on Rutgers’ Youtube channel here. Fast forward to 54:10 to see me walk! (PS. It’s so cute how you can hear my niece Aniya’s scream in the background as I’m walking on stage lol!)

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Comment below…about my very exciting events this past month! What has your May been like so far? Any early summer plans?Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

Destinations, my second poetry collection, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

Cave Marie

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post Poetry Readings, Author Signings and a Graduation // May 2025 Recap first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.

Watch my graduation ceremony live on Rutgers University – New Brunswick’s Youtube page!

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

Rutgers University’s School of Communication and Information Convocation LIVE

Since I know many of you are around the world and can’t physically come to my graduation, you can watch it live from my school’s department.

The Rutgers University New Brunswick’s School of Communication and Information Convocation will be live-streamed on YouTube on Thursday, May 15 at 10 am.

Watch live HERE!

Visit the library’s website for more info.

Comment below and scream my name when you see me!! I hope I don’t fall on my way up! Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

Destinations, my second poetry collection, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

Cave Marie

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post Watch Live: My Masters Graduation 👩🏾‍🎓// Rutgers University- New Brunswick School of Communication and Information Convocation first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.

NJ Local Authors Day at Princeton Public Library is another author event for me on Saturday, May 10!

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

Local Authors Day in Princeton

I’ll be signing copies of both of my books, Reality Check and Destinations at Princeton Public Library’s Local Authors Day 2025! This is my first author signing ever and I’m so excited and nervous!

I don’t think it’s actually hit me yet that I’m doing an author signing until tomorrow. I barely processed Destinations’ release back in January! This will be a great way for me to meet my readers in person and talk about my books with other readers.

From Princeton Public Library:

Local Author Day brings the local reading and writing communities together with an Author Fair where published authors from the region sell and sign their books. Participating authors write in a variety genres for readers of all ages and are available to talk about their books, writing process and more during the Author Fair.

Presentations on both the business and artistic side of writing are given for writers at all stages of their craft. Both the Author Fair and presentations also provide networking opportunities for writers.

Visit the library’s website for more info.

Comment Below: Are you going to Princeton’s Local Authors Day? Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

Destinations, my second poetry collection, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

Cave Marie

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post My first author signing at Princeton Public Library’s Local Authors Day! first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.

Community Arts Day at Piscataway Public Library is another author event for me on Saturday, May 3!

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

Community Arts Day poetry reading in Piscataway

I’ll be reading more poetry from my book, Destinations at Piscataway Public Library’s Community Arts Day this Saturday! Come see me and these talented artists, musicians, and more!

The event starts from 1 pm-4 pm, and I’ll be reading my poetry at around 3:43 pm, so if you come, say hi!

From Piscataway Public Library:

Join us for Community Arts Day! Celebrate the creativity of our community from 1-4pm on Saturday, May 3 at Kennedy Library. Piscataway community members will share music and dance performances, as well as display tables with traditional, handmade art, photography, calligraphy, poetry, sculptures, jewelry, clothing, and more.

Visit the library’s website for more info.

Comment Below: Are you going to Piscataway Public Library’s Community Arts Day? Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

Destinations, my second poetry collection, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

Cave Marie

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post Author Event: Community Arts Day at Piscataway Public Library! first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.

It’s my birthday today

Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate Program member, so any Amazon links you visit, I get a small commission. More info on my Affiliate Programs page.

My 32nd birthday

I’m turning 32 today and it feels so weird lol I’m going to have a busy day today so I thought I’d write a quick post. I’m very lucky and blessed to be turning 32 in a world where so many young people have been dying, broke, and lonely. I’m blessed to have my family, my friends and my awesome job and school and I’m graduating in May! I’ve released my second poetry book in January, did a poetry reading last month, and I’m preparing for more book events.

I have no idea what the next year holds but I hope that it’s filled with as many surprises and good news as possible.

Destinations: Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Destinations can be ordered on:

EBook

Amazon: https://bit.ly/DestinationsEBook

Print

Amazon: https://bit.ly/DestinationsPrintBook

Barnes & Noble:https://bit.ly/DestinationsBN

Comment Below: Celebrate my birthday in the comments below! Interested in Audible? Sign up for a 30 day free trial, and receive a free audiobook!

My debut poetry collection Reality Check is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Shout-Out to my Patreon Members:

Wesley Lindsey

Cave Marie

IRIDYSCENZIA

Aykut Şeker

Mary

Visit https://www.patreon.com/poetrybooksya for more exclusive, creative writing and poetry content! Check out my introductory post on Patreon here. There are a lot of fun posts on there you will enjoy.

Some posts include:

Earn a free signed copy of my debut poetry book, Reality Check View Early Access blog posts before they go on the main websiteI’ll write a poem about you!Patreon’s Choice: Suggest topics for me to write about on the blog

Don’t want to support monthly? Check out my Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/poetrybooksya

Thanks for reading,

The post Happy birthday to me!! 🎂 first appeared on PoetryBooksYA.