Do you want to know more about me? My interview in Prosetrics (September 2023), a short poem, and some announcements

Hello Everyone,

I want to welcome my new readers and thank to those who are still with me for some years. First, I would like to present you with an interview from Prosetrics: The Literary Magazine (fall 2023 edition) where I was the featured poet. Second comes a short poem and some announcements.

Prosetrics Interview (excerpts)

Thank you, Gabriela, for joining us as our guest poet for this issue. We’d like you to introduce Gabriela to our readers in your own words.

Thank you for having me, dearest R. It’s a pleasure to be with you and your readers. Few things about me. I write under the pen name Gabriela Marie Milton. I was born in Europe, and I live in the US. I am an Amazon bestselling and award-winning poet, and an internationally published author. I am the author of the #1 best-selling poetry collection Woman: Splendor and Sorrow: | Love Poems and Poetic Prose (Vita Brevis Press, 2021), and the author of Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings (Vita Brevis Press, 2020). I edited and curated the #1 Amazon bestselling anthologies Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women (EIF, 2022) and Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology (Literary Revelations, 2023).

My work has been translated into Italian, Spanish, Romanian, and Albanian. An English – Spanish bilingual edition of my poetry will be published in the spring of 2024. Presently I am negotiating the translation of some of my work into Bengali.

I am also a publisher. I am the owner of Literary Revelations Publishing House and the editor of a literary journal owned by Literary Revelations.

I was awarded 2019 Author of the Year at Spillwords Press (NYC) and I am a 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee.

But let’s try to find a better introduction for you and your readers: I am Gabriela. I breathe the poetry of sunsets “atrocious” or not. I live in my own mind – a space where poetry engraves itself on blue walls. I believe in the words of Federico García Lorca, “In Spain the dead are more alive than the dead of any other country in the world.” I love the languor of Greek afternoons when I can read Seferis by the sea. I love the musky aroma and sweet flesh of the Tuscan melons, and I am fascinated by the echoes of steps in the night. I love cities. I crave the kind of anonymity that only a big city can offer. And as I once wrote, “I am who I am, and who I am is hidden from view.”

My journey of writing began before I went to graduate school in the US. I wrote three novels, not in English, the second of which received a prize from an international writers’ association. I wrote them under a different name. In 2017 I opened a blog – shortprose.blog – and I started writing poetry under the name Gabriela Marie Milton. I cannot hope I will ever be Fernando Pessoa who became famous under a considerable number of pen names including his real name, but I am ready to move forward in my writing journey and start writing under a different pen name.

The inspiration behind my poetry: I grew up in a family that loved poetry, art in general. Poetry was with me as my self-consciousness developed. In high school I was able to recite a good number of classics by heart. I walked with their poems in my mind. I loved with their words in my soul. I suffered with their tears in my eyes. I breathed the coolness of beautiful winters with poetry in my mind.

You can read more below:

A Short Poem

tonight
I will sleep
on your right shoulder
wings of birds
will cover us
in the morning
the breeze will blow us
out to sea
poems
buried in the waves

Announcements:

Literary Revelations thanks you for your submission to our upcoming anthology Petals of Haiku. We are thrilled with the number of submissions. The deadline is January 15 so we are still receiving submissions. With a cover designed by the brilliant duo of award-winning Japanese artists, Hikari, and her mentor Naoki Kimura, please do not miss the chance to have your words grace the pages of our anthology.
Thank you for your poetry and short prose submissions to Literary Revelations. The volume of submissions that we have to read is very high so please be patient with us.
Please do not forget that we are looking forward to late December when we plan to release Greenlandos by Virginia Mateias. You can read more here.

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:

Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology (ed.), Literary Revelations, 2023
Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women (ed.), Experiments in Fiction, 2022.
Woman: Splendor and Sorrow :I Love Poems and Poetic Prose, Vita Brevis Press, 2021.
Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings, Vita Brevis Press, 2020

Dear Readers,

Welcome to Cyber Monday at Literary Revelations. This season please do not forget to shop for book. Literary Revelations has three #1 Amazon Bestsellers. All poets who contributed to those volumes are fantastic.

‘Books are a uniquely portable magic.’
Stephen King

Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology (Literary Revelations, January 2023)

A #1 Amazon bestseller [New Hot Releases in Poetry Anthologies]

Description:

From authors featured on NPR, BBC, and the New York Times, and from emerging poets, comes a monumental anthology in which every poem sends shivers down your spine. Childhood’s joy and trauma expressed – with stunning talent and sincerity – by over 150 poets in more than 280 poems. Childhood spaces magnified by the human memory, populated by good and bad, by trips to hell and heaven, in an almost Hieronymus Bosch type of atmosphere. Over 150 voices call you to read this book. Read it. You will learn that childhood never goes away. You will be reminded of the beauty of the seraphim and the need to protect children from any form of abuse. 150 voices knock on your door. Open the door. A chorus of childhoods will tell you that our children need love.

Literary Revelations is proud to bring you this anthology and deeply grateful to all contributors for pouring out their hearts into the pages of this book.

Love, Stars, and Paradigms by Swarn Gill (Literary Revelations, April 1, 2023)

#1 Amazon bestseller in the US, the UK and Canada [Category: Love Poems]

Description:

Swarn Gill’s poetry collection, Love, Stars, and Paradigms is a must-read for anyone looking for original and stunning poems about love, social, and political issues. Through his work, Gill explores the connection between the natural realm and the human condition with an eye for detail that is both captivating and thought-provoking. Through powerful imagery and vivid language, he paints his own unique perspective on the world around us. Whether it’s about heartache or joy, Gill’s words will touch your soul. Love, Stars, and Paradigms is an unforgettable journey through the beauty of love and the complexities of relationships.

Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X. Turner and James Welsh (August, 2023)

A #1 Amazon bestseller on Hot New Releases – Haiku and Japanese Poetry; on August 13, 2023, features as the #1 bestselling haiku book in the UK.

Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X. Turner and James Welsh is a spectacular collection. From every page the beauty of haiku and senryu poetry jumps, inscribing itself in the soul of the reader with color, sonority, melancholy, grief, and love. Water, clouds, memories, do not only mark chapters. They become the real soul of the book. The transitory nature of haiku and senryu – with their delicate and ethereal qualities – is magically transformed by the authors into permanence. That is no easy thing to do. C.X. Turner and James Welsh create a world of splendor and depth that will forever mark those who read the book.

The book showcases seven wonderful sketches done by C.X. Turner. You will find beauty and great substance in them.

Building Sandcastles has received plenty of advanced praise:

Bryan Rickert, Editor: Failed Haiku Journal of Senryu, President: The Haiku Society of America writes: “With both broad brushstrokes and intimate details, these two poets paint the beautiful experience of their haiku worlds.”

Joe Woodhouse, Editor: Wales Haiku Journal states that: “In one breath tender and poignant, in the next stark and arresting, this collection of short poems is a journey of discovery through an evocative series of moments in nature. It is an exploration of that yearning to glean meaning from the chaotic lives we all lead.”

Roberta Beach Jacobson Editor, Cold Moon Journal and Five Fleas (Itchy Poetry) tells us: “Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems, the stunning new collection by C.X. Turner and James Welsh, is a must-have for your shelves. These thought-provoking haiku and senryu left me breathless.”

Thank you for the visit!

This post will appear in Literary Revelations too.

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:

Dear Readers,

This winter Literary Revelations will publish a fabulous book by Virginia Witch entitled Greenlandos.

Greenlandos has a very strong ecological message. If you love our planet, you will love this book. Greenlandos has 156 pages containing a stunning tale and wonderful illustrations. It is a book for children 12 and up as well as, for adults. It is real a winner.

You can read more about the book here.

Today I would like to bring you the very first short excerpt from the book. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 9 – The Mysterious Belladonna

As chaos engulfed Greenlandos, the Thorns’ Jail stood eerily silent, devoid of any wardens. The emergency situation had summoned every enforcement officer and prison warden in Greenlandos, dividing them into units to assist the injured. Special Troops embarked on rescue missions while, on the city’s outskirts where impoverished citizens resided, homes crumbled under the weight of enormous, terrifying ice blocks.

Awakened by the deafening hail striking the prison roof, Belladonna’s senses snapped into focus. Stiff from her prolonged inactivity, she painstakingly reactivated every muscle. Stretching her long legs, she flexed her palms and gingerly rotated her head and neck. The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning: Something is very wrong!

Still reeling, she surveyed the prison. Not a single sunbeam had ever penetrated the tiny window. Belladonna rose cautiously, her ears tuned to the dissonant sounds echoing the chaos of Augustus’ Feast. August Feast? But how? she wondered. I’ve only slept for a day, and we haven’t even reached August yet!

Crawling to the window, Belladonna stared at the large ice balls falling from the sky, her spine tingling with a cold shiver. It’s already begun, she thought, her mind racing with agitation. I need to get out of here! But how? If she ventured out now, the ice balls would surely kill her. Determined, she decided to seek help from the Secret Service. Belladonna took out an earring and pushed on it until she heard a voice:

“Agent 00, you’ve been missing for 27 hours! The Emergency State has been declared! You must reach the Science Center immediately, with the key witness.”

“Tendril 001, I’ve been locked in the Thorns Jail! I can’t get out of here because of the ice bombing!”

[…]

Have a wonderful and magic week! Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate.

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:

A summer with raspberry lips
born from the bones of the sea and the feathers of winds
on September 20th Pessoa left Lisbon
the autumn brought dead perfumes
and poisoned the crickets with black tongues of fumes

I linger in empty railroad stations
where trains never stop anymore
you, my love,
slept for years on wet cobblestones
the ring on your finger
and under your head
a Stradivarius courting suicidal moons

Delirious I am for I can hear voices
I can see snakes dance on polished parket
dead leaves grow from my arteries like sunrises from seas
I lick from my lips the last pieces of corn
remember, my love, I am the one
who knows where nightingales are born.

Please do not forget that Literary Revelations will publish in December a fabulous book called Greenlandos by Virginia Witch. Please read more here and stay tuned for more news.

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:

My dear readers,

My publishing house – Literary Revelations – works hard to bring you a splendid book written by Virginia Mateias aka Virginia Witch. The book is entitled Greenlandos.

But wait! Greenlandos is more than fiction book. As professor and author Maria Rusu tells us: “I wholeheartedly recommend it to those seeking an insightful and humorous read, as well as those dedicated to maintaining a healthy diet and a clean planet. The information sheets at the end of the novel, offering insights into the origins and legends of vegetables from different time periods and cultures, are particularly fascinating.”

Below please find the entire advanced praise that author and professor Maria Rusu sent us. I hope you enjoy it.

Please stay tuned for more news about the book. Tentative release date late December.

Six Reasons to Read “Greenlandos” by Virginia Witch

“Greenlandos” is a literary masterpiece. It held my attention from the very first page to the final one. With an original and innovative concept, Virginia Witch submerges us in a world where vegetables possess human characteristics and emotions. It’s an unexpected journey into a realm brimming with humor and unforeseen events, compelling us to contemplate our own conduct and our connection with the natural world.

Well-Developed Characters That Capture the Reader’s Heart

One of the book’s most significant accomplishments is the construction of unforgettable characters. From the enigmatic Belladonna, who is always present, to the noble Sir Mandragoras, and from the loyal Mr. Pepper, to the enigmatic leader of the Spy Center, Mr. Vanata, each character holds their own unique charm. These vegetable characters with human-like qualities swiftly endear themselves to us and impart valuable lessons on loyalty and bravery.

A compelling ecological message that emphasizes the importance of preserving a clean planet

“Greenlandos” is more than just an entertaining story; it serves as a powerful call to action against the excessive use of pesticides that contaminate our food and harm our people. The book brings environmental issues to the forefront, reminding us of our responsibility to safeguard the environment. It serves as a strong voice for ecological awareness and the urgency to work towards a cleaner and safer future.

A gripping narrative

Author Virginia Witch skillfully maintains a sense of suspense throughout the book. The story is replete with unexpected adventures and plot twists that had me eagerly turning the pages from start to finish. Each page unveils fresh secrets and mysteries, and the conclusion is both open-ended and surprising.

Delightful Illustrations

I can’t help but admire the exquisite illustrations that accompany the text. Each drawing is a miniature work of art, perfectly complementing the story and bringing the characters to vivid life. These illustrations are an absolute visual delight and significantly enhance the reading experience.

A Book that Inspires Us to Be Better

Beneath the layers of adventures and unexpected twists lies a profound message about courage, loyalty, and friendship. “Greenlandos” motivates us not to forsake our friends and to stand up for our principles. The book reminds us of our responsibility towards the environment and urges us to take conscientious action.

“Greenlandos” is a book that deserves the highest praise. With its memorable characters, captivating storyline, potent ecological message, and exceptional illustrations, this book has all the elements to captivate readers of all ages. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those seeking an insightful and humorous read, as well as those dedicated to maintaining a healthy diet and a clean planet. The information sheets at the end of the novel, offering insights into the origins and legends of vegetables from different time periods and cultures, are particularly fascinating.

Maria Rusu.

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:

He was a great novelist. He avoided the big juvenile traps: on the one hand, repeatedly writing about one’s childhood and one’s limited experiences, and, on the other hand, confining his characters to slogans such as do good or better days are ahead.

He knew he went against the grain of what was considered acceptable in his country; a country in which the novel frequently used everything from camaraderie to horror, and from war to sex, in order to avoid the birth of a new Emma Bovary. Emma’s sensuality would have scandalized a society in which some, if not most, deified violence and crucified sensual love. Should I mention The Scarlet Letter?

He loved me. In his last note to me he wrote:

“Love and sensuality include divination: a thirst for deciphering the signs inscribed in the sacred area of our subconscious, a craving for knowing what the future holds, and the supplication that providence or god will fulfill our desires.

How much we want that which is not only given to us but that which we create too: Mircea Eliade’s homo religiosus, that alter-ego who lives inside us and conjures the meanings we create in sacred times and spaces.

Love and sensuality are the well of eternity.

Will I advise you to write about love? No.

Yet I know you will do it.”

Coming soon from Literary Revelations

A call for a poetry anthology
A book for children
Please subscribe and stay tuned for more news. Literary Revelations brings you poetry, short prose, art, and interviews,

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:

On Winning and Hate

The afternoon smelled of brick; the wall I used to scratch with the knees and the nails on my way to the sea.

My blood stained my socks and fed the roots of the orange tree mama planted one spring before my seventh birthday. Soon after, the tree grew blood oranges.

I used to dream I would reach the port before crickets would serenade the white cement between the bricks, and the evening wind would sew the wounds from the face of the wall.

I needed a God to lead me to the sea. In Mama’s stories, there were too many Gods leading souls to heaven. I did not want to go to heaven. I wanted to go to the sea.

I used to fail. I did not understand what failure is. The next afternoon, little ducks embroidered on the rim of my blue dress, I would start climbing the wall again.

One day I thought I would get to the port and run straight into the sea.

Little did I know that day came when I first looked into your eyes. The sea inside your eyes like laundry left to dry on a wire. Long red poles floundered left and right like the wings of a moribund bird. The body of a boat eroded by salt, and by the kisses of the women of your past agonized in green and blue.

The sea inside your eyes: on the right your love for me, and on the left, your hate for the world.

Did I say your love for me? You see, over time, I had to reconsider that formulation. Your feelings resembled more a never-ending animal magnetism than love.

Let me make one thing clear. No one person is sufficient to drive all demons from another one. You can think Goethe’s elective affinities if you wish. I cannot save you from you. You need to help me. I can carry this conversation into the night and win.

Ah, winning! The day I understood I can win, I stepped into hell.

That day was the day I lost my innocence and with that the paradise. Since then, my blood has never stained my socks anymore. The orange tree has never grown red-fleshed oranges, and Mama stopped telling stories.

featured image: Gabriela Marie Milton, Greece.

Included in my book Woman: Splendor and Sorrow

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:

I am thrilled to let you know that Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X. Turner and James Welsh, published by Literary Revelations, is now a #1 Amazon Bestseller [Haiku and Japanese Poetry]. We made to #1 several hours after the launch.

I am proud to be the publisher of this gorgeous book.

Thank you to those who support us.

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:

Dear Readers,

I am thrilled to let you know that Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X. Turner and James Welsh is now live on Amazon. A publication of Literary Revelations, Building Sandcastles is a superb collection of haiku and senryu. I am proud to be the publisher of this book. Thank you everyone for the love and the support I received.

Amazon Description

Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X. Turner and James Welsh is a spectacular collection. From every page the beauty of haiku and senryu poetry jumps, inscribing itself in the soul of the reader with color, sonority, melancholy, grief, and love. Water, clouds, memories, do not only mark chapters. They become the real soul of the book. The transitory nature of haiku and senryu – with their delicate and ethereal qualities – is magically transformed by the authors into permanence. That is no easy thing to do. C.X. Turner and James Welsh create a world of splendor and depth that will forever mark those who read the book.

The book showcases seven wonderful sketches done by C.X. Turner. You will find beauty and great substance in them.

Building Sandcastleshas received plenty of advanced praise:

Bryan Rickert, Editor: Failed Haiku Journal of Senryu, President: The Haiku Society of America writes: “With both broad brushstrokes and intimate details, these two poets paint the beautiful experience of their haiku worlds.”

Joe Woodhouse, Editor: Wales Haiku Journal states that: “In one breath tender and poignant, in the next stark and arresting, this collection of short poems is a journey of discovery through an evocative series of moments in nature. It is an exploration of that yearning to glean meaning from the chaotic lives we all lead.”

Roberta Beach JacobsonEditor, Cold Moon Journal and Five Fleas (Itchy Poetry) tells us: “Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems, the stunning new collection by C.X. Turner and James Welsh, is a must-have for your shelves. These thought-provoking haiku and senryu left me breathless.”

Literary Revelations is proud to publish this unbelievable poetry collection.

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:

I am thrilled to let you know that Literary Revelations will publish Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X. Turner and James Welsh on August 11. The book is a splendid collection of haiku and senryu. It contains seven sketches done by C.X. Turner. Literary Revelations hired a highly professional formatter who vectorized C.X. Turner’s sketches and worked on every image to make sure that no pixelation will occur on page. The authors choose the have 3 haiku per page beautifully positioned. The formatter made sure that no matter what devise you may use to read the eBook the integrity of the pagination will be kept. A lot of work went into getting this book ready for publication. I am proud to be its publisher.

The book has received plenty of advanced praise some of which can be found HERE. Below please find one of the sketches from the book entitled Water and the foreword I wrote.

Water by C.X. Turner

Building Sandcastles: A book of Short Poems by C.X. Turner and James Welsh

There has never been a collection of short poems and haiku that stirred so much beauty and so many emotions in my soul like Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X.Turner and James Welsh. I want to be clear from the beginning. There is always a certain degree of disparity between the consciousness of a poet and reality. C.X.Turner and James Welsh fill that gap with intricate feelings, fragrances, colors, flowers, birds, and memories, until we do not understand anymore where dreams stop, and reality emerges. The delicacy of their word and sound impregnates every poem.

around a bend
on a woodland path
the chime of bluebells

river walk—
the gentle weeping
of white peony petals

Make no mistake. Their poems are not only delicate and breathtaking in imagery. They are also philosophical. Moreover, the authors steer clear of “fixing” feelings. They live the good and the bad, a remarkable move in a world in which commercialism and slogans bombard us every day; a world that denies an entire repertoire of human feelings to replace it with the today’s socially engineered state of “happiness.”

weeping cloud
I don’t try to fix
melancholy

a grieving friend
love, blown from a candle
in the wind

C.X.Turner and James Welsh transform the impossible into possible. They transmute the physical world into a world of magnificent beauty and depth that will forever mark those who read them.

Gabriela Marie Milton
author, editor, publisher

Afterword

As I mentioned in the ABOUT section of Literary Revelations we value quality, not quantity. We strive to make sure that our books are high quality and our talented authors get the best publicity. We are proud of who we are. We are deeply grateful to everyone who supports us.

Gabriela Marie Milton
2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee
Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books: