Today is a momentous day in my journey as a bookblogger – I’ve been asked by Camilla Downs to reveal the book cover for, Words of Alchemy, a heartfelt free-verse poetry collection by her! If you are interested in poetry (as you know I’ve been in the last couple weeks), you, my lovely reader, have the opportunity to pre-order a signed copy of Words of Alchemy using WordsofAlchemy.com. The book debuts near the end of October, at which time it will be available on Amazon, and the signed pre-ordered books will ship as well.
Let’s take a look at the synopsis, the cover, some advanced praise and some exclusive content that Camilla shared with me. 🙂
In Words of Alchemy, Camilla Downs invites you to walk with her to share her love of Nature through a heartfelt free-verse poetry collection.
During her daily strolls she is mindfully present as she delves into life in the raw and experiences her heart’s observations.
Camilla embraces what happens when she opens her heart and invites the written words to flow. The Alchemy of Love and Healing is what happens.
Advanced Praise for Words of Alchemy
In Words of Alchemy, Camilla Downs heartfelt new collection, lives up to its namesake in numerous ways. Downs spans the broad range of nature, healing, love, and parenting, while making sure we have a little fun along the way. And the bridge she creates from the mindfulness of how we see the world at large to the poetry of everyday life is certainly worth a stroll or two across its borders.
Thomas Lloyd Qualls, Award-winning author of Painted Oxen
This poetry collection offers contemplative words, soothing thoughts and peace to the reader.
Sue Bentley, Bestselling author of Second Skin
Words of Alchemy is a chronicle of hope. Camilla Downs poetry is an encouragement, especially when we are feeling at our lowest, to keep seeking the light that is our way forward, and focus on the real. This collection is a walk through the positive nature of life. Camilla Downs is to be commended.
Frank Prem, Author of free-verse memoir Small Town Kid
Exclusive content from Words of Alchemy
(this is best viewed on a computer due to formatting)
Poem # 1: Shine
Shine bright dear one.
What your brothers
and sisters think
of your shine
matters not.
You see others shine,
and shrink even further
into the smallness of
not shining your light.
Each soul is meant to shine
in their own way
And no two ways will
be exactly the same.
Your shine is dulled by
years and years
of ignoring that
which creates the shine.
Dulled by messages received in childhood,
that you are doing it wrong,
that you don’t know how to do it.
Stories learned in childhood of
how one is supposed to live
how it’s supposed to be done.
The light is ever there.
It has not departed.
You have seen glimpses of it.
To allow the light to shine brightly
you must uncover what you buried
so deeply that you remember not
even having buried it.
©2017 Camilla Downs
What you have buried swings
like a pendulum.
One side, the victim
and the other, the judge.
Uncover it you must.
Face it.
Embrace it.
Know you can no longer
be hurt, or judged.
The vital step
of uncovering, confronting
and releasing cannot be skipped.
Fear has stopped you
from fully uncovering
what has been buried.
Eternal joy cannot be
Unless fear is
embraced by we.
I will face the fear
with you.
You are not alone.
Take my hand
and let us walk
together into
the darkness
and we shall emerge
as one to shine bright
and share love with
the world.
Poem # 2: The Lure of Words
A love of reading
A love of books
A love of the written word
She has always had.
Devouring one
book after another
after another.
Books here.
Books there.
Books everywhere.
Oh, the sight, the feel,
the sound, the smell.
Intoxicating to even imagine.
Deliberately walking the aisle
of the library,
of the book store,
she feels at home.
Perusing the titles,
gently taking hold of a book
by the spine,
sliding it from the shelf,
slowly running her
fingertips across
the book’s title,
opening the book,
lifting the opened book
to her nose and
inhaling the unique
scent only a book can radiate.
Simply holding, feeling, and
smelling a book
sends here straight away
to other worlds, lands,
and journeys.
When finally opening
the book to begin
the adventure,
a palpable,
stomach tingling
Excitement lures her
to the pages.
This has been the way.
A beautiful way.
A way that led her
to know she was to
write, she was to let
black words flow forth
and fill the white pages,
one after another
after another.
©2018 Camilla Downs
She laughs words
She exhales words
She cries words
She bleeds words
She dances words.
She swallows the words
of life to be mixed and
meshed with her essence.
Magically, as if under a spell,
she releases the words
from her mind’s eye
fast as lightning through
her fingertips onto the screen.
Books, books, books.
Words, words, words.
Words are oxygen
Words are food
Words are water
Words are shelter
Words are life.
Her teacher
Her friend
Her lover
Her mentor
Books are these,
and more,
to she.
A love of reading
A love of books
A love of the written word
She has always had.
Devouring one
book after another
after another.
All the while
the words,
the books,
devoured she.
About Camilla
Camilla Downs is mom to Lillian and Thomas Darnell, bestselling author, writer, blogger, poet, and nature photographer. She is also the founder, host and facilitator of MeetingtheAuthors.com: a website that hosts fun and quirky author interviews with authors around the world.
She spends her time writing, reading, online networking, walking, swimming, being with her two kids, and addressing all that parenting and advocating entail. Her first book, D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance, published in 2012 reached #1 in Special Needs Parenting and #2 in Self-Help on Amazon.
Pre-order the signed copy of Words of Alchemy here: WordsofAlchemy.com
Photo by Saad Chaudhry on Unsplash
Thank you so very much Kriti for this beautiful post!! I am blessed our paths have crossed!! May you have a wonderful weekend!
I feel the same, Camilla. Thank you for letting me be a part of the cover reveal. 🙂 May you have a wonderful weekend as well!