My Chat with Carolann Murtland!

Hello and welcome!

Today I have chatting with me a good friend of mine. Those of you who followed my other blog might remember I wrote a post about her called “Courage” a few years back.

Please welcome Carolann Murtland!

Carolann writes wonderful poetry, her words are powerful and her poems show a wide range of emotions. Reading the many emails and letters she received from all over the world, I can say that her poems touched a lot of hearts.

She calls me her “Nudge” 😛

Here are the covers I designed for the 3 volumes.

Check out the website I designed for her and see what others have to say about her poems.

Below is one of the poems that is part of the third book, Carolann wrote it for my wedding anniversary years ago. We spent it not in Cuba as planned, but in the hospital, where hubby ended up 3 days before the trip and underwent emergency surgery. We both cried when I read it to him!

Read on and find out what we chatted about.

Do you have a nickname?
Well, where do I start? I have a few. One of my friends loves to call me Hot Mama. I call her that 😉
Trouble, ChickiePoo and Sam (I was suppose to be a boy LOL ). Bet my parents are thinking about that one now.

What is one word best describes you?
Passionate. I am passionate at everything I do. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I will stick up for the elderly or children if I think they are being abused of any sort even if I don’t know them.

What makes you laugh out loud?
Watching my grandkids do something funny. I have 9 of them so it is very entertaining. I also love comedy shows or a good joke.

What is your favourite smell? What does it remind you of?
Favourite smell is a new baby. Just snuggle in and smell the innocence and softness. You can smell the miracle of life.

Favourite place to spend time in.
One of my favourite places is anywhere where my daughters and grandchildren are. Another place is on the beach looking out into the vastness of the ocean. The water always brings calmness to me.

Is there a genre that you refuse to read?
I love to read even though I don’t seem to have enough time for fun reading. I call “fun reading” good novels. I am always taking courses of interest or reading self-help, spiritual books, etc. I do not read Horror.

Writing! What started it?
I have always written in journals but didn’t think they were important to keep. After Russ, my husband, passed away I would write my emotions down to put in the local paper every year on the anniversary. One Saturday morning while I was relaxing with my cup of tea I felt a nagging feeling that I had to write my story of loss to help others. So with my tea in hand I sat at the computer and starting writing details of the night which changed my life completely. My memoires were born but not published yet.

My poetry was created by writing out my emotions or listening to others and putting on paper their emotions. It started with my grief counselor reminding me about journaling. A few family members read some of the poems and thought they were good and would help others deal with grief. A couple close friends also read them and encouraged me to publish them.

If you could choose another career what would it be?
If I had a chance to choose another career it would be a professional photographer. I love to write but I also love photography. My family calls me The Paparazzi.

Audiobooks! Any plans to have any of your books in audio format?
I really never thought about putting poetry in audiobooks but now you have opened my mind for thought.

Does your work convey a specific emotion or message?
My poetry collection is called Voiced Emotions. The first volume is Heartfelt Overflow and it is about grief, whether it is loss, separation, divorce or even an argument. Voiced Emotions, the second volume, is poetry on general emotions. Passionate Expressions, third volume and recent release, are words of love. Our emotions demand to be felt and I write out those emotions.

Who is your intended audience and why should they read your books?
I feel anyone could be my audience.

What is next in your writing?
I have been writing “My Brick Wall, My Journey through Grief”. It has been over 10 years so even though my journey of life continues, it is time to complete this book.

Thank you Carolann for being my friend, almost 12 years now, you know I do appreciate you.

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Thank you for joining us today and I hope you enjoyed the chat.

Ms. Murtland will gift the 3 volumes of poetry, in print, to one lucky reader chosen by Sexy Mr. Random. The winner will be announced after 3pm, EST, Monday, April 27, 2015. GOOD LUCK!

To any of you who would be interested to buy the books, you can reach the author on the website thru the contact page. While checking out the website, you might want to add your name to the guest book, I know she will appreciate it.

I would like to help in spreading the word about her poetry and I am asking you to help me too. THANK YOU!

Until next time read a book, listen to a book and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!