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Giveaway: Caught in the Cogs & ‘New York Rain’

Today, I have a giveaway and guest post from author Olivia M. Grey.  But first, let’s learn a little bit about the author and where you can learn more about her work.

Nestled in the mountains of Northern California, Olivia M. Grey lives in the cobwebbed corners of her mind writing paranormal romance with a Steampunk twist. She dreams of the dark streets of London and the decadent deeds that occur after sunset. As an author of Steamy Steampunk, as well as a poet, blogger, podcaster, and speaker, Olivia focuses both her poetry and prose on alternative relationship lifestyles and deliciously dark matters of the heart and soul. Her work has been published in various anthologies and magazines like Stories in the Ether, Steampunk Adventures, SNM Horror Magazine and How The West Was Wicked.

Please find out more about Olivia and her work, listen to free podcasts, read free short stories and poetry, and get author-signed books on her blog Caught in the Cogs, Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads.

Without further ado, please check out her guest post and her poetry:

I’m not much of a poet, really. Although I’m happy to say more than a few readers disagree with that statement. But I’ve never considered myself a poet until recently. I only write poetry under very specific conditions: the agony of a broken heart. I envy poets who can create such lovely imagery around normal daily life, or a flower, or a grecian urn. I just don’t think that way.

But when the pain of a shattered heart screams through every fiber of my being, I start thinking in verse. It usually begins with one line, some form of iambic meter since my degrees are in English Lit with a focus on the Renaissance, and that one line repeats in my head over and over and over until I sit down and write. That one line haunts me, and it will not go away until I write a poem. Most of my poetry is in a sort of verse and rhyme, which I’ve noticed isn’t terribly popular among modern poets or fans of poetry. But it’s rare that I write something in free verse. It happens, obviously as “New York Rain” is in free verse, but most of my work has a specific rhyme scheme and meter. Old school, I suppose.

I find safely in meter and inspiration in rhyme and alliteration and repetition. The poem I’m most proud of is called “My Heart Still Wants to Believe,” and it was inspired by and patterned after Poe’s “Annabel Lee.” It chronicles the aftermath of an abusive relationship that ended in assault and cruelty, focusing on the struggle of conflicting emotions that follows a betrayal of that magnitude.

In addition to poetry, I also write dark fiction, usually with some romantic element, like the steampunk retelling of the “Briar Rose” (aka “Sleeping Beauty”) fairy tale. “The Tragic Tale of Doctor Fausset” also has elements from Doctor Faust in it as well. I podcast fiction every Monday on my site, short fiction like this as well as serialized novels, and I also podcast nonfiction sex & romance issues every Friday. Along with this short story, you will hear me read three poems, “All I See Is Your Absence,” “Oh, Endless Night,” and “Look Into My Eyes,” which is also printed below.

Enjoy listening!

Listen to “The Tragic Tale of Doctor Fausset” here!

You can listen to more podcasted fiction and nonfiction on my blog as well as iTunes and Feedburner.

“New York Rain,” below, is my most popular poem to date. It is still in the Bar None Group’s Hall of Fame over a year later and won an award, so that is the one I’m giving away along with a copy of Caught in the Cogs: An Eclectic Collection of short stories, poetry, and relationship essays. The second one I’m sharing, “Look Into My Eyes,” was featured on the SNM Horror Mag’s Dark Poetry selection. I hope you like them.

"New York Rain:

Warm summer night in New York City
Rain falling
Landing on my cheek
Foreshadowing the tears
That would be there tomorrow.

A gentleman, you said.
Friendship, you said.
Respect, you said.
And I believed.
The heat in your eyes convinced me.

Now silence.

Yet, New York. 
The beauty of New York
The intensity of a moment
The promise of magic
Lost. 

An illusion of the past,
For this moment is empty
Except for the tear
That echoes the rain
That framed the kiss.
There just yesterday.

-----

"Look Into My Eyes"

“Look into my eyes,”
He would say to me.
Exploring Sacred
Sexuality.

“Look into my eyes,”
As our bodies danced,
Mingling of our souls,
Put me in a trance.

“Look into my eyes,”
As he’d thrust inside,
Gazing down at me
Surging with the tide.

“Look into my eyes”
How I did believe,
When he spoke those words,
That he’d never leave.

“Look into my eyes.
You can trust in me.
Now release your soul;
Give your heart to me.”

“Look into my eyes,
Don’t see what’s truly there.
Believe these loving lies,
Not that I don’t care.”

“Look into my eyes.
Now I’m in control.
Look into my eyes,
While I rape your soul.”

Please enter to win the copy of Caught in the Cogs: An Eclectic Collection along with the handwritten, matted “New York Rain,” ready for framing. Just leave a comment below and/or ask me a question to enter. The contest will run until the end of the week.

Don’t just stop there! You can still enter to win a Kindle at Bitten By Books as well as the other prizes this week. Follow all the links and find the entire schedule.

Peace.

Thanks so much for sharing your poetry with us.

Buy The Zombies of Mesmer on Amazon in paperback or the Kindle. Buy Avalon Revisited on Amazon in paperback or on the Kindle, also available via Barnes & Noble and wherever books are sold. Buy Caught in the Cogs in paperback or on the Kindle.

To Enter for the giveaway of a paperback copy of Caught in the Cogs, leave a comment by Dec. 2 at 11:59 PM EST; Open Worldwide.

Comments

  1. I’m thrilled to announce the winner of this contest! Thanks to the help of Random.org, the winner is Lanae T.!!

    Congrats!

    Thank you to all of you for participating and making this week fun!

    xo

  2. A follow up comment of the earlier one I made at “cogs” thank you once again for posting this work.

  3. A follow up comment of the earlier wone I made at “cogs” thank you once again for posting this work.

  4. I am still a big fan of the original Steampunk; Wells, Verne, etc. But from modern writers I have been immensely enjoying Ms. Carringer’s Parasol Protectorate. It is fun and so much personality shines through. But I am still working my way through many of the newer authors, and at this time my collection is limited. I may be opening a spot on my Steampunk radio show for reviews (and I don’t want to do just movies) so I am expanding my reading library on a regular basis. The newest work I have read was an online Steampunk comic, The Boston Metaphysical Society, and though I enjoy a novel more, this was quite satisfying… at least as much as has come out to this point.

    • Ooooh!!! I want to be on your radio show! Can I? Please! Can I? 🙂

      I loved Soulless. In fact, it was part of the inspiration behind Avalon Revisited…making it a Steampunk romance. But I couldn’t get into the second one. Perhaps I’ll have to give it another try. I did so enjoy the first.

      Be sure to read Tee Morris and Pip Ballentine’s books, while you’re looking into Steampunk, and also Leanna Renee Hieber’s books. Quite hauntingly beautiful, those.

      But, of course, AFTER you read mine. 😉

      • The show thing could be arranged, contact me sometime to discuss it.

        With Carringer’s books you need to be ready for the characters to change and grow from book to book. I am now on book 4. I read them in about 3 sittings or so. 7 AM comes so quickly.

        I will look into Morris, Ballentine, and Hieber. Met her at a con, very pleasant lady. Thank you for the recommendations. On another blog page you didn’t answer… which of your books do you recommend as the best written?

        • I did, actually. It was on romance junkies, and this was my reply:

          Hi Travis!

          Wow. That’s a great question.

          Avalon Revisited probably has the strongest voice, but it was the first one I wrote under this name. I’ve written other books under Christine Rose, YA fantasy Rowan of the Wood (http://www.rowanofthewood.com).

          Avalon Revisited is the best known of my work, as it was an Amazon.com Gothic Romance Best Seller, and I’ve written a lot more since, mostly short fiction due to personal issues. But those who have read The Zombies of Mesmer really love it.

          I would say to get a taste of my edgy voice, read Avalon Revisited, but it has some graphic sex scenes.

          You can always start with a short story. I have several up on my blog and one is featured in this blog tour at STEAMED! (http://ageofsteam.wordpress.com)

          Please tell me which one you choose!

          -_Q

          I will definitely give Ms. Carriger’s book another go. You will love Ms. Hieber’s work, indeed. She is quite delightful. Same goes for Morris & Ballentine and their Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. I wrote a short story for their Tales from the Archives called “Dust on the Davenport.”

          Have a lovely evening, Travis. Thank you for your comments and questions.

          • Apparently I missed it. I saw one message to you from another young lady (I think the one that one a contest), and your reply to her, but not a reply to mine. No worries, and I thank you for reposting your answer here. I will look into the short stories. I love to see writers as they grow. I have read two in a series by Emilie Bush and saw her growth between the two and it is always dazzling.

            And I very much thank you for your recommendations, it is always nice to hear thoughts about writers from other writers… because we are like chefs and we enjoy the subtle nuances and hidden flavors of the story more than most, I think.

  5. Good evening, Travis!

    Which is your favorite Steampunk book to date? I’d love to hear about it. Always looking for something new to read.

  6. Good evening,

    I haven’t read your work yet, but have been steaming through many of our other esteemed Steampunk authors. Looking forward to adding your work to my “read” list.

  7. I Love your poetry. You manage to sum things up very well.

  8. I can completely understand the pain behind the writing. When I was younger, I also wrote poetry.

    As I got older, the darkness started to pull away and I quit writing. I realized it truly was inner pain that brought it out for me. I still have days that it comes back, but not nearly like it used to be.

    I’m adding this collection to my want list, also.

    • Indeed. I have found over the past two years that too much pain, however, is crippling. Great for poetry, as they are short & concentrated, which is why I wrote poetry. I was even able to focus enough to write about 20 short stories over that time, but I’ve been unable to focus on something as big as a novel since the heartache began…and continued to get worse.

      I’m coming out of that now. The memory of the agony will make for some dark fiction, but the darkness has subsided enough to focus on a larger project again, and for that I am quite glad.

      Thank you for your comment and your interest!

    • Congratulations!!! You’re the winner, Lanae!

      Please email me with your address and any dedication request ASAP.

      Yay!!!

    • I’m thrilled to announce the winner of this contest! Thanks to the help of Random.org, the winner is Lanae T.!!

      Congrats!

      Thank you to all of you for participating and making this week fun!

      xo

      • Ooops. That last one was supposed to be at the bottom! That’s what I get for trying to do it on my iPhone in the middle of the night.

      • Thank you so much. I look forward to reading this collection of poems.

        It’s been a pleasure to follow along this week and read your different posts. Wonderful way to get to know an author and helps enjoy their works even more.

  9. Yes, O.M.Grey is quite the poet

  10. I love steampunk. It is such a creative genre. These poems were wonderful. Please enter me!

  11. I too have envied poets who could turn verse no matter inspiration or subject matter. I’ve always thought poetry was best when derived from strong emotion.

    • I agree. See the above response about what my friend said about it.

      Some poets can paint breathtaking beauty with just a few words. That I envy. Like Margaret Atwood. Even her prose is poetry.

      Thanks for coming and entering, Bekah! 🙂

  12. This sounds like a collection I’d enjoy, so please throw my name into the hat. I never could write poetry when I was happy; there’s something about heartbreak and depression that makes for great poetry.

    • Thank you, Anna.

      One of my students-turned-friends once called poetry “the distillation of emotion,” and I think that’s pretty accurate. She said it was a way of drinking in concentrated pain, a way to shoot it up. She was one of those students that should’ve been teaching the class. No kidding.

Trackbacks

  1. […] to the winners from our last three contests! Savvy Verse & Wit, STEAMED!, and Bitten by […]

  2. […] Win a copy of Caught in the Cogs and a handwritten, matted copy of my poem “New York Rain,” as well as read about the inspiration behind my poetry and listen to a short fiction/poetry podcast! All over at Savvy Verse & Wit! Easy, easy entry…just comment and ask a question. Contest ends on Sunday, December 2nd. […]

  3. […] Win a copy of Caught in the Cogs and a handwritten, matted copy of my poem “New York Rain,&#8… as well as read about the inspiration behind my poetry and listen to a short fiction/poetry podcast! All over at Savvy Verse & Wit! Easy, easy entry…just comment and ask a question. Contest ends on Sunday, December 2nd. […]

  4. […] Win a copy of Caught in the Cogs and a handwritten, matted copy of my poem “New York Rain,&#8… as well as read about the inspiration behind my poetry and listen to a short fiction/poetry podcast! All over at Savvy Verse & Wit! Easy, easy entry…just comment and ask a question. […]

  5. […] me today at Savvy Verse & Wit where I talk about my poetry and the inspiration behind […]

  6. […] me tomorrow… Wednesday, November 28: Savvy Verse & Wit: Fiction/Poetry […]

  7. […] November 28: Savvy Verse & Wit: Fiction/Poetry […]