The Auroras & Blossoms Haiku Anthology: Focus on Flo Au & Siddhi Pawar

Welcome to our mini-series on The Auroras & Blossoms Haiku Anthology, which celebrates the poets featured in volumes 1-3.

Today, Flo Au and Siddhi Pawar are telling us what inspired the haiku & senryu they sent us.

Flo Au

Flo Au’s poetry has received many accolades, including commendation in Norman Nicholson Lockdown Poetry Competition 2020 and a top 10 finalist spot in Voice of Peace: 1st International Poetry And Short Story 2021 Asia Edition. Her monologue was also selected to be one of the top 30 in Lancaster One Minute Monologue 2021.

Flo has three haiku featured in Volume 3:

Haiku give me the opportunity to explore the relationship between Nature and us in the form of three lines. I love to write and read haiku poems. I also enjoy how we can pay more attention to our surroundings through words. With only a few words, we connect to Nature and relate our stories to it. We can ponder over the images, release our emotions and distract ourselves from the anxiety of life.

The aesthetic quality of haiku lies in their conciseness and precision. I am always inspired and enthralled by how a few words can tell a long tale and how silence can convey messages. These are the reasons why I wrote those poems.

Siddhi Pawar

Siddhi Pawar is an eighteen year old who finds her heart in literature and poetry. She believes that there is positivity everywhere in the nature around us.

Website: https://www.instagram.com/magnaliafloret

Siddhi has two haiku featured in Volume 3:

#1 – I was on a visit to the town of Manali when I came across pastures, a shade of green that I had never seen before. It made me want to stop and observe them. Little did I know that a colourful treasure awaited me in the next few moments. 

#2 – Summer vacations mean beaches, a mixture of sea, sky and warm breeze. Gazing upon the waters of an ocean is inspiration in itself!

Flo and Siddhi, thank you for sharing what inspired your haiku. We are honored that you sent us your work.

Today’s instalment concludes our mini-series. We hope that you enjoyed learning more about our contributors and what inspired them.

Don’t forget to pick up your copies of The Auroras & Blossoms Haiku Anthology: Volumes 1-3!

Cendrine & David

The Auroras & Blossoms Haiku Anthology: Volume 3 Is out Today!

The wait is over! The Auroras & Blossoms Haiku Anthology: Volume 3 is here!

Welcome to an incredible series of haiku and senryu compiled by Cendrine Marrouat and David Ellis from Auroras & Blossoms.

Feast your senses on a unique collection that is moving, thought-provoking, inspirational, hauntingly beautiful and deeply insightful.

This anthology is a delightful showcase of superbly crafted poetry that is extremely easy to get into but handsomely rewards the reader with each subtle nuance and twist. It is like spending time with loved ones and old friends, comforting in the extreme, endlessly endearing and so compelling, you will never want the experience to end!

Contributors to Volume 3 include Sarah Ambata, Ruby Appleby, Flo Au, Papp Győző Benedek, Joshua Blaine, Sierra Conn, Lauren Cuppy, Danny Daw, Mary Beth Defer, Timothy Dillehay, Connor Flinn, Darby Goulden, Farah Aqeelah Marwilis binti Helmi, Edward Cody Huddleston, Govind Joshi, Chris Langer, Ella Leith, Leo Liu, Fionntán Macdonald, Jemma Marie, Beth McCoy, Alex McMahon, Templeton Moss, Yvette O’Kay, Siddhi Pawar, Vishnu Rai, Archer Roehrig, Ayodele Sasegbon, Thomas Shaw, Ruben Whitter, and Ting Ze Zhi, Isaac.

Price: $3.99 $1.99. (This limited offer ends on October 12, 2023.)

NB: We do not accept direct payment for the anthology. You have to purchase directly from one of the online stores on the page. That is how our contributors can be paid.

If you don’t see your favorite online store in the list, please wait a couple of days, and it should appear.

Promo Banner for Our Contributors!

For those interested in sharing the news with their audiences, here is a promo banner. Display it proudly on your website, blog, and/or social media!

Don’t forget to link to the book’s page: https://abpositiveart.com/haiku

The banners for volumes 1 and 2 are below.

What’s Next?

Volume 3 is the last volume in this year’s series. But we have great news for you. We have decided to make the anthology a yearly event! You can expect our submission call to open during the first quarter of 2024.

In the meantime, we wanted to remind you that there are only a few days left to submit to the first issue of our magazine! Don’t delay, click the banner below to view our guidelines and send us something.

That’s it for today! We hope you will enjoy Volume 3 as much as we do!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cendrine & David

The Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Focus on Natalie Klein

Welcome to our mini-series on A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology, which celebrates the writers whose stories are featured in our inaugural volume.

Today, Natalie Klein is telling us what inspired her story “Murder on Main Street, A Derry Downs Mystery”

The thrill of the chase, suspenseful plot twists, and the satisfaction of solving the crime – nothing gets my heart racing quite like a good old-fashioned whodunit.

So, when the opportunity arose to immerse myself in a cozy murder mystery, I couldn’t resist throwing my hat in the ring. The prospect of sleuthing alongside captivating characters and unravelling an intricate web of clues had me hooked from the get-go.

Amidst Sydney’s hustle and bustle, I often yearn for the quaint charm of a small country town. Where strong friendships are formed over cups of steaming tea and life’s simple pleasures are savoured. This is where the seeds of my cozy murder mystery were born.

‘Welcome to Derry Downs, a little slice of country paradise where sewing needles are the weapons of choice and juicy gossip flows like the finest wine. Alice and Bobbie are the town’s dynamic duo, running the beloved Sewing Bee and keeping the community afloat with their boundless energy and friendly smiles. But when tragedy strikes and brings chaos to this once-peaceful town, it’s Alice’s determination to solve the crime that will have you cheering her on with every stitch. Will she track down the culprit, or will her pursuit put her in harm’s way?’

So, grab your magnifying glass, hone your detective skills, and get ready to embark on a thrilling journey with Alice to uncover the shooter in my cozy murder mystery.

Natalie Klein from Sydney Australia, crafts captivating stories for readers of all ages. She also works as a website copywriter, crafting clear, concise, and persuasive copy for small businesses.

When she’s not busy writing, she can usually be found listening to true crime podcasts, sewing, and exploring all things related to the history of England.

Website: https://www.nataliekleincopywriter.com.au

Thank you for sending us your story, Natalie! We know people will love reading it as much as we have.

See you soon for the next instalment in our series.

In the meantime, don’t forget to order your copy of A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Volume 1.

Cendrine & David

The Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Focus on J. Ivanel Johnson

Welcome to our mini-series on A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology, which celebrates the writers whose stories are featured in our inaugural volume.

Today, J. Ivanel Johnson is telling us what inspired her story “Winter’s Warmblood.”

As a former competitive 3-Day Event rider and internationally-certified instructor, I have always been interested in the wordplay of names in the equestrian industry, as many have double meanings to do with MURDER or CRIME. (See this article for more information.)

As I’ve also written a Scottish-connected full-length Canadian musical and am lucky enough that my maternal grandfather was born in Aberdeenshire, I was able to work and research in the very county from whence he came. Back in 2009-2010 I, like my Lucy character in “Winter’s Warmblood,” taught riding on a 20,000 acre estate in the beautiful wild Highlands where I also lived in a stone cottage in The Stableyard. 

All of the female characters in this short story are based on real-life friends and colleagues there, and one of them specifically asked if she could ‘star’ as the murderess. So this is especially dedicated to Leanne; she’s the type of gal that likes to ‘stirrup’ trouble even more than I do. 

I’m thrilled that “Winter’s Warmblood” has found its way to a ‘cozy’ home in this exciting new anthology!

J. Ivanel Johnson is the pen name for an award-winning mystery novelist, playwright and composer living in the Appalachians of New Brunswick, Canada. Now confined to her farm due to progressive (dis)Ability, she once worked as her story’s protagonist did—on a 20,000 acre estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Website: https://mckencroftproducti.wixsite.com/jivanelauthor

Thank you for sending us your story, J.! We know people will love reading it as much as we have.

See you soon for the next instalment in our series.

In the meantime, don’t forget to order your copy of A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Volume 1.

Cendrine & David

The Auroras & Blossoms Haiku Anthology: Focus on Ellen Tandojo & Joelle A Godfrey

Welcome to our mini-series on The Auroras & Blossoms Haiku Anthology, which celebrates the poets featured in volumes 1-3.

Today, Ellen Tandojo and Joelle A Godfrey are telling us what inspired the haiku & senryu they sent us.

Ellen Tandojo

Ellen Tandojo, Jakarta-born and raised, is a student of the life sciences. In between lectures, she sorts insect samples in a lab and writes letters to her long-distance family and partner.

Website: https://disastereomere.wixsite.com/loveforbreakfast

Ellen has three haiku featured in Volume 1:

The classical haiku poets drew inspiration from their feelings about the natural world. I wrote these haiku in the space of time between winter and spring, which is also unfortunately the exam period where I am studying. The promise that spring (and the end of my exams) is around the corner, and the longing for endless days under the sun when I finally get to see my long-distance partner, is truly a powerful driving force!

I hope these haiku remind us all of springtime and the warmth of summer that follows.

Joelle A Godfrey

Joelle A Godfrey is a project manager, anime lover, poet, and fantasy / science fiction writer. When she is not writing, she enjoys listening to D&D podcasts, taking theology courses, playing video games, reading, and knitting.

Website: https://linktr.ee/jgodfrey

Joelle has four haiku featured in Volume 1:

Most of my haiku were inspired by being in nature: Walking on sunny days at the Morton Arboretum, sitting around a campfire on a summer night, and visiting a temple in Japan on a rainy day in late summer 2010. 

Ellen and Joelle, thank you for sharing what inspired your haiku. We are honored that you sent us your work.

See you soon for the next instalment in our series.

In the meantime, don’t forget to pick up your copies of The Auroras & Blossoms Haiku Anthology: Volumes 1 & 2!

And don’t forget, volume 3 will be out in a few weeks!

Cendrine & David

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