#RRBC Springtime Book and Blog Block Party!

Published on by Jan Sikes

Welcome to the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB Springtime Book & Block Party!

This stop is being brought to you from Plano, Texas

What I’m giving away on this stop:

One (1) $5.00 Amazon Gift Card

One (1) $10.00 iTunes Gift Card

Two (2) Copies of Discovery – Poetry and Art eBook

Number of winners for this stop – Four (4)

For a Chance to win, please leave a comment on this post.

And, I’d be thrilled if you’d share it on Social Media.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to bring to you the Poetry and Art book, Discovery, in eBook format! 

First and foremost, I want to thank Jan Hawke for her hard work formatting the artwork and poems to convert to eBook. She did a phenomenal job. The clickable links in the Table of Contents take you directly to a specific poem or piece of artwork.

FrontCover_Discovery

This book is unique first of all because it was compiled by Rick Sikes during the fifteen years he was incarcerated in Leavenworth Prison. Secondly, the artwork that accompanies the poetry is what he called pen-and-ink drawings, which I have learned is technically called Pointillism – Artwork made up of millions of tiny dots.

A few bitter years into his imprisonment, Rick Sikes reached a pivotal turning point.

He made the decision to be, think, and act only in a positive manner. This poetry and art project was partially his means of doing just that.

What you’ll find between the covers of this book are expressions of raw emotion…Poems of deep sadness and loss, humorous musings, political wisdom, life observations and tender love from Rick, while Jan lends her own deeply personal poems at the end of the book to round it out.

This partial excerpt from the poem entitled “Discovery” is the first expression of that pivotal point in Rick’s life where he determined he was going to crawl up from the bottom and become a worthwhile human.

Discovery

Through life’s wilderness I wandered aimlessly seeking my way

Seldom looking up to see the light of day

Stumbling blindly, ‘til so weary, I could go no more

In total exhaustion I fell to the earthen floor

My eyes focused upon a wounded but lovely thing

Seemingly an angel felled with a broken wing

Said I, “Stranger, what will be your name?”

A voice spoke softly, “Yours, for our names are the same…”

                                                           RICK SIKES

 

4A_Rick_Art
One example of Rick’s Artwork

Comes the Dawn by Jan Sikes

After a while you learn the subtle difference

Between holding a hand and chaining a soul

You learn that love doesn’t mean leaning

And company doesn’t mean security

Eventually, you understand that kisses aren’t contracts

And presents aren’t promises

Then you start to accept your defeats

Head up and eyes open wide

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child

And learn to build your roads on today

Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans

Futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight

After a while you learn that even sunshine

Burns you if you get too much

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul

Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers

And you learn that you can endure

That you really are strong

You truly do have worth

And you learn and learn

With each goodbye  –  you learn

I hope you’ll take a peek at the Trailer for Discovery. Click HERE!

I hope I’ve piqued your interest and that you’ll check out this new eBook version of Discovery! 

Once again, thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of this post.  Good luck on winning my giveaways!  I’ll see you at the next stop of this awesome BLOCK PARTY!

For More Stops on this RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB Book and Block Party, click HERE 

Order the eBook  Discovery HERE!

Follow Jan: WEBSITE       FACEBOOK        TWITTER       LINKEDIN       PINTEREST

94 thoughts on “#RRBC Springtime Book and Blog Block Party!”

  3. Sorry I missed your post on the prescribed day, but I got tied up. Glad I finally made it, but missed out on the great prizes. Liked the poetry, but especially the picture. Pointillism, huh? New one for me. Great post and Party!

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  6. Oh my gosh, Jan, I missed your stop yesterday. Seems I’m falling behind with so many things lately.
    Such wonderful news that Discovery is now available as an ebook. I’ll try to get my review up today. This is a gem for sure. Thanks for sharing this with us. Cheers! 🙂

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  8. Beautiful poetry Jan. Rick’s story is very powerful and inspiring. If you don’t mind my asking what was the pivotal thing that changed his path? I think it is awesome that the two of you put out your poetry together. Congratulations on your book.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Maggie. In the book, The Convict and The Rose, I showed how Rick (aka Luke Stone) reached that turning point. It didn’t happen suddenly, but was a build-up. First he had to get past the anger and bitterness over being convicted for something he hadn’t done. Then a LOT of soul-searching took place before he finally made the decision to be, act, and think only positive. I like to think Rick is happy with what I’ve done to share his work.

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  10. I’m late again… *blushes* Jan – it was a real pleasure and a privilege to work with you and Rick’s beautiful artwork to bring out the new eBook. :-d I’ve read most of your story now, following Luke and Darlina through their trials and triumphs – so I guess I’ll be getting around to reviewing the whole body of work very soon – PROMISE! ❤

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  16. Jan, your words and Rik’s have the power to move me. The artwork is passionate and so profound. These poignant words will linger on in my memory … “So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul

    Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers

    And you learn that you can endure

    That you really are strong
    Thank you so much, this post is inspiring.

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  18. I would like to thank you for holding the Springtime Book & Block Party! I would like to give thanks for all your really great writings. I wish the best in keeping up the good work in the future.

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  20. Jan, love the art work, the music and the poetry. As someone else pointed out–profound. And, it was. Where did you get that country music? LOVE country. Hope you’re having a great blog tour.

    Patricia A. Guthrie

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  24. Hi Jan, Love the artwork! I’ve got a couple of your books in your series. I was wondering they should be read in any particular order. Have a fun party. 😀

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    1. Hi, Kim. Thanks for stopping by. I would say if you are just going to pick up one of the books in the series and read it, it doesn’t matter, but if you are planning to read the series, I’d start with Flowers and Stone as that is where the story begins.

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    1. Thanks, Karen. I wish Rick could be here to see what all I’ve tried to do with his legacy, but somehow I think he sees and smiles from where he is. I appreciate you stopping by!

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  30. WOW! Rick Sikes’ poem “Discovery” left me with my mouth open. It is so profound. I’m not that crazy about poetry but sometimes I do get it. Congratulations Rick and Jan.

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    1. Thanks so much, Shirley. That was only an excerpt from the poem. It is quite long, but Rick is writing about a dream or “vision” where an angel appeared to him in his prison cell. Because of the power of that poem, I felt I had to name the book “Discovery.” I appreciate you stopping by!

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  35. Pointillism has always impressed me. It seems so much more difficult than straight drawing, and the effect is beautiful.

    Powerful poems, Jan. Thanks for sharing this work with us. Enjoy your tour day!

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    1. I couldn’t agree more, Staci. I used to love to watch Rick do it. It is amazing to watch the dots start to come together to form a picture. He was very good at it. Thanks for stopping by today!

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  37. Hi Jan, now that I have read the first and second books about Rick Sikes’ ordeals, I empathize with him, and root for him. Nothing can be worse than suffering for a crime that one did not commit. Have a wonderful day, and enjoy your party.

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  40. Jan, I hope you are still writing because once I finish the series, I know I will be longing for more! Every day I wish I was home reading. You have me totally involved in your characters. I wish I didn’t have to put my book down.

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    1. Oh my goodness, Betsy. The series ends with ‘Til Death Do Us Part. I am writing, but it is pure fiction and I am hoping for a publisher for this one. Thanks so much for your kind words!!

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  43. Beautiful writing, Jan….and you are right, we learn with each goodbye. DISCOVERY sounds extraordinary. Hope the blog tour is amazing today!!

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  44. Both poems are amazing and full of emotion. I am intrigued that the picture is made out of dots, yet doesn’t look like it. I have this book sitting in my living room. My husband wanted to read it first, but I am right behind him. I love the fact it is a blended effort. You can convey so much depth, down to the soul, through artwork and poetry. Great post! Enjoy your party!

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