love, and you turns 2 and it’s free!

My debut poetry collection turns 2 years old today and it is FREE on Kindle for two days (today and tomorrow)! It is free on all amazon platforms. Share with your friends/family/loved ones/etc.!

Kindleone day i met a guy
who stole my heart,
we created a world
for ourselves.
and another day
he broke my heart
and shattered
my soul.

i took the tattered
pieces of this
broken soul and
became anew.

– here lies the hurting, the healing, and the learning

(please be advised this book has mature content)

 

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This morning while I was writing my morning pages, I wrote about how I couldn’t believe it’s been 2 years since this book has released. So much has happened, so much has changed, and I am very grateful of where this journey has taken me. I have seen the fruit of my labor and this journey has opened so many doors. The lives that this book has touched is something I never pictured. Countless times I have thought of removing this book from the shelves and countless times people have come to me privately to talk about how this book has changed their lives. It’s no longer about me, it’s about them and their healing. I want to say thank you. My gratitude is endless.


Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @chicnerdreads

love, and you turns one! and other news

Kindlei cannot believe it’s already been a year since my debut poetry collection came out and now it’s a year old! ahh!!! thank you all so much for your love and support throughout my journey. it all started here on this blog, posting poetry and getting tons of support. some of the pieces that are in love, and you were first published in this very blog and wow i can’t believe its come a long way. thank you thank you thank you! without you, the book wouldn’t be where it’s at now. i’m still in shock with how many lives this book has touched. i’ve received the loveliest messages of what this poetry collection has done to people’s soul. in the beginning i didn’t understand why i went through what i did but it all makes sense now.

 

 

as a thank you for the love and support alongside the celebration of turning one;

from now till the 8th of april
love, and you is FREE ON KINDLE WORLDWIDE!!!

here are some links, please check your
countries amazon if i have not listed it:
amazon usa | amazon uk | amazon ca

never heard of my book? it’s fine! here’s the synopsis and you can add it to goodreads here

one day i met a guy
who stole my heart,
we created a world
for ourselves.
and another day
he broke my heart
and shattered
my soul.

i took the tattered
pieces of this
broken soul and
became anew.

– here lies the hurting, the healing, and the learning

(please be advised this book has mature content)


in other news

i know this was a very long time ago, but remember that poetry blog series i had in 2016 titled people i once knew? guess what?! it’s officially going to be a book with a new title ‘welcome to ghost town’ and it will be released in october of this year! add it to goodreads here.

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in case you’re wondering, i did change the name because i thought it was more fitting since it’s about the people who have haunted me and left a mark. if you’ve been around since people i once knew days, remember how i used to title them “people i once knew – part 1” “people i once knew – part 10” etc. ? well i left the parts in but now each part has a name with an additional 3-5 poems. i’m more nervous about this collection than anything because it’s different. there’s no healing pieces, there’s no self-discovery, it’s all about most people who have marked me. i hope you like it!


it’s national poetry month

it’s national poetry month and amber @ YA Indulgences is dedicating her blog this month to poets. each and everyday there is a different feature. today on my one year anniversary, i wrote a guest post titled “benefits of reading poetry”. i would love if you’d check it out and leave some love. amber is also running a giveaway. click on the photo to be directed to her blog.

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that is all for today! i would love to chat in the comments! i know it’s been a while ❤

instagram: @chicnerdreads
twitter: @chicnerdreads

august/september wrap-up, life update, and 6 months of love, and you?

giphy-41hi hello hola! i am back!! i missed you all and it feels great to be back after a month of me gone. a lot has happened and i’m not sure i’m ready to talk about it. september was a really hectic month with everything i spoke about in my hiatus post, my birthday, and hurricane maria..it’s a lot to deal with at the moment but i’m happy to be back in my element again. it’s been a little over a month and i just wanted to come back so bad *cries for ever*

 

 


 

giphy-42if you are wondering why i mentioned hurricane maria or if you don’t follow me on twitter, then know i am Puerto Rican. although i have my immediate family here in the states. i want to say 98% of my family is in Puerto Rico. ever since the hurricane hit, this has been one of the toughest times. with not knowing about my family for a few days, to then us finding out that yes they are okay and alive but there’s no food and water. being over here and feeling so helpless. it’s a lot to take in. my family also happens to be on the west side which is always forgotten. the town my family is in isn’t even receiving supplies. this whole situation just sucks..let’s not even talk about the president *eye roll* therefore, i wanted to use this platform and let you know that there is a way to help by maybe donating here:


The Wrap Up’s

i didn’t read much these past two months due to everything that has been going on in my life. i read 3 poetry books and 2 YA novels.

  • Stalking Jacking the Ripper (SJTR #1) by Kerri Maniscalco
    A 4 star read for me! This YA Historical Fiction Mystery is definitely a book that I would highly recommend. I loved the story, the setting, the steampunk elements and the mystery. This book was worth every single turned page. I cannot wait to read Hunting Prince Dracula which I am seeing is getting tons of more love. If you click the title of the book, it will lead you to my review =)
  • Warcross (Warcross #1) by Marie Lu
    A 5 star and all of the above read!!!! This futuristic YA Sci-Fi novel will set you in a technological advanced world where you get to live in a virtual reality and still live in the real world. This book was definitely a favorite read for 2017. I cannot wait to read the next books!! The title of this book will lead you to my rave review.

each of these poetry books were 5 stars
titles will take you to goodread page

  • [redacted] by trista mateer
    This comes in the form of handwritten notes and poetry fragments, iPhone note poetry, tweets, Craigslist ads, and more. This mix of poetry and prose spans a single month and covers topics such as heartbreak, gender, sexuality, and forgiveness.
    That’s the goodreads synopsis. Are you convinced yet? You should read it.
  • Mad Woman by Kat Savage
    Mad Woman whish is comprised of 40 pieces that capture her stream on conscious, her confessions, and her strange thoughts. In Mad Woman, she bears it all and embraces her madness driven by loneliness and disappointment.
    I CRIED SO MUCH WHILE READING THIS BOOK. I FELT LIKE SHE WROTE THIS ONE FOR ME. FOR THE BROKEN GIRLS WHO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN’T EXPRESS THEMSELVES. OMG THIS BOOK!!
  • The Last Time I’ll Write About You by Dawn Lanuza
    “Should I be
    Thankful
    Or
    Regretful
    That my only idea
    Of love
    Is
    You?”
    A book filled with heartbreak poetry and words of love and loss. I loved reading this. I was nodding my head with a lot of these poems because I understand the author’s words.

 

today so happens to be the 6 month anniversary of love, and you…which i can’t quite believe and i wrote a thing for all of you ❤ if you want to check more on my poetry book, click here.

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and that is all for now. sorry i’m a little all over the place lol. it feels great to be back and i cannot wait to blog hop, check what all of you have been up to. i plan on doing a book haul and book tag soon. maybe post a poem later on this week about my island puerto rico. my heart lays heavy. love you all!


instagram: @chicnerdreads
twitter: @chicnerdreads

my poetry book is on sale!

 

IMG_0594hey everyone! i hope you are all having a wonderful day and weekend to come! just wanted to let you all know that while i’m at BookCon, the paperback version of my poetry book is officially on sale for $6.38 via Amazon for the next few days. it’s also on sale on other parts of the world via Amazon. if they ship to you, check it out! be aware that my poetry book has mature content. and if you aren’t into paperbacks, i also have an ebook version with kindle unlimited as well! below are the links!

GoodreadsAmazon USAAmazon UK


synopsis:
one day i met a guy
who stole my heart,
we created a world
for ourselves.
and another day
he broke my heart
and shattered
my soul.

i took the tattered
pieces of this
broken soul and
became anew.

– here lies the hurting, the healing, and the learning


if you’ve read my book already, i would love it if you left a rating and small review on Amazon! it would help me a great deal. thank you! ❤

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)

Q&A – Part 1! i can’t believe my blog turns 1 today

It’s my one year blogiversary today and I cannot believe it’s been a year already!!! A FREAKING YEAR!! I have learned so much throughout this year and have met some really amazing people. Blogging has been such a great experience for me. Thank you all for riding along with me. I am so happy to be here. I would’ve never thought I would make it this far and stay CONSISTENT! I know I miss out a week here and there but for the first time, I’m actually consistent and not abandoning ship here.

Reminder that my poetry book love, and you is 99¢ via kindle today!!! Click on the photo for the link!

I posted a Q&A announcement earlier this week and many of you asked me questions! This blog post will be dedicated to those questions! Let’s get started =)

Misty @ mistysbookspace:

Q: Will you be writing another poetry book?
A: Yes!! I have a few in mind! One of them is pretty much done.

Q: What is one thing you have learned while blogging that you think other/newbie bloggers should know??
A: Take part in the community! I think it’s important to give back to the community and I mean that as in commenting and liking other people’s post. And definitely don’t be afraid to be yourself on your blog!


Danielle @ Books, Vertigo and Tea

Q: If you could look back to when you very first decided you wanted to publish a full book what advice would you give yourself?
A: To relax and take it easy. And that your book isn’t for everyone so just because someone doesn’t like it, doesn’t mean I’m not a writer or that my experiences aren’t genuine. I have stressed myself and lost so much sleep over my first book baby that my body literally responded in a negative way to it. Which isn’t great, you know? But I’m a lot better now and on the days I feel low, I don’t check my stats and/or ratings at all.

Q: Is there anything all at that you feel you would do differently?
A: Yes! I wish would’ve looked for help (ex: therapy) sooner rather than later. I feel like that could’ve helped me a lot more with my mental state and anxiety.


Stephanie @ TeacherofYa

Q: When can you DM me and tell me about how you got your book published?
A: I’m self-published and I used createspace to publish my book.

Q: How long have you been blogging and what was your genre of choice when you started?
A: I have been blogging for exactly one year!! And I didn’t have a genre of choice because I love reading anything that interest me =D

Q: Did you always intend on your blog being an outlet for your poetry?
A: I definitely created my blog with the intent of sharing my love for books and sharing my writing pieces since booktube didn’t workout for that. I didn’t initially have poetry in mind but that just flowed out of me naturally, so yes? lol


Amanda @ Caffeinated Constellations

Q: If a poet uses a pen name do you recommend they register the copyright with the US copyright office before publishing?
A: oooooooo this one is hard because I use my real name and never looked up any of this info, I would definitely say though to register with US copyright office for sure! Make sure poet has all their paperwork ready before publishing the book so that way when the book is out, they have no problems with copyright infringement and the IRS (royalties).

Q:What advice would you give to a poet who really wants to self-publish but has self-doubt?
A: I would ASK if they were to place self-doubt aside, would they feel that their book is ready to publish? And if the answer was yes, I would then advice them that as long as they have that hope, let that hope drive them to publishing. I learned that self-doubt (in my case) is always there but as long as you have the drive and this is a goal that you want to accomplish, you have to pretty much fight with yourself and self-doubt. But when you win over yourself, it’s an amazing feeling that no one can give you but yourself.


Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm

Q: In your first year of blogging what achievement gave you the most sense of satisfaction and accomplishment?
A: my consistency in blogging and posting my writing pieces was the greatest achievement! I honestly tend to give up on things which is why I am super in shock that I’m even doing a one year blogiversary today because I thought I wasn’t going to make it this far lol.  Also! Posting my writing which is something very personal is really huge to me =)


Tiana @ The Book Raven

Q: What is it about poetry that draws you to it? 
A: I love how simple and complex poetry is all at the same time. I love how one stanza can be so short but pack so much power. It’s hard to even explain, the fact that you can say/write something so empowering with simple words draws me to poetry.

Q: And was there anyone in your life that introduced you to poetry?
A: No one specifically introduced me to poetry. My earliest memory of learning poetry was in school.


Lilly @ Lair of Books

Q: Will we be seeing more from your People I Once Knew series?
A: This will be a book in 2018! However, for copyright reasons, I will not be posting anymore of those poems here on the blog.

Q: What would you say has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while blogging? Any tips/advice for new bloggers?
A: Most valuable lesson is consistency with posting blogs and giving back to the community! Both of these things go hand in hand with one another! Tips for new bloggers is just to be yourself, make sure your blog is easy to navigate, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Sometimes thinking outside the box (ex: having a unique approach to writing reviews, tags, memes, etc) can be a really good thing for your blog.


Jessica @ Breathe and Read

Q: What was your favourite part of publishing your collection? 
A: Wow this is such a hard question! I think my favorite part of publishing was when I held the final copy in my hand. Knowing that one of my biggest dreams came true when I clicked the published button on CreateSpace was bittersweet. Side note to Jessica, I hope you publish your book! I feel like every writer knows when their book is ready and shouldn’t add more, it’s like a gut feeling. You got this!


Sydney @ Fire and Rain Books

Q: What is the first book you remember reading? 
A: The first book I remember reading is Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

 


to be continued tomorrow!


Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)

April Wrap-Up 2017

Hi everyone!!! I’m always late to the monthly wrap-up party but they do say better late than never right? I had a way better month reading-wise in April than in March. Whereas in March, I read no books due to my book being released April 4th and I was a ball of mess and stress. With getting things ready and formatting the e-book of my poetry book, it was hard. In April I read tons of Poetry books because it was National Poetry Month, let’s get started on the books I read in April!

What I Read:

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Walking Through the Forest by Elizabeth Ann ★★★★★
Genre: Poetry
This debut poetry book is definitely worth the word. It’s about divorce, pain, healing, and self-love. I wrote a review for it here.

 

 

 

 

 


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Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook ★★★★★
Genre: Poetry
From this book being self-pub to now published via Andrews McMeel.  This poetry book is about grief, love, and loss. Divided into two parts, Side A and Side B the remixes. I have a full review here.

 

 

 

 


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Hummingbird by Sophia Elaine Hanson ★★★★★ 
Genre: Poetry
A small poetry book about break-up, being heartbroken, and finding yourself. I have a mini-review here.

 

 

 

 

 


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We Are Okay by Nina Lacour ★★★★★ 
Genre: YA Contemporary, LGBTQ+
This book was so perfect and amazing. A book about a girl who suddenly moves from one the west coast to the east coast and completely changes her life, leaving everything behind, even the people she loves the most. Till her best friend from her old life comes to visit and has her face everything. I wrote a mini review for this 5 star read here.

 

 

 


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Poems I Found in my Closet by Evette Blue ★★★★★ 
Genre: Poetry
goodreads synopsis: I found poems I wrote during the late 90s to early 2000s buried deep in my closet. Perhaps they should have stayed there. These writings explore teenage and early adulthood angst, love, and loss. I wrote these poems during a time when I felt lost, full of hormones, and thought that every setback was the end of the world. It was also before I diagnosed with a mental illness. It turns out that it wasn’t the end of the world. Nearly 20 year later, I’m still standing.
The following poems won’t be the greatest poems you’ve ever read. I just hope they’re not the worst you’ve ever read.
These are artifacts from my life. Laugh. Cry. Cringe. Relate. Drag me on Goodreads. Experience every emotion possible.


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Love Poems I Found in my Closet ★★★★★ 
Genre: Poetry
goodreads synopsis: Technically I didn’t find these poems in my closet. They were on my flash drive. They were a part of the first very draft of a bestselling book I wrote under a different pen name. As the book took another direction, I felt like some of these writings didn’t have a place in the collection anymore.
Like the first volume, these poems explore love and loss. It’s about falling in love, falling into bed, and falling apart. I wrote these poems around 2007-2008 after falling in love and experiencing the perils of unrequited love.
Again, the following poems won’t be the greatest poems you’ve ever read. I just hope they’re not the worst poems you’ve ever read.
These are more artifacts from my life. Laugh. Cry. Cringe. Relate. Drag me. Experience every emotion possible.


 

Poems I Found in my Closet and Love Poems I Found in my Closet do not have reviews because they’re short and honestly both of them would be me gushing over them on how much I love them so much.


Some poems I posted:
is this the part where i apologize?
counting backwards from 10

things have been a little hectic since my poetry book released, in a good way. i’m slowly adjusting to change and i do plan on posting more poems here like i used to ❤


Things That Happened in April:

On April 4th, my poetry book both in paperback and e-book version released!! I have gotten so much love and great feedback, thank you for all those that have been supporting me through this journey. I have a whole post about my book release here:

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my poetry book may be purchased in Amazon (worldwide), kindle unlimited, Barnes & Noble (online), and Book Depository.


I also was invited to do a podcast on April 30th and it was uploaded a few days ago. I talk about my book, being Latina, diversity in books, amongst other things. Thank you to the wonderful Valeria Flores for having me! If you would like to listen to it, check it out here:

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And that is it for the month of April! What have you all been up to? I would love to chat in the comments! Hope you all have a lovely day =)


Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)

something in regards to my poetry book

it is now available via
KINDLE UNLIMITED!!!!

yes, you read that right!! amazon kindle unlimited!
which means if you have this feature it is free. whoop whoop!
once again thank you to everyone who’s been supporting me
and just being there for me with positivity. it means the world ❤

kindle
Synopsis:

one day i met a guy
who stole my heart,
we created a world
for ourselves.
and another day
he broke my heart
and shattered
my soul.

i took the tattered
pieces of this
broken soul and
became anew.

– here lies the hurting, the healing, and the learning

 

 


you can add it on goodreads here =)

my book is available via worldwide amazon platforms, barnes & noble, book depository, and createspace as well. stay tuned for some freebies in a very near future hehehe!!!


Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)

love, and you out now!

GAHHHH!!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!! LOVE, AND YOU IS OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED TO THE WORLD!!! IT’S RELEASE DAY!!

my poetry book is now available to purchase in paperback and kindle edition!!!
i have been so nervous for this day to come and i still can’t believe it’s here! it still hasn’t set in that my poetry book, my first ever book is out in the world just doing it’s thing. excuse my language but my heart is in my ass.

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i want to thank everyone who has supported this journey and been there since day one. not just with the book support but the poetry support in general. thanks for your beautiful comments, your wonderful words, those words of encouragement that kept me going. okay, legit i’m crying while i type this out. thanks to the guy who broke my heart over and over again, this book wouldn’t have been possible.

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special shout out to three ladies:
Lilly @ Lair of Books for editing my book and being there!!!
to my beta readers Debby @ alwaysbooking who has a review for my book here
and to Danielle @ Books, Vertigo and Tea who also has a review here!

these ladies rock!! and i am so thankful that i have you three in my life ❤


 

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some things to know about love, and you: majority of the poems do not have titles, unless they’re taglined and that’s more like a punchline. i don’t have titles because i want it to be read more as a story and in one whole. it’s also why i didn’t divide the book into three parts (hurting, healing, and learning) even though it flows in those parts. some poems are in spanish with translations, except for a short one. i aged this poetry book for the ages of 16+

 

synopsis (click here to add on goodreads):

one day i met a guy
who stole my heart,
we created a world
for ourselves.
and another day
he broke my heart
and shattered
my soul.

i took the tattered
pieces of this
broken soul and
became anew.

– here lies the hurting, the healing, and the learning


love, and you has an aesthetic board on pinterest!! here are some of the photos:

IMG_8975


you can purchase my book through one of these retailers:

Amazon (also available worldwide)

Barnes & Noble

Book Depository

CreateSpace

once again thank you, thanks for being there and thanks for celebrating with me!

using createspace, pre-ordering, apology, and a chat?

Hello everyone!! I hope you are all having a lovely day today. This will be short! I promise lol. Let’s see…. Firstly, I wanted to apologize to everyone. I know I told you all that I would be providing you with pre-order links for the physical copies of my poetry book ‘love, and you’ releasing April 4th. However, come to find out that the indie publishing company I am using called Createspace doesn’t let me. I should’ve checked this sooner, rather than telling you all “yes I’ll provide you all links”.

Now there is a way for me to put out a pre-order link as if I’m the one sending you the book directly. What happens is, I open an account with Amazon Advantage and tell them that I’m selling my book directly from my house. Once it goes live with Createspace, I have to go back to Amazon Advantage and let them know that another distributor will be taking charge. Sounds easy right? Here’s the thing. This doesn’t work out that well for a lot of people. I might be putting out a big risk in doing that and I hate playing with people’s money and time. Because I have read that sometimes Amazon denies this access. Therefore, I prefer doing it the safe route where no problems will occur and that is just dealing with the distribution straight through Createspace. And thus far, I have loved working with Createspace, I would highly recommend it if you’re going the indie route.

All of this has to do with why I’m publishing the book sooner than the original date which was June 20th. It all worked out way better than I thought though. I’m getting tons of positive feedback because of the change in dates, ‘love, and you’ will have time to flourish while I work on People I Once Knew that is coming out late January 2018. Plus, one of my poet friends told me that April was National Poetry Month..like if that isn’t a sign from the universe lol.

Again, I’m really sorry for promising all of you something and not going through with it. The only pre-order link I do have is the Kindle e-book version. Doing the Kindle e-book is working through Amazon directly via Createspace. So when I log onto Createspace I see the kindle version of my book. Don’t why they can’t do the same for paperback copies but it is what it is.

The physical copies of ‘love, and you’ will go live for purchase April 4th via Amazon worldwide. 6-8 weeks after that day, you can order it on Barnes and Noble online and Book Depository. Thank you all for being a part of this journey with me.

If you want to pre-order the kindle version, go here:
Amazon USA | Amazon UK | Amazon FR | Amazon DEAmazon JP

We can talk in the comments!! And yeah this definitely wasn’t short lol.