Gateways Through the Penumbra by Kristina Jacobs, published by The Next Level Publishing

Gateways Through the Penumbra by Kristina Jacobs published by The Next Level Publishing in May 2022.

Set in the world of the Otherlands, the fantasy novel explores the spaces in between layers of the world.

***

“Deuce, my name’s Deuce,” he replied tightening his grip as I dug in my heels. “That old curmudgeon calls me Darth, that’s his polite way of telling me he thinks I’m an arse.”

“Oh,” I said feeling a little bad about it. I stopped pulling and he sounded like he’d decided to be kind to me after all.

“You’ll need to find Jack, he’ll be the one to be your guide. Last I heard he was out in Cort na Coribe, in Eire, so go there first,” he directed. “I’ll give you a map and we can go back to my place and we can sit down and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about living in the Otherlands, but right now we’ve got to get off the streets before full night falls…”

But it was too late, the last weak beams of the sun had slid below the tops of the city buildings and the alley fell into deep darkness. The shadows lengthened and seemed to move along the wall, coming closer. As I watched, a solid form, black on black broke away from the wall and stood in the mouth of the alleyway blocking the exit. Darth shoved me behind him so fast my head snapped back. “Run”…

Check out the novel and purchase a copy online at: https://www.amazon.com Available as a Kindle Select Exclusive (May 2022) $9.99 and in Print.

Kristina Jacobs is an award-winning poet and the author of eighteen poetry chapbooks including: Grey Weir, The Wildwood Guardian, Slipshod Mornings & Meandering Midnights, Inside Invisible, Dawn After Dusk, Dept. 56, Drawn by Grace, Sparks, All the Purple Days, Charm All Over the Place, Chasing Ordinary, The Heart of the Otherlands, True North, Just my Luck, Breaking Radio Silence, Lucky 13, Crook-Tailed Tales (with co-author Gary Azerier) and Signs Point Left. She is also the author of the science fiction fantasy novel, Gateways Through the Penumbra and a short story collection, EverHollow: Stories from the Otherlands.

Breaking Radio Silence by Kristina Jacobs released

Breaking Radio Silence by Kristina Jacobs has been released by The Next Level Publishing, April 2022. Released as a Kindle Select April 2022. Breaking Radio Silence is a chapbook with poems that explore breaking silence and speaking your truths.

Listen to the author, Kristina Jacobs, read the poem, “Breaking Radio Silence” set to music.

It contains the poems: Radio Antenna – Dark Visions, Earth – Trembles Proceed Anger, Morning Bites, The Art of Manifestation, : An Orientation : to Kindness :, Smart Horse (Dumb Kid), The Tease, The Hidden Ones, Growing Up Country and 4:44.

Growing Up Country

Tromping through long grass
and waist high weeds in the back field,
past the gar pond and its stinking mud flats,
warnings to watch out for wild hogs
still ringing in my ears

Over the rusty barbed wire fence
I went most afternoons
ignoring faded old “no trespassing signs” –
into the Florida woods
for a long ramble

Avoiding the poison ivy gently swaying from live oaks,
and the tangled fingers of Spanish moss draped limb to limb,
it was impossible to ignore that it was dripping hot,
even in deep shade
Boulder strewn pine needle beds
offered cool seclusion, perfect daydreaming territory

The destination was always unplanned,
but it always ended the same,
slow or fast – the afternoon always ended
in the the shaded pines of the graveyard
a few miles from home

Macabre kids,
playing in the graveyard
we were respectful enough to keep our distance
from cars carrying visitors
and never spoke to anyone there
but spent the late afternoons
making up life stories for people
with only gravestones for company (and us)

The date they are born,
the date they died
A cross, a dove
a saying or scripture,
clues to a life

Military stones and babies
got quite different stories
than those we knew nothing about
though we often wondered,
in death, did they know their neighbors?

Soon enough, darkness would begin to fall
and we’d need to make the trek home
much faster than the rambles that brought us

I’d say goodbye to the spirits
and thank them for sharing their stories,
they’d thank me for the visit

They seemed lonely, no one came to see them,
no one else cared to hear their stories,
to listen to the lessons they’d learned or
just what they missed about life

I’d promise to return…until one day,
a long time from then, I didn’t

I can still hear the bell
on the front porch ringing,
calling me home for dinner –
as I crossed the border
from one place to the next

Dirty and tired,
thirsty and hungry,
I’d hurry home
with my out of bounds secrets,
the heady scent of gardenia
filling my nose
as I turned the knob,
home, for now –
but it’s just a memory

Check out the chapbook and purchase a copy online at: https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Radio-Silence-Kristina-Jacobs/dp/B09WQ896R3/

Available now as a Kindle Select Exclusive and Print

Listen to the author, Kristina Jacobs, read the poem, “The Art of Manifestation” set to music.

EverHollow by Kristina Jacobs, published by The Next Level Publishing

EverHollow: Stories from the Otherlands by Kristina Jacobs was released by The Next Level Publishing in May 2022. It contains the short stories: 11:11, The Lynch Pin, In Between Years and Places, The Best Disguise for Evil is Pretending to be Good and Finding EverHollow.

This collection of short stories set in the world of the Otherlands, it is a companion to the novel, Gateways Through the Penumbra by Kristina Jacobs.

Check out the short story collection and purchase a copy online at: https://www.amazon.com Available as a Kindle Select Exclusive (May 2022) $4.99, Print $11.11.

Signs Point Left by Kristina Jacobs released

Signs Point Left by Kristina Jacobs has been released by The Next Level Publishing, April 2022. Available as a Kindle Select April 2022 and in Print.

Signs Point Left contains the poems: ’Til we meet again Prayer Dancer, Dance of the Dark Queen, Signs Point Left, Stone Kitty, Double-Barreled Consequences, No U-turn, Time to Moon About and Love Bites. It also has newspaper blackout style poems – Thorn Boy, Lazarus Walking, On the Road to June, Glimpse, Eden’s Door, Secret Conversations, Bloody Sunday, Bomb’s Away, Isis, Fisher of Time & Miracles, The Blood Price and Unrealized Dream are a “humament” style visual found word poetry. DaDa Valentine and DaDa Again Valentine are dada found word poetry. 3-D ribbon poems Bird, Summer and The Chaos Butterfly are shown with pictures.

Check out the chapbook and purchase a copy online at: https://www.amazon.com/

Dada art share

I took a class called Creative Expression from Santa Fe Community College in 2022 and got to learn more about Dada and explore, making some dada-inspired electronic art and using photography as the basis for digital art.

Latest art adventures teaching myself sculpture

I’ve talked for the last few years about doing or learning sculpture “someday.” In 2020 I started playing more with making mini clay figures and characters and props for our online D&D game…which only made my wish to learn sculpture stronger!

I finally decided to stop talking about doing it and just start teaching myself by “doing” it!

I’ve filled boxes and boxes now with D & D characters and game props made from clay. Now I’m moving toward making larger pieces to learn more. Lots of fun! Here’s the first 3!

Crook-Tailed Tales Published

Crook-Tailed Tales by Kristina Jacobs and Gary Alexander Azerier has been published by The Next Level Publishing. Available online at: https://www.amazon.com/Crook-Tailed-Tales-Kristina-Jacobs-ebook/dp/B09KT7DQ1Z

A decade ago, a mysterious internet friendship was born on a website for short stories and poetry between Kristina, a.k.a, Six and Gary. Crook-Tailed Tales was born of experimental poetry, short essays and short stories. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them. The story E-ssence is the genesis of two people, strangers who decided to care about each other – just because. It is the only co-written piece in Crook-Tailed Tales.

About the Authors

Kristina Jacobs is an award-winning poet and the author of sixteen poetry chapbooks including: Grey Weir, The Wildwood Guardian, Slipshod Mornings & Meandering Midnights, Inside Invisible, Dawn After Dusk, Dept. 56, Drawn by Grace, Sparks, All the Purple Days, Charm All Over the Place, Chasing Ordinary, The Heart of the Otherlands, True North, Just my Luck, Breaking Radio Silence and Crook-Tailed Tales (with co-author, Gary Alexander Azerier).

Gary Alexander Azerier has taught at four universities, one in Boston and four in New York…He’s also taught English to foreign dependents of Marines when stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. serving in the Informational Services Office.

Author of six books: consisting of four collections of short stories and two autobiographies. 4313 & Beyond covers his time in the Marines…and the other, his chequered career in radio. Ten Golden Moments! Covers his entire life! Gary worked at top stations in Boston and N.Y. including NBC Network…and WCBS all news…and WINS all news radio! For fun he “plays” piano….and fools with magic.

Just my Luck by Kristina Jacobs, Published by Blue Ocean Authority

Just my Luck by Kristina Jacobs has been released by Blue Ocean Authority, Publishing Division, print released, June 2021. Released as a Kindle Select February 2021. Just my Luck is a chapbook with poems that explore luck, life and everyday situations.

Listen to the author, Kristina Jacobs, read the poem, “Just my Luck,” set to Irish music.

It contains the poems: Just my Luck, A Little Zing!, A Power Runs Through It, Saturdays, We Build, Rejected, Just a Fool Living at Imagination Station, Know the Day, Open at the Exit and Too Late to “Like” Me.

A Power Runs Through It

Fire

A match thrown carelessly
bitter self-comfort when
cold human hearts, burn hot

Earth

Scorched earth cracked
humble times
til ancient corn sprouts along the mesa

Water

Morning rains, a mist carried along the breeze
soft sun parades
a rainbow of hope and growth

Air

What you can’t see but you can feel provides strength –
to grow against the wind
is to stand against all storms

Check out the chapbook and purchase a copy online at: https://www.amazon.com Available now as a Kindle Select Exclusive. ebook: $2.99 US. Print: $4.99. (Released June 2021)

Kristina Jacobs is an award-winning poet and the author of fourteen poetry chapbooks including: Grey Weir, The Wildwood Guardian, Slipshod Mornings & Meandering Midnights, Inside Invisible, Dawn After Dusk, Dept. 56, Drawn by Grace, Sparks, All the Purple Days, Charm All Over the Place, Chasing Ordinary, The Heart of the Otherlands, True North and Just my Luck.

Listen to the poet, Kristina Jacobs, reading the poem “Just a Fool Living at Imagination Station,” set to music.

The Heart of the Otherlands by Kristina Jacobs, published by Blue Ocean Authority

The Heart of the Otherlands by Kristina Jacobs has been released by Blue Ocean Authority, Publishing Division, February 2021, as a Kindle Select with print book forthcoming April 2021. It contains the poems: A Message in the Window, King of the Blackbirds, Inside Invisible, Charm, Charm All Over the Place, To Stand Witness, Blackbird Bend, The Road Home, Christmas Magic, I Accept!, In Between the Layers of the World, Reality Weaver, [ two moons ], Dream-Winds, Mundane Magic, Wishing, Wishing Wells, The Shaman’s Walk and Return of the Otherlands. This chapbook is fantasy poetry set in the world of the Otherlands, it is a companion to the novel, Gateways Through the Penumbra by Kristina Jacobs.

Return of the Otherlands

It was a warm winter night
the road gently unfurling before me
home gliding forward in reverse as I came close
my mind idling softly
when one blink to the next
the road rose up in a great undulation
and just on the curve a great yellow eye blinked
startling the me inside the autopilot quite awake

attention sharp like a needle now
this Otherworld I knew – Once, I’d wondered if I’d ever see it again
it was gone so long
leaving me stranded in these mundane lands of boring
to the point of insanity

to the quiet passenger I’m sure it was merely a road sign,
the telephone pole briefly outlined marking the pupil of the great eye
I’d so clearly seen, the road merely the soft swell of a subtle hill on some rolling farm land,
but I knew better