Tiffany Sunday

Best-Selling Author | Poet | TEDx Presenter

Blog

Book Reviews

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As I work on my third poetry collection, To Be Human – Always, I have spent time thinking about book reviews, and reviews in general. Today, oftentimes book reviews are created to build buzz for a new book release. As a writer, I read between 20 and 30 books a year. Lately, I have noticed a significant increase in the books I’ve read that did not match the reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble creating a disconnect. Some of the comments from readers were off base leaving you wondering if they had even read the book.

Books are similar to art, each person interprets the experience differently. Also, just as we change, what we think and feel about books changes with our life experiences and time. Effective reviews offer a preview encouraging us to open the book at a store or library.

I believe the rush to obtain a flood of “likes” and to run up ranking on Amazon, NYT Best Seller lists can backfire. As an author, the last thing I want to do is create disconnect by seeking promo reviews from individuals that do not read the book or take the time to write a quality review.

So, for now, I have stopped seeking promo book reviews and will reconsider some time in the future. I wasn’t a fan of promo reviews and have rarely used them in marketing. In April, I informed my social media team, that I would no longer post new poems on weekly content to social media networks. The whole process felt fake by posting on a schedule as I dumped my art in a cyberspace black hole.

Similar to relationships or misplaced careers, I believe when you have to chase someone or sacrifice yourself, you are giving away too much of your spirit for their empty approval. Relationships and actions founded on false pretense do not last long. With each new poem about humanity, life, what it means to be human in our digitized world, I write for the love of writing instead of seeking to gain a follower or two knowing they most likely didn’t read the poem.

I think its important that we stop and step back, and appreciate art in its native format, and take the time to read share, and appreciate the efforts authors contribute, this also includes writing authentic reviews.

While am I writing and sharing this post? Because, I have decided, for now, to write, publish books I believe in publishing, and then will purchase ads to promote. I am thankful for the reviews I have on all my books, a few are given after I asked for the reader to share their thoughts. Otherwise, most are authentic which is exactly what I want.

To be human – is willing to be yourself, to create your art for the love of the art.

National Women’s History Month – Poem I Am Woman

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Musicians and songwriters influence my work and poetry. The melodies and lyrics form a creative foundation.

A couple of months ago, I wrote this poem after watching a show about Helen Ready and her famous song, I Am Women.

My mother played the album, and as a child, I remember hearing Helen sing – I Am Women. To celebrate National Women History month – here’s my poem, inspired by Helen Reddy, I Am Women.

Frozen – A Poem About the Texas Winter Storm Disaster by Tiffany Sunday

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Frozen 
Frozen to the bone 
Burn all that's around to survive
A freeze that shouldn't of shut us down 
Frozen darkness 
Hours on end 
Freezing cold 
Freezing cold
Tapping a person's soul 
Searching for strength 
Hours upon hours 
Digging for courage 
Freezing in the dark 
Electricity, water, food, everything of need evaporates 
Never knowning when relief will arrive 
Despair grows 
Deepens into memories of tomorrow 
Cold, brittle bones break into 
Pilling up, alongside the ill planning of others, 
who, 
beyond the shallow halls watch from afar 
While families toss childhood dreams into the flames 
to melt away the ice 
The loss is immeasurable  
The cost is astronomical 
Frozen

Frozen by Tiffany Sunday © Copyright 2021

All Rights Reserved.

From Concept to Market – What Dyslexics Entrepreneurs Really Need to Be Successful

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Today, with a greater awareness of the link between dyslexia and entrepreneurship, organizations are thinking of ways to help dyslexic founders develop their ideas into concepts and launch sustainable businesses.  

As a result of recent conversations, I am once again sharing my dyslexia startup wish list.

First – do not water down anything or hyper-focus on fixing our weaknesses.  Instead, share a list of apps or software, or strategies to mitigate and outsource. 

Over the years, the one thing that has pissed me off the most is the misguided perception of providing resource room accommodations instead of professional business advisement.

The best course of action is to ask neurodiverse entrepreneurs what they need to develop their ideas into viable products and services. 

Dyslexic Startup Wish List (starting point)

Access to qualified business professionals 

All startups need access to qualified business professionals and advisors such as IP attorneys, business attorneys, accountants, HR professionals (for hiring) to ask questions and discuss matters.

We need professional introductions to individuals we can trust to provide the following: nutshell required legal documents and strategic advisement for potential legal, financial, and tax business exposures, the nitty-gritty for filing patents and IP protection, and accounting matters that our dyslexic brain prefers to outsource. 

Understanding and Respecting Gut Decisions 

Dyslexic entrepreneurs need introductions to professional advisors who understand and respect us, our way of thinking, and how most of their decisions are made by a gut feel.

We’re 50 steps ahead and in our minds see the whole business, how the product will be built, target customers, marketing, everything. The entire concept is in our minds. When we make decisions, it’s based on our gut and a combination of all the actions we’ve taken to develop the idea and business. We back into concepts since we see the finished product. 

Fireside Chats with Fellow Dyslexic Entrepreneurs 

Create an incubator and group fireside chats for neurodiverse founders and entrepreneurs to share ideas, discuss lessons learned, and seek feedback. No business owner has enough time in the day to make all the mistakes while building a business.

By sharing with others, dyslexia / neurodiverse style, we can reduce the errors and accelerate the business. We need a space to share concepts as we are always thinking of ideas, solving problems, and anticipating the future.  

In 2015, I wrote Dyslexia’s Competitive Edge, which discussed the connection between dyslexia and entrepreneurship and shared strategies from fellow dyslexic business owners and professionals.   I also gave a TEDx Talk Dyslexia 2.0: The Gift of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Mind.

Birds on a Wire

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Birds on a Wire is a poem from Proper Grey Areas, my second poetry book. A previous relationship inspired the essence of this poem. During one of my morning runs, I noticed a group of birds sitting on a power line. The birds stared at each other and stared down at me as I pause to look at them.

I thought, so often in relationships, we can become distant from one another. We watch each other thinking the other person will reach out to make a connection to strengthen the relationship. Instead, inaction occurs, both parties become immobile.

A Trip to the Santa Fe Mountains

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A couple of days before New Year’s Eve, I made a last-minute decision to change our road trip to Santa Fe, NM.  My soul was craving downtime. As we drove along 1-40 and then north on 295, my mind relaxed as I watched the passing terrain. I needed physical and mental space to declutter my thoughts and reassess everything.

On our first night in Santa Fe, we order a to-go dinner from the Apothecary restaurant. My son ordered a buffalo burger with feta fries, and I had roasted tomato bisque with a salad. The food was fresh and delicious.

The next day, we ordered takeout breakfast from Cafe Pasqual’s of warm buttery pancakes, turkey bacon, and potatoes. Following breakfast, my son asked to drive to the Ski Santa Fe and explore the walking trails near the ski lodge.

As we walked along the trails near the Ski Santa Fe ski lodge, as the wind raced through the majestic trees, I paused to cherish the calmness of the moment. With each step, I examined my fears, some inherited, that have influenced my decisions.

With the disruption of normalcy, I made a choice to no longer allow these fears to silence my goals and dreams. I asked the mountain for strength to name these fears, and then the courage and determination to push past these fears to reach my writing goals. I sought the encouragement to fully express myself as a poet. With the release of Proper Grey Areas, it felt a release of creative energy.

Our trip was short, three days total. On our return, we slept in my son’s truck at a Love’s Travel Stop which my son thought was cool.

I think about our trip and creatively refreshed I feel since our return. I have tentatively penciled in another short road trip in March. Keeping my fingers crossed that we can revisit the mountains.