Advertisement · 728 × 90

Posts by Kitt McClain

Book cover of Becoming Liz by Kitt McClain featuring a close-up portrait of a Black woman with natural curly hair and a composed expression. The background includes handwritten script and a torn paper effect revealing a muted city bridge below, suggesting contrast between control and something breaking beneath the surface.

Book cover of Becoming Liz by Kitt McClain featuring a close-up portrait of a Black woman with natural curly hair and a composed expression. The background includes handwritten script and a torn paper effect revealing a muted city bridge below, suggesting contrast between control and something breaking beneath the surface.

This is my cover for Becoming Liz (May 10).
She's composed , controlled and certain.
Until she isn't.

3 weeks ago 0 0 0 0
This poem explores silence as a form of power rather than weakness—how restraint can be deliberate, strategic, and ultimately more dangerous than noise. What They Don’t Understand About Silence Silence is not absence. It is pressure. It is the second before glass decides. They think quiet means permission, that stillness is surrender. They mistake restraint for fear. I learned silence the way others learn weapons. How to carry it. How to aim it. How to wait. When I speak now, it’s not impulse. It’s aftermath. The silence has already done its work.

This poem explores silence as a form of power rather than weakness—how restraint can be deliberate, strategic, and ultimately more dangerous than noise. What They Don’t Understand About Silence Silence is not absence. It is pressure. It is the second before glass decides. They think quiet means permission, that stillness is surrender. They mistake restraint for fear. I learned silence the way others learn weapons. How to carry it. How to aim it. How to wait. When I speak now, it’s not impulse. It’s aftermath. The silence has already done its work.

This poem is about softness that survives damage—tenderness that refuses to be erased and becomes a quiet source of strength rather than a flaw. A Soft Thing That Refuses to Die There is a tenderness in me that survived every attempt to cauterize it. Not optimism. Not innocence. Something quieter. More stubborn. It learned how to bend without rehearsing collapse, how to keep warmth when nothing returned it. They told me softness was a weakness. They were wrong. It’s why I’m still standing. It’s why I’m still a problem.

This poem is about softness that survives damage—tenderness that refuses to be erased and becomes a quiet source of strength rather than a flaw. A Soft Thing That Refuses to Die There is a tenderness in me that survived every attempt to cauterize it. Not optimism. Not innocence. Something quieter. More stubborn. It learned how to bend without rehearsing collapse, how to keep warmth when nothing returned it. They told me softness was a weakness. They were wrong. It’s why I’m still standing. It’s why I’m still a problem.

This poem reflects on the unspoken tension in shared spaces—the way truth changes a room even when no one names it. The Weather Inside the Room The room remembers what we agree not to name. The way voices recalibrate when truth enters. The way laughter turns defensive. There’s weather behind the walls— not thunder, something lower, patient. You feel it in your teeth when a lie has been repeated long enough to settle. No one mentions it. Everyone adjusts their breathing. That’s how you know it’s real.

This poem reflects on the unspoken tension in shared spaces—the way truth changes a room even when no one names it. The Weather Inside the Room The room remembers what we agree not to name. The way voices recalibrate when truth enters. The way laughter turns defensive. There’s weather behind the walls— not thunder, something lower, patient. You feel it in your teeth when a lie has been repeated long enough to settle. No one mentions it. Everyone adjusts their breathing. That’s how you know it’s real.

This poem is about persistence—continuing to write and bear witness despite pressure, fear, or expectations to be quieter or easier. I Am Still Writing I am still writing despite the noise, despite the threats that never quite arrive, despite the advice to be easier. I write because stopping would feel like consent. Because history doesn’t need more quiet. It needs witnesses who don’t vanish politely. This isn’t performance. It’s continuity. I’m still here. And apparently, that’s enough to matter

This poem is about persistence—continuing to write and bear witness despite pressure, fear, or expectations to be quieter or easier. I Am Still Writing I am still writing despite the noise, despite the threats that never quite arrive, despite the advice to be easier. I write because stopping would feel like consent. Because history doesn’t need more quiet. It needs witnesses who don’t vanish politely. This isn’t performance. It’s continuity. I’m still here. And apparently, that’s enough to matter

Some days the poems arrive before the explanation.
I trust that more than I trust certainty.

If anything here meets you where you are,
then it did its job.

Remember to resist. 💙💙💙
New poems below.
#poetry #blueskypoets #writingcommunity #poems

2 months ago 38 6 5 0
This poem reflects on wisdom as something quiet and enduring—often overlooked, not lost, and still available to those willing to slow down and listen. The Thing Worth Keeping There are truths that don’t shout. They sit in the back of the room, waiting to see who stays. Not everything ancient is broken. Some things were built slowly because they were meant to last. We didn’t lose wisdom overnight. We misplaced it, one hurry at a time. If you’re still listening, if something in you still pauses— that’s where it lives.

This poem reflects on wisdom as something quiet and enduring—often overlooked, not lost, and still available to those willing to slow down and listen. The Thing Worth Keeping There are truths that don’t shout. They sit in the back of the room, waiting to see who stays. Not everything ancient is broken. Some things were built slowly because they were meant to last. We didn’t lose wisdom overnight. We misplaced it, one hurry at a time. If you’re still listening, if something in you still pauses— that’s where it lives.

This poem explores resistance as a daily, lived practice—not spectacle, but integrity, clarity, and refusal to become what harms us. How Resistance Actually Looks Resistance isn’t always marching. Sometimes it’s refusing to become cruel just because cruelty is fashionable. It’s saying no without raising your voice. It’s telling the truth when a lie would make life easier. They expect anger or silence. They don’t know what to do with steady hands and clear eyes. That’s why it works.

This poem explores resistance as a daily, lived practice—not spectacle, but integrity, clarity, and refusal to become what harms us. How Resistance Actually Looks Resistance isn’t always marching. Sometimes it’s refusing to become cruel just because cruelty is fashionable. It’s saying no without raising your voice. It’s telling the truth when a lie would make life easier. They expect anger or silence. They don’t know what to do with steady hands and clear eyes. That’s why it works.

This poem is about what remains after the noise fades—the small, stubborn continuance of breath, feeling, and presence. The Quiet After the Noise When the world finally shuts up for a second, I notice what’s still here. A pulse. A thought that didn’t rot. A softness that somehow survived being stepped on. I don’t need hope to be loud. I just need it to keep breathing. That’s enough for now.

This poem is about what remains after the noise fades—the small, stubborn continuance of breath, feeling, and presence. The Quiet After the Noise When the world finally shuts up for a second, I notice what’s still here. A pulse. A thought that didn’t rot. A softness that somehow survived being stepped on. I don’t need hope to be loud. I just need it to keep breathing. That’s enough for now.

This poem speaks to writing as an act of witness—paying attention, refusing erasure, and remaining present in difficult times. Still Here, Still Paying Attention I don’t write because I think it saves anything. I write because not paying attention feels like surrender. Because someone has to notice what’s being lost and what’s being lied about. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s witness. I’m still here. I’m still looking. I’m still resisting.

This poem speaks to writing as an act of witness—paying attention, refusing erasure, and remaining present in difficult times. Still Here, Still Paying Attention I don’t write because I think it saves anything. I write because not paying attention feels like surrender. Because someone has to notice what’s being lost and what’s being lied about. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s witness. I’m still here. I’m still looking. I’m still resisting.

A wise woman once said something that was probably wise.
We lost it somewhere in the darkness of modern hustle and bustle.

Let’s take wisdom back.
Always resisting, always listening.

Here are some poems. 💙💙💙
#poetry #blueskypoets #writingcommunity #poems

2 months ago 40 4 6 0
This poem reflects on pain that doesn’t become wisdom, and the honesty of admitting that survival alone doesn’t always produce growth. The Things That Didn’t Make Me Better Some pain doesn’t teach. It just hurts and leaves. Not every scar is a lesson. Some are just records of surviving badly. I don’t trust people who turn every wound into wisdom. Sometimes the bravest thing is admitting it never paid off.

This poem reflects on pain that doesn’t become wisdom, and the honesty of admitting that survival alone doesn’t always produce growth. The Things That Didn’t Make Me Better Some pain doesn’t teach. It just hurts and leaves. Not every scar is a lesson. Some are just records of surviving badly. I don’t trust people who turn every wound into wisdom. Sometimes the bravest thing is admitting it never paid off.

This poem is about choosing stillness over speed, and recognizing slowness as a form of discernment rather than defeat. A Small Defense of Stillness I don’t move fast anymore. I watched what speed did to people I loved. Stillness isn’t giving up. It’s choosing what not to chase. There are answers that only show up when you stop asking them loudly

This poem is about choosing stillness over speed, and recognizing slowness as a form of discernment rather than defeat. A Small Defense of Stillness I don’t move fast anymore. I watched what speed did to people I loved. Stillness isn’t giving up. It’s choosing what not to chase. There are answers that only show up when you stop asking them loudly

This poem explores control and restraint—how a voice can remain intact without becoming louder, and how knowing when to speak is its own strength. The Voice I Didn’t Lose They told me I’d soften. That time would sand me down into something easier. It didn’t. It taught me where to stand. My voice didn’t get quieter. It learned when to speak. That’s not silence. That’s control.

This poem explores control and restraint—how a voice can remain intact without becoming louder, and how knowing when to speak is its own strength. The Voice I Didn’t Lose They told me I’d soften. That time would sand me down into something easier. It didn’t. It taught me where to stand. My voice didn’t get quieter. It learned when to speak. That’s not silence. That’s control.

This poem is a quiet offering for people who are exhausted in ways rest doesn’t fix, affirming that endurance itself has value. For Whoever Needed This Today If you’re tired in a way sleep won’t fix, I see you. You don’t have to improve today. You don’t have to explain yourself. Just staying counts for more than you think.

This poem is a quiet offering for people who are exhausted in ways rest doesn’t fix, affirming that endurance itself has value. For Whoever Needed This Today If you’re tired in a way sleep won’t fix, I see you. You don’t have to improve today. You don’t have to explain yourself. Just staying counts for more than you think.

I think good poetry teaches us something true about ourselves — sometimes before we’re ready for it.
Can’t promise that today, but here are some new poems. 💙💙💙
#poetry #blueskypoets #writingcommunity #poems

1 month ago 33 7 5 0
A heartwarming children’s book illustration of a baby sea turtle on the sandy ocean floor. The turtle has big, soulful brown eyes and a soft smile. Sunlight beams pierce through the teal water, illuminating the golden sand and two vibrant red starfish. The scene is calm and whimsical, featuring a soft color palette of greens, blues, and warm yellows.

A heartwarming children’s book illustration of a baby sea turtle on the sandy ocean floor. The turtle has big, soulful brown eyes and a soft smile. Sunlight beams pierce through the teal water, illuminating the golden sand and two vibrant red starfish. The scene is calm and whimsical, featuring a soft color palette of greens, blues, and warm yellows.

🌊 Did you know the smallest turtles have the biggest dreams? Deep beneath the sun-drenched waves, little Barnaby is starting his very first day of ocean school.

📩 DM for Custom Children's Book illustrations!

#childrensbookillustrator #IllustratorLife #KidsBooks #Storybook

2 months ago 2 1 0 0
Preview
Verses till midnight: Cozy poetry book (Poetry by Any Pascual 4)

It’s release day! My new cozy poetry collection “Verses till midnight” is available now on paperback, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
I’d really appreciate if you could download and read it ASAP. Thank you! amzn.to/4jv8ywp

Sharing the link on your socials and reviewing on Amazon would be so helpful!

3 months ago 127 71 11 4
Preview
Bad Pennies: A Supernatural Horror Novel (The Scaeth Mythos Book 1) Amazon.com: Bad Pennies: A Supernatural Horror Novel (The Scaeth Mythos Book 1) eBook : Leonard, John F: Kindle Store

#Horror on #Audible & #KindleUnlimited
BAD PENNIES

#HorrorNovels #HorrorNovel #HorrorStory #HorrorStories #DarkFantasy #DarkFiction #HorrorFiction #CosmicHorror #FolkHorror #FantasyHorror #HorrorBook #HorrorBooks #Scary #Paranormal #SupernaturalHorror #Monsters #Occult
www.amazon.com/dp/B0762HPJ8Y

3 months ago 46 48 3 1
Post image

The cover story - Doggem: www.amazon.com/dp/B07L318QLJ
A photo of a toy dog that belongs to one of my kids. Obviously, blood splashes added digitally. The name was changed but the real Doggem is still a treasured member of the family : )
#FantasyHorror on #Audible & #KindleUnlimited

3 months ago 27 28 0 0
Advertisement

The e-book edition is finally available!
The launch price is €1.49 / $0.99.

Further information can be found here:
www.pressenet.info/rider-waite-...

#tarot #tarotcards #tarotsky #tarotreader #tarotreading #booksky

4 months ago 97 58 3 0
Post image

🕰 Murder, Mystery, History and Time Travel
2500 pages, a singular story, a million words.
Both playful and disturbing. Truly epic.
#mystery #history #timetravel #books #KindleUnlimited
The Tractus Fynn Mysteries
www.amazon.com/dp/B00EQEH1TY

1 year ago 715 401 39 319
Post image Post image Post image Post image

Rob Gotobed’s NEW comedy book is in the shops now!🤪🤓🥸🧐🤠
The Best Of Rob Gotobed contains all his funniest stories, stand-up routines and TV and radio sketches. Plus the all-new, never-before-seen episode of The Weird World Of Professor Burp!😊👍🤣
bit.ly/4hA0B7W

5 months ago 218 140 4 38
Love on the Vine Agent Guide

Love on the Vine Agent Guide

Pitch: Becca Hopewell has trouble letting people in. She blames the death of her mom during childbirth and her father’s subsequent abandonment of her to a cold aunt. When she’s left part owner of a winery with her newfound half-brother she must decide if she’s willing to risk being rejected again. Not only by him, but by Ian Baker, the demi-god portraying, disillusioned actor she rescues from rabid fans while manning the winery’s Christmas market booth. *85,000 Word Contemporary Romance *Tropes: Different Worlds, Strangers-to-Lovers, Found Family

Pitch: Becca Hopewell has trouble letting people in. She blames the death of her mom during childbirth and her father’s subsequent abandonment of her to a cold aunt. When she’s left part owner of a winery with her newfound half-brother she must decide if she’s willing to risk being rejected again. Not only by him, but by Ian Baker, the demi-god portraying, disillusioned actor she rescues from rabid fans while manning the winery’s Christmas market booth. *85,000 Word Contemporary Romance *Tropes: Different Worlds, Strangers-to-Lovers, Found Family

Comps: Romantic Comedy-Curtis Sittenfeld Under Your Spell-Laura Wood Waiting for Tom Hanks-Kerry Winfrey We All Live Here-Jojo Moyes Notting Hill

Comps: Romantic Comedy-Curtis Sittenfeld Under Your Spell-Laura Wood Waiting for Tom Hanks-Kerry Winfrey We All Live Here-Jojo Moyes Notting Hill

Quote: “You’re right. Better make it three. You’re too good a saleswoman. Even without the cheat sheet. Which begs the question: How does someone who professes not to know wine work for a winery?” “That’s a long, complicated story. Too long for a few sips of wine. Or coffee. Hell, I’m not even sure a three-course meal would suffice.” Becca froze. Eyes wide as her hands hovered over bottles. “That wasn’t me begging for an invitation or anything. Not that you thought such a silly thing. Or would ever think…” Becca snapped her lips shut. Avoided his twinkling eyes by assessing the progress of the three women. Now closer than she liked. With more make-up and hands that flattened flyaway strands. Their hungry look reminiscent of the wolf at grandma’s house. “And if I did?” “What?” The man followed Becca’s frantic glance. His head snapped forward. His body straightened and angled more towards Becca and away from the women’s eager glances. The openness, the calmness disappeared like wine at an awkward Christmas party.

Quote: “You’re right. Better make it three. You’re too good a saleswoman. Even without the cheat sheet. Which begs the question: How does someone who professes not to know wine work for a winery?” “That’s a long, complicated story. Too long for a few sips of wine. Or coffee. Hell, I’m not even sure a three-course meal would suffice.” Becca froze. Eyes wide as her hands hovered over bottles. “That wasn’t me begging for an invitation or anything. Not that you thought such a silly thing. Or would ever think…” Becca snapped her lips shut. Avoided his twinkling eyes by assessing the progress of the three women. Now closer than she liked. With more make-up and hands that flattened flyaway strands. Their hungry look reminiscent of the wolf at grandma’s house. “And if I did?” “What?” The man followed Becca’s frantic glance. His head snapped forward. His body straightened and angled more towards Becca and away from the women’s eager glances. The openness, the calmness disappeared like wine at an awkward Christmas party.

#amquerying my 85,000 word contemporary romance Love on the Vine. While working at the winery she recently inherited with her newfound half-brother, Becca rescues an actor hiding from an oversized role from rabid fans

🍷Dual POV
🍷Strangers-to-Lovers
🍷Found family

#writingcommunity #agentsguide

6 months ago 17 2 1 0

You had me at "Unhinged captor"

6 months ago 1 0 0 0

She thought success meant control. After a public breakup and a failed business dream, Elizabeth must face the fear she’s buried or lose the future she’s worked for. Letting go of control might be the only way to rebuild on her own terms.
#DVpit #A #WF #MH

6 months ago 2 0 2 0

Sisterhood is her anchor. Secrets are her undoing.
As the truth resurfaces, Elizabeth risks losing the only women who truly see her. To keep their trust and her own sanity, she must tell the story she’s silenced for years, even if it changes everything.
#DVpit #A #WF #MentalHealth

6 months ago 1 0 1 0

Sounds like a very interesting read.

6 months ago 1 0 0 0

She built a career on lists, plans, and perfection. But when heartbreak unearths old trauma, Elizabeth must choose: confront the memory she’s buried or spend the rest of her life performing the version of herself everyone expects.
#DVpit #A #WF #Upmarket #MentalHealth

6 months ago 1 0 1 0
Advertisement

“She doesn’t fall apart. At least not in public.”
When her fiancé leaves, a 33-year-old Black businesswoman’s pursuit of control unravels, exposing the fault lines between her curated life and suppressed trauma she's tried to escape. She must face her pain or alienate her family.
#DVpit #A #WF #MH

6 months ago 1 0 0 0

When a high-powered Black executive’s engagement ends in public humiliation, long-buried trauma resurfaces, forcing her to choose between the life she planned and the one that might finally heal her. #DVpit #A #WF

6 months ago 1 0 0 0
Video

❤️‍🔥𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝❤️‍🔥
Era Capoeira, Book 3

❣️ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓹𝓲𝓬 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓵𝓮 ❣️

In the #Capoeira arena, there are few who can best Willow.

A chance encounter in a bar makes Dominic want to see more of this little viper in action!

books2read.com/Outplayed-Sh...

🌴📚 💙📚 🌶️📚
#Romancelandia
#ReadingCommunity
#RomanceReaders

7 months ago 5 2 0 0
Preview
Review by tdotrenae - This Time Around Thank you to Netgalley and Black Odyssey Media for the e-ARC. This one is messyyyyy, but so go...

ANOTHER MESSY, BUT GOOD story! Imagine you hook up with a man almost 20 years ago, and then randomly get set up on a blind date with him by your love child like what??

#netgalley #blackbooksky #readinggirlies

app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/60ef...

6 months ago 2 2 0 0
Cartoon of a dog calmly sitting at a table while flames surround the room. The dog smiles and says “This is fine.” The image humorously represents Elizabeth Rutland in Chapter One of Becoming Liz—polished, poised, and completely in denial as her carefully planned life catches fire.

Cartoon of a dog calmly sitting at a table while flames surround the room. The dog smiles and says “This is fine.” The image humorously represents Elizabeth Rutland in Chapter One of Becoming Liz—polished, poised, and completely in denial as her carefully planned life catches fire.

Becoming Liz as a meme:

Liz in Chapter One: “I’ve got everything handled.”

Narrator: She did not, in fact, have everything handled.
🔥 #DVparty #day4 #BecomingLiz

6 months ago 16 0 2 0

"Let bad luck ruin someone else’s night. I’m busy."😍

6 months ago 3 0 0 0
Photo of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, glowing against a deep blue evening sky. The stainless-steel arch reflects city lights along the riverfront, symbolizing ambition, resilience, and reinvention—themes central to Becoming Liz.

Photo of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, glowing against a deep blue evening sky. The stainless-steel arch reflects city lights along the riverfront, symbolizing ambition, resilience, and reinvention—themes central to Becoming Liz.

"Elizabeth Rutland lived by two rules: plan carefully, execute precisely." #DVparty #firstline #day3

6 months ago 12 0 1 0

I love this aesthetic.

6 months ago 1 0 1 0

The moodboard alone makes me want to read this story.

6 months ago 1 0 1 0
Advertisement

This is gorgeous.

6 months ago 1 0 1 0

The worst kind, people.

6 months ago 1 0 1 0
A close-up portrait of a Black woman with natural curly hair framing her face. She has smooth brown skin, glossy lips, and expressive dark eyes enhanced with eyeliner and long lashes. Her expression is calm but slightly guarded, suggesting quiet strength and resilience.

A close-up portrait of a Black woman with natural curly hair framing her face. She has smooth brown skin, glossy lips, and expressive dark eyes enhanced with eyeliner and long lashes. Her expression is calm but slightly guarded, suggesting quiet strength and resilience.

Elizabeth Rutland looks like she has it all—power suit, planner, big dreams, and shoulder pads to match. What you don’t see: the nightmares she runs from, the secrets she buries, and the heart she’s not sure she can trust. #DVparty #WF #A #MH

6 months ago 18 1 2 0

Thanks for the feed back.

6 months ago 1 0 0 0