by Cheryl Batavia

Earthly Days/Selma Martin Interviews Cheryl Batavia

Photo of Cheryl Batavia by Katey Batavia

Today I want to entertain you with an interview I conducted with our sweet friend, Cheryl Batavia. Cheryl needs no introduction. We all know and love her. But for the few who still haven’t heard of Cheryl, let me introduce you.

The Interview:

What is your intended audience for Earthly Days?

The poems in Earthly Days are written about the experiences of daily life. Many of the poems are autobiographical, but readers will find much that is familiar and relatable to their own lives. Earthly Days also includes personal perspectives about life and poems about environmental issues that I hope readers will find thought-provoking. In short, Earthly Days is written for a general audience.

What do you hope your readers will take away from this book?

I want readers to enjoy reliving their cherished memories and be inspired to reflect on their lives, relationships, and the environment. I hope that they will have a renewed sense of optimism and be open to new ideas and experiences. Most of all, I want readers to have a good time reading and come away with smiles that linger long after they have finished reading Earthly Days.

What was your motivation for writing Earthly Days?

I have been fortunate to have a fulfilling life with an ample measure of opportunities and challenges. My books are my legacy. As I reflect on the experiences of my life, I search for meaning. Whatever meaning I find, I share in my poems.

Earthly Days is organized by themes into five chapters: Perspectives, Love, Family, Nostalgia, and Mother Nature. What background information would you like to provide about these chapters?

“Perspectives” includes personal philosophy, observations, opinions, and ideas. “Love” is made up of poems dedicated to my soul mate, Robert, but also a couple of poems about men from my earlier life. “Family” and “Nostalgia” are mostly autobiographical stories. Some are poignant, and some may make you laugh. Although “Mother Nature” has her dedicated chapter, she finds her way into poems throughout Earthly Days!

https://a.co/51DGEok

What is the message in the title, Earthly Days?

Life on Earth is finite. Our Earthly days are the time we have to enjoy, to learn, to love and be loved, and to accomplish our life’s work. Whatever our beliefs concerning an afterlife, we should make the most of our days on Earth!

Tell us about your writing style and routine when writing.

Earthly Days includes poems about critical environmental issues. Some poems deal with profound ideas about the meaning of life or our relationships with others. Nostalgic poems may tell lighthearted stories and share humorous memories. All of the poems are written in a simple, often conversational style.

Whatever the subject, however serious the issue, the tone of Earthly Days is positive, and the poems end on a hopeful note. It is okay to feel sadness or become discouraged, but ultimately, we must find peace and seek solutions!

I am not a very prolific writer. I write when I have something to say. When I try to write poems on demand, I am not usually happy with the results. I write what comes to me in a dream, won’t let me go to sleep, or is on my mind when I wake. Sometimes I write about current events or old memories that suddenly come to mind.

First drafts are written in my favorite black pencils topped with erasers. The drafts are set aside for a few hours or overnight, then edited, revised, and typed on my computer. Finally, I select photos and add them to poems. You will find many beautiful color photos in Earthly Days.

Dear Cheryl, Thanks so much for sharing this lovely look into the human behind the pencil. And I hope that our readers are enticed just enough to head over to Amazon to purchase your much-awaited book of poetry. What a lovely gift to oneself this good book is!

An Update on Earthly Days by Cheryl Batavia

Dear Readers, I guarantee that you’ll love it as much as I do and will want to purchase it for those people you already know will love Earthly Days as well. I promise you–this poetry collection of nostalgia is an invitation to consciously recall your own treasures. The poems will awaken you to the beautiful world we journey together.

Earthly Days, poems by Cheryl Batavia, is ultimately a love letter to life, a testament written with the youthful exuberance of a life lived in gratitude. I concur that nothing is as beautiful as arriving at retirement and looking back at life with such a grateful heart.

“May your days on Earth be blissful.”~Cheryl Batavia

Earthly Days is dedicated to Robert Snyder. Photo by Cheryl Batavia.

Cheryl Batavia lives on the Gulf coast of Florida with her soulmate, Robert Snyder. A retired teacher, she is the mother of three adult children. Leisure activities include following the news and discussing current events with Robert, watching movies, and playing Scrabble…Robert usually wins!

Cheryl likes going to the beach and taking road trips with her daughters. One of Robert and Cheryl’s favorite pastimes is watching the wildlife that surrounds their home: bobcats, squirrels, armadillos, tortoises, raccoons, dragonflies, butterflies, cardinals, mockingbirds, woodpeckers, hawks, and many other wonderful animals.

41 Comments

    2. Unknown's avatar

      Hey, JM Negi. Thanks for reading and enjoying the candid interview. Readers and buyers of books want to know the authors. This is a perfect way to get to know our beloved Cheryl. On behalf of Cheryl, I appreciate your support. Blessings.

      Liked by 1 person

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    2. Unknown's avatar

      Sheereen. Greetings. And thanks for reading and for your lovely support of our friend and her new book. Good books like this one shouldn’t be missed. Thanks for being here. I bless you. xoxo

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    2. Unknown's avatar

      Thanks so very much, dear da-AL. It’s a blessing to have you read this. We all want to know our Authors. Glad you found this of value, my friend. Good books thrive best on word of mouth. Thanks for your support. I bless you.

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    2. Unknown's avatar

      It’s my utmost pleasure to do this for Cheryl. It wasn’t the right way to go about it, but now that I’m standing on my own two legs at selmamartin, I will try to do better. Thanks for reading, dear Ingrid. Blessings.

      Liked by 1 person

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  7. Unknown's avatar

    What a lovely interview, Cheryl! You have opened up yourself. Selma has done well despite technology issues. Both of you deserve praise for coming out with this insightful interview that gives a clear idea and generates interest about your book for the potential readers. Congratulations, Cheryl and Selma👏💖🙏

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Unknown's avatar

      Hello Adelheid. Cheryl was an easy subject to interview. She is all heart. I knew that would stand out in the interview. Thanks for seeing the value in the interview and for sharing your lovely thoughts on this collaborative effort. Again, thanks. I bless you, Adelheid.

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  9. Unknown's avatar

    My sweet friend, Cheryl. Thanks sound better than an apology here, so my sweet, thanks for posting your own interview here in my stead. In between this and that I’ve managed to schedule a blog post that should pingback here. Here’s that scheduled link for later this evening: https://selmamartin.com/challenges-are-gifts-that-force-us-they-say-i-was-forced-please-help-lend-support-to-earthly-days/
    And may it go spectacularly for Earthly Days at the Miami Book Fair… I have great hopes on this. Blessings. Merry November–may you sell many books. I bless you. xo

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Unknown's avatar

    A happy, inspiring and attractive interview. The book is an encouragement. Will uplift one to brightness and beauty of being a human. Fabulous interview. Loved the questions and answers. All the best to both of you! 😀 Love and Hugs

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Thank you, Kritika, for your very lovely response! So glad you enjoyed the interview. I deeply appreciate your generous support and well-wishes. ❤ Selma has been amazing despite the technical issues she was experiencing. ❤

      Best wishes, love and hugs to you! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  12. Unknown's avatar

    Selma did a great job whilst juggling such tech challenges 🙂

    Sounds like your publications are all subjects of personal reflection Cheryl! So we can all learn and grow from them 🙂

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