MSI Press Blog

image from DML Editing & Writing check out their latest post on " How to Write Good Poetry " In observance of poetry month, MSI Press would like to share with its readers and fans two books worth reading: One will bring a comforting smile to an unbidden tear. The other will bring an outright laugh page after page. Time spent with comforting and/or happy thoughts is time well spent indeed. Marti Wells-Smith's Lamentations of the Heart Mingled with Peace and Joy combines prose and poetry in a comforting missive for bereaved parents. Through its pages, one finds not only the resilience of the author but sources for anyone to develop needed resilience in the face of devastating life circumstances. When it came out, it quickly became one of Amazon's "hot, new releases." Lamentations of the Heart soulfully combines contemporary free verse poetry and nonfictional prose to tell the story of one mother's grief following the death of her only child. The autho...

  Excerpt from Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters (Mogren) APPROVAL NOT REQUIRED   Seems Grandma’s clothes were getting rather tight. When Grandpa said she ought to lose some weight, It very nearly caused a nasty fight For she got pleasure from the foods she ate.   She baked and ate delicious cakes and pies, Drank wine and cappuccino every day, Loved pizza, burgers, onion rings, and fries And one day threw her bathroom scale away.   Time was she’d fret about what others thought. She exercised and always was aware Of fats and carbs in all the foods she bought. But now she says, “I really don’t much care.   “I’m happy with myself the way I am. If folks don’t like it, I don’t give a damn.” Ken's book can be purchased at retail stores, online booksellers, and for 25% discount, with coupon code FF25, at the MSI Press webstore . For more posts by and about Ken Mogren and his book, click HERE . For more MSI Press h...

Ken Mogren, the sonnet guy, relates that readers of Spunky Grandmas ... and Other Amusing Characters enjoy reading his sonnets out loud. Why? Well, read the full post HERE . For more posts by and about Ken and his book, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com. 

  Ken Mogren, the Sonnet Guy , was featured in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on the 6-month anniversary of the publication of his book, Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters .  Read more about Ken and his delightful book HERE .                                          Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

Ken Mogren is sharing excerpts from Spunky Grandmas….And Other Amusing Characters on the maiden voyage of the American Symphony river boat while docked in Winona, MN. Read more posts about Ken and his book HERE .                                         Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

From reviewer Helen Dumont at Midwest Book Review:  Critique: With a very special appeal to readers who enjoy limericks and humorous verse. "Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters" is a lighthearted joy to read from first page to last. Written and illustrated with wit and comedic insight into human foibles, fables, and fun, "Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Poetry & Humor collections. To read the rest of the review, click HERE . To read more posts about Ken and his book, including excerpts, click HRE .                                    Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

  Today, Ken Mogren shares a post from his blog, in which he talks about being a cruise ship entertainer (becoming such as a result of the publication of his book, Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters ). Read the post HERE . For more posts about Ken and his book, click HERE .                                    Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

  Recently, Ken Mogren, author of Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters , held a book signing at Paperbacks and Pieces bookstore in Winona, MN. For more posts about Ken and his book, click HERE .                                         Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

  Just out, this week! If you have been waiting for the e-book version to read Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters by Ken Mogren , illustrated by Joella Goyette, your wait it over! For more books on Ken and his book, click HERE                                       Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

Ken Mogren visits cruise ships in dock to read sonnets from his book, Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters , to them. In the picture above, he is about to go aboard American Melody river cruise ship to entertain passengers with excerpts from his book while boat was docked in Winona, MN on 6/28/22. For more posts about Ken and his book, click HERE .                                     Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

  Ken Mogren, author of Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters , was recently featured in the Winona Post. Read the article HERE . Read more about Ken, his book, and the book's illustrator HERE .                                         Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  What Is a Sonnet? The simplest answer is a 14 line poem. It can be about any topic. But if it doesn’t have exactly 14 lines, it isn’t a sonnet. Traditionally, sonnets have followed other “rules” besides the 14 line rule. Traditional sonnets must have some type of rhyme pattern. I write mine in the Shakespearian Sonnet form. That means the first line rhymes with the third, the second with the fourth, the fifth with the seventh, the sixth with the eighth, the ninth with the eleventh, the tenth with the twelfth, and the thirteenth with the fourteenth. Some sonneteers might use different rhyme patterns, but a rhyme scheme of some type is one of the defining characteristics of a traditional sonnet. Another characteristic is some type of rhythmic structure, commonly called meter (or metre if you’re British). That means arranging the words so there is a rhythmic alternation of emphasis on the syllables within those words. In the Shakespearian form the meter is called iambic and puts the...

  Joella Goyette is the very creative illustrator of Ken Mogren's  Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters For more posts on Joella, click HERE . For more posts on Ken Mogren, click HERE . For more posts about Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters, click HERE . For other humor books by MSI Press, click HERE .

  Ken Mogren has been a nearly lifelong resident of Winona, MN, in the beautiful Mississippi River Valley. At Winona State University, he majored in Psychology and English and credits an understanding of human nature and good communication skills for success in a 43-year insurance industry career.  At about age 60, he rekindled a dormant interest in creative writing and began entering humorous sonnets in contests, enjoying a bit of success. In retirement, he has picked up the pace, resulting in a collection of nearly 200 sonnets, with over 100 of these in his first book, SPUNKY GRANDMAS …. And Other Amusing Characters .  Ken and his wife, Sally, enjoy traveling and spending time with their three sons and their families. He also serves as a volunteer on the non-profit boards of a hospital, university and theatre company. Ken’s other interests include running, cycling, and cross-country skiing. He regularly competes in those sports and has won three national age group champ...

  Spunky Grandmas and Other AmusingCharacters is a collection of over 100 entertaining, fictional mini stories about comical human behavior. Written in sonnet form, each of 22 chapters starts with a cartoonish illustration by Joella Goyette that introduces the theme of the stories that follow. Humorist, Ken Mogren, features grandmothers who are anything but stereotypical, as well as other folks whose behavior is best described as unconventional. For more posts on Ken Mogren, click  HERE . For more posts on Joella Goyette, click  HERE . For more posts about Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters, click  HERE . For other humor books by MSI Press, click  HERE .

  Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters , written by Ken Mogren and illustrated by Joella Goyette, is now available for pre-order at the 50% discounted sale price of $10.  Pre-order sale is available only at the MSI Press webstore. Sale will continue through release date of the book: April 30, 2022. Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters is a collection of over 100 entertaining, fictional mini stories about comical human behavior. Written in sonnet form, each of 22 chapters starts with a cartoonish illustration by Joella Goyette that introduces the theme of the stories that follow. Humorist, Ken Mogren, features grandmothers who are anything but stereotypical, as well as other folks whose behavior is best described as unconventional.