I would like to introduce you all to Kiana Donae! She is an Author, Poet, and Freelance Blogger. She has published an amazing collection of poetry books. “Her work has been featured in varied literary journals, magazines & anthologies. And commissioned for The View trilogy by Author Untamed.” (Source kianadonae.com) Recently, I received the opportunity to interview her! Check it out below!

Where are you from?

Southwest Michigan

Take us back a little. What inspired you to begin writing poetry?

Words! 

I’ve been a lover of words since grade school; exploring the dictionary with wonder and entering spelling bees in my class. Words always came easy to me, allowing me to express things that I was fearful of saying aloud. At first, poetry was just a fun way to play with words but as an adolescent, poetry and I grew parallel to one another. Poetry gave me a place to confide, sort my emotions, express my thoughts without judgment and pen my dreams. During those years, my true love for poetry emerged. 

Into adulthood, I’ve remained devoted to poetry and as I’ve matured & healed, my relationship with poetry has also been transformed. Once purely for the emotional release, these days poetry is a new exploration of life’s experiences to better understand myself and the world we live in. In poetry I have found a love that remains undefined, one that even the words dare not attempt to express the true meaning.

Out of all the books that you’ve published thus far, which one is your favorite and why?

Oh that’s easy, when the muse speaks, my latest release from 2020.  
To quote one of the Amazon reviews: “Everything has purpose. Every word has meaning. Every theme is a bridge to enlightenment.”

When I write, it is always with purpose, clarity, and meaning. Even if you can’t relate directly to my words, you will feel them in your soul.

Drop the names of your books and give us a little blurb about them.

love & ink: vol.1 – reason 
My first poetry collection is a journey of experiences inspired from my own life up to that point. Poetry is in part….the reason for my healing.

love & ink: vol.2 – reflections
The second collection and part of the love & ink series, this is a journey of growth, hope & emotion. Thought provoking pieces that will cause you to examine your reflection in its mirror of verses.

cultivating ink
This one is for the true poetry lovers. A collection of poems in which I cultivated my pen by experimenting with multiple styles, formats, topics, and more. Full of creative methods to write poetry yes…and still full of emotion and honesty.

when the muse speaks
Split into 4 sections called ‘voices’ the Muse seeks to be heard. She speaks to tell the stories for the unheard, unseen, and/or misunderstood. She speaks with boldness and clarity for the times we live in today.

When you’re in your writing zone, how does it make you feel?

Hmmm….this is a great question. One that I’ve never had to try and put into words so let me think a moment.

The first thing that rushed into my mind was the word: freedom. As a culture, we tend to classify freedom with politics and we often think of words like ‘escaping’ or ‘trapped’ so maybe freedom isn’t the correct word here. 

It’s more like an intoxicating pleasure that seizes my attention and causes time to standstill. When I’m “in the zone” I hate to be disturbed and often listen to music in my headphones to fully immerse myself in the moment. For me, it is simultaneously euphoric and gratifying. 

What has been your proudest moment since becoming an Author?

Having my books accepted into my hometown’s library system, as well as my current town’s library system. Both equally outstanding and joyous for me.

Where can we purchase your books? Share websites and social media platforms.

You can visit my website: www.kianadonae.comfor all of my links, socials, and my newsletter.
My books are all available on Amazon and Kindle. 

Thank you so much Kiana Donae!