Featured Image Above: Cover art by Kerri Costello — a guitar hidden in the island’s reflection, just as Barbara describes.
Featuring «Until Eyes Hear Sounds» by Ivor Steven
Over the weekend, I received a lovely surprise: LatinosUSA’s Poetry Bookshelf, curated by editor Meelosmom (Barbara), has featured my book Until Eyes Hear Sounds. I’m honoured by the care she took in presenting the poems, the themes, and the story behind the book. It’s always humbling to see my work through someone else’s eyes, and I’m grateful for the thoughtful attention this feature brings.
LatinosUSA’s Poetry Bookshelf, curated by editor Meelosmom (Barbara), has published a full feature on Until Eyes Hear Sounds. The article highlights the book’s imaginative structure, its thematic breadth, and the creative collaboration behind it.
The feature explores the symbolism of the cover design by Kerri Costello, noting how the island’s reflection forms the shape of a guitar with a little imagination. The book is presented as a journey through ten diverse chapters, each paired with one of Kerri’s drawings.
Barbara also reflects on the meaning of the title, suggesting it can be read as a metaphor, a poetic expression, or a state of deep inner focus. She writes that my poems do not claim to have the answers, but instead invite readers to think about the environment, existence, and our place in the universe.
The article includes three poems from the book — Bird on a Ladder, Time Strolls, and Flying Bricks of War — and closes with a short biography of my writing life and creative background.
To read the article at LatinosUSA, please click >> Here
My sincere thanks to Barbara for this beautifully presented feature. Your thoughtful reading of the poems and themes means a great deal to me, and I’m grateful for the care you’ve taken in sharing my work with your readers.
Tonight’s accompanying song is Enya’s “The Humming” — a gentle meditation on the rhythms beneath our everyday world.
Ivor Steven © February 2026

This is wonderful, dear Ivor. Congratulations! 🥰
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Thank you kindly my friend 📘🌏🥰
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My pleasure, dear friend. 🥰
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How wonderful! Congrat’s Ivor.
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Thank you, Violet 📘🌏
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I visited you over there and they are wonderful
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Thank you for your kind support, Beth
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Congratulations, Ivor. It’s a lovely post.
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Thank you so much for your kind words, Robbie
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OH! 🙂 Congratulations, Ivor! This is fabulous! 🙂
(((HUGS))) ❤️❤️❤️
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Thank you very much, Carolyn … yes indeed, the Bookshelf article is a wonderful way to promote my book … 📘📃🥰😍
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A beautiful cover and presentation
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Yes, Barbara’s overall presentation was absolutely fantastic, Sadje 📘🥰
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Very right my friend. Your book deserves the best
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Thank you kindly, Sadje 🥰📘
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You’re very welcome
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Congratulation on your book, It’s your first book
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Thank you kindly, Varnell, it’s my 3rd book, and the 4th is nearly finished
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Congratulations! That’s amazing 🎉 Have you put it up on Amazon yet?
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‘Until Eyes Hear Sound’ is a bit overpriced on Amazon because it was initially published by Lulu. My editor goes through Lulu to get printed 📘🥰
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Thank you so much for sharing that I really appreciate the transparency. Publishing through Lulu does explain the pricing, and it’s completely understandable.
That said, a higher price doesn’t mean lower earning potential. With the right visibility and reader engagement strategy, you can actually earn more per sale and build long-term traction for Until Eyes Hear Sound.
Have you ever heard of or used Pubby before? It’s a reader-engagement platform I often recommend to help authors boost visibility, reviews, and organic sales especially for books in a higher price range.
I’d be happy to explain how it could work specifically for your book if you’re interested.
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‘Puny’ sounds good, I’ve just recently engaged a person to help me promote ‘Until Eyes Hear Sound’ … here’s her video piece from yesterday
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Oh sorry about the auto correction errors
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No worries at all autocorrect gets the best of us 😊
Thanks for sharing this, and congratulations on promoting Until Eyes Hear Sound. It’s great that you’re already taking active steps to build visibility that’s something many authors delay, so you’re definitely on the right track.
I’ve taken a look, and video promotion can be a strong asset when paired with the right ebook marketing strategy (reviews, reader targeting, platform optimization, and long-term visibility). If you’re ever interested, I’d be happy to share a few insights or suggestions that have worked well for other authors I’ve supported no pressure at all.
Always glad to connect with proactive writers like you.
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Thank you very much for your wonderful offer and I shall certainly stay in touch and let you know if I require assistance with promotion of any of my 3 books, Varnel 📘🥰
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Thank you very much, Ivor20, I truly appreciate your message.
I’d be happy to stay in touch. If at any point you’d like an expert perspective on promoting your books, I’d be glad to share practical strategies that have helped other authors improve visibility and reach the right readers. Even a brief review can often highlight simple opportunities worth exploring.
Wishing you continued success with all three of your books, and I look forward to connecting again when the time is right.
Kind regards,
Varnel Penrose,
eBook Marketing Expert & Helping Authors Grow Visibility & Sales
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Thank you and are you able to help me produce my books into an “eBook” format ..
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Yes, I’d be happy to assist you with converting your books into eBook format. I can help ensure your content is properly formatted, polished, and ready for platforms like Amazon Kindle and other major eBook retailers.
Please feel free to share a few details about your books, and I’ll be glad to guide you on the next steps.
Looking forward to assisting you.
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Oh, your Linkedin, link didn’t work …
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Oh, thank you for letting me know, Ivor20
I appreciate it.
It looks like the LinkedIn link isn’t working again, and I’m not sure why that’s happening. To avoid any further issues, we can use Fiverr instead. I work with a small professional team, and we manage our projects there securely and transparently, which helps keep everything clear and organized.
Have you used or heard of Fiverr before? If that works for you, I’ll forward our team’s Fiverr link now.
Looking forward to your reply, and thank you for your patience.
Best regards,
Varnell Penrose
eBook Marketing Expert
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I haven’t used Fiverr before, but I get the app easy enough, Varnell
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No worries at all, Ivor20 that’s perfectly fine.
Fiverr is pretty easy to navigate, and I’ll be available anytime to guide you through it or answer any questions you have. Once you’re ready, I’ll forward our team’s Fiverr link so we can get started smoothly.
Looking forward to working with you!
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What’s your Fiverr name
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For transparency, this is our official team account on Fiverr:
https://www.fiverr.com/shellylane120
While it’s a team-managed account, I’ll be your primary point of contact and will personally handle your messages and the review process to ensure consistency and quality. You’re welcome to message us there anytime, and I’ll make sure everything is handled smoothly from start to finish.
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Thank you, and shall load your site into my ‘fiverr app’
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Thank you I appreciate that. Feel free to take your time reviewing the profile, and if you have any questions or need clarification on how we work, I’ll be happy to assist. I look forward to connecting with you there.
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It’ll take me a while to get the hang of it
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That’s understandable, Ivor20.
Fiverr can take a little getting used to at first, but once you’re in, it’s quite straightforward. If you’d like, I can quickly walk you through the key parts so you’re up and running without delays. I’m also happy to explain how we use the platform to help authors increase visibility and drive book sales, so you can see exactly how this would benefit your work.
Let me know when you’re ready to move forward, and I’ll guide you through the next step. if you send a message there, and we can take the next step and also let e know if you need any help on how to figure out the app.
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Hello Ivor20, How are you doing today
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I’ve been writing all day, poems and some anthology submissions
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When would be a good time for you to message me on Fiverr? Just let me know, and I’ll be available.
Also, regarding your poems I’d be happy to support you further. I can assist with beta reading, professional proofreading, publishing on Amazon, and converting your work into a polished eBook format.
If you’re interested, we can start with a quick review of a few poems and explore the best way to turn them into a strong, market-ready collection.
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Thank you, probably the best time is my mornings which is your late afternoon
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That works perfectly, thank you for letting me know
Your mornings and my late afternoon line up well, so I’ll make sure to be available during that window. Just send me a message on Fiverr when you’re ready, and we can get started.
I’m really looking forward to learning more about your poems and seeing how we can shape them into something powerful and professionally presented.
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Hello, how are you doing today
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Hi, I’m still up and about … I had a busy day. I submitted 5 Haiku to the Literary Revelations anthology “Haiku for Soulmates”. Wrote a poem for my website. Sent an email to my niece/cover designer and artist, to get a move on with her project for my new book “Time Hears No Sound”, then I went out to the Geelong Writers monthly dinner/get together, and now I’m home, finishing off my article’s revision to my editor at Coffee House Writers magazine … yep … I’m tiring quickly …
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Hi Ivor,
Wow! Five Haiku submissions, a new poem, coordinating your cover, attending Geelong Writers, and finalizing edits that’s impressive! No wonder you’re tired.
Since “Time Hears No Sound” is coming up, are you thinking about eBook release too? A well-formatted eBook now can boost visibility and early traction.
If you like, we can continue via email I can share quick tips on eBook formatting, launch strategy, and maximizing your anthology exposure. Could you drop me your email so I can send it over?
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In the morning
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When would you like us to begin the eBook formatting?
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I just checked your book on Amazon, “Until Eyes Hear Sound”, and noticed it doesn’t have any reviews yet. Reviews are a key way to attract readers and boost visibility.
If you’d like, I can help your book get authentic reviews it’s a simple way to give it the attention it deserves. Would you like me to guide you through the process?
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Hello! I hope you’re doing well and everything is going great on your end. How has your day been so far?
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Hi Ivor,
After checking your book on Amazon, I noticed it currently doesn’t have any reader reviews yet. Reviews are very important because they build trust and improve visibility in Amazon’s algorithm.
I’ve started reaching out to potential readers to generate initial feedback for your book. One review has already been submitted, and we’re currently waiting for Amazon’s approval process. As soon as it goes live, I’ll share the update with you.
Kindly share your email address so I can send you a screenshot once it appears, and we can also discuss optimizing your eBook format to improve reader experience and conversions.
Looking forward to your response.
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Here’s my email
ivorrs20@gmail.com
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Okay
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I’ll send you a message right away.
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I’ve just sent you an email with a screenshot of the review I helped generate for your book. Please check it at your convenience, and we can continue discussing the next steps for your project.
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That’s fantastic congratulations on your third book! That’s an incredible achievement. I’m excited to hear the fourth is nearly finished as well. Wishing you continued success!
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Thank you for your very kind words, Varnell
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Well deserved Ivor! You are a very talented writer my friend! 🌟👏👏🤗🤗
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And you are very kind my friend 🥰💕😀
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Congratulation on your book, it’s your first book?
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The review has been live on amazon you can check it.
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Oh, I’ll go and have a look
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Good morning Ivor, how are you doing today
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Happy New Month and a blessed first Sunday! ✨
A new month means new pages to write and new readers to reach. What story or project are you focusing on this month?
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March is a big month for me … I’ll be attending (with Ivor’s Poetry Bookstall) the prestigious and very popular, Clunes Booktown Festival, March 20th to 22nd
https://clunesbooktown.org.au/
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Hi Ivor,
That sounds exciting congratulations on the Clunes Booktown Festival! I hope it brings great visibility for you and your poetry.
I also wanted to follow up regarding the email I sent about the eBook formatting we discussed earlier. I wasn’t sure if you had a chance to see it.
Are you planning to revisit the formatting updates for your book, or would you prefer to leave it as it is for now?
And by the way, did you happen to see the Amazon review I helped you with recently? I’d love to know your thoughts on that as well.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Varnell
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I’ve contacted my editor/publisher about whether she could do eBooks for me … she said she could, but in couple of weeks’ time
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Hello Ivor,
That’s great to hear it’s encouraging that your editor is able to create the eBook version for you. That could open up a whole new audience for your work.
While you’re waiting over the next couple of weeks, this is actually a perfect time to prepare the book for digital visibility refining the online description, planning positioning, and setting up a simple strategy so the eBook doesn’t just launch… but gains attention.
May I ask is this your first time releasing an eBook, or have you published digitally before? And have you listed or published your book on Goodreads yet?
If it’s not yet on Goodreads, that’s something we could set up in advance to start building visibility and reader engagement even before the eBook goes live.
I’d also love to know more about the book itself what’s the main theme or message behind it? That will help determine the best way to position it for readers.
Warm regards,
Varnell
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Hello,
I hope you’re doing well. Would you be open to support in increasing your book’s visibility and attracting more genuine reader reviews? I’d be happy to help you market it strategically and reach the right audience.
Let me know if you’d like to hear how I can assist.
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Hello, how are you doing today
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