Leap

by Heather Grace Stewart

Half the proceeds go to Unicef's Gift of Education project. "A lovely lilt of language slides between the horrendous and hilarious in these poems." -Penn Kemp, author of 25 collections, celebrated foremother of Canadian sound poetry. "Readers of Where the Butterflies Go will already be expecting accomplished, fresh and lively work from Heather Grace Stewart, but even they will be surprised by the strength of this new collection, this genuine Leap, so direct, political and feminine by turns that it can take your breath away. A must for new and already hooked fans." -Sally Evans, poet and Editor, Poetry Scotland. Heather Grace Stewart is an Ottawa-born author, poet, and photojournalist now living in Montreal. Please visit her websites: heathergracestewart.com, and hgrace.com

Genres: Poetry

56 pages, Paperback

Published September 29, 2014

About the author

Picture this: an eight-year-old freckle-faced blonde girl, perched in a rickety treehouse, surrounded by a fortress of Archie comics and armed with a bag of Jujubes. That's where the writing bug bit me, and let me tell you, it's been a wild ride ever since. Fast forward to my drama class days, where I ran lines with no other than a young Matthew Perry—yes, Chandler Bing himself. Could I BE any luckier?

But wait, there's more! I even auditioned for a musical alongside Alanis Morissette, the powerhouse behind "You Oughta Know." Spoiler alert: She got the gig. Apparently, the universe decided my destiny was more "pen to paper" than "jazz hands on stage."

Now, I could bore you with the usual author bio stuff—you know, degrees (Queen's University and Concordia for Journalism), accomplishments (22 books published, over 360K readers worldwide, and the prestigious "I Survived Cruel 1-Star Reviews" award), and how I've managed to raise a kind kid who likes me (most days) and live with another human for 26 years without turning us into characters in 911: Montreal.

But let's be real. What matters most here is what I can offer you. That’s simple: I'm here to be your literary escape hatch from the daily grind. When Netflix has betrayed you with its "Are you still watching?" judgment, and your phone is just one scroll away from being practically grafted to your fingers, that's where my books come in.

My mission is to make you laugh so hard you snort your coffee, cry just enough to release that pent-up emotion from your awkward ex-partner encounter at the corner store, and love the story so much you can't help but text your bestie at 2 AM saying, "OMG, you have to read this!"

So, whether you're into my romcoms, time-travel romances, screenplays, or poetry that's "for people who don’t think they like poetry" (their words, not mine), welcome to my world of words.

You can find me on Instagram, Threads, or my Facebook Author Page, where I'm probably inline skating, dancing with oven mittens, or trying to convince one of my cats to do my marketing for me. Drop by and say hi! Just don't ask me to audition for anything. Unless it's for "woman juggling dinner, a manuscript, and a strawberry yogurt face mask"—I've got that one nailed.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful collection of poems and short notes. The poems reflect life today viewed through the eyes of someone who has the ability to step outside the chaos and observe the things that are important. The author reminds us to take time to enjoy the simple things and celebrate the everyday miracles that we sometimes don't notice in our hectic lives. Some of the poems are poignant, some inspirational, and some will make you think. My favourites include Autumn Will, Beautiful Chaos, and A Page From My Notebook. This is a quick read, full of insightful observations about life. Half of the sale proceeds from this book go to help Unicef's Gift of Education project. A book that would make a great gift for friends.

[Mark Stratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking, thoughtful and brilliant. A look into the heart of the poet, with photographs that add to rather than take away from the written word. A writer in love with her life, those in it and conveys a childlike sense of wonder with her pen. She also takes time to consider some of the more serious, less sunny moments and events in life. A terrific collection.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collected works of poetry follows on from Heather Grace Stewart’s first work ‘where the butterflies go’ and which I found to be just as beautiful and captivating. Those of you who loved her first anthology will not be disappointed as these poems were just as accomplished, fresh and lively that contain much depth of thought and meaning. I was blown away by her direct and poignant messages within that captured my very heart and soul, being completely truth-drawing and emotive. As a firm supporter of her work already I was used to her writing style that is so fluid, and which presents to the reader an honesty that touches you. She seems to have that knack for expression with just the exact words, with a certain panache and feminism. These poems are full of whit and warmth, with words spoken by a mature writer who ‘gets’ her readers and draws you in instantly. I was completely entranced by each individual poem which had a certain message to convey, that was thought-provoking to the core. The photographs are beautiful and add so much bringing each poem to life in vivid color before your very eyes. I totally loved in particular the poem ‘five things every woman needs’ and also ‘progress’ which were just exact summaries of the subject matter all in a snapshot. This is a book for those fans of Heather Grace Stewart who have already fallen in love with her first work, and who now want to read something that goes even deeper as the writer gains confidence and self assurance. To those who have not read her poems then I strongly urge that you take that leap and jump in head first, as you will find yourself not in the least bit disappointed. Poetry does have a slight stigma attached to it in that the stereotypical assumption is that poems are boring and dull, hence I cannot enthuse enough about this author and tell you how her work is utterly enjoyable and readable for all. Even if you are not a huge fan of poetry in general I can honestly say that you will fall in love with Heather’s work and be just as captivated by it as I am. A spectacular book to add to my collection by a writer who I cannot enthuse about enough, as she is a total genius and incredible writer.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this collection of poetry by Heather Grace Stewart. The poems, which vary in length and form, touch so many emotions. I laughed at the humour in “Honey-Do List" and enjoyed the number of poems based on social networking; I was moved by the poignancy of “Light Moments” and “Valley”.
The poems that resonated strongly with me were the group which looked at motherhood/childhood. Although my children are adults, I’m revisiting many of these experiences with my young grandchildren - they are such precious times and Heather Grace Stewart has captured them in her poetry.
There are so many good things to discover in this collection - far more than I’ve mentioned here. I know I shall return to them time and again.

[James Brush · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Where the Butterflies Go, I was interested to read more of Heather Grace Stewart’s poetry and so next up was Leap, a shorter collection than Butterflies and interesting for the way it moves between the real and online worlds. There are a number of poems in which the author seems to be wrestling with what it means to live in such a socially interconnected time, but as with her other collection my favorites are the poems inspired by parenting since that’s the focus of my life right now. It’s good to read poems that capture parenting and the way it changes marriage with such insight, wisdom, humor and well, yes, grace. A good read all around especially “Autumn Will,” “Beautiful Chaos,” and “Valley.” I look forward to reading her third collection Carry On Dancing, which is coming up soon in my reading pile.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leap (Heather Grace Stewart)
Poetry

Once again I was not disappointed in this collection of poems. Ms. Stewart, writes with a passion pen bringing about emotions in each piece.
I would say a few that I really connected with were One Hand, Forever August & So Cool Networking. I recommend to poetry lovers, and those who may be curious about poetry; both Leap & Carry On Dancing by Heather Grace Stewart.

[Denise Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of poems and short stories that will leave you feeling unencumbered.
Light and airy, heart-felt, humorous, strong and meaningful. The author has gathered these emotions and feelings onto the written page, along with photos, and has melded them together as one into an awe-inspiring read.
If you feel you need an escape from whatever challenges you're facing, this book will give you what you're looking for.
A wonderful alternative that should be on your TBR list.
Thank you Heather Grace Stewart.

Novels & Latte Book Club
Novels N Latte

[Paul Lima · Rating 5 out of 5]

‎"Leap" by Heather Grace Stewart. Don't by the book because part of the proceeds go to Unicef's Gift of Education project. Buy it for the poignancy, gentle humour and melodic writing.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather's poems speak to me and make me want to write my own poems! Beautiful, simple insights to be found here.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a poetry reader/fan usually, but decided to check out this book since I like her fiction, and I enjoyed her perspective on things :) it made a very pleasant change to my usual reading habits.

[Beatrice Followill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of poems and musings

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book of poetry by a fellow Canadian. Some of it was "meh" and I skimmed it. Other pieces were thought provoking and clever.