by | July 9, 2026 · 4:42 pm
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Catching Up with The Times

My first book Doll God was published eleven years ago and won the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award. DG has caught up with the times as of today. NOW AVAILABLE IN EBOOK! And there are additional poems added to the collection.
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If you were reading my blog at that time, you will remember a certain character from the book. MaryGold! Named by blog readers, she is the doll on the book cover (and she’s lurking inside, too).
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Since the book is catching up with the times, maybe I need to make MaryGold an updated outfit and get her a toy cell phone!
MaryGold or not, the book is more about art and nature (and ghost and angels) than it is about dolls although there are certainly doll poems in the collection!
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I have a request for friends who reviewed Doll God at the time it was published. Would you consider copying your same review and posting it over on the ebook on Amazon (hoping that Amazon won’t stop that process!!!). UPDATE: as of this morning, it appears Amazon put the reprint ebook with the original paperback. If it stays that way, it means all the reviews are together, which is good. We we will see.
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However, if you are on Goodreads, I would love if you would post your review on Goodreads. And if you’re on Bookbub, there too. Whew. I know it’s asking a lot. I would appreciate it so much.
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Here’s the why: the book was originally published by Aldrich Press, a division of Kelsay Books. In order to release in ebook I had to wait unti my contract was up and self-publish the reprint so that an ebook would be available. Because of that I can’t combine the original publication on Amazon with the new reprint.
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Amazon review link: Doll God
Goodreads review link: Doll God
BookBub review link: Doll God
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By the way, if you are on BookBub and I have reviewed your book and not put it on BookBub please let me know so I can do so. 
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If you haven’t read Doll God, please consider buying the ebook (new paperback with the new poems should also be out soon).

In Doll God, award-winning poet Luanne Castle invites readers into a haunting and beautifully imagined world where dolls become vessels of memory, nature speaks with quiet wisdom, and ordinary objects reveal extraordinary spiritual truths.

Blending mythology, folklore, family history, dreams, wildlife, and art, these poems travel through landscapes both physical and emotional. A Japanese doll, a hummingbird, a palo verde tree, forgotten keepsakes, ghosts, lakes, birds, and the desert become companions in an exploration of identity, love, grief, healing, and transformation.

With luminous imagery and remarkable emotional depth, Castle examines the delicate boundary between the natural world and the worlds we create through memory and imagination. Each poem uncovers traces of what has been lost while offering hope that restoration is always possible.

Winner of the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award and expanded with a selection of new poems, Doll God is an unforgettable collection that rewards slow reading and deep reflection. Rich in symbolism and lyrical beauty, it speaks to readers who appreciate literary poetry that explores spirituality, nature, resilience, and the enduring search for meaning.

Doll God is a collection that lingers long after the final page, reminding us that even what seems lost may still be waiting to be found.

 

18 Comments

Filed under Book Award, Doll God, Dolls, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection

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18 responses to “Catching Up with The Times”

  1. Kate Crimmins
    July 9, 2026 at 5:12 pm

    Sounds like a complicated process on your part but I’m glad you were able to do that! Having an e-book available will expand your audience!

    Reply
  2. merrildsmith
    July 10, 2026 at 2:44 am

    Congratulations, Luanne! I might have to see if I can do something like this with River Ghosts at some point. I have no idea what’s happened to Nightingale & Sparrow.

    Reply
  3. jeannieunbottled
    July 10, 2026 at 5:28 am

    I think I did it. Is the ebook Kindle?

    Reply
  4. Amy
    July 11, 2026 at 5:13 am

    I just bought the ebook!

    Reply
    • Luanne
      July 11, 2026 at 6:36 am

      Thank you, Amy! I hope you like it!

      Reply
      • Amy
        July 11, 2026 at 10:56 am

        I am sure I will (although poetry often confuses me!)

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        • Luanne
          July 11, 2026 at 11:53 am

          I think the poetry in Doll God is pretty understandable to readers. I’ve seen comments about that in reviews and things people have said to me. 🙂

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        • Luanne
          July 11, 2026 at 12:47 pm

          I was thinking that I should tell you a couple of things about reading poetry. For one thing, don’t expect to like every poem. If you really like or connect with a handful out of a poetry book that is great. Read aloud because it’s not always about a meaning that pops out (not like reading legal documents or statutes) at you but how it makes you feel. You don’t need to figure out why or how it makes you feel that way. Just feel it. That’s my philosophy about poetry reading in a nutshell!

          Reply
          • Amy
            July 12, 2026 at 5:39 am

            OK! I will keep that in mind when I turn to Doll God and to poetry in general. I think I often feel that I am missing the point with poetry. I enjoy the words and the images, but I get to the end and often think, “What was the poet trying to say here?”

            Reply
            • Luanne
              July 12, 2026 at 10:21 am

              Yes, definitely don’t push meaning. Poetry is more about feeling. Explicating or analyzing poetry is when someone wants to dig further into what makes a poem tick, but it’s not only unecessary for enjoying poetry, but can be counterproductive.

              Reply
  5. Marie A Bailey
    July 12, 2026 at 12:33 pm

    I just checked and my review is still there on Amazon. My goodness, it was in 2015!!!! Seems like yesterday xox

    Reply

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