My Birthday gift to you!

Hey August is my birthday month and I am celebrating this special occasion with you!

If you or one of your friends and family purchase a copy of my poetry book Toni’s Room during the month of August, you will receive a free copy of my limited edition poetry CD titled “The Restoration”. FREE.

So if you have a poetry fan in your life and you were thinking of gifting them this book, now is the time to grab it! Visit my website , choose the shipping option for Toni’s Room and you’ll automatically get a free CD in the package. Just let me know who to autograph it to if it’s not you. Thank you for all your love and support. I hope you are staying safe and well during this time and remember poetry is a great way to keep your mind occupied!

“The Restoration”

Love always,

Toni ❤

Poetry Book signing and reading September 15th

Save the date! 💞
#poetrybook signing and #reading

💞Sunday September 15th I will read and sign books at the Pendle Hill poetry coffeehouse
hosted by JessieSmith
with coffee and treats deliciousness curatedby Delantz of Coffe after dark, one of the most popular open mic hosts in Philadelphia. All ages are welcome!

I would LOVE to see you!

If you’d like to preorder an autographed copy
👉🏽Visit my Toni Love shop to purchase online or you can

CashApp $10 $TonitaLove and I’ll have an autographed copy waiting for you at the reading.

💞The ebook and paperback is also available at Amazon .

Place it on your calendar and it is an open mic so bring a poem or two to share.

I am excited and looking forward to seeing you!
💞
.
#loveistheanswer ❤

“TONI’S ROOM book signing/ reading and open mic August 24th!💓🎤🎶📚💿

You are cordially invited to my “Toni’s Room” book signing and open mic birthday party on August 24th in Philadelphia PA at the 4050 Gallery!

The gallery is located at 4050 Haverford Avenue.

The open mic list starts at 6:30 to 7 p.m.

The open mic will start at 8 after the Toni’s Room reading. I’m excited to have Sisters Laying Down Hands to accompany me and bring the vibe and the ancestors into the room.

This is presented by Music and Art for the Soul, a Carolee Production. I’m so excited to to share this moment and celebrate with my friends fans and all my loved ones. The cost at the door is just $5, we’ll have cake and beverages and lots of great music and fun. Books can be purchased in advance of the signing on Amazon or on my Toni Love site . Just let me know that you will pick it up at the signing.

💞

I will have another reading on September 15th at Pendle Hill in Wallingford PA from 2 to 4 p.m. at their amazing Sunday Coffee House. Stay tuned for more information.

Either way I hope you are well and that I get to see you soon!

Make today great.

#loveistheanswer 💞

She’s here! 💞 “Toni’s Room” is now a poetry book!

She’s here! I did it Daddy! 💥The paperback version of “Toni’s Room is available for sale! 🤸🏿‍♀️💓 I dedicated my first poetry book to my children because they are my biggest fans. It is currently available as Kindle version and paperback on Amazon. I am planning a few local book signings and also have signed copies available to order on my website at 👉🏽bit.ly/tonilovemerch . Thank you all and especially my coach Gwenn Prinbeck for gently pushing me to uncover all that I am.
“What’s the greater risk? Letting go of what people think – or letting go of how I feel, what I believe, and who I am?” ~ Brene’ Brown

Let’s Stay in touch!

Media, PA
For Inquiries and Promotions:
tonitalove2@gmail.com

Wednesday June 19. Toni Love at the World Cafe Live, Philly💓

Honored to share the stage with some of the best artists in Philadelphia as one of the poets performing a tribute to Ursula Rucker Wednesday, June 19th 7pm at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia! 💓

My friend and musician extraordinaire Richard Tucker will also be honored. The lineup is amazing I hope you will come out! 🎶🎤

You can message me to purchase tickets from me and avoid the box office fees, or click the link below to order them from the venue (see below) :https://www.worldcafelive.com/event/1858241-comeback-philly-style-philadelphia/

Toni Love in Baltimore Oct 7th at Peace & A Cup of Joe!

I’m heading to Baltimore in a few weeks..Yay!

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I love my city but the only way I grow is to push myself outside of my comfort zone, so I’m venturing out to Baltimore, Maryland in a few weeks.  Heard Through The Grapevine, a fun, lively and classy open mic poetry event hosted by the fabulous Simply Sherri of Simply Poetic Entertainment includes a wine tasting. The intimate setting at Peace and a Cup of Joe, 713 W. Pratt Street is the perfect backdrop for a night out with friends or lovers. The doors open at 7pm and the first ten people will receive a FREE download of my new EP titled The Restoration .  I’m truly excited and looking forward to seeing my Baltimore, Washington DC and Virginia family! I will have copies of  my new EP The Restoration for sale as well as my signature  Toni Love T-shirts while they last.

Please be sure to follow me on Twitter  and Instagram and like my Toni Love Fan Page to stay updated on my latest shows and my weekly broadcasts on #Periscope. You can also find me on Reverbnation! Check frequently for new videos, shows and updates on upcoming performances.

If you’ve had a rough week, and need an emotional lift, come out on October 7th and I’ll be sure to give you all the love you need!

Thanks for visiting! Love, Toni

Toni Love in Baltimore Oct 7 and on Reverbnation!

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First I want to sincerely thank my new followers! I hope you enjoy what you see and hear and please return often and feel free to share to your friends!
I will be reading and performing poetry Friday, October 7th in Baltimore, Maryland at Peace and a Cup of Joe. The event includes a wine pairing and is hosted by the fabulous Simply Sherri of Simply Poetic Entertainment at Peace and a Cup of Joe, 713 W. Pratt Street. The doors open at 7pm and the first ten people will receive a FREE download of m debut EP titled “The Restoration”!  I’m excited and looking forward to seeing my Baltimore, Washington DC and Virginia family. I will have copies of “The Restoration” for sale as well as signature t-shirts while they last.
I also wanted you to know that you can find Toni Love on Reverbnation! Check frequently for new videos, poetry and updates on upcoming performances by clicking the link below.
Toni Love Reverbnation Page
Come out on October 7th and I’ll be sure to give you all the love you need!
~ Toni Love #loveistheanswer

Thanks for visiting! Love, Toni

Rewriting my story and owning it!

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I was clearing out my “drafts” folder and realized this post was never published. Two years ago, just eight months before the release of my debut EP “The Restoration”, I was given the opportunity to share the stage with two Maryland-based poets which was my first time as a paid feature. For me that was a milestone. I don’t get asked in my own city, maybe because I’m new on the scene, maybe my age and maybe because I don’t fall easily into any type of spoken word category but I am learning to sit comfortably with being not popular. I am okay with being different because it’s about the process of creating art for me and the energy I get when I know the audience is responding and feeling my written word. Ironically a month from now I will be featuring for the same poetic prowess Simply Sherri in Baltimore for her Heard it Through the Grapevine and I am looking forward to the experience. It’s a treat to be surrounded by the energy of the artists in the DMV and I can’t wait to see them again, they always give me so much love in return!

Anywhoo…just thought I’d post this and I hope that I will see you in October! Visit my  Facebook page for updates and more information or CD Baby to hear samples and download my debut EP titled “The Restoration”.  I truly appreciate the love!

I’m starting to understand how this life journey works. Half way into writing my story, just a few months from reaching what is supposed to be my golden year and I am finally giving myself permission to rewrite my story. Every few years I get to the end of a chapter, look back, reflect, revise, and restate my vision for my life before I move on to the next. This past Saturday night was one of those times when thoughtful contemplation met up with years of unconscious manifestation and moved me towards a new chapter in my life. When Sherri of Simply Poetic Entertainment contacted me to see if I would be interested in co-featuring at her first Philadelphia edition of Heard it Through the Grapevine, I was pleasantly surprised! I met her once as the spotlight artist (opening up for her and the other feature) last August so when she contacted me I had to make sure feature meant what I thought it meant before I got really excited. As she expanded on the details I knew I had to say yes. An evening of wine and love poems; that had Toni Love written all over it!  I started to think about the poems that I would recite. The flyers and event page went all over social media and I promoted the show with the same reserved passion that I always do but I was still nervous about making sure I carried my weight as a performer. 

I arrived early, asked them to save me a glass of Sangria from the wine tasting (I can never eat or drink before a performance, it makes my stomach uneasy!) and sat down to calm myself. What many don’t know is that I almost always completely blank out before a poetry reading. I can’t remember anything I’ve written and I often grab a book or start printing out poems so that I’ll have them in written form just in case. My biggest fear is that I’ll stand up and forget everything.  I panic, I pace and then I remember to sit down and breathe. As I sat I saw faces of love walk into the small gallery one by one. Friends who lived on the block I grew up on, a sorority sister who drove a few hours to get there, fellow poets, my Italian mother (that’s my nickname for her), and my brothers. I watched them add chairs as the room filled and the walls expanded. By the time I took to the mic it was standing room only. I was still nervous but excited and overwhelmingly grateful at the same time. Sherri said “you have a lot of support here..I’ve been asking who they are here to see..”  It was a vision that I didn’t know would be replicated seven months later at my EP release party. There’s nothing like looking out into a room full of faces that reflect genuine love. Nothing. 

I recited four poems and sang a bit too. It was an exciting night! The quote below is a comment sent to me the next day from the host of the event. I hope to see you at a performance venue soon. I will always return the love.  #loveistheanswer

Toni Love: I knew when I met you last year you were a dynamic performer and would wow that crowd. Your energy is incredible and your words were amazing. Let me know when you get that CD done, so I can get one.

Blind Faith;heart lessons at a rest stop

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The kids look forward to our annual beach vacation all year. It’s an opportunity to get away from the day-to-day pressures and routine of school, home-life and chores and simply sleep, eat and play! I look forward to it as well. It’s the only week of the year that we are all home at the same time with no obligations and I am not the only one in the house they can go to for whatever they need. Here they have other adults and older cousins who can drive and are responsible enough to take them to the beach,the local recreation center or keep an eye on them at the house. It’s also a gift to spend quality time with my youngest brother, my god-daughter, nephews and their friends. So much laughter shared among us and I take the opportunity to inject some elder wisdom into our conversations when the subject permits. To have all of this goodness occur at the beach is the icing on the cake!

I plan and save all year. This year, right before our scheduled trip my largest client fell behind considerably on the payment of my monthly retainer. As a precaution I always keep a reserve in my savings but I reserve it for emergencies, and a vacation does not fall under that category. I thought for a minute about cancelling the beach trip but I knew how disappointed the kids would be and I was looking forward to and deserved a break before the school year began. I was angry and frustrated but I moved some money out of my savings, made sure the bills were paid and the fish was fed before I packed up the three of us, and prepared my mind for the six-hour drive ahead of me. Six hours with three anxious and excited kids, and I couldn’t stop worrying that this could be our last trip down here for a while. If my client couldn’t bounce back from their financial problems, could I manage until I found more work? I was supposed to be relaxing but I have to admit I was a little on edge and still wondering if I made the right choice to continue with the vacation.

At about the four-hour mark, my bladder insisted I pull over at the rest stop in Virginia. Stuckey’s is famous for their variety of nuts. Anything from fajita almonds to honey salt cashews; most travelers stop for their fresh pecans and peanuts. I walked in and was instantly reminded of my grandfather Jabez (Pop Pop we called him) known to bring a bag of fresh peanuts home every time he went south to visit his Southern Baptist church family. He grew up near Jimmy Carter’s family peanut farm and founded a Southern Baptist Church nearby Bainbridge, Georgia. I grabbed a few cans of cashews to snack on for the remainder of the trip, handed them to my daughter for safekeeping and hurried to the women’s bathroom.

When I came out of the bathroom my daughter had both cans and a piece of wood shaped like a heart in her hands. She smiled and began to say as if reading my mind “don’t ask Mommy, just buy it..you have to trust me.” I gave her a look that translated into “what are you up to now, Janai and how much is it going to cost me?” I asked her if she could at least tell me the price. She wasn’t sure and again she said “Mommy, just buy it.” My daughter has such a kind heart. She is always giving or creating something to give to a friend or family member, usually at my expense. I love her compassion but it sometimes comes with a high price tag. I finally gave in figuring it must be important to her and I could always return it if it’s too expensive.

Somehow the woman at the register figured out what she was doing because she didn’t say the name of the item, just the price and smiled behind me at Janai. I had to chuckle and was relieved that it was under three dollars and not another high-priced souvenir. When I turned around to go to the car she ran in front of me saying “just wait a minute Mom, I have to do something, just wait.” and shooed me to the passenger side of the car. I still hadn’t a clue what she was doing until she gave me permission to open my car door and reveal her gift. I saw this beautifully painted heart hanging from my rear view mirror with the words “Mom, you are a blessing”. I had to hold back the tears. It’s a special moment when you feel that your children understand all of the strain, struggle and sacrifice you have to go through to make their lives more joyful and take the time to show you how much you’re appreciated. It’s a rare moment and I had to sit there a moment and take it all in before I grabbed the wheel and continued to drive two more hours to our destination.

Later that evening, as I sat back on the balcony with a glass of wine enjoying the sounds of the crashing waves heard from the nearby beach and children’s laughter coming from the pool below I thought about that moment at the rest stop. Not only was my daughter being her sweet thoughtful self, but maybe she was also being used to send me a message from a higher source. I know that there are often times in my life where I am fearful of taking a step and doing something because I can’t see the outcome and I don’t know what lies ahead for me. I want to know what I’m getting into. I don’t trust what I don’t see. Then I’m reminded of one of my favorite anonymous quotes. “God’s gifts put man’s best dreams to shame”. The blessings I often blindly receive are such a powerful statement of love that I never know they are coming. And they are always much more than I could ever have thought to ask for.

This was yet another reminder to trust the process and have faith that something greater is going to be revealed to me. All I could see in my daughter’s hand was a piece of carved wood, but when she was ready to present me with my gift I found it to be more beautiful than I could have ever imagined!

Encouraging Young Writers in Philadelphia Today

received_10209380157758316My father loved to read and wrote a multitude of songs and essays yet published only one song in his lifetime. Today in his memory I am excited to be hosting a fundraiser for Philly Youth March and Voice4Justice. The event featuring Grammy Nominee Ursula Rucker and the extraordinarily musical Monica McIntyre begins today at 3pm at Alma Mater, 7165 Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia. The suggested donation is $10 and children are free! Please come and encourage our young writers. And prepare to be blown away by the collaborations and energy in the room. 

Check out the Facebook event pageVoices for Justice Event for more details and I hope to see you there!

Peace and blessings and Happy Father’s day!

Toni Love #loveistheanswer

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