Meet the Author
Tammi Lynn Summers is a native of Columbus, Georgia. Growing up as a military child, she moved with her father, mother, and siblings from country to country and state to state. Seeing the world at an early age opened Tammi’s eyes and enabled her to gain an appreciation for diverse cultures and their history.
Tammi received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Columbus State University and received her master’s degree in cybersecurity at Norfolk State University. In May 2007, Tammi became a commissioned officer in the United States Army. As an officer, Tammi has lived in various places, as well as completed three combat tours to Afghanistan and one operational assignment to Kuwait.
Tammi’s mantra is to pursue God passionately. Through this mantra Tammi wrote, recorded, and produced her first music album, In the Making, with popular songs titled “Keep it in the Middle” and “Walk by Faith,” which may be found on SoundCloud. Tammi also cowrote, with her twin sister Tifani, the lyrics for Columbus, Georgia’s Northside High School anthem, titled, “O’ Northside High, O’ Northside High.” In 2019, Tammi’s original song “Cancer Found Me” was selected to be performed at the annual American Cancer Society’s peninsula breast cancer walk.
Tammi’s poem “Moving Forward” won the 2016 Fort Hood Black History Month Poetry Contest. In the same year, “Moving Forward” was also published in volume three of Texas A&M’s literary journal, The Lookout.
When off duty, Tammi can be found volunteering in her community, attending seminars and forums, and supporting her local church. As a Christian, her greatest desire in life and in service is to please God while loving people.
Details
Format: Paperback
Pages: 82
ISBN: 978-1-962416-46-7
Release date: December 10, 2024
Endorsements
“Offering words of wisdom in the ongoing journey of life, Tammi Summers’s new book The Pond That Ripples is replete with inspiration, delight, and reflection on what makes a good life. What is faith but ‘seeing it all happen before it does’? What is beauty but what ‘rises from the ashes’? Summers presents to the reader a life lived with courage, integrity, and acceptance of imperfections—yet always lit by love, both human and divine. In fact, the love of God undergirds Summers’s outlook and radiates in some of her most beautiful poems, like the evocation of God’s majesty in ‘Guiding Light’ and the well-crafted and heartwarming artistry of ‘Companion.’ What matters to Summers are the small, intimate gestures of a look, a smile, a touch, proving that life need not be like a grand adventure in a movie so much as the day-to-day habits of a life lived for God and for others. Pick up this collection and be encouraged to pursue your destiny with honor. Be it savored on a firelit evening or enjoyed in a cozy house on a rainy afternoon, The Pond That Ripples will stay on your mind.”
—Susan Weiner, author of Before the Foundation of the World and All This and More
“Within the pages of this poetry book, I found a profound resonance that spoke to both my body and soul. Through the lens of love, joy, loss, hope, faith, overcoming, and the unique experiences of being a Black woman, the author beautifully captures the complexities of the human experience. Each verse is a testament to resilience, healing, and the power of storytelling to bridge divides and cultivate understanding. A must-read for anyone seeking solace, inspiration, and a deeper connection to the heart of humanity.”
—Lataya E. Hawkins, PhD, LCSW-S
