Review: Desolation and Epiphany - James W.A - October 2023 Recently, I have been catching up with reading some ARCS and that included a couple of poetry/prose books and one of those was James W.A's book Desolation and Epiphany. This poetry collection was split into two parts - Desolation which is almost down in your dumps, the sad poems, the poems where life feels like it isn't worth living.  These are emotions that we often all feel at one point in our lives, these are the days when we are at our darkest, the moments where we feel that no one understands and that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, a collection of who cares and what's the point. Desolation is like being the last slice of pizza left behind at a party—lonely, empty, and a little sad, with no one around to share the good vibes. The second half of the book is more positive and is titled Epiphany, this is where the author has decided to change his views from Negative Nancy to Positive Paula. This is wh...

Review: Sticks and Stones - Chelsea DeVries - December 2021 I have recently gotten back into reading poetry and verse format books as one of my favorites I used to enjoy and am looking forward to her new one is Ellen Hopkins, so when Happily Booked PR had Sticks and Stones available to read, I hopped on it. This one spoke to me as it would for anyone who has ever been stuck in a toxic work environment, harassed, bullied, and gaslighted. I also understood this author as she too is on the spectrum, even though I have been undiagnosed and my siblings were diagnosed as children, I know I have some of the tendencies and as I am getting older and doing more research, I am feeling less alone and able to connect. Sticks and Stones follows Chelsea's experiences as she writes them in the form of poems and a few stories scattered throughout Sticks and Stones. Reading this collection, I found myself transported back three years ago when I had to leave a job I had been in for 15 years as it had...

I Am Here Now Barbara Bottner Published by: Macmillan Publication date: August 4th 2020 Genres: Coming of Age, Young Adult Set in the 1960s, Barbara Bottner’s I Am Here Now is a beautiful novel in verse about one artist’s coming of age. It’s a heartbreaking, powerful and inspiring depiction of what it’s like to shatter your life—and piece it all back together. You can’t trust Life to give you decent parents, or beautiful eyes, a fine French accent or an outstanding flair for fashion. No, Life does what it wants. It’s sneaky as a thief. Maisie’s first day of High school should be exciting, but all she wants is to escape. Her world is lonely and chaotic, with an abusive mother and a father who’s rarely there to help. So when Maisie, who finds refuge in her art, meets the spirited Rachel and her mother, a painter, she catches a glimpse of a very different world—one full of life, creativity, and love—and latches on. But as she discovers her strengths through Rachel’s family...

Title: The Girl: Unspoken Words Collection Author: Ella Rye Genre: Poetry, Free Verse Poetry Cover Designer: Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations Publication Date: September 18 th , 2018 Hosted by:  Lady Amber’s PR Blurb:  “I’m the girl they want… But never want to keep” From poet Ella Rye comes a collection full of raw vulnerability. Taking you on a journey through her life, trying to figure what it all means after heartbreak. Learning to move on, knowing that your are worthy of so much more. The Unspoken Words Collection is Free Verse Poetry, divided into four parts. Spanning over a generation. The Girl Never Had a Chance Parts of Me It Will Fade Ella Rye grew up in small-town California. She grew up loving words. An avid reader from a young age. During her teen years, she developed a love for poetry and began writing. The words flowed out of her naturally, never even really knowing the type of poetry she was writing. Over the years, poetry hel...

“A Love Letter From the Girls Who Feel Everything reminds me of my favorite roller coaster . . . it was such an emotional ride—one I’m willingly going to take over and over again.” - Dee Lagasse, author A Love Letter From the Girls Who Feel Everything, a beautiful book of prose and poetry, by bestselling authors Brittainy C. Cherry & Kandi Steiner is LIVE! Bestselling authors Brittainy C. Cherry and Kandi Steiner come together for the first time in an emotional compilation of poetry and prose. Written and collected over the course of more than two years, A Love Letter from the Girls Who Feel Everything is an intimate, honest, and raw assemblage of two women’s feelings in a modern world that often quiets any kind of emotion past indifference. Discussing themes of love, worth, loss and hope, A Love Letter from the Girls Who Feel Everything is a journey of discovery and healing. “We are the girls who feel everything. And this is our love letter. To you, to them, to...

Title: The Girl: Unspoken Words Collection Author: Ella Rye Genre: Poetry, Free Verse Poetry Cover Designer: Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations Publication Date: September 18 th , 2018 Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR Blurb: “I’m the girl they want… But never want to keep” From poet Ella Rye comes a collection full of raw vulnerability. Taking you on a journey through her life, trying to figure what it all means after heartbreak. Learning to move on, knowing that your are worthy of so much more. The Unspoken Words Collection is Free Verse Poetry, divided into four parts. Spanning over a generation. The Girl Never Had a Chance Parts of Me It Will Fade Ella Rye grew up in small-town California. She grew up loving words. An avid reader from a young age. During her teen years, she developed a love for poetry and began writing. The words flowed out of her naturally, never even really knowing the type of poetry she was writing. Over the years, poetry helped her...

  A Love Letter From the Girls Who Feel Everything Authors: Brittainy C. Cherry & Kandi Steiner Release Date: September 13, 2018 Bestselling authors Brittainy C. Cherry and Kandi Steiner come together for the first time in an emotional compilation of poetry and prose. Written and collected over the course of more than two years, A Love Letter from the Girls Who Feel Everything is an intimate, honest, and raw assemblage of two women’s feelings in a modern world that often quiets any kind of emotion past indifference. Discussing themes of love, worth, loss and hope, A Love Letter from the Girls Who Feel Everything is a journey of discovery and healing. “We are the girls who feel everything. And this is our love letter. To you, to them, to us, to the world, to no one at all. Whether it’s the brightest, sunniest day where everything is perfect, or the darkest, dreariest night of rain where life seems unbearable — we have lived it, we have survived it, and w...