In this hotly-anticipated debut poetry collection from Jeff Flesch, the author invites us to take a voyage with him through trauma and pain into acceptance and bliss in the embrace of nature itself. Jeff’s poems are infused with the textures and colours of the natural world, and his journey through this sensory paradise provides the backdrop to his inner journey towards healing and personal growth.
Jeff was voted Author of The Month at Spillwords for Jan-Feb 2022, is a featured contributor at MasticadoresUSA and MasticadoresIndia. His poetry is widely published both online and in print, and has received international recognition.
My review
I was introduced to Jeff Flesch’s poetry through Masticadores on-line magazine and his style and themes appealed to me. I was delighted to discover he had a recently published book of poetry which I immediately purchased.
The majority of the poems are an intriguing mixture of beautiful descriptions of natural settings and experiences in nature which he links back to his own on-going romance and love for his partner. the poet makes excellent us of metaphors to compare his love to outstanding natural phenomena. A lovely example of this is as follows: “stars offset by the brilliance of your smile into my heart you shine”
The poems are all freestyle and follow a similar form and style with the changes manifesting through the settings. The poet’s use of language is striking and his descriptions are beautiful.
As always with poetry collections, some poems resonated more with me than others. I’ve set out a few of my favourite poems with a short extract from each.
Blueberry Tree – “a land of roses bending over the sky reminds me
of long-lost childhood times”
Limbs and Leaves – “I struggle to find you it’s as if the vapor of your essence was lost”
Cascading Water – “cascades over the clouds, revealing the stars’ hearts”
A delightful book of poetry that will uplift your mind and spirit.
The Garden Black – and other speculations by Frank Prem
What Amazon says
TheGarden Black poetry collection is a venture into fantasy and speculative fiction based on the dual themes of rain forest and fantasy.
. The rainforest becomes a desert, and then the sea.
. A man in a satellite orbits the earth while playing his violin and pondering. A girl gazes up at the passing light and dances.
. Od Ovo – a youth who is from here, raises the dust of frustrated boredom on a mining asteroid, and cannot believe traveller tales of places where water falls from the sky.
. What colour are the flowers in the Reaper’s garden? They are all colours . . . They are black.
Welcome to the speculative fantasies that are The Garden Black.
My review
I enjoy Frank Prem’s style of writing poems that despite their apparent simplicity, cut right to the heart of a topic, experience, or emotion. I have read several of his previous books of poetry and enjoyed them all, this one is a little different as it reaches beyond the now and the real and crosses over into the possible and the futuristic. Each poem is based on a real human event, experience, or emotion but the action, event, or feeling is stretched into the realm of the science fiction.
One of my favourite poems in the collection is a song for the (low) horizon, which melds the delightful action of playing music to please a crowd with the science fiction concept of space travel, with the violin player travelling in a space capsule and appearing to be a shooting star in the eyes of the audience who are living on other planets or spaceships he is passing.
This is a short extract:
“if they look they’ll see a shooting star hurtling through the night”
Other poems focus on the human experience. Another favourite is the children which depicts the displeasure of a child thwarted in its wants and a refocusing on nature of dissapate the negative energy.
“child can you smell the water
child child can you not smell each droplet of the rain”
The poet uses some beautiful and vivid descriptive language which delights the soul. An example is the poem coming up:
“climb a ladder of raindrops
to take you up to the cloud”
For those that suffer pain, the poet shares his own experiences which are so relatable, they stop you in your tracks and force you to empathize and consider your own similar experiences. These words from pain control had this effect on me:
“sometimes … most times the day comes to me too fiercely
too loud”
I could continue to wax lyrical about this extraordinary book, but I recommend that you read it and explore its marvelous depths for yourself.
Instruction: 💐 This week, using the painting as your inspiration, please write either a syllabic poetry formora freestyle poem, including a syllabic form(both on the same post).
The painting is from Rebecca Budd’s blog, Chasing Art.
As you can tell, I was inspired by the purple in the picture rather than the flowers.
Meet the poet
Colleen was kind enough to interview me for her Meet the Poet post.
Welcome to Meet the Poet, a Word Craft Poetry feature written to introduce you to the poets in our writing community.
This is a way to get to know more about the poets and their work. Many of our poets have written both fiction and non-fiction, and self-published their works. We also feature many published authors. It’s a brilliant mix!
Some of our poets are also artists, crafting their magic through watercolors or other artistic means along with the written word. There are even a few musicians in our poetic community!
At least once a month, I’ll be introducing you to the poets in our community! Grab a cup of tea or coffee, and meet the poet!
Our guest this month is Robbie Cheadle.
Award-winning, bestselling author Robbie Cheadle has published thirteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Wait until you see the wild animals in Robbie Cheadle’s new book, “Lion Scream.”
Hi, Colleen. Thanks so much for the invitation.
I’m glad you’re here, Robbie. It’s always fun talking about syllabic poetry with you.
Thank you for this lovely opportunity to discuss poetry. I appreciate the guidance you have given me over the years, I’ve known you in the Blogosphere. I don’t know if I would have ever attempted to write syllabic poetry if it wasn’t for you and your weekly poetry prompts.
Thanks so much, Robbie. You know, I love syllabic poetry. So tell us, what is your favorite syllabic poetry form?
I have gone through phases with syllabic poetry where I have loved one particular form and written numerous poems using that form. I started with haiku, but then I discovered I preferred tanka because tanka allows for a more expanded poetic message because the syllable count is higher. I have written hundreds of haiku and tanka.
In October 2021, I came across your Double Ennead challenge on Carrot Ranch Literary Community (https://carrotranch.com/).
A Double Ennead is a syllabic poetry form which you created. It comprises 99 syllables, divided into three stanzas of 33 syllables each, as follows: 6/5/11/6/5.
This idea for syllabic poetry really excited me, as it allowed for the telling of a story with a beginning, middle, and ending in a syllabic poetry format.
I wrote syllabic poems for each of the three challenges you posted, and these poems led to ideas for two books, both of which are now published.
My poem for Halloween expanded into a new children’s book called, “Haunted Halloween Holiday.”
(click all the book images to find the books on Amazon.com)
My poems, Colours of Africa and The Romance of the Sunflowers, are included in my new poetry collection, “Lion Scream, Syllabic Poetry About Southern African Wildlife.”
Thank you to author, poet and blogger, Sally Cronin, for her marvelous review of Lion Scream.
Sally has a fascinating blog magazine called Smorgasbord where she shares posts about new books, book reviews, music from the past, the body and it’s functioning, and many other great topics. She also shares snippets from her many published books which you can learn more about on her blog.
I highly recommend visiting Sally’s blog and having a look around.
Delighted to share the news of Robbie Cheadle’s latest release and my review. A stunning syllabic poetry collection in celebration of Africa’s …
Today, I am delighted to host Kaye Lynne Booth with an author interview as part of her Delilah Book Blog Tour.
What inspired you to write a Western? Have you always been a fan of Westerns, or did it fit in with an idea for a historical novel with a strong female character?
Delilah began as a challenge to write outside of my comfort zone from one of my graduate professors, Russell Davis. Up until that point, I’d written short stories mostly in the fantasy realm. My step-dad used to read Zane Grey and Loius L’Amoure and he had many of them, so I had read a few westerns, and I watch a lot of the old cowboy shows, and I’m a huge fan of Clint Eastwood and the spaghetti western movies.
When the challenge was issued to write a western, I knew I wanted to have a female protagonist to make my story a little different from the westerns that were out there. Delilah came out tough and gritty, just as I had planned for her. And I wrote in Baby Doe McCourt Tabor because Delilah ended up in the mining camp of Leadville, and Baby Doe is associated with that setting. It made the tale seem more historically accurate to have a historical character in a historical setting. The Indian woman, Old Sugar was a real historical character, as well.
Later, when I decided to create the Women in the West adventure series, I followed suit with the strong historical female characters in supporting roles for each book. There is a guest post at each stop on this tour which talks about one of the books and the historical character it features. So, I hope everyone will follow along and visit each stop to learn more about the American west and the series.
Did you have to do much historical research to write Delilah?
I did a ton of historical research for Delilah, and I’ve already begun researching for the other two books, Sarah and Marta. I lived in Canon City at the time, and the book starts out there and progresses into the San Luis Valley, an area I was familiar with, so I didn’t have to do a lot of research there. But when Delilah ventures after the men who raped her and left her for dead, and abducted Sarah, she entered less familiar territories and research was required. With Delilah, I researched multiple locations to get settings right, as well as the people in the Leadville area in 1882, when the story takes place, and the history of the Ute Indians in Colorado at the time. I also researched Delilah’s hometown; San Luis, Colorado; and the Colorado Territorial Prison. I might talk about some of my findings on the final stop, so be sure to catch that tour stop on Writing to be Read on Friday.
Was it easy to research the information you needed relating to the Ute tribe?
There was a lot of research for that. I had to really dig for it as much of Ute history is handed down through oral tradition, and you can’t always believe what is available out
there on the internet. I was able to turn up enough facts to make the story work and remain fairly accurate in my portrayal of them
Why did you decide to rewrite the ending of Delilah?
Originally, I listened to a beta reader, who didn’t give the best advice. I changed one thing near the middle of the story which changed everything that happened through the rest of the book. So, I rewrote half the book to accommodate an incident they had convinced me needed to happen, changing everything that happens in the rest of the book. I believe that revision was a mistake. I liked the original story line and ending much better.
When I thought of making Delilah Book 1 in the series, and featuring historical characters, I decided to go back to my original story line because it offered a much larger role for Baby Doe, which had been cut in that original revision. Since I liked the original ending better, it wasn’t a hard decision, and I believe it was the right one. This is Delilah the way she is meant to be.
Do Westerns appeal mainly to Americans or is there a wider audience for that genre of book?
Obviously, Americans are more familiar with the American frontier, but I think it is still relatable, just as I can relate to a work by a British author, which might be set in places I am unfamiliar with. One main concept of the western is man vs. the land, or nature. I think this is something people can relate to no matter where you live.
I don’t know all the numbers for geography for my digital copies, and the print books have only been available in the U.S. through the Kickstarter, but should be available globally now that it has been released through the various distributors.
What’s next for Delilah?
When I decided not to renew my contract with my publisher and re-publish Delilah myself, I had rough outline for her second book done. The idea for the Women in the West series came while I was doing the revisions of the first book, when I realized that Sarah and Marta had stories to tell, too. We’ll see how well the first three books in the series do, but if I write the second half of Delilah’s story, she will accomplish what she set out to do in the first book, and go back to childhood home in San Luis. I won’t say more than that now, but if you want to know what happens to her, buy the other books, and then, I will have to write it.
About Delilah
Blurb
Delilah is a woman haunted by her past.
Her homecoming from prison quickly turns into a quest for vengeance when she is brutally raped and left for dead, and her fourteen-year-old ward is abducted. Sheer will and determination take this tough and gritty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest, Indians and outlaws to Leadville, Colorado.
Can the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado mining town work their way into Delilah’s heart, offering a chance for a future she thought she’d lost along with her innocence?
If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Delilah.
The blurb for this book attracted me because I found the idea of as strong female main character in a Western novel intriguing and unusual. The author’s depiction of Delilah did not disappoint me and I enjoyed how her character developed from that of an angry young woman, recently released after a two-year stint in prison for murdering her abusive step-father, to a woman capable of standing up for the underdog, acting in line with her own ethics and morals and entering into a relationship with a caring and interesting man.
Despite her seemingly unjust jail term, Delilah has the good fortune to meet an older woman called Abby during her incarceration. Abbey is able to protect her from some of the worst possible eventualities in prison and also offers her a place to stay after her release. Abbey has hopes of a better life for her daughter, Sarah, so when Delilah decides to leave and return to her own ranch, Abbey convinces her to take Sarah with her.
Delilah’s return to her past life starts badly when she and Sarah are attacked and raped by two savage criminals while journeying to her previous home. Sarah is taken captive and Delilah is left for dead after the two men attempt to hang her. Delilah survives and sets off in search of Sarah in the hope that she can rescue her. She soon has the good luck to come across a family of Mormons who have become separated from their travel party and who are prepared to give her some much-needed food and other aid. In return, she helps the father repair their wagon so that the family can continue their journey. They suggest that Delilah travels with them, which she does until fate strikes again and redirects Delilah’s life again.
This book provided some interesting insights into life among the different types of people trying to eke out an existence on the Western front including Mormons, criminals, miners, and owners of bordellos. The reader is introduced to the Ute tribe of native Americans and learns a bit about their way of life and the conflict between the tribes and the white settlers.
The book is fast paced, and the climax is thrilling. The book has a satisfying ending that ties up most of the loose ends but leaves one open for the sequel.
Delilah will interest readers of Westerns as well as anyone who enjoys action packed adventures with a sprinkling of romance.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
Kaye Lynne Booth lives, works, and plays in the mountains of Colorado. With a dual emphasis M.F.A. in Creative Writing and an M.A. in Publishing, writing is more than a passion. It’s a way of life. She’s a multi-genre author, who finds inspiration from the nature around her, and her love of the old west, and other odd and quirky things which might surprise you.
Her latest release is the re-release of Delilah, as Book 1 in the Women in the West adventure series. She has short stories featured in the following anthologies: The Collapsar Directive (“If You’re Happy and You Know It”); Relationship Add Vice (“The Devil Made Her Do It”); Nightmareland (“The Haunting in Carol’s Woods”); Whispers of the Past (“The Woman in the Water”); Spirits of the West (“Don’t Eat the Pickled Eggs”); and Where Spirits Linger (“The People Upstairs”). Her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets, and her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, are both available in both digital and print editions at most of your favorite book distributors.
In addition, she keeps up her authors’ blog, Writing to be Read, where she posts reflections on her own writing, author interviews and book reviews, along with writing tips and inspirational posts from fellow writers. Kaye Lynne has also created her own very small publishing house in WordCrafter Press, and WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services, where she offers quality author services, such as publishing, editing, and book blog tours. She has served as a judge for the Western Writers of America and sitting on the editorial team for Western State Colorado University and WordFire Press for the Gilded Glass anthology and editing Weird Tales: The Best of the Early Years 1926-27, under Kevin J. Anderson & Jonathan Maberry.
In her spare time, she is bird watching, or gardening, or just soaking up some of that Colorado sunshine.
Meeka’s Mind blog has shared a wonderful Q&A about my new poetry collection, Lion Scream, and the role of hyenas in nature ecosystems. Thank you, Meeks.
I was on Robbie Cheadle’s blog recently and was intrigued when she described some of Southern Africa’s wild life as ‘the Big Five’ and ‘the Ugly Five’! I had to ask, right? Well, here’s what Robbie said.
Robbie: The “Ugly Five”, comprising of the warthog, hyena, wildebeest, marabou stork, and vulture, aren’t as well known, but also play an important role in the southern African eco systems. The hyena, marabou stork, and vulture are all scavengers who help ‘clean up’ the bushveld.
One of the most interesting of the “Ugly Five” is the hyena which is one of the most misunderstood and persecuted animals in history. Throughout history, hyenas have been regarded as vermin and a liability to local communities. Disney’s movie, The Lion King, also perpetrated the myth of hyenas as despicable animals.
Me: Having watched The Lion King many times when the Offspring was little, I…
Robbie's inspiration 