Spotlight: I Asked the Wind - A Collection of Romantic Poetry by Valerie Nifora

 

There is no better day than Valentines Day, the day of love, to spotlight this beautiful collection of romantic poetry.

I have asked author Valerie Nifora to  share with The Burgeoning Bookshelf her favourite poems and what they mean to her.

I Asked the Wind: A Collection of Romantic Poetry

by

Valerie Nifora

Publisher: The Unapologetic Voice House LLC
Publication date: 3rd December 2019
Genre: Poetry
Pages: 108

Book Summary:

I Asked the Wind: A Collection of Romantic Poetry is a journey into romance, love and loss through poetry. The poems published in this collection span over 15 years of writing. Often starting with short rhythmic patterns, each poem’s lyrical tone is filled with inspired words to express the deep emotion experienced in the intricacies of romance.

Handwritten in a journal and hidden away until this publication, the poems chronicle the journey into and out of love. Written in three parts, the book enables the reader to transverse the intensity of romantic love, from the first moment of falling in love, to the intense pain of heartbreak.

Beautiful and powerful in its lyrical and simple verse, the reader is immediately immersed in a world of sensuality, passion, desire, and innocence; all woven together into a tapestry of human emotion. Each poem transports the reader to a story through the art of poetry. Drawing on natural elements such as the sun, sand, wind and moon, this collection explores the light and darkness of romantic love, leaving the reader questioning if love was ever real at all.

A selection of poems chosen by the author and why they have special meaning to her:

LET THE CLOCK HAND KEEP ITS TIME
Let the clock hand
Keep its time
Let its bell ring
Let it chime .
Let the moon face
Pass above
Let it watch us
Close, my love.
Let the darkness
Come and pass
Let it creep
Through window glass.
Let the seasons
Change and turn
Let them make
This hard earth yearn.
Let them all do
As they need
Mind them not
Pay no heed.
Let us stand here
Heart made whole
Bound together
As one soul.

I was listening to the ticking sound of the clock on the wall while I was writing this one. I was hoping to capture the sound of the metronome... methodical, perpetual, ceaseless ... It had been a long time since I had seen this person and it was painful. That sound... the counting the minutes until he arrived. So I thought, you know.. what if I turn that around and say that this love will outlast time? And this waiting is inconsequential.   

SWING ME ROUND
Swing me round
In this dance
Leave me breathless
In a trance
Let the laughter
Spin us still
Round and round
Against our will.
Let the light
Flash on by
To fill the darkness
In the sky
Let us fall
Still in embrace
To vanish slowly
Without a trace.             

This is one on my husband's favorite pieces. I wrote it for him. We had just started dating and I thought how much fun it would be to go to a square dance in a barn. The poor man! It was Halloween and I glimpsed over and saw him swinging a woman dressed as a cow and I thought to myself -- this man must really like me! I spent the entire evening enamored with his kindness and wonderful spirit, and I knew in my heart this was it. 

I LOVE YOU. ETERNAL.
I love you. Eternal.
Until time does cease.
For in your soul,
I have found,
Perfect peace.

This is how I start the collection. For me, that's what true love is about -- finding peace in another and knowing this is love. As Saint Thomas Aquinas once said, “Love is willing the good of the other.”

Praise for I Asked the Wind: A Collection of Romantic Poetry

“...a breathtaking compilation of tender poetry .“

- Jessica Tingling, The San Francisco Book Review

“Valerie’s poetry evokes images of tangled butterflies caught in a breeze, leaves falling too soon, and speaks with a deep, deep tenderness.”

– Troy Turner, Poet

“A beautiful tribute to reflective thoughts of love and losses suffered…this was well done… ”

– Wanda Firman-Cooper, Reviewer

“Valerie’s poems are not only magnificent to read, but they stick with you.”

– Robert Robinson, Executive Producer, The Dinner Salon

“In today’s age of fast-food thinking, attention-deficit scanning, and thumb scrolls past click-bait, it’s refreshing to find a relatable, digestible read that harkens back to an era of leather-bound literature’s reign in terms of meter and word choice.“

– Amaani F. Lyle, Military Journalist

“Val’s poetry goes deeper…into a mosaic of sensuality that leaves you hearing love as if it were a song.“

– Myra Jo Martino, Writers Guild Award Winner for Ugly Betty

About the Author, Valerie Nifora

Valerie Nifora was born and raised in New York to Greek immigrant parents. For over twenty years, Valerie was Marketing Communications Leader for a Fortune 50. She served as a ghost writer for several executives and has executed award-winning campaigns using her special gift as a storyteller to inspire. Her first book is a collection of romantic poetry that explores innocence, sensuality, passion, desire, heartbreak and loss through the lens of her personal experience spanning over 15 years. Her beautiful and powerful voice immediately calls forth a time of leather-bound books and invites the reader to find a comfortable chair and begin their journey through the powerful human emotion of love. Valerie holds a B.A. in Communications from Emerson College and an M.B.A. from Fordham University. She is married and a mother of two amazing sons.

FOLLOW THE WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR FOR MORE REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS & GIVEAWAYS.

 

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Spotlight & Giveaway: The Silk Road Wars (Historical Fiction)

The Silk Road Wars

by 

Frank Spencer

STRATEGY AND INGENUITY  SEE BATTLE SUCCESS FOR CHINA IN THE SILK ROAD WARS

NEW HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK BY MELBOURNE AUTHOR, FRANK SPENCER

 

 

Publisher: Sid Harta Publishers
Publication date: 1st May 2016
Pages: 164
RRP: $24.95 AUD

About the book and the inspiration behind it:

Creating bedtime stories for his two young sons about a mythical giant called Chop Suey, was the spark for Frank Spencer’s new historical novel, The Silk Road Wars, set in China’s Ming Dynasty.

While the book’s main character, Chi, is based on this invented giant, the wars fought by China to defend its borders are factual. One of the first attacks covered in the book is Japan’s invasion in 1834.

Following this, many other regimes and leaders attempted to defeat the Chinese without success including King Porus of India, the Gauls, Romania, the Cossacks, the Thugees, the Moors, the Carthaginians and many others.

“The Silk Roads created a vast trading empire that made China the wealthiest of nations,” said Frank Spencer of his second novel. “This also made China the prize other nations strived to plunder.”

Throughout the Ming Dynasty the Great Wall was extended and strengthened and a formidable army was created to fight off the many and regular invaders.

Chi’s father, Peng, was a master in designing and manufacturing devastating weapons of war and set in place China’s arms race, transforming the Ming army.

Conscription was invented to replace the thousands of soldiers who lost their lives fighting off invaders, and a special elite unit was also created. Chi became China’s greatest warrior, a general who was a master in the art of war.

In defending its Silk Road, China fought back with great vigour and although always outnumbered, its superior strategies and weaponry more than levelled the odds.

China invented gunpowder and had cannon whereas most of her adversaries did not. Its greater cunning and ingenuity was also used when it bought weapons used in the American Civil War.

“The Silk Road Wars documents the many great land and sea battles and identifies Britain emerging as the prime antagonist,” said Frank Spencer.

“In building a mighty navy and an empire, Britain continued to see China as a bitter enemy and remained in conflict with the nation well into the age of steam and dreadnought battleships.”

Frank Spencer’s love of Marco Polo’s travels was further reason for creating this historical novel, which interweaves many other characters into the narrative including Chi’s friendships and his love life, and relationships with Emperor Zu Youjian and General Qi Juguang who was a master tactician and authority on Sun Tzu’s the Art of War.

About the author:

Frank Spencer is a retired organisational psychologist with a Master’s Degree in Organisational Psychology. He has implemented change strategies in many of Australia’s leading organisations. Frank has worked with world leaders in organisation development and pioneered a remuneration system based on role rather than job, which can also function as a change strategy. His system is licensed to the Institute of Managers and Leaders and Frank manages remuneration structure projects on their behalf.

A Secret Life is the title of Frank Spencer's first book, an espionage thriller that follows the intriguing life of Richard Sinclair and his extraordinary life skills, including martial arts, who uses the power of friendship and love to take on the biggest battles of all.

Both books can be purchased from Booktopia:

   

    

Giveaway:

I have one paperback copy of The Silk Road Wars to giveaway courtesy of WMC Public Relations (open to Australian addresses only).

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was - Brenda.