FIVE WHITE CLOUDS

Words that Make Sentences that Make Poems Author: Toni Minns Many people can express darkness in unique or creative ways. Emotions are subjective to each person and are often expressed by yelling, screaming, and violent outbursts, hiding in corners or playing an instrument. Some use writing to create a picture for readers that can be vividly seen as various types of emotions, events and feelings are put not just into words but creatively and vividly described sentences that form poems. Poet and author Toni Sinns presents a an eclectic collection of poems that run the gambit of every emotion we have from love, to hate, to despair, depression and fear. Words are powerful. They can evoke images, thoughts, and emotions and express our inner most feelings and desires. One word can flood our memories, unconscious mind, and overflow our thoughts with colorful, dark, hidden and vivid images that can form other words; sentences expressing what are in our minds and soul. Author Toni Minns uses words or phrases to evoke in the reader the feelings within your heart and mind to help understand a kaleidoscope of words that are our emotions. Like a starburst or meteor shower that covers the world or part of the sky and fills the spaces of our minds and corners of our hearts within our emotional outbursts, feelings of despair, fog, loneliness, happiness, fear, death, and acceptance enter as you become part of the world of words that make sentences that make poems by Toni Minns. Happiness is a universal emotion yet unique to each of us. The warmth of the rays of the sun, in the poem Happiness, creates a special flutter in the author’s heart and evokes a feeling of love right from her family. Using one word titles in several of her shorter offerings, the author defines the word using adjectives, nouns and descriptive sentences allowing the reader to picture the mood, the words in his/her own mind and to feel that emotional tug and pull first hand. Referring to honesty as a White Knight is quite compelling. Describing Honesty as if it were a real person and the quality is quite creative and the final line so clear in its definition. Followed by the poem Loyalty and using the medal gold as the key in this poem to entice the reader to learn more. A medal so valuable and worth so much as she defines Loyalty. Gold chains that bind us together as she states are the Golden Words of Loyalty. But, not all emotions are filled with joy and she delves into her inner most heart and describes despair, fog, death, depression and fear/ These are a blend of emotions that we all feel at times when hurt, betrayed, after losing a loved one or friend, spouse or even a job. Sometimes these feelings evoke strong reactions aptly expressed or described in words for others to understand. Sometimes more than one feeling evokes another and emotions override each other or overflow. As you read the poems in this book and hear the voice of each mood, feeling, emotion or event you can almost picture the words on a canvas painted in an art gallery with each poem used as the index below explaining it to the viewer. Despair let’s the reader know that the person speaking has lost all hope for future and feels they must surrender to the pain. Fog is something we can barely see through and when things become clouded and too thick to see we pray it lifts and forms a newly clear sky to help us focus on the world, as we should see it in a more positive light. The author defines Love, depression, Faint and Fight. Her understanding of Alone as she describes the person sitting alone in her room not hearing or seeing anything around her almost like isolation even though things are physically present. The speaker is withdrawing from the physical world into her own filled with loneliness. But, someone shakes her dark world by pulling back the black drapes where reality might set in. Next, Anger fear, Pain, Relapse and a strong emotion many feel at times Revenge. There are so many poems that I cannot relate all of them to you the reader as I would be depriving you of reading them and finding which ones evoke your strongest feelings and desires. Something most teens find difficult when overwhelmed or even a college student is Homework. Staring at the paper and not really sure how to complete it is not uncommon. Detention would not be fun but the speaker has a revelation at the end of the poem, which changes everything. The poem that I really liked the best if I was asked to pick one is Daddy. I always wanted and asked my Dad for guidance to help me through rough times and I was so proud when he said he was proud of me for my accomplishments. He did not shower me with presents, or monetary rewards when I got good grades in school or did something kind for someone else. Just his words of praise, a hug and a smile were all I needed. He, as the author states, will always be in my heart and when I look up into the sky or the heavens I often feel his presence. In the author’s own words: “My poems are a mixture of emotions and thoughts. They come from ideas and some of them come from life experiences. Most of them are tragic, depressing, and end in death or are about death.” Each poem is unique in its own way some poor filled with despair and others seem to see the light. Death is a terrifying and bone chilling feeling when staring at someone in a coffin or watching him or her lowered into the ground. Understanding what is happening but remembering the good and the great memories special. Another poem that will definitely stir up your blood and juices is Mirror Death. As you star at yourself in a mirror and watch the tears fall as you remember why you feel this way and the cause you just might feel like smashing the glass and allowing the anger to overtake you. But, life goes on and you need to continue. Her Life is the finality of a young girl’s journey. One last time freeing herself from the rules and regulations of her family and the constraints of life which many adults feel they cannot handle either. Now, she would be on her own but where? The remainder of the poems that I will discuss deal with real life issues many face today as these poems bring to light many difficult issues teens and adults face when depression, anger, fear and hopelessness are not addressed and handled. Bruise is powerful as the author describes what happens to someone at the hand of another. Followed by the powerful poem Abuse, which vividly paints a picture of black and blue skin, scrapes and the fact it can happen to anyone. Describing her feelings about school, working there all day, learning to follow the rules and regulations, but going home and telling your mother what you learned to me is priceless. The poem Mother is quite powerful as it interlocks and intertwines in my mind the others dealing with Abuse and harms. Freeing his/her own mind and allowing their thoughts to come out is the author or speaker’s own way to let the world know he/she does not believe the nagging, abusive language and negativity generated by the mother in this poem. “ Life is full of Mystery we really can’t explain,” says the author. If you think about it life is one huge roller coaster as she states consisting of many ups, downs, slides, curves and definitely twists. It can create stress, it can be hard but when two people stick together you get that special medal or word Loyalty coming front and center. Although each poem might on the surface appear to filled with only death, despair and sadness looking deep into some you will definitely find the white light. So, Life Gets Better she is so right when she writes this final poem that I will discuss. Through the lies, the hate, the troubles that “crackle among the fire,” we once again realize the roller coaster with nonstop brakes that creates the wonderful experiences we have as the world can be a great place if you do not succumb to all of its pressures and stop downloading the negative and realize if you keep fight you will succeed. Life Gets Better. The author creates poems filled with human emotions, feelings and thoughts we all experience. Through it all I can see the white light as I said in some and the dark clouds in others as the warning signs that we all need to look out for before we go down into the darkness and forget the light. Although life is difficult, filled with delicate and intricate moments and times if you work at it, never give up and follow your own path and heart you just might lift the veil of clouds, fog and despair. Listen to your self and find your own dreams and do not let that coffin door close on your. Try not to let your dreams in the ground and soar part the clouds and look for that hope and try not to find that everything goes dark. Vividly described emotions in well- written poems that create their own individual stories, pictures and images in the mind of the reader in this original collection of words that form sentences that form poems by one creative author Toni Minns. Let’s give this book: FIVE WHITE CLOUDS OF HAPPINESS Fran Lewis: Reviewer

FIVE GOLDEN DREAMS

THE PRINCESS: PART ONE OF THE ALEXANDER TRILOGY AUTHOR: STAN I.S. LAW Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are. Some need more recognition than others. Alec has an amazing imagination that allows him to drift in and out of the real world just by thinking about a place, time period of specific event. Daydreaming is often our way of escaping the realities of the world at any given time. Although he loves school and geography, Alec finds himself back in time dressed in colorful clothes during a time period that most kids would not even think or know about. Imagine being up close and next to an Inca King? Imagine coming back to your own world with gold nuggets. Alec went home and looked up the Inca’s in his encyclopedia to learn more about them and something miraculous happened. His dreams were filled with vivid images of the mountains, he felt the cool air and he even traveled on a narrow mountain path. Alec appeared to be a normal boy of 13 years of age. In reality, he experienced visions for over three years. Hiding this fact from family and friends Alec was able to escape into the many different places and time periods that only those who lived during them would ever experience. Would you like to meet the Egyptian Pharaohs? Would you like seeing the forbidding mountains in Afghanistan? But there is so much more as things changed for him and his visions disappeared as quickly as they came when believe it or not technology entered his life and his father bought him a computer complete with Internet and more. Reliving the past many might consider a poor substitute for the present but learning about other time periods, how exciting to this young man. Then, something happens to change his life when he is allowed to remain home alone while his parents are on vacation. If you saw a face or what many might think is an apparition in a mirror would you think you were going crazy? What would happen if that apparition of vision you think you see communicated with you? What if this voice that you hear but cannot clearly see as sharp image tells you she is a Princess? What if you go as far as telling you she is really your other half? What would you think and how would you react? Why would this beautiful Princess named Sandra say that she cares about what he thinks of her and not really her beauty? She came because he stopped traveling to other places within his daydreams. Maybe with the Internet and access to too many information it was too easy to just find the information and the real challenge was reading it in an encyclopedia and learning it for yourself. Research done not on the net but in an actual book. How could she be there all the time without Alec knowing or feeling her presence? What happens when she disappears? Alec is upset with himself when he reflects on what happened. Going back to the mirror where he first sees the Princess he hopes she will return. All through History class the next day he hopes for some glimpse of time travel and a chance to apologize for not responding properly the Princess. Imagine daydreaming all day in school and waiting to be whisked away to a far off place. History, English and Math hold a certain amount of interest but Alec sees the school’s architecture through different eyes and a different light. As he looks at the building and its structure he begins to sense the history behind it and can relate it all as he does every dream and event that he has or encounters. 
 Something about the experience in school sends him to his computer to learn more buildings that are more than 200 years old. While glued to his computer something happens and when this 13-year-old young man awakens he is no longer at home but chained to a wall in a dungeon in a castle where he will learn many new life lesson. First, how will he get out of the chains? Next, how will he ever escape and why is he there? As Alec begins to focus on his situation he realizes that the chains were made for an adult and he can easily slip out of them. As he becomes more aware of his surroundings he encounters a huge man named Igor who, although quite massive seems to fear Alec and others smaller in size. After freeing this tortured man from his bondage he goes in search of Princess Sandra and saves her too. Just how they all manage to escape is due to the creative and ingenious mind of our author who helps all three characters see more than just the light. As Sandra explains to Alec about Igor’s fear of smaller sized people, she explains how no matter what size or shape you are nothing positive will come out of it unless intelligence, kindness and understanding are there too. Poor Igor was placed in the dungeon to overcome this fear and Alec risked his life to help both Igor and Sandra. As the story continues you learn that Sandra is almost like his conscience or mentor trying to teach him how to deal with others, understanding your differences and hopefully learning something from all of his experiences. Alec begins to see that size, shape and appearances do not make the person as Sandra tries to guide him in a more positive path. Then Alec has a harsh realization and begins to realize that really happened and how his attitude needed to change. Alec’s parents let him alone for quite some time to go on vacation. After finally contacting him they decided to leave him for a few more days allowing him access to some extra money and hoping he could fend for himself. But, Alec is only 13 his parents although concerned about him leave him to learn many hard lessons in life. His kindness shines through when he does not tell his mother he really wants her to come home and yet, you would think they would know that. The road to adulthood and independence does not come without many lessons that you have to learn and many mistakes you will make along the way. As Sandra takes Alec on many journeys to what she refers to as his Home Planet and explains that they were both there for more than one thousand years you begin to wonder just what worlds Alec has imagined his lived in, visited and what other lessons he will learn along the way. Just why was Sandra there and what was she really trying to teach Alec as he goes to the next step, sees more of other worlds and tries to understand why a thirteen year old needs to know any of this and what creating a world in your mind really means. Life is a series of journeys and as Alec experiences each one he will learn more about himself, his inner desires and his road to becoming more than he realizes he can be. As he uses his imagination and inner thoughts to lead him through the many places he visits within his realm of creativity and imagination what unfolds would surprise him as he takes this trip with the aide of one princess named Sandra who is always there with him even though he does not always see her. Can someone teach you to be who you really are? What other lands and dreams will Alec have before he comes to the final realization? Challenges come in many different ways. You are according to our princess what you want to be. You can be anything you want and you can create a situation just by thinking about it. There are no limitations to what you can achieve if you desire it. Next, he learns how to build a relationship with another person understanding that he is quite intelligent and handling the many realms he visits in order to learn the numerous life lessons. With Sandra’s guidance Alec learns many life lessons and understands the infinite challenges, hurdles and goals that everyone needs to pursue to find their inner self and who they are. Being the best you can be and using your creative imagination is what she tries to impart to him. Understanding our differences, accepting others for whom they are not dwelling or judging someone by his/her appearance alone is paramount. Alec learns to understand himself as he visits many different places and winds up on the edge of a very vast universe. Each journey is unique and his memories are quite vivid and clear as he relates them in detail to the reader. Life has a purpose and you need to develop your own way of living it, understanding it and hopefully becoming responsible and owning up to your actions whether good or bad. Blaming others is not what anyone should do and being critical and mean is not a positive way of understanding these lessons. The next several journeys take him to make far off places and others close by. One even takes him back to colonial times. But, something changes everything when he meets a young girl named Suzy or Susanna and he begins to explore his feelings for a young girl, his friendship and his loyalty to Sandra and what she really means to him. Going sailing with his parents becomes a real life experience for them as they learn that Alec is a remarkable young man and can handle man adult situations. As the story draws to a close Alec and Sandra move ahead in time to where they are both appear to be much older as they discuss the final stages of part one of his journey. Alec felt that within all of his journeys there was something missing. As Alec experiences the Next or Final Step learn what happens when he attends his first ball, the feelings that change within him and the final lessons learned. His memories came flooding to the forefront and what happens at the end you will not believe. What happens between Sandra and Alec creates a unity that only the reader will understand when you experience it first hand when reading it. What Alec decides to do with his life you need to find out for yourself? What are the final lessons learned? I promised I would not reveal too much as we all need to live life to learn how to become our own Being. With black and white charcoal drawings that help guide you on the journey along the way author Stan I.S. Law’s The Princess has life lessons that we as adults and young adults can truly learn. If you love to dream and have an imagination the possibilities are endless. This book is great for adults and young adults to teach life lessons in tolerance, understanding and kindness. I really enjoyed reading Alec’s story and hearing Sandra’s voice as his mentor and conscience guiding him from one stage of his life to another. I can’t wait to see where Alec goes next. Fran Lewis: reviewer THIS BOOK GETS FIVE SPECIAL DREAMS AND MEMORIES FOR ALEC!

Take the Journey Back In Time

Benjamin Manry and the Crimson Journal Reviewed by Fran Lewis Let’s go back in time to 1763 with Benjamin Manry, his brother Harris and friend Sal and learn what happens when three young men start out on a hiking and fishing trip and wind becoming time travelers, catching notorious pirates and their leader Blood Bones and deciding to remain in that time period and become part of a crew on a ship. Captain Nelson has enlisted them as part of his crew and Ben is now first officer. He recounts in his journal log of June 8, 1763 how it all began why they wound up in this time period and where they are about to go. King George III has summoned them for another mission. This time it is not to go after a treasure or a pirate. Welcome to Colonial Times and the world of Benjamin Manry and the crew of the HMS Courtesy. Where will the seas take these brave young men and what will happen to them next? Joining Captain Arthur F. Nelson as privateers revisiting, staying in contact with their parents and the present world they decided to remain and try to save the world from pirates. But, this next mission would be quite different. Go back in time to the 16th century and meet Sir Francis Drake whose mission it was to attack El Morro and gain control of the Spanish Fleet for Queen Elizabeth. But, when he did not focus on the mission what happened would not only cost him his ship but the treasure held within it. As we go back to the 18th century we learn more about how Blood Bones became whom he was and why he was placed in the El Morro dungeon. How he escaped and his story is going to be told. Flash ahead as Captain Nelson reads the journal of the young man who turned into Blood Bones as Benjamin and his friends are about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. The story continues with the journal of Blood Bones and what happens when he finally escapes after being betrayed by Father Saladino who took his prized possession. However, in the present or our time, the parents of these three young men hang on to hope as they send the only proof of what may hold the key to a museum but what happens with these two items will enlighten the reader to a point but definitely keep you reading until the answers are found. Let’s revisit 1751 and hear the voice of Blood Bones and learn his story and what really happened to cause on young man named Hernando to turn into a deadly and dangerous pirate. As Captain Nelson reads the entry in his journal and hears his voice as he learns of the tortures that befell this young man you learn just how far he would go to survive and those who would become part of his band of pirates. King George III has invited Captain Nelson and his men to a banquet to celebrate the Summer Solstice. As the daughter of the Governor and the newly married bride of Captain Richard Highmore, Leah Williamson would attend this regal event. With the help of her maid, Eve, she would prepare for the night and even confide in her what she felt for one, Benjamin Manry. Preparing for the evening, thinking about him at dinner the week before images of this young man come into play as she remembers his face and she cannot forget her true feelings. Intertwined in the plot are some navigational lessons our author shares as the Captain and his crew chart the course to England, log the coordinates as they travel the high seas and record their sightings and information in a journal allowing the reader to join in the journey along with these sailors. Our author teaches navigation at Suny Maritime and he shares his knowledge of the open waters with the reader as we take many of journeys along with Ben, Harris, Charles and Blood Bones. When Leah realizes she will come face to face with Ben at this banquet she confides in Eve, her maid, and together they plan her appearance and decide on the course for the evening after Leah admits to herself and Leah her true feelings for Ben. Before attending the party the Captain receives a package from the King and a letter requesting his presence to discuss his next mission. Included in this letter and package of information are the names George Grenville the Prime Minister of England, El Borrow and Loco, Captain Blood Bones and Blood Spot. The mystery of why and what he and his crew will be requested to do will amaze the reader and make you wonder why the King would request something so out of ordinary and mutinous. However, sometimes choices are taken out of your hands and you have to complete what you have been enlisted to do. Fate sometimes rears its head and when Benjamin sees Leah after a long period of time the connection is still there but will it amount to anything? Leah is married to a Captain and although she knows her place will she keep her vows? The four heroes meet with King George after the ceremony and light show conclude. The request took them by surprise but they had no choice but to agree. As the story continues we learn more about Blood Bones as the author shares his Crimson Journal with Captain Nelson and the reader and we have to decide whether this man’s fate was deserved, whether becoming a pirate was his only way out or whether the deceit, lies, murderous actions and violence were justified for what he relates in the journal or not? Ben is enlisted to deliver a crucial note to a friend of Captain Nelson and here is where our story will take a different turn. However, what both Leah and Ben do not know is that another pair of eyes was upon them watching their every move. What will be their fate? What will be the outcome of the mission? As you learn more about Blood Bones and read his Crimson diary what conclusions will you draw? When the four friends explore London they meet up with Leah, enjoy a game of cricket and only Ben notices a figure watching them. But, first we learned more about Blood Bones, his training to learn his destiny and prophecy and the magic he learned in order to defeat his foes. But, Blood Bones has a very strong voice, his agenda set within his mind and the time to carry it out given. Ben and his crew have their agenda set out but what they do not know is they are being overheard. What will the final outcome of their mission be and who is listening in and why? As Leah hopes to see Ben, Ben is having a day out with the King and Louisa. What happens is totally unexpected and the end result still uncertain. There are many plots that are being woven within this novel. As we learn of the revenge and bloodthirsty plot of Blood Bones we hear the voices of Ben and his crew planning another type of murderous act. In between we hear the voice of yet another that wants to take his vengeance out on Ben. But, what is the significance of the scarlet ring that Blood Bones requires to fulfill his destiny? As the story draws to a temporary close the plan is executed and the end result will definitely surprise the reader as several lives are lost, some are saved but in a very unique and creative way. As deceptive as the plot and the treachery behind it so is the unexpected ending that the author presents for the reader. Three medallions, one staff, one crimson journal, one scarlet ring and many unanswered questions. Just what lies next for these time travelers and what lessons will they learn when the journey continues? What happens when Leah learns who is behind what happens to Ben and his friends? Will the King save them? Open the journal, read the entries, hear the voice of Blood Bones, remember the magic and remember your rescue lies within the pages of the Crimson Journal. To be remembered forever you must: “ Reach immortality, the stories of your name must be passed on, told to all: passerby, friend and foe. They, and only then, you will love forever.” The prophecy continues the journal has many more pages to read and the writer’s name has been passed on to many not just friend and foe. Welcome to the 18th century where pirates reigned, magical things happened, one King requested the unthinkable and revenge just might seem to win out. Conspiracy in the King’s Court or Justice: You decide! Where will our time travelers finally wind up when the journey continues? Will they remain where they are or will the medallions and the author take them into yet another time period? Characters that present viewpoints from two different time periods. Young men and women that teach lessons in manners, understanding, honesty and loyalty as well as one Pirate who will not be silenced as his thoughts and case are presented to the reader. Final outcome: Only the pages within the Crimson Journal knows and of course our author. Fran Lewis: reviewer: This book gets Five Scarlet Rings for the next journey.

Faces behind the stones reviewed by Dr. Fran Orenstein

Faces Behind The Stones by Fran Lewis World Castle Publishing, 2012 Faces Behind The Stones is a unique collection of seven short vignettes, based on true stories, narrated from the afterlife. Each character speaks from the grave; some to justify themselves and their deaths, some to send a message to help the living, and others to confess their own shortcomings past and present. MJ believes she has a happy marriage and a good life, until reality rears its snake-head and the past rushes in to join in the final blow that places her under the headstone marking her existence. Ms. Lewis presents a terrifying picture of a marriage gone wrong, deception, and the price a person may pay for long-forgotten past deeds. She also speaks to the very real abuse people can experience in nursing homes, a current topic of today. Virginia, a naïve, honest teacher experiences an all too common abuse of power that destroys her career and her life. Railroaded by a cruel, power-mad administrator, Virginia learns too late that the good don’t always win. The most tragic death of all is probably the suicide of a child that could have been prevented. The first story belongs to Belinda, a teen with a poor self-image, bullied by the popular girls, lacking a social life, and with no one to turn to for help. The second story is John’s, a teen neglected all his short life by his wealthy, hedonistic parents, who have mapped out his life and care nothing for the person they bully to conform to their image of a son. These tales are stark reminders of disservice done to the children left to founder on their own, as they fall deeper and deeper in depression until they lie beneath the stone. Tom’s story is a murder mystery of identical twins, and the lucrative business of selling body parts. Who actually lies beneath the stone is the twist to this unusual tale of good and evil in the medical profession. In another murder mystery we meet Katie, a woman who thought she had it all, a good marriage, a devoted husband, and a trusted best friend, until a double twist of fate sends her to the grave, but not alone. The last voice from the grave cries out. When Don finally realizes why no one will listen, why they think he’s paranoid, and what is really happening, it is too late. The past catches up with Don in a conspiracy that winds and twists like the coils of a snake until it crushes him. The fact that these seven stories are based on truth, this novella presents a stark and disturbing reality that could happen to people we know and to us. Reviewed by Dr. Fran Orenstein, author and poet, Tampa Bay, Florida.