She's Facing Me Book Review

The following is the Official Apex Review for She's Facing Me.  It was reviewed by Wendy Paulson.  It made my day to read this!  I couldn't have asked for a better review!
I couldn't get the images to upload to the blog, but it received four out of five stars. 

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     Throughout the pages of She’s Facing Me, her autobiographical collection of poetry, author K.L. Stewart presents the reader with a compelling portrait of a wounded soul’s daunting trek through life. Starting with her troubled beginnings in a dysfunctional single parent home, She’s Facing Me takes you on a moving spiritual journey with wide reaching ramifications.  As Stewart eventually comes face-to-face with deep, long suppressed truths, she ultimately learns to embrace the healing power of forgiveness – both for those around her and herself.

     Perhaps the most salient quality of She’s Facing Me is the strong underlying current of spirituality that anchors the collection. Without such a crucial crutch to fall back on, Stewart would no doubt have succumbed to the crushing pain threatening to consume her during the darkest periods of her life. Given all the suffering that she was forced to endure, one would expect Stewart to have yielded to the throes of misery and depression long ago; however, through the powerfully creative fervor of her inspired verse, she relates a determined, unflappable strength that the reader can’t help but admire. Also, in covering the all-too-familiar ground of single parenthood, dysfunctional homes, and the adolescent struggle to find where we belong, She’s Facing Me paints a vivid picture of conflicted life to which readers of all backgrounds are sure to relate.

     Thoroughly uplifting, She’s Facing Me is a welcome new addition to the world of poetic verse.


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Nothing Like the Real Thing!

Many people are now buying e-books, and the debate is on:
Do you think that paper books will stand the test of time, or will they soon be a thing of the past?

Here's my take on this: e-books are okay, but nothing will ever replace my paper made books. 
There is just something special about the sensation of actually holding the book in your hands.  It's almost magical.  I love everything about it!

I love the sound of my fingers sliding over the page, as I get ready to flip it over in anticipation of what will happen next.
I love the actual sound of the page flipping, as I excitedly look for a favorite part to re-read! 
I even love the smell of a book!  It' kind of how I first bond with the book. 
I see it first, then I take a hold of it, get the feel of it, and as I open it, the smell is noticed before I even read the first word.

It's almost the same as meeting someone for the first time. 
You see them, shake their hand, and before they have spoken, their scent has already permeated the air around you. 
Good or bad, it leaves an impression. 
The same is true for books. 
They are good friends, and that first meeting is important! 
This gets lost with e-books. 
I'm not against e-books.  I'll still read them, but it seems like something is lost.  Something that cannot be replaced.

Dark Angels

Imagine what it would be like to feel the suffering of others, and still have to manage and live your own life.  What would you do?  How would you cope?  Would you see this as a curse, or would you turn this into something good, and try to end the suffering of the world?

That is, in essence, what it is to be a dark angel.  Each one is born a mortal, then they get chosen to be reborn as a dark angel, and their job is to defend and help those who cannot help themselves...those who are in dark places.

Each one must either rise to face the challenge, or be punished...vanquished to a place of nothingness...the void.

Each one posseses unique powers, given to them by the god Saigolai, the god of life.  Victor is the dark angel of Justice.  In the first book, his need to save his wife is driven by his love of her, but also by his quest for Saigolai.  He must see that Kristiniva is held accountable for her crimes against not only the angels, but the people of Sark.  She has not only captured a queen, she has captured and with held love from these people, who need it now more than ever.  Sark has become over run with evil souls, and there is no love to counter the darkness. 
Celeste, the dark angel of love, is on a quest to get home.  She is lost to her people, and she knows that they need her, but is powerless to get back to Sark.  In this way, love and justice work hand in hand in the book.  Their relationship is like scales, balancing.  I did not want to make either Celeste or Victor to seem weak, because both are powerful beings.  Each depends upon the other, though.  Celeste can not give her love to the people without Victor's gift.  Likewise, Victor cannot rule the people of Sark Justly without the reception of Celeste's love. 
Then there is Alexandria, a dark angel who stands independently.  She is the angel of Vengeance.  She hunts down evil souls, and repays them.  An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a death for a death, a pain for a pain.  She is also skilled in spell casting (though this is a learned trade, rather than a gift).  Before coming to Sark she was a knight of Chimrion, highly skilled in combative arts.  Though she is tough, and independent, she is like the other dark angels, vulnerable at times, especially when she is not in control, and has not been given power to overtake her opponents.  The power ultimately comes from Saigolai, not the angels themselves.  It is a gift given to them, but at times, it is taken.  Always with a reason.

To read more about the Dark Angels, order the book  Angels and Shadows.  It is available at http://www.reimannbooks.com/!