Hearts and Minds

by Maria V.A. Johnson

The most important human experiences of love and death are beautifully explored in this anthology. With carefully selected and themed Loss; Love; Lyrical; and Life, the emotions invoked by the words as they flow over the page will touch your heart.

70 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2012

About the author

Maria V A Johnson is a voracious reader, professional editor and published author with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in English and Creative Writing. She loves the challenge of taking a raw manuscript and turning it into a polished novel. She specialises in Fantasy, however can edit any genre. She first started writing seriously, when at sixteen she wrote a poem for her grandmother’s funeral and she grew to love poetry and writing from there.

Maria has collaborated in, edited and formatted books entitled The Other Way is Essex & Creepy Tales for Boyz and Ghouls, which raise money for Farleigh Hospice in Chelmsford, Essex not far from her home. She currently works solely with Indie and Self-Published authors. Maria has published a poetry anthology called Hearts & Minds which was released November 2012.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is beautiful poetry! Maria touches the soul with her beautiful words. She shows heart and emotion with every verse. I must say I found another great poet.I felt her pain and sadness in her words. Don't miss this amazing book. Thank you Maria for sharing your soul with us. I totally recommend this poetry book, even if you don't read poetry this book could change your mind. It's sad and happy, about family , illness and how one tries to cope with it thru poetry.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Please note that it's my policy not to give five-star reviews for books which aren't life-changing. Four stars is as good as it gets from me for books that aren't Twilight.]

I haven't actually sat down to read a book of poetry since I finished my English degree in 1990. Terrible oversight on my part. This book reminded me of all that is best about poetry: the ability to pack a real emotional punch in just a few lines, and the opportunity to indulge oneself in reading an entire book in half-an-hour.

This book felt a bit like the proverbial curate's egg, in that some parts were better than others. I felt that some of the rhymes were rather overreached and occasionally jarred, but the free verse was much better and the meter was always perfect - something I consider extremely important in poetry. It was broken into sections related to the topic or the mood and that made it something I might dip into at a later date if I'm looking for a poem to suit a particular occasion.

It was, at times, extremely personal. I happen to know the poet, and that might have been a little awkward, but somehow wasn't. It felt more as though a friend was opening up to me. I'd be interested to know if readers who don't know the writer feel the same way.

Overall this is a lovely little volume which leaves the reader with a sense of warmth and enrichment. Recommended.

[Donna Sadd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good poetry leaves a reader with feelings that are often difficult to put into words. Suffice it to say that Ms. Johnson deftly delivers a collection of poems that either tickles the reader like a soft rain, nudges one into remembering, or strikes one with gut wrenching sadness or anger. Ms. Johnson's poems spring from a fresh point of youth, yet are wise through experience. Hearts & Minds left a lasting impression on me, and I highly recommend it.

[Carlie Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains beautiful poetry. It is full of emotion as the author bares her soul through four sections: Loss, Love, Life and Lyrical. The words paint vivid pictures which transport you to her world. I would definitely recommend this to poetry lovers everywhere!
An author and poet to watch!