Karen Pierce-Gonzalez

“Here's to LOVE. Yours, Mine, Ours.” Over twenty authors and artists from around the world come together in "LOVE Potions, Lotions & Lore" through FolkHeart Press to portray the spirit of love. This e-book of love is full of essays, poetry, short stories, and artwork all relating to the contributors idea of love. The authors and artists use the theme to show or tell us what they experience and hope about love, including love of art, love of self, love of family, and love of romance. With a word game and recipes included, this easy to read manuscript becomes interactive and through that brings more love to the surface of our lives.

It opens with an essay by Jim Duzak called “An Everyday Kind of Love.” The author, a former family law practitioners, explores how days that are built around love (Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day) should not be the only days we celebrate our love for one another. “Once you start making room for a little romance in your daily routine, each day---as the old song says---will be Valentine’s Day.”

On another note, Dr. Brandy McCans talks about how one can love oneself and start “Feeling into Fabulous.” This article offers simple advice on how to lose the negatives in your life, including thoughts as well as pounds, and grasp onto the positives. “It doesn't matter whether you focus on how bad your life is, or how wonderful your life is, whichever you choose to believe it is certainly true!”

Sprinkled throughout the e-book are visual art pieces that represent for the artists what they love most in their lives. The artwork often portrays the ways art keeps love alive for them. The paintings, sculptures and silkscreens are beautiful.

For literary minded readers there are several short-stories that tug at our heart strings. Authors write about how they lost a loved one and continued to keep love alive within their families and their lives.

There are also tidbits of love folklore here and there, each one an opportunity to pause and take in centuries’ old folk wisdom, including a link to one of the oldest love poems ever found.

FolkHeart Press has taken the “spirit of love” and brought it to life in "LOVE Potions, Lotions & Lore". This manuscript takes the word “love” and turns it into something more because it highlights the feelings and passions people have for what life holds.

I would recommend this e-book to anyone who is in need of a little love in their lives. This e-book is easy to download on Amazon and all the proceeds go to benefit the National Center for Family Literacy.

Details: Cost $0.99. ISBN: 9780982288887. More: www.folkheartpress.com

Reviewer: Cecilie Wyre… (mere)