Love, Lies and Lullabies: a breath of poetry and prose

by Ashley Jane, Alfa (Foreword), Nadiya Saara El-Sharkawy (Illustrator)

Love, Lies, and Lullabies is a collection of poetry about relationships and the emotions that come with them. It is written for the lovers and the liars, the broken and the mended, the hardened hearts and the soft souls who lie and tell everyone that they are fine. Each chapter is filled with poems that detail the ups and downs of life and love, of pain and joy, of losing and finding yourself again.

Genres: Poetry

178 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2018

About the author

Ashley Jane is an indie author and avid reader. She is a former Substance Abuse Counselor for inmates with research published in Crime and Delinquency magazine. She has also been featured on various poetry sites. Currently, she works with others to build and create their books for publication, while trying to finish one more book of her own. While from the South, her heart lives in the Caribbean.) She loves music concerts and true crime dramas. She lives with her husband and their one child, a rescue cat named Shadow Monkey.

Books are her passion. She still enjoys research, and you’ll often find her alternating between reading poetry books, romance books, and psychological studies. She loves discovering new authors and has served as a beta reader for several.

She has published three poetry books:

Love, Lies and Lullabies is a collection about relationships and the ups and downs of all the emotions that come with them.

The Mums are Filled with Melancholy delves into the things that haunt us. It focuses on all those emotions we try to bury and the aches we keep to ourselves.

All Darkness and Dahlias is a book for the dark hearts who aren't afraid of ghosts. It is about chasing after the shadows that haunt us and inviting those demons in for tea.

Reviews

[Gypsy Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

With her debut book of poetry and prose, Ashley Jane mesmerizes you with her gentle words as she walks you down your own Memory Lane. No stranger to love or deceit, you will realize you have a friend on your journey.

Each Chapter perfectly captures the intensity of feelings beneath the surface of anyone who feels and feels deeply the stirrings and yearnings of their heart.

Well worth the read and re-read!

[Cynthia Cashman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her poetry flows from one to the next like a story unfolding. Insightful, creative, truths, real. The formatting is unique and I love it when poetry books include illustrations. I whole book of positively art! I highly recommend.

[Candice Daquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after getting to know the author through mutual writing groups and being so impressed with the caliber of her writing and the breadth of her imagination. The book is even more beautiful than I had anticipated, the design of the book alone, sets it apart from others. This author has a lot to give to the poetry world, by her compassion, insight and perspectives that she courageously shares with her readers. It is no wonder to me she is so popular online via IG and other platforms, wherever she writes, people read and follow. I highly recommend her beautiful work to you.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley Jane’s words dance and fly and sing on the pages of Love, Lies and Lullabies. She gracefully paints pictures through her poetry. Her imagery is breathtaking “Talk to me in a bluer shade, like the indigo that colors the sky each night or the ocean’s turquoise sent to carry me away (let me draw in blues).” I am able to feel Ashley’s emotions, while also being swept away in another world, and this is exactly what I would expect in great poetry. This book is a must have for any lover of words and poetry. ~Melody Lee

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley Jane’s debut poetry collection, Love, Lies and Lullabies, is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Much like a roller coaster or a tidal wave, this compilation carries the reader through the emotional lows and highs that correlate to being in love, intensely, immeasurably, infatuatedly in love. First, comes the high, Love, that floating feeling: “Your hands are the church steps leading to my/ salvation/ hallelujah, I am saved” (21). Then comes the freefall, Lies, where the speaker plummets to their demise: “that back booth bar room brooder/ with a smile that kills/ and eyes you want to fall into” (69). Then finally comes the peace, the relief, the acceptance, the feeling of being cleansed, Lullabies: “I believe/ in moments/ filled with madness/ in emotions/ that stir the inner fire/ in the way your light/ fills the room/ I believe in simple magic” (157). In Ashley Jane’s “breath of poetry and prose,” the author uses figurative language and focuses on the theme of nature, tying each poem together, thus creating a complete and finely honed collection. A wonderful addition to anyone’s poetry collection, and surely just the start for Ashley Jane!

[Thea Maeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashley’s poetry is done with passion and seamlessly navigates her inner struggles with love and meaning.

[Amy Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, Lies and Lullabies was truly a breath of fresh air. Ashley's poetry stirs the census and fills the heart with love. A perfect addition to any poetry library.

[Jhane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed these beautiful and thought-provoking words!