Customer Reviews:

• "Purple Petals of Poetry by my dear poet friend Floria Kelderhouse is not only one of the most beautifully designed chapbooks put out by Shadow Poetry, but also contains color pictures depicting the original artwork of this multi-talented woman. Samples of her digital art and oil paintings beautifully complement the poetry within the book. Floria dabbles with free verse in this chapbook and her experimentation shows her growing maturity as a poetess. Among my favorites in this genre are the inspiring "Hope," the clever "The Muse Within" and the delightful "Marmalade Days." Floria's typical rhyming style is also full bloom, many of her poems employing lovely imagery and/or invoking atmosphere which ranges from that of melancholy or of despair to that of gratitude for life or a reveling in the gifts of nature. Her style is further enhanced by the variety of rhyme schemes which she uses. She gives us little poems that pack profundity in several short lines as well as longer poems and a few traditional forms such as the sonnet. One form I particularly enjoyed in this book was invented by poet Lori Kanter, author of Chimerical Cleo. In this form, "Swap Quatrain," the two phrases in the first line of each stanza are inverted in the fourth concluding line of the stanza, thus the name "swap." This style lends a very nice echoing quality to the poems. Finally, not to be missed are other poems such as Kelderhouse's award-winning "Boys Are Always King" or one of my favorites, the metaphorical "Dancing Words," a poem which has elicited much praise from fellow poets. Purple Petals of Poetry is a tribute to the endearing quality of great rhyming poetry." - Andrea Dietrich

• "Purple Petals of Poetry is an excellent collection of poems, exploring the human condition, the emotional mind-set and the supernal nature of a very talented poet ... Poems like "Daydreams" "The Real Thing" and "Angry River of Words" are a few of the many deep and inspired poems in this book. There are some also marvelous illustrations included that Floria utilizes through her digital art. Over all, a very inspired and well-written collection of poetry that should not be missed." - Robert Jude Forese

• "Purple Petals of Poetry is typical of the superb style and artistic grace this multi-talented artist poetess continues to bless us with. More than just words, Floria’s collections of heart-warming poems (highlighted by her breathtaking artistic flare) reflect the dynamic heartbeat that best exemplifies personal courage and American splendor. I absolutely love the books cover: its design, its texture, its simplicity and its magnificence. When you open the book, you will be pleased to find short well-crafted, beautiful poems. If you like reading high quality poetry, or plan to publish your own book of poetry, I suggest you purchase Floria’s Purple Petals of Poetry first." - Jimmy L. Holder AKA ShyPoet1