These poems explore the distance between the head and the heart—and all of the pain, beauty, and hope in between. This book is one woman’s account of her longing to know herself fully. Her mind, body, and soul. This book might make you cry, fill you with nostalgia, empower you, or even give you hope. You might not see eye to eye with every idea inside, but with any luck you’ll see your soul reflected in its pages. You will question things. You will remember your past. You will be thankful for your present. You will dream a new dream. Above all, you will feel. Welcome to the journey of Eighteen Inches, a battlefield between a woman’s beat-up heart and her complex mind.

Book 2: JAVA LOST, A Child Imprisoned, Part II, Eighteen Inches on a Mattress: As a tomboy and daughter of Lady Emilie, life growing up on the coffee and rubber plantation was heaven for Jannie. She had many adventures that she relished. But there was unrest spreading around the world that would soon land on her doorstep, changing her tropical paradise into a dark world where her family is torn apart. World War II was well under way, yet life on Java, Indonesia remained isolated and separate. Until, that is, the Japanese military invaded the island. Quickly life changed, never to return to its previous tranquility. Here the Dutch who once owned and managed plantations and ran local governments suddenly became the oppressed and were mercilessly imprisoned. Not even their Nobility could spare them now. Be sure to read Book 1, JAVA LOST, A Child Imprisoned, Part I, The Belt of Emeralds, setting the stage of this amazing trilogy. And don't miss the third and final book coming in 2012 JAVA LOST, A Child Imprisoned, containing Part III, The Aftermath, and Part IV, On to a New Country....