The words I never spoke' is a poetry collection of my thoughts, which haunted me at night. Since I could never put them into spoken words I turned them into beautiful art instead.

Love is so short, forgetting is so long. This is what Pablo Neruda writes, but who and why do we remember? This anthology examines how we experience life and relationships through our five senses: smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch. But more importantly, how do we remember when we have loved and lost? Embark on a journey through the body and mind as the story unfolds of the father's and daughters whose relationship flourished and failed, and maybe as it restores again. Eat your way through burnt toast and slick sushi spines. Listen to the cicadas and screaming. Smell the ocean and gasoline down the burning pavement. Touch a beloveds hand and feel its grip around your throat. But most importantly, see the life as it unfolds, for one day it might be over and nothing remains but the memories left in its wake. This is an exploration of what prevails at the end of love.

Snappsy the alligator is having a normal day when a pesky narrator steps in to spice up the story. Is Snappsy reading a book ... or is he making CRAFTY plans? Is Snappsy on his way to the grocery store ... or is he PROWLING the forest for defenseless birds and fuzzy bunnies? Is Snappsy innocently shopping for a party ... or is he OBSESSED with snack foods that start with the letter P? What's the truth? Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) is an irreverent look at storytelling, friendship, and creative differences, perfect for fans of Mo Willems.

2020 Christy Award finalist *** Robin Windsor has spent most of her life under an assumed name, running from her family's ignominious past. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary in her rather unremarkable used bookstore just up the street from the marina in River City, Michigan. But the store is struggling and the past is hot on her heels. When she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the long-lost summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. That book--a first edition Catcher in the Rye--is soon followed by the other books she shared with Peter nearly twenty years ago, with one arriving in the mail each day. But why would Peter be making contact after all these years? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again? With evocative prose that recalls the classic novels we love, Erin Bartels pens a story that shows that words--the ones we say, the ones we read, and the ones we write--have more power than we imagine. ***** "Alternating between flashbacks and the present day, The Words Between Us is a story of love found in the written word and love found because of the written word. It is also a novel of the consequences of those words that are left unsaid. Bartels' compelling sophomore novel (after We Hope for Better Things, 2019) will satisfy fans and new readers alike."--Booklist "Erin Bartels drew me in with a unique premise and held me there with her strong storytelling and complex characters. . . . Bartels has given her readers a novel to read slowly and contemplate. It shows a true love for literature that all book-lovers will enjoy and a deeply rich storyline that will keep you engaged until long after the final page is closed."--Life Is Story "The Words between Us is a story to savor and share: a lyrical novel about the power of language and the search for salvation. A secondhand bookstore owner hiding from a legacy of scandal, tragedy, and heartbreak must unlock the secrets of the past to claim her happiness. I loved every sentence, every word."--Barbara Claypole White, bestselling author of The Perfect Son and The Promise between Us "Erin Bartels has done it again. She's created a story that has set up camp in my mind and now feels more like a memory, something I lived, than a piece of fiction. The added benefit is that it's a story about books, some of the best ones ever written. If you are the kind of person who finds meaning and life in the written word, then you'll find yourself hidden among these pages."--Shawn Smucker, author of Light from Distant Stars "Vividly drawn and told in expertly woven dual timelines, The Words between Us is a story about a woman who has spent years trying to escape her family's scandals and the resilience she develops along the way. Erin Bartels's characters are a treat: complex, dynamic, and so lifelike I half expected them to climb straight out of the pages."--Kathleen Barber, author of Are You Sleeping

((how beautiful it would be if you saw what haunted me and still would stay)) Who are you when nobody is looking? The quiet one, the cool one, the nice one - Christopher Mane has many faces, depending on who you ask. He has met many people in his life, creating a different act for each one in the need of validation. But when everything seem to blur together and collapse, can Chris keep up the act? Who is he when nobody is looking?

Courageously, the author bares her psychological wounds and offers a glimpse into the everyday lives of Black women in thirteen touching short stories. Amongst other subjects, she tackles a persistently denied issue even in present times: Everyday racism and microaggressions. Readers are entreated to acknowledge racism, speak out against it, and lead by example. This empowering book's words will undoubtedly reverberate in the reader's mind for an extended period, leaving an enduring impact. »Today, I call upon you to embrace your beautiful skin with boundless pride. No more shame, no more hiding, and no more succumbing to the allure of bleaching. Unapologetically showcase the world your Black skin, wear your battle scars and triumphs with dignity. Let us now resound with fervor, and may our voices never again be hushed to silence!«

In a world where silence speaks louder than words, one being grapples with the unbearable weight of existence. Trapped in a room where memories are both salvation and torment, they confront the echoes of a forgotten past and the enigmatic presence of a force that defies comprehension. Each page pulls you deeper into the mind of a soul caught between despair and revelation, as they unravel the twisted threads of their own creation. As the lines between reality and illusion blur, you, the reader, become complicit in their descent. Will you dare to open the door, knowing that the truth might be more than you can bear? In Before I Remember, reality unravels, memory distorts, and identity blurs. What truths will you uncover and which will you choose to believe?