"Stories from Eden" is a poetry collection crammed with questions - some capable of responses, most not. But they are being asked anyway, and in such original imagery that we are captivated, even though some of us might also admit to a frisson of unease. Carla Martin-Wood's poetry cannot be read without a seat-shifting sense of discomfort. Because she is upending the reader's preconceptions; because she has dared to turn "Wait a minute, you've got it wrong" into an art form. Her command of language leaves us in no doubt that poetry is her soul's offering. For all its unnerving insight into the broken legends we have created and then clumsily reconstructed, the poet's gift is wrapped in beauty. When we open it, an abused child (or planet) might huddle inside - next to a Medusa or Lilith reminding us that Eve is strictly derivative. Once unfolded, none of the old stories can be put back. Instead, they must be reshaped until they're accurate and true, even if some of the glimmer fades. As Martin-Wood's astonishing work attests, all endings are left entirely up to us, "seeing whole/the great, gifted earth" ("The frozen butterfly"). She sets a table laden with alarming varieties of nourishment, much of which we approach with hesitation - but none of which will actually do us harm. And reaching to sample each selection, we can't help noticing those lidless eyes watching from a shadowed branch. In the process, we're treated to an unforgettable journey. No thoughtful reader could or should demand more. - Brenda Levy Tate, Pushcart Prize nominee, author of "Wingflash" (The Pink Petticoat Press, 2011)

Carla Martin-Wood explores the human spirit like an adventurer in a new world. She delves into the structure of what drives each of us through her own experience. In seasons, in time, in the beauty and wonder of our earth she exposes our mortal nature until all flesh disappears. In these poems we discover this new place where light shines on immortal bones. - Lise Whidden, Pushcart Prize nominee, author of "Rosa's Blue Underwear," (The Pink Petticoat Press, 2013)

Carla Martin-Wood's latest collection of poetry is a personal journey through anguish, revelation and release. The title poem depicts the human spirit in transcendence and triumph over the obstacles confronted in life, while other poems examine the solace found in the natural world and a faith that has both challenged and fortified this pilgrimage toward spiritual freedom. Extraordinary language, vivid imagery and originality define this book's excellence on every level. - Wendy Howe, Pushcart Prize nominee, freelance writer, and former editor of "The Baroque Review"

From the loss of an estranged brother to the fall of JFK, Carla Martin-Wood's poetry confronts mortality head-on and never looks away. Yet hers is an art with "many pockets" from which spill images of rare and indelible power, and in the process, she finds both her own redemption and the reader's reward. The "bonecage" forms her central motif: the means by which we meld the temporal with the ethereal. Its bars hold us back only until we learn to open them. - Brenda Levy Tate, Pushcart Prize nominee, author of "Wingflash" (The Pink Petticoat Press, 2010)

Carla Martin-Wood's "out of the bonecage singing" takes readers beyond the ordinary into transcendence. She weaves keen observations of the natural world and awareness of its cycles, within cycles of traditions. Her profound insights on mortality are stunning and beautiful. Her language will grip you and pull you into her inner realizations. - Joanne Uppendahl, Pushcart Prize nominee, author of "She Who Gathers Stones"

Known for her lyrical poetry, nine-time Pushcart Prize nominee Carla Martin-Wood ventures into new territory with this stark, dramatic, and sometimes, brutal collection of poems about growing up in a dysfunctional family and surviving an abusive childhood. Compassionate in its search for the motivations behind the women in the book, the poet pulls no punches in her condemnation of her abusers. This book has received accolades from mental health professionals and poets alike.

"How we are loved" is a very human, very personal spiritual exploration that examines the inherent desire to believe that Someone Greater loves us, is in control, cares - when everything around us points to the contrary. It delves deeply into the violent and unconscionable events that fill each newscast and would seem to indicate that there is no "cosmic parent" who cares at all. It journeys back to the most ancient roots of religious belief to look at the feminine and masculine aspects of deity, while raising many questions. Are we on our own, and if so, why do we find belief in deity represented in prehistoric paintings on cave walls and proclaimed on the internet? Is deity as real and as close as the earth beneath us, or is it eternally illusive, a fairytale we tell ourselves out of fear or longing? These poems celebrate the human search for more, while taking comfort in the tangible beauty of earth that cushions the blows, regardless of where it came from. "How we are loved" rejoices in our ability to look beyond pain and sorrow to find somewhere in those shadows the God/Goddess of our own understanding.

Nine-time Pushcart Prize nominee Carla Martin-Wood boldly confronts loss in this latest collection of her moving and lyrical poems. Yet, the poet finds victory over sorrow and mourning through the learned art of uncovering beauty in mundane and unexpected places. Stunning imagery, a tapestry of dark and light. A must-read