The Alchemy of Desire is an ecstatic collection of poems that literally and metaphorically affirms life and the power of poetry to heal and connect with the pulse beating of the world. The poems take you on a journey, from the powerful opening poem "In The Beginning" which ends with the couplet: "It will be my masterpiece. It will be my Genesis./ Everyone will know my name." to the final title poem "The Alchemy of Desire," in which "the power of love/reconstructs the universe"; Dianalee Velie affirms that power over and over again. This is a book that reminds of us to cherish and celebrate the people and places we love most and the courage it takes to do that.
-- Marjory Wentworth, South Carolina Poet Laureate

I read Dianalee Velie's The Alchemy of Desire over a long, quiet weekend, and in between Friday evening and Sunday afternoon, I went on a journey like none I'd ever been on before; I walked back into a world that was entirely different, because I was entirely different. In this rich, juicy, poignant, and sometimes hilarious collection, Velie celebrates what it is to be alive and human and sentient in this troubled and amazing world. At the core of each poem in this collection is the great heart of the poet herself, and what is even more critical than what is included in these poems is what is left out. There is restraint burning in the margins and stanza breaks. Dianalee Velie knows what it means to love and lose, and love and laugh, and walks the fine line between the two with the skill of a poet at the height of her power. Enjoy this beautiful ride
-- Lisa Starr, Rhode Island Poet Laureate Emeritus

Dianalee Velie's collection of poems, The Alchemy of Desire, explores a woman's journey through devastating loss to find a path of self-discovery and healing. Velie's image-rich, mostly narrative poems propel the reader through a gamut of experiences, which include humor, sensuality, family, and responses to art, music, history and myth. The voice in the poems manifests an indomitable spirit, rising above unspeakable grief. In her poem "Unchained" Velie writes:
Like the unchained performer,
my soul twists like a snake
around memories of Eden,
a time before the disappearance
of happiness. For the moment,
I am unfettered, free of grief,
crowing, like the rooster,

for a new dawn, faithful
I will find my way in the dark.
-- Lori Desrosiers, Editor, The Naugatuck River Review

In Soul Proprietorship: Women in Search of Their Souls, Dianalee Velie seeks - and finds proprietorship of the soul - through a wonderful collection of character-driven short stories, with an accent on magical realism. Sensations Magazine initially published five of the 24 stories in this new collection, over a period of several years. It's always a pleasure to see workthat debuted in our publication laterachieve additional exposure through book publication, and we are confident new readers will enjoy the works as we initially did. Dianalee Velie has published several poetry collections and seen her plays produced off-Broadway. This short story collection adds to her repetoire as a writer of wide range and discipline - worthy of reading, studying, and experiencing."
David Messineo, Publisher/Poetry Editor, Sensations Magazine, www.sensationmag.com
In her wonderful new collection, Soul Proprietorship, Dianalee Velie presents us with a series of stories about the places and events in life that our souls attend, memories that ..".await us in every closet." Velie writes of ..".nondenominational angels," "spunky dogs," and then wonders how one can find their soul when life revolves around everyone else. Join her "jumping into the leaves... pushing off in a snow saucer." Soulmate with her as she relates tragic tales on abortion, death and rape. Attend her daughter's "Perfect 10"marriage. Ah, Dianalee...It's all here.
Martha Deborah Hall, Poet, author of Inside Out, My Side of the Street, and Two Grains in Time