Phoenix Rising

Hope is never too far away in writer Samantha Prasad's inspirational debut collection, "Phoenix Rising."

Inspired by her childhood struggles and eventual determination to never let the past define her, this raw compilation of fifty poems echoes the cyclical nature of the book's namesake-a mythical bird whose life, death, and rebirth ultimately represent a promise of something bigger and better.

As the book goes on, the poems' themes transform from dark to light, despair to hope, struggle to triumph. This natural movement demonstrates one's ability to overcome obstacles and escape the past, not just as a survivor, but as a better individual.

Additionally, the collection's themes touch upon those ideas that often lie closest to the heart, including love, insatiable wanderlust, and personal growth. Readers will be left with plenty to think about as they unpack Prasad's many allusions to science, space, astrology, and Greek mythology.

Ultimately, audiences will find a collection expressly written for

the dream catchers, Icarian birds, fantasy keepers, astrology nerds- the hopeless romantics and storytelling fanatics, the monster slayers, fierce fighters, and all of my phoenix flyers.

If this is you, then "Phoenix Rising" is calling you home.