“Fear Not my dear, Fear not of meFear Not for fear shall not help theeThe time is short, my plans are madeYour casket shall be trimmed with jade.” Thus begins Aurore Leigh Barrett’s poem, “Fear Not” – an homage to one of her favorite poets, Edgar Allan Poe. It masterfully combines the macabre with the humorous. This stellar work, which Poe, no doubt, would wish he had written, is just one of a few poems in this current collection written in his honor – and one of many poems you will find that ably represent Barrett’s enormous talent. This collection of poems and stories by Aurore Leigh Barrett invites you to step into the world of this creative artist, and sample the breadth and depth of her literary world. Rather than being an exhaustive representation of a solitary style or mood, this book is a buffet of delights as it takes you from the lows of her loneliness to the heights of her happiness - from the dark and scary side of her imagination to the forthright and intelligent adventures of her alter-ego, Holly Hedges Whistler. Through it all, we share in her view of the world, and the way she makes the most of every day this life has to offer. In “Stardust”, Barrett tells how she begins each day - throwing a spoonful of stardust into the wind. “The Stardust flies, the light sparkles, the grass begins to twinkle as the blades catch each falling ‘star’, and the flowers bow their heads as if to receive this glistening gift.” As Barrett lays bare her feelings, she tells us that writing is “a beautiful sweet torture of the soul”. She tells us that “writing is the pain of pulling away precious bits of memory or time. It is the quickening of birth within the loins of creation. It is the delicious ecstasy of desire that only I can satisfy.” Welcome to her world. This all-too-brief collection of Aurore Leigh Barrett’s writing will leave you hungry for more.