Love in Bloom

Love in Bloom is a collection of stories, poems, and anecdotes about personal experiences of the contributors, all of which are member of an organization called Women Writers of the Desert. Women Writers of the Desert meets in Phoenix, Arizona.

Women Writers of the Desert is a group of people who meet monthly at a Phoenix bookstore to encourage and support each other and members of the community in their love of writing. At one Valentine's Day meeting, while members were sharing their stories of love, an idea for a book was born. Love in Bloom is a collection of writings from about 20 of the more than 50 members of the Women Writers of the Desert.

Women Writers of the Desert accepts all levels of writers, and all levels are represented in Love in Bloom. I can't actually recall the last time that I read a collection of stories from different writers, and it would not be my preference. I find that when the authors are constantly changing, I have a difficult time getting into any flow or appreciating any one author's style. It makes it easy to put the book down, and not go back.

As one might expect in a collection of love stories, I found some touching. I also found some amateurish, and some dull. I guess I'm not much of a romantic, although I cry at every poignant moment in every film--even if I've seen it 5 times before.

This book didn't grab me, but I leave it open that it has its place. Maybe as an example to other aspiring writers, or as a gift on Mother's Day, or to readers who enjoy simpler, less complicated material. I'm sure the authors involved enjoyed putting their personal thoughts to paper and publishing, and I wish them all well with their future projects.