Written by Denise Bossarte and illustrated by Nancy Standlee, ‘Dreams of the Turtle King’ is an imaginative journey along the beaches of South Florida. The free verse poetry and immersive watercolors will transport readers to a place where animals and people are brought to startling life, and the sound of waves crashing on the shore is closer than they think…

Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/28/2014 --Walking along a beach can be a contemplative, relaxing experience, but accompanied by the words of Denise Bossarte, and the watercolor illustrations from award-winning artist Nancy Standlee, the sand and sea are just the beginning.

In ‘Dreams of the Turtle King’, Bossarte weaves a magical spell and peels back the first layer of the natural world to reveal the vibrant life beneath. Inspired by her strolls at sunrise along the beaches of South Florida, the free verse poetry is intimate, explorative and reflective of the deep colors of the landscape.

“The things that caught my attention the most,” says Bossarte, “were what others would ignore, or pass by without noticing. Often, it would just be an image – perhaps a bird’s wing against the sky – and as I walked, I wove these images into short, descriptive poems. I wanted to get to the heart of what I was experiencing.”

Bossarte created ‘Dreams of the Turtle King’ and collaborated with Nancy Standlee to produce the illustrations. It was a labor of love, and meticulously researched.

“Nancy read each poem carefully, and would do hours of investigating,” says the author. “If there was a turtle nest in the poem, she researched its intricacies, and then created absolutely stunning imagery to complement my words. It was truly a partnership.”

Synopsis:

You can find so much more than just sand on the beach. You can find people, animals, interesting and unusual objects, and occasionally, deep thoughts! In this collection of free verse poems, Denise Bossarte takes you on an adventure to explore the things you can find on the beach. Each poem's imagery is reflected in a paired watercolor illustration by award-winning artist Nancy Standlee.

‘Dreams of the Turtle King’ was, fittingly, a ‘dream’ for the poet long before its release to the public.

“This book was one waiting to be completed for a long time. I wrote the poems years ago, but had to wait to find an artist whose style matched the feel of the poems,” says Bossarte. "I was blessed in finding an artist as talented as Nancy.”

“I think what is captivating about the book is how it combines poems and images to bring the reader back to those wonderful moments of summer vacations and carefree times at the beach. Who doesn’t have a memory of splashing in the water or digging for shells? It’s a book for children and for adults who are children at heart,” says the author.

Since its publication, the book has earned glowing reviews from readers.

Betty Grummer wrote: “I grew up near beaches and both the author and illustrator captured the scenes and thoughts of beach life. As I was reading the words and looking at the lovely watercolors it even brought to my mind the sounds of the waves rolling in from the ocean. Lovely book.”

“Having been raised on the beaches of Southern California, I found myself back there through the eyes of this author and artist. I received Dreams of a Turtle King in my Christmas stocking. Such a little treasure chest of dreams and memories and sand under my toes,” wrote PRaso.

‘Dreams of the Turtle King’, is available now from Amazon: http://amzn.to/1hM5OFI

About Denise Bossarte
Denise Bossarte is a poet and photographer whose passion is nature and abstract photography. Her daytime job in IT helps to keep the household running. She enjoys writing, teaching Miksang contemplative photography workshops, and going on photo shoots to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary world. She teaches and photographs near her home in Texas.

In addition to the Dreams of the Turtle King children's poetry book, you can purchase Denise's photography from her "Radiant Heart Photography" store on Amazon!

She invites you to visit:
Dreams of the Turtle King blog: http://www.dreamsoftheturtleking.com
Photography blogs:
http://www.radiantheartphotography.com
http://foundworldsphotography.blogspot.com
Photography website: http://foundworlds.com