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AS REAL AS RAIN by John Yamrus and Janne Karlsson gets reviewed by Eileen Murphy at Cultural Weekly here.
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 Burning The Evidence Poetry by Todd Cirillo 70 pages $10 plus shipping ISBN: 978-1-926860-58-9 Epic Rites Press, 2017 Todd Cirillo’s book Burning the Evidence is filled with snapshot observations from his Polaroid eye for detail, thieves’ ear for dialogue, and optimistic attempts at love and affection in all situations. Cirillo accomplishes a rare feat; he makes poetry relatable and accessible to every person. In these poems, he lays his heart bare on the bar, sometimes stupidly, other times sacrificially, but always sincerely. Some poems are punches to the gut, others are chocolates on the pillow or the last glimpse of red taillights fading away. Despite the disasters in life and love, Cirillo finds beauty “forever shining down on the whole filthy set up” and after reading this book, you will too. Praise for BURNING THE EVIDENCELanguage chiseled onto the page and wholly accessible. Todd Cirillo is a poet of unmistakable voice--tough but capable of tenderness. Much loss and heartbreak are in evidence here ("the savage mutin(ies) of the heart"), plus acknowledgement that, in the end, "the world always gets the biggest share of the loot" (Burning the Evidence), but no resignation or self-pity. Defiance is the keynote--and victory: the victory that is the poems themselves. “Ladies, if he holds your hair while kneeling over the porcelain, seat up—it could be love. If he offers you another beer after, consider it a marriage proposal. These are the things Cirillo knows best: wild nights, broken hearts, and how to treat the ladies. And in the morning, you can always Burn the Evidence...” “Like the great Bill Gainer, Todd Cirillo says more in a few words than most of us can say in volumes. This book is full of love, heartbreak, music and the occasional watering hole. Cirillo doesn’t just burn the evidence, he lights up the night sky with it, baring his heart, like a neon highway sign, beating 24/7—with words.” BURNING THE EVIDENCE is available now!  Download the BURNING THE EVIDENCE press release here: 
 Exterior by Robert Hansen Battle Lines Poetry by Matthew Borczon 50 pages $10 plus shipping ISBN: 978-1-926860-56-5 Epic Rites Press, 2017 Matthew Borczon’s new book BATTLE LINES is a piercing, unflinching look into the lives of soldiers, sailors, sinners, survivors, and those still struggling to survive. Borczon writes in simple language about a tough subject: how servicemen and women live through a war and how they come home. He draws from his experience as a Navy corpsman in Afghanistan, as well as from the stories he has heard over the years in therapy groups, courtrooms and bars. Borczon’s poems look at the fight veterans still have on a daily basis as they try to rejoin the living world. His book spans America’s last four wars, as well as the battles fought by the families who try to understand things most vets cannot even talk about. These are the stories and nightmares that servicemen and women usually only share among themselves—told simply, honestly, un-heroically, and as brutal and ugly as war truly is. Praise for BATTLE LINES“Matthew Borczon is the type of writer who pulls from where the secrets are kept, he opens up entirely and shares what would be hidden under any circumstance other than therapy and art. BATTLE LINES is bleak, beautiful, bereaved, honest and above all, an example of what poetry can be; a voice for the unheard and a signpost for the lost." “Matthew Borczon skillfully uses sparse and direct language to depict the physical and mental horrors man unleashes upon himself and his fellow beings. Each poem is powerful on its own, but as a collection they create a haunting and quietly devastating portrait of the ravages of war.” “Language usage sparse and bare to the bone—little jewels of understatement that go to places most of us have never been. Places on a map, like Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, and uncharted places hidden in the heart—dark corners that Borczon brings to light through poems of an oftentimes startling clarity.” “After reading Battle Lines, I can say: For me, there were no battle lines drawn when coming to the conclusion that this new collection of war poems from Matthew Borczon is an amazing expression of raw emotions. Borczon pulls no punches, he takes the pen and pushes it across the paper with his soul, leaving words that haunt and words that heal.” “Three thoughts about BATTLE LINES by Matthew Borczon: 1.) Holy shit, Wolf! You gotta publish this! Who is this guy? Where'd he come from? And tell me all about him! 2.) The only thing better than a good bottle of tequila and a woman who looks you right in the eye. 3.) The same way my dog crowds my bed at night, these poems crowd my dreams.” Battle Lines is available now! 
I ADMIT NOTHING by John Yamrus gets reviewed by Matthew J. Hall at Screaming with Brevity here.
CAN'T STOP NOW by John Yamrus reviewed by NYQ Reviews here.
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