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Ariana R. Cherry was born in Mattoon, Illinois in 1981. She grew up in Arcola and graduated high school in 1999. Ariana then attended Lake Land Community College in Mattoon, graduating in 2002. She earned a certificate as a Computer Applications Specialist and wrote for the college newspaper.
Ariana has had a love of writing ever since she was a child. She spent time writing short stories and reading them to her classmates. Ariana took a love in poetry between the ages of 11 and 12, and it has carried on ever since. Some of her favorite poets and greatest inspirations are Robert Frost, Edgar Allen Poe, Shel Silverstein and Emily Dickinson.
Some of her collections of poems include:
- "The Real Me-Xtended,"
- "Through Her Eyes,"
- "Divine Poetry for a Spiritual Mind"
- "Twisted Paths of Poetry."
Ariana also illustrated a children's book titled, "Bullying Ben." Recently, she published a collection of photographs that she took titled, "Clouds of Mind- Life's Natural Beauty."
Ariana also has a love for art, and creates her own abstract designs and handmade jewelry.
Ariana continues to write today, and is currently working on more collections...She still has quite a few more inspirations to share with the world.
When not writing poetry, she is a reporter for an area newspaper, "The Sullivan News Progress," and works as an Administrative Aide at the Arthur United Methodist Church.
Reviewed by Chris-Jean Clarke for Readers' Favorite
Only If by Ariana R. Cherry opens with Bill, an elderly dishevelled man, ranting to himself in his jail cell. He has been accused and found guilty of the murder of his wife, Clara. Bill, however, won’t accept he is in any way to blame, and over time begins to believe he has been framed by a dark lord, masquerading as his friend. To the courts and prison guards, Bill’s actions on the night of the murder and his behaviour and actions afterwards are a sign that he is mad, but to Bill, it is his situation that is madness and the dark lord, the evil one … not he. Sadly, Bill knows his only hope of escaping the confines of his cell and the madness is to either commit suicide or to find a way to seek vengeance on the dark lord, but that would mean having to eliminate him.
I applaud Ariana R. Cherry for not wasting words as her short sentences throughout Only If cleverly draw the reader into the protagonist’s frame of mind and his wild thoughts, thus adding impact to the poetic verse. Furthermore, I believe the author's use of cantos and powerful images to divide each section, not only help to create the mood but also make Only If an intriguing page-turner. To conclude Bill’s story, Ariana R. Cherry gives us an insight into Clara’s story from beyond the grave as an appetiser to her next book. I found this to be a very intriguing concept. Only If will appeal to many fans, whether they love short stories, stories written in poetic verse or horror stories.
