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Even at the age of seven, up and coming Author Cheryl Denise Bannerman, would sit for hours on end reading about faraway lands, intriguing characters and intoxicating storylines.
And by a pre-teen, she was writing poetry for publication and short stories for school that moved the reader to laughter, tears, and sometimes anger. She was an old creative soul from a young age, experiencing way too much ‘life’ than she would have liked.
Now this little girl is all grown up with a child of her own. A child who also loves to write, and even has a unique and masterful talent for drawing as well.
When Author Cheryl Powell (pen name, Cheryl D. Bannerman) is not writing for her next book, she is running her 21-year old virtual B2B Training and Development company based out of her Orlando, Florida, home. Since 1996, she has been known as an Instructional Design and e-Learning Specialist — with clients all over the US and overseas — creating classroom training materials, e-Learning modules, job aides and more for corporate employees and their clients.
This author also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Science degree in IT Project Management and Leadership.
In her spare time, Cheryl Powell loves to read murder mysteries, try new restaurants and cuisines, shop with her daughter, and take in the sun on the beach. And, although this author’s works are fiction, she has incorporated many of her personal life’s experiences into their stories.
Reviewed by Patricia Reding for Readers' Favorite
My initial reaction on reading several of the poems in Words Never Spoken, by Cheryl Denise Bannerman, was: “Wow. What pain. What honesty.” Set forth in seven parts, following the subject’s life struggles, the book invites readers to consider a series of questions at the end of each chapter (making this a possible group study guide). The “About the Author” section at the back of the book provides: “Although this author’s works are fiction, she has incorporated many of her personal life’s experiences into her stories.” I do not know if the life experiences in these poems are the author’s own, or if they belong to others she knows, but without a doubt, they are real, raw, personal, and stripped down to base emotions. The reader finds herself encouraging the subject to rise above, mourning for her when she is victimized, and finally, celebrating in her triumph.
Cheryl Denise Bannerman’s poems in Words Never Spoken begin with a single mother, newly divorced, at forty years of age, clinging to her faith. Before long, she meets Mr. Wonderful. But is he? From the outside looking in, it is fairly easy to see the control this person exercises, the advantages he takes, and the pain he is sure to cause. Yet the reader finds she can make no judgment. We all know the phenomenon that occurs in these circumstances, the belief that this time it will be different, the quick denial that can convince us that what is happening is not really happening. Soon the subject of these poems finds herself able to acknowledge the reality of Mr. Wonderful’s mood swings and addictions. Bannerman’s introduction to Chapter 3 reads: “Girl, let me school you . . .” And “school you,” she will. Here the physical and emotional abuses begin, as Mr. Wonderful rubs his cheating in her face and sends her self-esteem spiraling downward, opening the door to her utter desperation and depression.
The author’s word choices and phraseology at times display not only her own personal unique voice, but also that of a culture. Yet the truths they illustrate transcend all cultures. Thus, the author’s phrasing at times will shock the reader into the moment. She will find herself spellbound by Cheryl Denise Bannerman’s deep honesty in Words Never Spoken, because she will be able to identify with her, in one way or another, from pains experienced in her own life.
