Colleen Ackerman

Biography

My real name is Lola Gentry and you can find my writing littered across the Internet under that name and my married name Lola Gentry-Dey. I also write under the pen name Colleen Ackerman, mostly poetry and erotica.

I began writing poetry and fiction for my brother and parents when I was a child. Writing for relatives, friends and teachers followed. The ability to weave words into an almost new language is what I enjoy most about writing. I am currently at work on my latest literary masterpiece, which I plan publishing here and at Amazon..

I was raised in San Diego and have lived in Italy, France, England, Arizona, and the shores of Lake Erie. I spend most of my time with my physician husband, 3 rambunctious children, and too many pets to list in a short paragraph. I have worked in finance, been a veterinarian, and a recreational scuba diver. For relaxation, I read, draw and paint, swim, blog my poetry, play guitar, ride horses, and photograph nature.

Where to find Colleen Ackerman online

Videos

31 Days
Besides writing poems, I draw and paint. This video shows the results of a 31-day art challenge I fulfilled during July 2016. The challenge was to see how well I could do under pressure. I am considering becoming a professional artist. In the meantime: baby steps and one day at a time.

When I, A Child
Video of a poem I wrote in 2007. You can read more of my poetry at my blog Fires In Ashbarrels.

Car Hysteria
A poem I wrote in 2009, about buying a new car. Some people - rich, elderly men, especially - seem to turn the event into a mating dance, while others, like me, remember mating dances done in back seats.

When I Came With You
A poem I wrote in 2007, about the magic of falling in love and making love outdoors, especially under a clear night sky beneath a vast blanket of stars. I love going camping, though I'm cautious of straying too far from civilization. Going wild doesn't make me one of the wild creatures living there.

Smashwords book reviews by Colleen Ackerman

  • Old Bones: A Collection of Short Stories on May 22, 2016

    I enjoyed Old Bones: A Collection of Short Stories by Steven L. Campbell. The book is divided into three sections: the first is called Tales for Young Adults with seven stories, the second is Oddities with three stories, and the third is Tales for Adults with nine stories. Each story is a unique tale of either a character or characters dealing with either monsters or tropes from the huge and eclectic world of fantasy. There are even some sci-fi elements sprinkled about to add to the richness of the book that plays a symphony of light and dark themes like a concerto reminiscent of Disney’s Fantasia. I have my favorites, of course, like A Fantasy Trip, Night of the Hell Hounds, The Trespasser, Dead Rabbits Don’t Run, Dragon Slayer, A Haunting, Different Perspectives, and Behavior Unkind. I recommend this book to everyone who likes meaty stories that are quick and fun to read.
  • Mayhem on May 22, 2016

    I like reading poetry. And I like reading flash fiction. Mayhem by Karen C. Webb has both, so I enjoyed both worlds of her book. Karen presents seven poems first, a mix of rhyme that begins light with the first poem and ends dark, which segues to eight flash fiction stories, most of them creepy, which I enjoyed most. This was a fast read that took less than an hour, and I savored every second, though I found myself pining for more stories.
  • Kismet: A Ridgewood Tale on June 18, 2016

    I liked this short read from Steven L. Campbell. I am not a reader who is big on sci-fi time travel stories, so I was cautious while entering this book. To my delight, Mr. Campbell omitted the technical jargon. His imaginative idea of lightning and crystals causing time rifts seems plausible. Surviving the journey doesn’t, but that didn’t stop me from reading. From the mysterious beginning to the I-didn’t-see-that-coming ending, the book’s interesting main characters and story line pulled me in and kept me hooked for an hour. I look forward to reading more from this author.