The first chapter of Shadow Heart, Book 1 in the Broken Bottles Series, tells a story of an alcoholic parent, alone with his young daughters, the only thing on his mind – getting to his bottle.
Nicky and Jenise, age 8 and 5, are alone with their father. Their mother works the night shift at Juvenile Hall in San Francisco. Nicky, the youngest of the two describes the feeling in the room: sparks, igniting, pacing, his angry red face . . ...
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A scene plays in my mind over and over when I was eight years old. Dad has unraveled. Desperate for a drink.
Before I escaped to the safety of my hiding place, before he tore his belt from the loops of his pants, before my sister told him that she wouldn’t eat the can of cold creamed corn Dad has served us for dinner, we had been waiting. Waiting for a warm meal. I didn’t understand how ...
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Are any of you like me when you’re writing — sometimes you just want to burst out in a poem?
I solved that urge and have begun each novel with a little bit of quick poetry. I’ve thought about having a character or two write a little bit inside the story as well, but for now, I’ll hang back.
How do you feel when you read a poem at the start? Does it turn you off? Do you like it? Or do ...
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