Homeless but not hopeless...

A couple of weeks ago, I was in South Dallas. Outside of a gray windowless shelter, homeless men and women formed tight circles, laughing and talking despite the graveness of their situation as they waited for lunch to be served. There are many homeless in the DFW area, some in their cars; other in makeshift homes under bridges or even curled in sleeping bags outside grocery stores at night. They are likely drawn here because of the warmer climate. How some may have came to be in such a difficult spot is imagined in TELLING STORIES. Like James, who we meet at the start of the story and is ex-military, now suffering from PTSD, and Gigi who moves to Texas, where her plans to stay with a niece fall apart. Despite a Master's Degree in Library Science, she winds up sleeping in her car.

During her period of homelessness, Gigi's sense of humor helps her survive while her pride keeps her from telling anyone what's really going on. When she literally lands after fainting from dehydration at the feet of Naomi "Butterfly" Simmons in front of Butterfly's house/hair salon where she's taken at job as shampoo girl, it turns out to be a blessing in disguise....

Read more in TELLING STORIES, now available NOW in print and e-book at Amazon.com.