Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes

On my blog today I have Valerie Thomas, a new and very young writer. Like poet Brian Gallagher, Valerie is pretty modest and retiring. This is what she has to say about herself.

Valerie Thomas is a 20 year old author living in Colorado. Her YA novel, The Clique, is currently being edited and is slated for release December 2014.

Valerie wants to showcase a sample of her writing with this short story.

Torn: Shackles

There aren’t any sounds of movement inside. I ease the door open, hoping no one’s home. The apartment’s empty, and even filthier than I remember. The sink is piled high with dirty plates, the trash overflowing. This is no way to live.

In my mother’s bedroom, at the bottom of the closet, I find the last remnants of the package. She’s smoked or snorted almost all of it. Only a bit remains. Anger takes me…