Kalayla

This tale is told from three distinct points of view: a young teenager, her mother, and their landlady. Kalayla is a bi-racial girl determined to teach adults a thing or two. Her mother, Maureen, has been disowned by her Irish family and works as a waitress. Their Italian landlady, a widow, is retiring as CEO of her family's business.

Their deepening friendships provide a scaffolding of support and show the transformative power of connection as they each risk new adventures with laughter and courage. Their stories touch on adolescence, single motherhood, self-discovery, race, and marital abuse with honesty, humor, and compassion.

A Personal Disclosure

I had a first-time experience that was startling and unsettling while I was writing Kalayla, the first edition of Kalaya Unraveling Tangles. The characters talked to me. I didn't realize that indicated I had entered into a covenant with them. Outspoken characters objected when I ended the book without finishing their stories. Characters who had previously been quiet asserted that I needed to include them from the beginning, not as an add-on in a potential sequel. Kalayla Unraveling Tangles is the result. The characters are now satisfied, and I am delighted.