I was given a fairy tale life--full of tragedy, drama, wicked witches (it seemed like), heartbreak and triumph. At four years old, my family could no longer raise me, (alcoholic father, mentally ill mother), and I was given away. My new mother was a fundamentalist minister and my father, an elder. I grew up steeped in the world of hellfire and brimstone, fed a daily dose Bible stories and scriptures, Southern food and folklore. All this, and being an only child fed my overactive imagination. It is only natural for me to be a storyteller--both on the page and in person. Instead of considering more...
