Stories

From a run down warehouse into a place of safety

I'm Ian Wright I lost heart ten years ago, when my James died from illness. We were only 25 years old. I was devastated, sinking into a crushing depression for many years. I'm now 34, I took a job as a science teacher at a high school and moved from Florida to Kentucky for a fresh start, never dreaming my life would improve or that I'd ever be happy again.

Adam was a detective in Florida, his life was turned upside down when his pregnant wife up and deserted him without a trace. Unable to locate her after time, he was offered a position with the FBI on a task force. With nothing left to lose, he took the job and moved to Kentucky.

Sometimes the brain fails and the heart is left to pick up the pieces. Tyson, the son of a heartless politician and an abusive control freak, has survived four suicide attempts, and has now been committed to a psychiatric ward. With severe anger issues, unhealthy behaviours and a tendency to self-harm, Tyson's terrific treatment team fights a difficult battle. Another boy in the ward, Vladimir, suffers from schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress. Tyson thinks he's perfect.

Zak is a shy quiet 15 year old whose mother gets him a summer job at a local ranch. Zak's sure it's going to be the summer from Hell until he meets 16 year-old ranch hand, Dusty.

Zak, Dusty, Mattie and Spin are back and making new friends, catching up with family and learning new lessons.

This is a continuation of Matt and Andy's reflections on their freshman year in high school that can be found in Knots. Matt and Andy are searching for who they are and have been willing to share the highs and lows of their four years in high school. Knots 2 covers their sophomore year and the knots they tie in their lives.

Tyson Ignacio Curuthers, a ghetto boy gets sentenced to 2 years at the Ogden Castle ranch. What he finds is more than just horses and horse shit.

Brian and Lanny cross Europe on a low-budget trek. In the process their respect and affection grows.

14-year-old Bryan Padilla is caught between worlds he doesn't feel connected to. Having been abandoned by their birth parents at a young age, Bryan and his younger brother, Caleb, were adopted by a family friend, Diego Padilla, and raised in a culture not of their own. Though it is the only life Caleb has ever known, Bryan inwardly struggles with his feelings about life, death, race and sexuality. Things escalate shortly after the death of his birth mother. Can Bryan come to terms with his situation as a figure from his past tries to upend his entire life?

CJ Abelló and Owen Liston return from their honeymoon ready to tackle married life. CJ's last two years at Georgetown University are filled with family, friends, and adventure. The events carry the couple to new heights of happiness and depths of sadness. Their lives will never be the same afterward.