I was raised in a small town in a time and place that offered few options for children from "the wrong side of the track."  With an alcoholic, probably narcissistic father and a mother who did not feel she had any options, four of us children grew up, struggling everyday with depression, shame, and oppression.

Currently a Licensed Vocational Nurse working in the state of Texas, but with a heart full of stories wanting out!
 

My book, Missing Ingredients, was written with my brother, Drew Carpenter. The first chapters were written long distance, thanks to email, as we ended up several states apart. When he moved back to Texas, we were able to finish, finally, our tale. There are many parts that we no longer remember which one of us wrote, and truth is combined with fiction. Neither of us has any formal training, only a few basic college courses that we managed to take in adulthood. So, of course, we self-published, anxious to see our creation in print.

The struggles of self-publishing while working full-time were as stressful as trying to find a real publisher might have been, but we learned.

We hope our story of growing up in a small town without guidance will show the hopelessness and hope of children from dysfunctional families.