Author Renee Coloman reads an excerpt from Emergency Exit, a short story from her book, Born of Dirt & Dust. The story is quite meaningful to Renee, as the premise is based on an article she read in a digital newspaper; a factual event about young lives taken for granted in our real world ... all in the hope of finding someone to love them; whereas, in this reality, that unusual someone isn't the kind of person who knows how to love.

I don't know why she says what she says but I know she's crazy and that's why she keeps a locked chain across the refrigerator door ...

Get ready for a visceral ride, as I share a few of my favorite story titles & character situations from Born of Dirt & Dust by Renee Coloman.

Sami understood that proper behavior translated into extra bonus points. Especially during substitute-teacher days. And, with enough good check marks next to her name, she would earn the privilege of selecting a special prize posted on the classroom bulletin board, right next to her teacher’s big desk. Right in front of everyone. With a sparkle in her smile, the ambitious second grader focused on the dangling ticket to win a googly-eyed goldfish – FREE! From Mermaid Katy’s A

Thank you to The Literary Hatchet, published by Pear Tree Press, for including Abby's Lockbox in their book #38, released in November 2024.