Tens of thousands of homeless people walk the streets, forgotten, yet each with their own story to tell. Marie James, a 69-year-old bag lady, and a frequent guest at an inner-city mission in Chicago, sat with Jane Hertenstein through the summer of 1995 and recorded this shocking and moving story of life filled with sorrow, loss, mental instability, and hope. Her memoir will break one's heart, yet encourage and inspire. -- "Harrowing inside view of homelessness", -- Publishers Weekly, Augus...

It's a natty little euphemism, isn't it? Of a certain age. A flow of words so undergirded by conventional politesse that it's entirely possible a woman coined it herself. Vague enough to be gentle enough. But the ambiguity cuts both ways. You can't describe what you don't even take the time to notice. And as any woman past the age of none of your business will attest, the first horseman is invisibility.Woman of a Certain Age does what oth...

Suddenly we remember, triggered by a familiar smell, the taste of a cookie, the touch of soft skin. Flash, and we are back in the past. Memories. They are elusive, mysterious, with a mind of their own. If only we could harness them and turn them into memoir.Now you can. In the amount of time it takes to brush your teeth, you can jot down a memory to be later expanded upon or used in sequence with others. Flash Memoir: Writing Prompts to Get You Flashing will guide you in constructi...

Many of us are looking to write memories—either in the form of literary memoir or simply to record family history. This how-to book looks at memoir in small, bite-size pieces, helping the writer to isolate or freeze-frame a moment and then distill it onto paper.Jane Hertenstein is the author of close to 70 published stories, a combination of fiction, creative non-fiction, and blurred genre both micro and macro. In addition she has published a YA novel, Beyond Paradise and a non-fic...

"How would you like to go to paradise?" asks Louise Keller's father, a Baptist minister who has accepted a position as a missionary on the small island of Panay. Fourteen-year-old Louise, a writer of poetry who chafes at small-town life, is eager for the change. But the new experiences Louise has dreamed of soon turn nightmarish: when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, the war, which had seemed so far away, rapidly threatens their island existence.This unusual first novel is based on ...

Writing is a journey. Every time we sit down to begin a piece or write the first chapter or the first line we are venturing into uncharted territory. 365 Affirmations for the Writer is about listening to those who have gone before us and letting them guide us with their insight, their own trials. By reading what others have said, we can survey the path before us, count the cost, and plunge ahead.Jane Hertenstein is the author of numerous short stories and flash. Her work has been i...

Anthology of poetry, art, and short stories from 23 contributors across the globe.

Jane had a pretty good life. She was a single mother, and she worked hard for her three kids, who meant the world to her. One autumn evening she met someone she believed to be the man of her dreamsthe only thing missing in her nearly perfect life. He was handsome, gentle, quiet, and kind.Eleven months later, they bought a home and were married. Jane was so happy. Soon, however, her daughter, Michelle, began to change; she became distant and withdrawn. Something was wrong, but Jane ...

R. Mendez grew up abused and neglected in an era of which society provided few alternatives for abused women and children - it meant just remaining in that situation. This is the life of a battered child, who grows up to be a battered wife. However, despite the impossible situation she found the courage to literally reinvent herself."It is time to tell my story in hopes of helping others. I am not a doctor or psychologist.My only credits on the subject are that I myself grew...

On one hand (She Aint My Sister) is a frightening book and on the other, a hopeful one. It is very, very powerful. Laurie Rosin, Book Editor

After enduring 12 years of sexual abuse at the hands of her father, and a long struggle with sexual addiction as an adult, Kelly Boykin set out on a journey of self-discovery by journaling about her past, her addiction, and her path to forgiveness and recovery. The Death of Innocence is candid, humorous, touching, and heartfelt, and allows the reader a glimpse into the soul of a survivor. (This book is also titled "Confessions of a Sex Addict" and is sold at most retail sites.)

Katie really cares about Justin, the cute two-year-old she baby-sits. But she cant help but notice the changes in him. Hes quieter now, and he sometimes calls himself a bad boy. Then Katie starts to notice bruises on Justin. She explains them awayuntil the day when she has to face the possibilities and make a very difficult decision. Who will believe what she suspects? What if shes wrong? Maybe she shouldnt say anything. But little Justin might be in real danger. And maybe Katie is the onl...