Ask the Author: Avi Morris
Answered Questions (10)
Avi Morris
Hi. Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you liked the book and I appreciate your review.
Of course I'll use their fictional names, but a brief update.
The three sisters, Tina, Sellie and Juanita are doing okay, with the ups and down that happen in life. Taking them in reverse, Juanita has a daughter and is soon to head back to college.
Sellie is a married LPN. She's had some difficult back issues, and has become quite religious.
Tina is very close to us. She's been married with a wonderful son and she's a great mom. She hold licenses as a medical assistant and a phlebotomist, and plans to become an LPN. She joins my wife and me in presenting workshops at foster parent meetings on the needs of foster teens. She's deservedly always the main attraction and has been a special guest of some significant children's rights groups.
Roberta is as amazing an advocate as ever.
All three sisters have a relationship with their mother who is no longer the threat that she was. Simon will never leave prison.
Your review suggested that most of the events are probably true. Indeed they are, although the events of abuse are based on information I learned from the girls since they predated their arrival on our home. The events in foster care are very close to actual events that I witnessed or was a part of. The hope is that in the years since Tina and Sellie arrived at our door, foster care has improved, I think it has and I've been lucky enough to get to know some amazing advocates and abuse survivors.
Thanks again.
Avi
Of course I'll use their fictional names, but a brief update.
The three sisters, Tina, Sellie and Juanita are doing okay, with the ups and down that happen in life. Taking them in reverse, Juanita has a daughter and is soon to head back to college.
Sellie is a married LPN. She's had some difficult back issues, and has become quite religious.
Tina is very close to us. She's been married with a wonderful son and she's a great mom. She hold licenses as a medical assistant and a phlebotomist, and plans to become an LPN. She joins my wife and me in presenting workshops at foster parent meetings on the needs of foster teens. She's deservedly always the main attraction and has been a special guest of some significant children's rights groups.
Roberta is as amazing an advocate as ever.
All three sisters have a relationship with their mother who is no longer the threat that she was. Simon will never leave prison.
Your review suggested that most of the events are probably true. Indeed they are, although the events of abuse are based on information I learned from the girls since they predated their arrival on our home. The events in foster care are very close to actual events that I witnessed or was a part of. The hope is that in the years since Tina and Sellie arrived at our door, foster care has improved, I think it has and I've been lucky enough to get to know some amazing advocates and abuse survivors.
Thanks again.
Avi
Avi Morris
Great observation. Physical abuse is the obvious form to most people. Of course physical abuse is mental abuse as well even though most official statistics in the U.S. separate out sexual abuse and physical abuse from emotional abuse. But neglect and emotional rejection are the hidden forms. For married or otherwise committed adults, emotional abuse is a major cause of divorce or separation, but adults have that option. Children don't have that option and it's not an easily discoverable situation by others, in particular other adults who might be in the position to intervene on behalf of the child. I don't know if there are any statistics, but I'd guess that government authorities and judges have a harder time protecting a child from mental abuse in the absence of the other more tangible forms of abuse including neglect. Emotional abuse (and the other abuse horrors) cross all social and economic classes in the world.
Avi Morris
It really depends on your reading preference. If you like memoir type books that deal with people overcoming very difficult personal circumstances, look at the trilogy of books by CeeCee James, or those written my Eleanor Cowan and Rosemary Adkins.
If you like spy novels, personally I like those written by Allan Furst. They are set in the European Nazi or Stalinist eras and a filled with atmosphere.
I read a lot of historic and bio-graphic non-fiction, mostly, but not exclusively, American history and political bios. The historians I favor are avid MCullough, Dorris Kearns Goodwin and Robert Remini. They all are interesting writers as well as excellent historians. Any of their books are worth reading. Good luck in college.
If you like spy novels, personally I like those written by Allan Furst. They are set in the European Nazi or Stalinist eras and a filled with atmosphere.
I read a lot of historic and bio-graphic non-fiction, mostly, but not exclusively, American history and political bios. The historians I favor are avid MCullough, Dorris Kearns Goodwin and Robert Remini. They all are interesting writers as well as excellent historians. Any of their books are worth reading. Good luck in college.
Avi Morris
I don't think you have to type in anything. The one's I've done all just have a check box that needs to be checked to assure that you "aren't a robot."
Let me know if that solves the problem. If not, let me know and I'll write to thesite administrator. The entries can be made through midnight this Sat. I think Eastern time, but I might be wrong about which time zone applies.
Let me know if that solves the problem. If not, let me know and I'll write to thesite administrator. The entries can be made through midnight this Sat. I think Eastern time, but I might be wrong about which time zone applies.
Avi Morris
First of all, thanks for the review. I truly appreciate it.
On writing more on foster care, the answer is a wishy- washy maybe. There is one story I've been thinking a lot about, that also would be based on a true story. It's a harder story to tell, and it would show another side of kids in foster care. where the child is truly troubled. Probably more complicated and a bit more fictional.
The great news about the young woman who "Valentina" is modeled on is that she is, in fact, very strong. Strong enough to want to put herself in front of groups where my wife and I will be doing workshops that are a totally unexpected result of going into foster parenting and writing a book. She wants people to understand what kids go through. I'm not so sure I could do the same.
On writing more on foster care, the answer is a wishy- washy maybe. There is one story I've been thinking a lot about, that also would be based on a true story. It's a harder story to tell, and it would show another side of kids in foster care. where the child is truly troubled. Probably more complicated and a bit more fictional.
The great news about the young woman who "Valentina" is modeled on is that she is, in fact, very strong. Strong enough to want to put herself in front of groups where my wife and I will be doing workshops that are a totally unexpected result of going into foster parenting and writing a book. She wants people to understand what kids go through. I'm not so sure I could do the same.
Avi Morris
Thanks. I hope you like it.
Avi Morris
I'm often inspired by current events. However, my recent novel, Crocodile Mothers Eat Their Young, was inspired by my own experience as a foster father and the life of one of my foster children.
Avi Morris
Varies. Sometimes I just force my self to write and if the flow comes, the block is gone. But I've gone through extended periods where writing was difficult, especially when fashioning characters after some actual people where the "real" people are getting in the way of my ability to create a fictional version. In one case, it took me over two years to get my mind in the right place, and once that happened, the writing came readily.
Avi Morris
Playing with ideas, how best to set them on paper, trying to make characters come to life, each with their own personality. So many aspects of writing are fun and challenging, not the least of which is trying to discover what time of day I seem to get my best ideas, and for me, it's almost always later at night.
Avi Morris
It's base on my direct experience as a foster father.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more