Learning to Drive

by Violet Yates

In Learning to Drive, 17 year old pregnant Lila leaves home thinking finally she has her life in her own hands instead of under her parents' control. Little did she know that her new husband and father of her child would take over the job, leaving Lila feeling defenseless, even in such little things as learning how to drive. Learning to Drive is a cautionary tale to anyone who might think teen pregnancy is a good way for teens to gain independence, but it isn't only for teens.


About the Author


Violet Yates, 38, was born and raised in Hawaii on the Kona Coast of the Big Island. She often feel as if she has lived several lives! She has three children, two of whom are grown. Her kids are her life. She is an author of several books, short stories, essays and about 100 poems. She owns more books than she could ever read, but she keeps collecting more.
She lived in Upstate New York for 10 years, and during that time she went back to school and earned her Bachelor's degree in English, as well as a Master's degree in Higher Education Administration. During that time, she wrote prolifically and has just now begun to edit and publish a lot of it. While in New York, she worked at MetLife as an accounting representative, was an assistant manager at a Domino's pizza and she freelanced for a bi-monthly newspaper (in addition to being their circulation clerk).
She has wanted to be a published author since she was eight years old, when she wrote and colored a story and sent it in as a submission to Highlights magazine for children. This was her first rejection letter, the first of many. Her first real novel, Beginnings, was really rough and contrived, and it did not get published, although she still has every single rejection letter. Following this total rejection, she put herself back into college, determined to become a stellar writer.
After her separation from her husband, she stopped writing much of anything for years and drowned her sorrows in alcohol. Two and a half years ago, while living in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, she got into recovery. The last two years have been a journey of self-discovery, which she hopes will shine through in Lost Found, her book of poetry. She gives all the glory to Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior. While the struggle was indeed awful, she learned so much from those years and wouldn't go back and change a thing.

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First published May 28, 2011

About the author

A love of the English language was fostered in Violet Yates at a young age. Since the time she could first read, books were an escape to a world full of fantasy and imagination, where horses became unicorns and wings, where tornadoes picked up houses and little girls and they somehow landed in an emerald city. Having grown up in Hawaii, there was quite a bit of Hawaiian legend to be told to little Violet, as well as Chinese and Japanese folktales of girls and boys being born from peaches and growing from trees. She wrote her first story at age 8 and sent it into Highlights magazine, who sadly rejected it. But that did not stop her. Throughout Violet’s life, she worked at perfecting her writing, striving to achieve straight A’s in school.


While in Upstate New York in her 30’s, Violet’s love of words led her to seek a Bachelor’s degree in English at SUNY Albany in 2002, having already earned credits at West Hawaii Community College in the mid 90’s. During her years at the university, she wrote a novel, a novella and several short stories. She went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration. She did this while her marriage broke apart and was a single mom, having been determined to give her children a different life.


Violet loves to read, write, watch movies, listen to music and dream. She considers the Bible to be the best book ever written.
Violet has three children,a 24 year old son who is strong and wise, a 23 year old son who is handsome and makes her so proud, and a beautiful 14 year old daughter who takes after her mother a great deal.
Currently Violet lives in on the Kona Coast in Hawaii.

Violet has published a novella: Leaves of the Fall
Lost & Found (Poetry), Falling into the Lord’s Hands (Autobiography), Forgotten Forest of the Innocent (Short) & Learning to Drive (Short). All available at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Violet-Yates/e/...

Her interests are: Writing, reading, swimming, walking, going to the movies, researching history, true crime, blogging, watching favorite television shows (The Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Vikings, Reign, The 100, The Middle, The Originals), crocheting, sewing, embroidery, crafts, candle-making, soap-making, intrigue, reading the news, talking to and spending time with family and friends, taking photographs, daydreaming, researching about things such as antebellum architecture, Gothic art, medieval and renaissance farming, 1930's depression era.

Her short story, Forgotten Forest of the Innocent, won an award of first prize in a short story writing contest on Writer’s Village in 2002. She also won an award at Konawaena High School during her ninth grade year for an essay about overcoming adversity.

Her favorite books are many and it is hard for her to select just a few to name, but these are some: Aside from the bible, she loves literature such as Paul Auster, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter & House of Seven Gables, Edgar Allan Poe, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Lion, Witch & Wardrobe; she enjoys some detective novels, mysteries, fantasy. She loved C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy and said if you haven’t read it yet, you’ve got to check it out. A lot of work that had been a big influence to her was the medieval writing and short stories she studied as an English major at SUNY Albany and even at West Hawaii Community College.

Teachers and professors who she attributes as having fascinated her and brought this thrill for knowledge alive were: her 7th grade English teacher, Ms. Goeas at Konawaena, Professor Morgan, WHCC, Professor Kate Winter, who was a guest speaker at her English class at WHCC from Suny Albany, Professor Berger at SUNY Albany, English History, Professor Helene Scheck, Medieval and Renaissance English Lit teacher, Professor Kate Winter, English, Creative Writing. Professor Lana Cable, Renaissance Lit.

Violet's cur