Are you hiding behind your smile? Do you want to be free from the hurt of your past? Well, this book is for you! Let go of the pain from your past and move forward!

Karla was a misguided youth who witnessed everything that she was supposed to be protected from. Growing up without a father in her life and a mother who didn't know how to show her love forced her to go out into the world unprepared for the realities of it. She became a mother at the age of eighteen by a man who was six years older with children. Although she never felt love at home, she still opened herself up to the possibilities of being loved and loving someone in return. That search led her to a young man whom she eventually spent eight years of her life with and shared two more children together. During their time together she suffered from mental, physical, and emotional abuse, causing her to finally get up enough courage to leave him. Single again, Karla started doing things that she never had the opportunity to do while with such a controlling man. She started to drink and go out more, which eventually caused her to make decisions that affected and disrupted her household. She met a few men and settled down with one that caught her eye. While trying to pick up the pieces of her life, she started doing a little better and was looking forward to her future without the hurt and pain that she suffered through for years. Trying to better her relationship with her siblings, she invited them to her apartment so that they could spend time together, but nothing would prepare herself for what lay ahead. One night with her family had turned her whole world upside down and left her fighting for her freedom. With everything that she had already gone through, nobody would have ever expected for her to end up in jail, not even her. Leaving behind her children, Karla had to adjust to her new life behind bars. There was no turning back now, she had to fight harder than she had ever fought before. During that fight, she was sexually assaulted by a male deputy that worked at the courthouse. Leaving her with distrust for the same people put in place to protect her, she started to give up and accept things as they were, but God didn't want that for her, so He gave her the vision and sign that she had been waiting for. After being away for almost two years, Karla was released back out into the same cold, cruel world that she was abruptly taken from and had to start rebuilding what was torn down. She also needed to repair the broken relationship with her children, but none of that would come easy for her. Battling depression, being homeless, and running into people that had taken advantage of her instead of helping only made her stronger, and after two years of parole Karla packed the few things she had along with her children and headed for a new life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, leaving behind everything that was meant to break her and starting a new life for herself and children.

The Tears Behind my Smile is a long-life journey of an abandoned girl who faces challenges in every walk of her life and the strength she gains from each experience she suffers. It is not an autobiography with an ordinary beginning and a predictable ending; instead the book depicts a series of emotions occurring in the author's life and how she alters herself from a self-pitying girl into a strong, resilient woman. It will enlighten the readers on not to depend on anyone and become the superhero in their own story. A hard but comforting lesson to learn – Loving and forgiving your own self is important because if today you won’t do it, tomorrow you’ll see others taking advantage of your weaknesses. No matter how many mistakes you are making in your life, if you are willing to learn from everything you go through, sooner or later, you will become the best version of yourself and that without anyone else’s support.

It happened to me... Wait. Before we go on there something you should know. This is NOT a 'once upon a time' story, it doesn't have a 'happily ever after, ' it's not filled with fairy tales and fables, there is no Prince Charming, the damsel in distress will not be saved, and the guy does not get the girl. This is a journey into the damaged mind of a young girl...

You Don't Know My Story is a book of 50 poems or small clippings of my life. I was inspired to write this book because of past experiences (mostly painful). In this book, I pray to God or have a conversation with God about what's going on in my life and ask Him to help me get through it. Through experiences with being a single parent, bad relationships, sicknesses, multiple family deaths, backstabbing friends, family hurt, and church hurt, You Don't Know My Story came about. My life is a story that is sometimes hidden with a smile. But through everything that I've been through and still going through, God has always been right there. So, this book is to encourage you to keep holding on and know that you're not alone in this Christian fight. Thank you to everyone who supported this book. Special "Thanks" to everyone in my past and present that motivated me to write this book. May God continue to Bless you!

Pre-Service Teacher Biographies Hany Carreño I am a student at the University of Houston-Downtown, currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in EC-6 Bilingual Education. I was mesmerized by the creativity and effort that the students put into this project. It was an unforgettable experience that helped me understand the need for creativity and inspiration in our youth. It was a privilege to work with these students and see them exploiting their creative talent. Romina Escobar I am a pre-service teacher in the Department of Urban Education at the University of Houston-Downtown. I assisted Jasmine N., Amy M., Miriam L., and Caymen J. in the writing of the poetry within this book. I was presently surprised with the level of literary talent among my group of teenage girls housed at the detention facility. As a future Early Childhood through 6th grade Bilingual Teacher, I plan to replicate this project with future students. Nazira Ghazal I am currently a student of the University of Houston-Downtown, perusing an Interdisciplinary Education EC-6 degree. I love working with kids, so I was honored and very excited to be a part of this great program. Being a part of this program opened up my eyes to how much our kids need guidance; I hope that one day I can work with children and become a role model or someone they can look up to.

I chose to write this particular book, mainly to prove something to myself and other people just how a person such as myself can progress in their lives. After surviving both physical and sexual abuse in my past from a family member. Having to live with the turmoil of placing my children in the care of other families.My worst nightmare of which I had to come to terms with, was when my son Daniel was killed in a road traffic accident in 2001. I chose to write all of my thoughts and emotions down, instead of having any kind of councelling. As each day passes by, I know that with my partner who is so understanding, that I can overcome anything that life chooses to throw at me. Although, I do not allow my emotions to be seen, as each day the first thing I do is put my make up on, which is what I would call my "mask".This to me makes life so much easier as nobody has any idea of what I am thinking or feeling. Each day I write on a calender the events of my daily routine.That is how it became to be written in diary form,and then even I could see the progress I had made in my life.Should I ever be concerned about something, or not be too certain of anything, I think of what my late son Daniel would have told me.He would of said "go for it mum".