What does a mother do when her teenaged daughter is spinning out of control and nothing is bringing her back? Here is a searingly honest memoir of motherhood and a testament to the power of love and family. When Adair Lara’s daughter Morgan turned thirteen, she was transformed, seemingly overnight, from a sweet, loving child into an angry, secretive teenager who would neither listen nor be disciplined. The author, her youngest son, Patrick, her ex-husband, Jim, and her new husband, Bill, all stepped on a five-year roller-coaster ride in which Morgan incarnated the chaos principle in torn jeans and dyed hair. Drinking, drugging, disappearing, suspicious companions, failing and cheating at school, joy riding in a stolen car–there was no variety of adolescent acting out that she didn’t indulge in. For Adair Lara it became an endless sojourn at the end of her rope, a trial immensely complicated by the reappearance in her life of her aging father, a man who had abandoned his wife and seven children decades earlier. Inevitably, Morgan’s misbehavior revives memories of her own headstrong adolescence, while her father’s presence makes agonizingly real for her the consequences of giving up. Paradoxically, he also becomes the source of her best advice. Hold Me Close, Let Me Go is an emotionally charged, often brutally honest memoir that all parents (and anyone who was ever a teenager) will experience shocks of recognition from while reading. It imparts invaluable lessons about holding loved ones close through the roughest passages and about the power of family to overcome the most grievous obstacles. Adair Lara is a clear-eyed and eloquent witness to the complex costs and rewards of motherhood, and her book will redefine for readers their idea of what being “a good enough mother” really means.

When I wrote the poem, Jesus the Bridge, it gave me an idea of where to go from here. So the writings you read will be a journey of my Faith; nature, Gods creation, and different aspects in life. The reason behind writing Jesus the Bridge is to bring to mind to others that there is a bridge that connects us to our Father in Heaven; Jesus Christ. And you will see some of my art that I enjoy doing in my spare time. It is a relaxing way to unwind at the end of the day. That and the fellowship of my family and my Christian family is the one thing that I enjoy the most. When you stop and look at your life, the main thing in life is enjoying all the fellowship of the family around you.

This is the time for you to see what lies beyond the reflection of one's mind. Each group of words tells a story of a life experience.

AUTHOR UP CLOSE. I have been a contractor most of my adult life. This is actually a second career for me. Hopefully you have enjoyed many of my lyrics in this book. Some words I spelled wrong on purpose, I guess you know that by now. I did so the end of the word would have the effect I wanted; many lyricists do that. If by chance there are others, then shame on me and my spell check. Grammar never was my best subject. I’m married with six children and nine grandchildren. Working in any form has been my many hobbies. This is my first edition of Your Own Song to Sing. I will be doing additional editions, probably one a year for the next four or five years. Without writing any new material, I have enough to fill that many books, and yes, I’m still writing. Again I surely hope to see some of you that use my lyrics, if not on center stage when the awards come around. Meanwhile All Stay Well.—SAVERIO

"Everyone has had a mother, and most of us would admit that these women have profoundly affected our lives. The Quotable Mom gathers together some of the wisest and most memorable words ever written or spoken about and by the women who gave birth to us. This well-rounded volume includes quotes from individuals as diverse as Mick Jagger, Ann Landers, Mother Teresa, and Beatrix Potter. This gem of a book makes the perfect gift for any mother or grandmother. It is a heartwarming and inspiring collection of humorous, profound, thoughtful, and compelling remarks and observations by and about mothers and their children."--Publisher description.