On my first night in the shelter (in a pitch black room), while praying, someone touched me. Then a softly accented voice said, “Teach me to pray like you…”

I did.

Months later, I still see her clasped hands praying through her darkness. Her smile widens with each new day.

Vernae is new to the world of publishing, but is enjoying every moment of it. She began submitting her work for publication in 2018 and has been published several times. Her unpublished children’s book “Teddy Wet My Bed” was recently selected as one of five Finalists by Eyelands 2019 Book Awards in the Unpublished Books Category.