When the Smoke Cleared

Inspired by true events. When the Smoke Cleared chronicles how resilience and conviction took hold in one woman to overcome the circumstances of her turbulent childhood and adolescence. A novel that paints a vivid and intimate portrait of an African American Southern family in a small rural town filled with segregation and cultural racism. Based on a true story, this novel explores the struggles and victories of pursuing success and happiness against all odds. Snatched from the comfort of suburban Florida, five-year-old Jazzy and her family are abruptly transplanted to rural Georgia, forfeiting such luxuries as indoor plumbing in 1981. Her ever-expanding family serves as collateral damage for the whims of her charming and cunning father, who enjoys seemingly legitimate entrepreneurial success - virtually unheard of for a black man in their conservative Southern town where the Willie Lynch Syndrome was still very much alive - only to jeopardize it all with his self-destructive tendencies due to the aftermath of mistreatment experienced while serving as a black man while serving in the Vietnam War.

Jazzy's eccentric and unpredictable childhood forces her to confront betrayal, small-town racism, and a hostile school environment as she battles with her constant desire to be normal. Her hard-won determination and the support of a flawed and weathered family allow Jazzy to regain control of her destiny amid constant chaos. It is a story that will leave you feeling inspired and uplifted....