Katie and I are excited for Surrender to be in your hands. 

Four years ago…

“You’re eighteen now, Simone. You’ve aged out of the system, and you can’t stay here anymore,” my social worker told me.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked her.

“I have a list of places you can stay until you get on your feet. Some of them will even help you find a job. Go inside and pack your stuff. I’ll wait here and make some calls.”

I’d had a pretty shitty life so far, and this was just the icing on the cake. I’d been in foster care my whole life; no one wanted me, not even as a newborn baby. By the time I was eight, I’d lost count of how many foster homes I’d been in and out of.

As I packed up my stuff, all I could think about was that my entire life fit into a tiny suitcase. I promised myself that I would have everything I wanted one day, no matter what it took.