"we the jury find
the defendant
guilty."

That was all I heard. The rest of the formalities became just a blur as the court officers snapped the cold, steel handcuffs tightly around my wrists.
After serving ten years of my original 25-to-life sentence, my conviction was overturned by a Federal court. Now, after receiving yet another trial (my third so far) and losing horribly, back to a maximum security prison I went. However, unlike the person who first appeared in the prison system years before, I was returning as a far different individual.


I yearned to convey this difference through a series of stories and anecdotes published on Zap Tales. Instead of being able to reach that goal, the majority of those stories were created out of the sheer frustration of being unable to communicate.


The fear, shame and uncertainty of it all repeatedly stopped me dead in my tracks. I was uncertain, as the moment that carried this story was a moment there was no coming back from. I instantly became ashamed of what I once had been, and of what it took to transform me into the person I have become.


Then came a new and frightening issue. When an author conveys a message, they hope that readers can relate. In this case, I was terrified that even a single one of you might do exactly that.


The Zap Tales continue in The Fourth Side. The words will take you beyond the bars of one man's life in this riveting and gritty memoir.


All proceeds from book purchases will go to charities that benefit children.