Marla Stout is tired, aging and unemployed. It seems like she's always suffering. Whether it's the passing of her beloved older sister or her long history with untrustworthy men, now she's battling a roach infested tenement in a slumlord run building in Chicago. What more can break Marla down? It's not until she rolls the dice and hires a friendly exterminator named Jim that things begin to look up. Jim frees her apartment of the roaches and a unexpected kinship develops between them. Where will it go? Grateful for Jim's help, Marla invites him to a nice Sunday dinner where he meets her fun loving, but obviously dis-functional family. While the family is having dessert, Marla's famous peach cobbler, a shocking and embarrassing incident occurs that threatens to end the peace of mind Marla has finally found. Storytelling is in my DNA. Having been a closet writer for many years, I favor short fiction and that's primarily what I write. Just published, 'The Lip' and soon to come is, 'Living Right' and my short story series, 'Girl's Night' and 'Romance Imperfect'. I love writing about contemporary life in an urban setting, about things that impact us emotionally whether it be love, family or crime. I was born and raised in Chicago which is where I live now, but have lived in New York City and Boston. Find out more about me and what inspires me to write the stories I write on my blog at:

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