Cave of Brave Colors (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798995914006)

With persistence, Mike is liked by his classmates. His mom, Delta, serves pitchers of beer at the Lucky Penny Lounge, a blue-collar bar in a small town in Iowa. An honest and diligent woman, she's well liked and goes the extra mile. The mother and son depend upon each other for love, security and survival. They frugally scratch out a living in a working-class neighborhood. Mike appreciates his mom's love and their mutual reliance. Life is steady and content until she falls for Roger, a local conman. He keeps her out too late, brings her home in poor condition, and lies about their whereabouts. Mike warns her away, but Roger's loud, bragging charm and rough flair are somehow enticing.

Little by little, Delta falls prey to Roger's vices, unwittingly abetting him. When Mike discovers valuable stolen merchandise in the kitchen cupboard, he resolves that it's up to him to permanently rid her of Roger.

The task is daunting, with the streetwise hoodlum outsizing young Mike by more than a foot and a hundred pounds, he seeks the aid of his fellow classmates, a group of special needs students with conditions as varied as Aspergers Disorder, hyperactivity and Down's Syndrome. A plan is hatched to betray Roger in a heist of stolen property. The kids are successful, but Roger escapes the law and desperately seeks revenge, threatening Mike in dangerous and life-changing trauma. The teenager's innocent perspectives of an honest and safe world are forever altered.

The harrowing experience spares Mike's mom from further harm, validating their strong family bonds. Since Mike's classmates are a small group of culturally diverse teenagers, their backgrounds lend a dimension of drama and humor to the unpredictable social twisting of the teenage view. Despite the ill designs of a conniving criminal, heartland values and the loyalty of friendship eventually prevail.