published works

  Finding pony

(Young Adult; HBE Publishing, 2015)

Kids in Bravo Hills trailer park usually have to grow up fast and fifteen-year-old Jesse Sampson is no exception. With a meth addict for a mom and drug dealer for a stepdad, Jesse spends most nights taking care of his little sister, Pony. One night, the cops break in and arrest his mom and stepdad for a mini-mart robbery gone wrong. Determined to never go into foster care again, Jesse hides his sister under a pile of dirty clothes and escapes through a window.  In the morning, he finds his mom and step dad arrested, the trailer trashed, and Pony gone.

And due to a botched drug deal, she may also be in danger.

Scared, homeless, and desperate to find her, Jesse sets off on a trek that sends him from dusty rural back roads to the gang-infested streets of Los Angeles. He must dodge drug dealers, gangs, cops, and social workers as he searches to find Pony, and ultimately, himself

This book is currently out of print, but copies are still available for purchase on Amazon.

“A page-turner from start to finish. Jesse is a protagonist who makes poor choices driven by a good heart… Finding Pony is a moving story that will make you think, and Jesse Sampson is a young man you won’t soon forget.”

- Bonnie Hearn Hill, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Finding Pony is an amazing book, both true to life and genuine. As a foster care social worker, I see the difficulties that youth in the system experience, but I didn’t truly understand them until I read Finding Pony… I would recommend this book to everyone.”

- Amanda Rodriguez, MSW, Foster Family Agency Social Worker