Ruben, also known as Ru, is used to losing. He lost his mom, Jade, because of her issues and irresponsibility; his grandmother, May, before he met her; and his grandfather, River, later in life due to old age. He even loses his trust in people. When his mother enters his life again, he's not the abandoned kid he once was, but in the end, that child runs the center of his heart. She starts to crack his small amount of hope with every fallout. Later, he gradually opens up to friends like Kendall, his veterinarian coworker, or Mrs. Sandum, a sweet elderly woman at his apartment building, and her even sweeter dog. However, a discovery about his late father threatens all of his progress. Will it be the moment that cracks his hope for good? Book 1 of The Fruit Series. Can be read as a stand-alone.

Being nearly killed by her mother during an argument, over a pot of stew, Sage is not having the best time of her life. Seeing herself as an orange, picked apart for years, and wondering if she could ever be a part of something with a life like this, the chance comes to her in the form of a nurse, a social worker, a new friend (and maybe more), a soap opera, and a shelter. Perfectly Peeled Orange is the answer to the question Sage always asks herself: "Do you think people are a part of something bigger?" *Trigger warnings for abuse, violence, and injury* Book 2 of The Fruit Series. Can be read as a stand-alone.