Brothers of the State

“He looks up, and, for a split second, his brown eyes appear black. Had I not known him, I’d have thought him to be the devil himself, tricked and trapped by mortal man.”

Some say the devil is in us all.

For Joseph Wycoff and his brothers, Satan himself lives in rural Kansas. Taken as wards of the state, three young boys must stick together until they can return home to their parents.

But a harsh reality is waiting for them in the Midwest. He resides in the basement, watching their every move, waiting to hand out his own brand of discipline and humiliation. He lives on in their nightmares, not easily shaken and never forgotten.

Based on a true story, Brothers of the State is a tale of brotherhood, family, and sometimes, all too often, overlooked realities.

Darrell Lacey was born and raised in Pittsburg, Kansas. He is a U.S. Army veteran who was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina and served one year in South Korea. Brothers of the State is Darrell's debut novel. He wrote it based on his own childhood experiences with his brothers. He wrote it during his down time at work over the course of three years. He hopes that his story, while an older one, will shed light on the abuses that have taken place in the foster care system. He also hopes that it will show those that have been through similar situations that there is hope, and that these experiences don't define you. Darrell hopes to use this book as an opportunity to take classes and continue his education. He is currently working on writing his next novel and a compilation of short stories.