Coloring the World with Broken Crayons

On the outside, it looked as though Esmene Munroe had a perfect life. She grew up in a loving two-parent home with her siblings, did well in school and went to college. She was happily married with two children and had a career she enjoyed. But as time went on, the lock on Esmene's closet broke and all the skeletons of her childhood came tumbling out. From then on, Esmene allowed herself to be consumed by the mental illness that she had always managed to keep at bay. Just when it looked like Esmene, a victim of pedophilia, lost her will to live, she accepted the fact that she needed help and embarked on a journey of self-discovery, truth, and acceptance.

M.J. Patterson was born in Camden, NJ, and moved to Pennsauken, NJ, with her family at the age of eight. She attended St. Cecilia's Elementary School before attending Pennsauken High School. M.J. attended LaSalle University where she studied psychology. M.J has always had a passion for reading and began to write and publish short stories on various fiction sites. She was inspired to write her debut novel because she wanted to share her experience of being an African American woman struggling with mental illness. She has an amazing treatment team and at this time her mental health is stable. M.J. currently lives in Pennsauken with her husband, two children, and their puppy.