Skeletons in the Closet

While spending the weerkend at her father's apartment, a pre-teenaged girl accidentally discovers her adoption papers in the hall closet. This revelation lead her into a world of deception, only to find out, 37 years later that the initial information given her was not the whole truth. So what was the truth? New information, including the possibility of a twin sister, finds her on a road full of detours that last for more than ten years. Overcome by grief for the loss of her younger son, Carol puts her search on hold, but she cannot forget Ricky's avid support to find her sister and the truth about her adoption His memory and her belief in God give her the strength she needs to find the answers to the Skeletons in the Closet.

It took me almost 51 years to finally write my book. Of course, for most of this time I was a child still in school, young adult who had joined the military, later married raising a family, divorced and remarried with another family. In 2002, my youngest son, from my second marriage, who was serving in the National Guard was missing. The Army told me he had committed suicide and I knew it was not the truth and go into more details in my book, and was in shock for many years. Finally, in 2010, I knew it was time to write about my adoption, the search for my sister and the search into the details of the death of Ricky. After three months of crying, but focused, in November, 2010, I finished my book, Skeletons in the Closet, was finished. November, 11, 1980 is the birthdate of Ricky and it was appropriate that my book would be published during November. One of my desires to to get my book out in the public as a vehicle to propose into law a Adult Adoptee Reform, whereby Adoptees, when they turn 18 years of age, are able to request, just like any other U.S. Citizen, and receive their ORIGINAL Birth Certificate. I would like to tear down the barriers of an archaic and cruel law that, in most of the United States will not allow adoptees to have access to their original birth certificates and other information surrounding their adoption. I hope that my book will bring healing to many and through their healing I will also be healed.

Carol was fostered as a baby and adopted at 2 1/2 years of age. As an only child of her adoptive parents, both alcoholics, her home environment was violent during their drinking binges. After learning of her adoption at 13, she was placed in a home with her birth uncle and his wife. Carol joined the Army during Viet Nam and was stationed at the Pentagon. Beginning her writing career in 1996, Carol has many experiences from which to draw. Carol is the mother of six children, a veteran of the U.S. Army (Viet Nam Era and from 1978-80), is also a member of the Disabled American Veterans Association, and National Native American Veterans Association. Ms. Shoemaker is a dual citizen of the United States and Israel. A highlight of her trip to Israel was when asked to deliver a message for the children of K'far Adumim to Hilary Clinton in Jerusalem (1994). Upon returning to the U.S., she had the honor of writing the online biography of Michael Landon for the Michael Landon International Internet Fan Club. She is a member of the Austin Film Society National Academy of Native American Arts Society NANAAS and National Association of Memoir Writers/NAMW.