The following stories are collected in my first anthology in print, fully edited and updated.
Depending on the Morning Sun is a gripping novel-in-stories set during the mid-2010s, where everything is calm before the storm.
In the sun-drenched border town of Yuma, Arizona, Carrie and Jon struggle to create stability for their sensitive son Michael, whose autism shapes his world through numbers, patterns, and acute fear of the dark. At the same time, their daughter Emma tries to find a way to protect herself from bullies in school as well as protecting her little brother. When Carrie’s controversial stepfather Marcus Chen extends a financial lifeline with troubling strings attached, the family’s delicate balance is threatened, drawing in Carrie’s well-meaning but overbearing mother Deborah.
Marcus Chen’s initiative leaves the age-old question wide open: Is it possible to escape your fate in life if you have enough money-and if so, can the price be too high? Through playground confrontations, late-night meltdowns, unexpected breakthroughs with a Horned Lark, and a dramatic highway encounter that forces long-buried conflicts to the surface, these interconnected stories capture a family’s determination to find meaningful connection against formidable odds.
This collection offers an intimate, unflinching portrait of parental love, sibling bonds, and the unexpected moments of grace that sustain us. A resonant read for anyone who has ever had to deal with the gap between expectation and reality in family life.
Buy the paperback on Amazon or most other retailers online!
Special offer!
For a limited time you can also download a free ebook version!
What people say about the Depending on the Morning Sun stories
I needed this today. Thank you. ❤️
– from Maggie on “The Answer to Everything”
Your metaphor of need to get over all the balls on the floor spoke to me deeply, Christopher, and triggered a whole stream of thoughts that I previously was unable to put into words. Thanks and peace, man.
– from Frank J Peters on “The Battle You Have to Win”
It’s beautiful
Loved it
– from Roksana Emilia on “When Everything was True”
This is pure gold! Please write more. Can’t wait to read on, so do please write on!!
– from Kelvin Seah on “Reach”
I enjoyed reading this. I feel like I can relate.
– from This Autism Journey on “Some are Here, Some are Missing”
Wow! My youngest son and my eldest granddaughter are both autistic. This resonated so much. Thank you for sharing x
– from A.L.A.S. on “Right Choices”
I think this is a wonderful expression of the things we dream of completing but the grind of reality eats up our time and sometimes, our dream. Or we just keep dreaming and doing normal and someday, you wake up and somehow your dream came along for the ride and found it’s own reality.
– from joyindestructible on “Like a Memory”
The honesty in this is so beautifully refreshing.
– from BrittnyLee on “All Things Born This Day”
You can check out these stories and more comments on the blog!
Note that there are older versions of the stories in the paperback on the website, which have not been edited. So if you want the latest versions either buy the print edition or download the free ebook!