My name is Beatriz Aponte. I was born in South Norwalk, CT (nicknamed Betty Boo). I am the middle child out of five raised by a single mother in a very noisy household. As you can imagine, many things were taken from me and privacy was no exception. My only possessions were my thoughts so I spent most of my early years writing my feelings down. In school, I always loved reading and writing. I was always particularly interested in finding out about the author and would create a story behind the story of the writer's life. During my teenage years and early twenties, a piece of paper and pen at times were my only two real friends when the chaos surrounded me. For many years, my audience consisted only of my inner circle (certain friends and cousins) but there was the pleasure of occasional strangers, whom you'll probably never see again. One of my cousins always advised me to take my writing more seriously, but I am my worse critic. However, I realized that I have a gift to express myself with beautifully selected words, and I could also be inspired by what others shared with me. My poetry is no walk in the park. My poetry is the voice of a soul, who has lived many different lives, pain, loss, heartbreak, etc. My poetry, as well as my books, are all based on true stories. I have been writing my entire life; yet, I gave up on the silent childhood dream of being a well-known and acknowledged writer, my true passion. It wasn't until my loss and hitting rock-bottom when I truly challenged myself as a professional writer. Raw Emotions is only the beginning. More shall be revealed because the more I wrote, the more I healed. I thank God for every set-back, for every obstacle and for every single tear. I am a living example of what one can accomplish with faith and determination. I wholeheartedly thank you for contributing to my dream and listening to my story.