A neglected 12-year-old boy does nothing to report the death of his mother in order to compete in a spelling bee. A tragic coming-of-age tale of horror and drama in the setting of a hot New Orleans summer.

"Original, touching coming of age."--Jack Ketchum, author of The Girl Next Door

"With "Of Foster Homes and Flies" Lutzke is firing on all cylinders. It's a lean mean emotional machine. Coming-of-age presented in a fresh direction. Bearing tremendous emotional weight and heart. It made me cry. "--John Boden, author of Jedi Summer and Dominoes

"Disturbing, often gruesome, yet poignant at the same time, Chad Lutzke's Of Foster Homes and Flies is one of the best dark coming-of-age tales I've read in years. You'll laugh (sometimes when you know you shouldn't), you'll cry, you'll find yourself wondering how soon you can read more of this guy's work. Highly recommended "--James Newman, author of Midnight Rain, Ugly as Sin, and Odd Man Out

"...one of those real treats that comes down the pipe and manages to get you all excited about reading again...the whole ting is just beautiful."--Ginger Nuts of Horror

"Loved it, wished I loved all books I read as much...a sweet, yet subtly horrific and superbly written story. Lutzke shows incredible skills...Highly recommended."--Mark Matthews, author of All Smoke Rises

"Of Foster Homes and Flies by Chad Lutzke is a lovely addition to the coming of age subgenre. He creates in the character of Denny an authentic young man with passions and foibles, someone easy to relate to and root for. The novella hits all the right notes you expect out of a coming of age tale, while also providing a plot that has originality and surprises."--Mark Allan Gunnells, author of Flowers in a Dumpster and The Summer of Winters

"Of Foster Homes and Flies is the darkest, most disturbing story ChadLutzke has written. It's also his best...the ultimate one-finger salute to oppression...Highly recommended."--Dan Padavona, author of the Dark Vanishing Series

"As heartbreaking as it is horrifying...Of Foster Homes and Flies is a clearly written, fine-tuned entry into the canon of coming-of-age/innocence lost genre...Southern Gothic in the true sense of the word."--Barrymore Tebbs, author of A Thousand Paper Cranes and The Haunting at Blackwood Hall