After finishing Blue Chow Christmas, I got the idea to write about a single mother with two boys: one with autism and the other without. My reader helped me a lot with stories from her family, while I set out to do research. I read blogs, forums, studied nonfiction books, and chatted with my readers. I also watched a movie about Temple Grandin and read her book, Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism. I quickly realized that because autism is a spectrum disorder, everyone is individual in their symptoms and experiences. While there are similarities, there are also vast differences.

Throughout my writing, I checked in with my friend who would either validate or correct what I wrote. It was very important for me to understand what was going on inside the person who has autism, and not just what was going on around them. My friend pointed me to a book, The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen Year Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida which was a treasure trove. Right before I did the final revision of my manuscript, I also read a fictionalized memoir, Paper In the Wind: Peeling back the lifespan of autism in the wake of tragedy by Olivia Mason-Charles. This book made me really think about what life is like for the caregiver.
My story, Playing for the Save, is now with my editor. It is still a romance, with the hopes and wishes of the single mother, Jamie, for someone to validate her experience and to appreciate her and love her. But it also shows how autism takes over someone's life and isolates them from others. Because of the help I got from my readers, I hope this book will help other readers become aware of autism as well as understand it better and to appreciate and support those caregivers. At the very least, don't stare or glare at a parent when their child is having a meltdown, and don't ream them out because their child happened to disturb you. They have enough stress to deal with, and therefore I hope my book will help people become more tolerant. [Note: Blue Chow Christmas is a squeaky clean read. Playing for the Save is not steamy like the rest of the Men of Spring series. I would rate it Mild, in that nothing is described.]
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Cait Hart has been married to Brian Wonder for twelve years,
but does she really know him? The redheaded firefighter is dependable, loyal,
and kind to others, but he's never let her probe his feelings.
Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
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Looks like a great book. Will have to keep my eye on that one. :)
ReplyDeletethanks so much!
DeleteAs the mother of an adult child with Asperger's Syndrome,I have to read Blue Chow Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I hope you enjoy it.
DeleteRachelle, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Rachelle. Sounds like Playing for the Save took painstaking research. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I'll have to watch for your book. I have a son with autism (he's 11). I appreciate how much research you did and look forward to reading both of your books!
ReplyDelete