I wrote this blog post for someone else's blog a while ago. I think it's important to repost it every so often so readers understand.
When
people find out what I write about, they sometimes ask why in the world I write
about depressing tough topics such as addictions, abusive relationships, rape,
teen pregnancy, or medical conditions. My husband is actually one of these
people. I suppose it does take a certain type of person to love my books.
So,
what’s the answer, you ask? Why did I start writing about these subjects? There
are a number of reasons. As a teen, I enjoyed reading young adult edgy dramas
and medical dramas, but there weren’t enough of them. They were taboo. Parents
didn’t want their teens reading about hard topics, so there weren’t a lot of
them. Knowing that these subjects are important to teens, I started writing
more.
I
love drama. I also love the thought that I might be helping someone out there
who has one of these problems. I can’t count the number of times I looked for a
book as a teen that dealt with one of the problems I was facing. The times when
I did find one, I bonded with the characters and I didn’t feel alone anymore. Things
like this happen to teens out there, someone needs to write about them. I hope
my books reach teens who are looking for that feeling.
Some
of my favorite books dealt with a teen facing death, usually because of cancer.
I decided to go beyond cancer and wrote about epilepsy, a medical condition not
a lot of teens know about. I also wrote about needing a heart transplant.
My
first eBook, Damaged: Natalie’s Story is about a teen with a violent
boyfriend who finds herself in the hospital after one of his attacks. She has
to deal with all the physical and emotional damage that he caused.
Two
of my books are a little closer to home. Before I finished writing my epilepsy
book, Teagan’s Story: Her Battle With Epilepsy, I found out a friend’s
daughter had a form of epilepsy and decided to dedicate the book to her. I hope
that my book helps create awareness for this condition.
My
third book, If I Die Young, is about a teen needing a heart transplant.
Many people in my family have heart problems including one of my daughters and
myself. One of my family members just had a heart transplant. When I released
this book, I matched the sales for the first ten books and donated it to The
Children’s Heart Foundation.
My
fourth book, The Ultimate Sacrifice, is a paranormal, but I do touch on
rape in it.
In
my sixth book, Lost and Found, my main character deals with sexual
abuse, drug addiction, foster homes, and teen pregnancy.
I
have unfinished books that deal with car accidents, paralysis, pregnancy,
cutting, running away – all very challenging subjects to write and read about,
but all very important nonetheless.
I
guess the answer to the question why do I choose the subjects I write about is
to help someone in that situation. If I can help just one person for each book
I write, writing the book was worth it.
