Tag: Autism Fiction
Participation Ribbons
2015 is the Aussie awards season for Are You Seeing Me? and, if the first four months is any guide, it’s a year that’s going straight to the pool room.
It started off with a delightful nod from those very fine fans at Booktopia. As an added bonus, they included a faker with the movers and shakers on their annual ‘Australia’s Favourite Novelist‘ poll. Like a qualifier facing Roger Federer at Wimbledon, I was disposed of quickly and efficiently in the first round…But, man, was it good to play Centre Court.
In March came a recognition that is a source of particular pride. The International Board on Books for Young Adults (IBBY) compiled their 2015 list of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities and Are You Seeing Me? was among the 50 chosen. AYSM was one of two successful Australian entries in a worldwide submission involving 159 books and 27 countries and was a part of IBBY’s catalogue that did the rounds at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
Those successes were humbling.
Then came April.
No Lie: Perry’s Seven Pearls Of Priceless Wisdom
Are You Seeing Me? is on the shelves and the initial response has been terrific. Readers have shared their experiences of laughing and crying and wishing earnestly and thinking differently and, when all was said and done, not wanting to let go.
A major reason for this response has been Perry Richter. The young man with the “brain condition” seems to be touching hearts and souls in a big way. I’m delighted by this – in the character’s simple eloquence and careful observance, there are lessons for all of us, his author included.
So, as both an early thank you to AYSM’s readers and a brief foray into the beautiful mind of a special person, here is Perry’s “No Lie” guide to living a good life in an unstable world:
Continue reading “No Lie: Perry’s Seven Pearls Of Priceless Wisdom”
You See What I Did There?
With Are You Seeing Me? having just hit the shelves in Australia, I’d like to share with you some insight into what inspired me to write the novel.
Anyone who’s spent any time with me knows I am Dad to a set of twins: one girl, one boy. My daughter is ‘neurotypical’, which is how people in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) community sometimes refer to regular, everyday kids who do not have autism. She is amazing. She plays trumpet, creates short animated films and adores The Hunger Games. My son, who is three minutes younger than my daughter, is diagnosed with autism. He is amazing, too. He is awesome at Minecraft, swims like a champ and enjoys Pixar films. They will officially be teenagers in 2014.
Are You Seeing Me? is a gift to my daughter. She was due a book – my previous novel, Kindling, was a gift to my son. (By the way, all of my books are gifts for my beautiful
wife). When I first started considering what to write, I kept coming back to a message I held dear for my daughter: ‘You should never feel like you must be your brother’s keeper. Love him, as he loves you, but live your own life to the full.’
‘Another’ Post About Book Diversity
First, the good news:
The recent #WeNeedDiverseBooks Twitter coup was an admirable rebuff of the longstanding hegemonies in children’s and young adult fiction. It doesn’t look like a flash in the pan either, so that’s good too.
Now, the bad news:
The whole exercise has further illustrated – dare I say, reinforced – the pecking order of minorities in both the book debate and the wider society looking on.
Fanning The Flames: ‘Kindling’ Released in North America
Courtesy of the fine folk at Exciting Press, Kindling is available for the first time in the Home of the Brave and in the True North, Strong and Free.
Now, apart from continental accessibility, what’s different about this publication compared to the original Aussie release in 2010?
- Exclusively e-book (Kindle for the first 90 days, then in other formats subsequent)
- Hawt new cover
- Cheap as chips ($4.99 in the US; $5.12 in CAN)
- Much less ink
- Zero chance of paper cuts
- Author is slightly older (though still sexy)
- Every single copy downloaded has a different ending
- Nazi zombies
- Vampire zombies
- Zombie zombies
As you can see from this extensive list, the work is TOTALLY different, barely recognizable from before. So, grab the new and improved Kindling while internet stocks last!
(Warning: Some of the statements above may be the product of author hubris and/or inebriation…)
Kindling in Kindle format for North America – buy the US version here and the CAN version here.
Kindling Some Autism Awareness
April is ‘World Autism Awareness Month’. April 2 is ‘World Autism Awareness Day‘.
And I am proud to announce Kindling has been officially selected as the ‘World Autism Awareness Novel of Awesomeness’.
To commemorate this prestigious achievement, I have pasted below an excerpt from the book, soon to be published in the US and Canada through Exciting Press. The scene describes an epiphany for a grandfather coming to grips with his “lost” grandson. It’s a moment of not just awareness, but of true understanding. It’s my favourite moment in the entire story.
I hope it stays with you throughout April, and beyond.
Fire Up The New ‘Kindling’ Cover!
With the US/Canada ebook release of Kindling mere days away, here’s an insider’s view of the hot new cover (you see what I did there?). Two burning thumbs-up to Exciting Press Creative Director, Will Entrekin, for his fine work.
One thing about this confronting image – it ought to make fans concerned for Kieran’s safety very angry. I can imagine the hate-mail arriving already:
You sent your 10 year old, autism-diagnosed protagonist into this fiery maelstrom!? Really!? What sort of sicko author does that!? What sort of monster are you!?
(Note to self: send your next 10 year old, autism-diagnosed protagonist to a lovely inviting forest, full of marshmallows and rainbows and dolphins…and zombies.)
There’ll Always Be Fireflies
(Pic Source: luxirare.com)
The inspirational tale of Team Hoyt came past me again recently. For those disinclined to click the link, it shares the incredible story of father, Dick, disabled son, Rick, and the thousand plus marathons / triathlons they have performed as one, dad towing and wheeling and pushing his paralyzed boy all the way. Their thirty-five year odyssey is replete with details to make the heart swell and the eyes tear up, but this one provided particular pause for me:
With $5,000 in 1972 and a skilled group of engineers at Tufts University, an interactive computer was built for Rick. This computer consisted of a cursor being used to highlight every letter of the alphabet. Once the letter Rick wanted was highlighted, he was able to select it by just a simple tap with his head against a head piece attached to his wheelchair. When the computer was originally first brought home, Rick surprised everyone with his first words. Instead of saying, “Hi, Mom,” or “Hi, Dad,” Rick’s first “spoken” words were: “Go, Bruins!” The Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup finals that season. It was clear from that moment on, that Rick loved sports and followed the game just like anyone else.
That pivotal moment of communication breakthrough must have been like a glorious dawn; the perennial night finally receding as the sun climbs over the horizon, never to set again on the Hoyt family. I can only imagine how good it felt to see that light.
I can only imagine.
Myperbole 