Comments, relating to the topic, are welcome, add a great deal to a blog, but must be in English, with no profanity, hate-filled insults, or links (unless pre-approved).




Monday, June 25, 2012

Abuse in fiction

Two free days (June 25-26, 2012) for my eBook Moon Dust, which is, I believe, a strong love story of a broken relationship, but something more -- information about the repercussions on adult males from childhood sexual abuse. I know it's an unpleasant topic but when you write, part of why is to give people a good read but weaving within that some truths about life. This one came to me probably fifteen or more years ago because of some things I had seen in my own community.

Many do not understand the problem when it's boys who have been molested. Some even think-- wow hot teacher, what is to complain? Or so what if it was a coach, the kid got something out of it. We saw some of this argument with the Sandusky accusations and now guilty verdict. The boys didn't run away. They didn't tell. They didn't tell as adults. It was all very suspect to some people.

If people more understood that sexual abuse of a child is a crime of control, of taking away another person's power, they'd understand what it does and why at the time and even later, as an adult, the person can have a hard time getting past what happened. There is a great deal of reticence in even thinking about it themselves, let alone telling someone else. What many don't realize is there are many emotional ramifications of such abuse.

The story Moon Dust is about a marriage breaking up over that kind of secret. It is also about our educational system and all the conflicting demands being put upon it right now. It's about how we make a difference in another person's life-- and when we cannot.

Because it is a deep book as well as a romance, it's not had an easy time finding readers. It would probably do better in a straight literary category as such readers might be more open to such a tough topic. I felt though it also belonged in the story of a romance because in the end romances are always about relationship.

I have written two books that dealt with the adult ramifications of abuse on men. The other, a historical, has not yet been published, and I am still deciding whether I ever want to bring it out as an eBook. In that one it was physical abuse. In both cases the abuser was in the family, and that is the most common source of abuse for boys or girls. Sad isn't it!

So I hope Moon Dust gets some takers with its free days. I hope that some who read it will learn more about the topic of abuse in a positive sense as we are only victims when we can't change something. Knowledge is power. Abuse is widespread in our culture. It doesn't just happen to girls.

Trailer also available at Picasa-- Moon Dust eBook Trailer

4 comments:

Tabor said...

I will be honest in that I was somewhat put off by the trailer as the people looked like something out of a soap opera and not real. This subconsciously made me think the characters might have no depth I am guessing. I am moving about today and have no time to check out your novel, but will do so soon. You write well on your blog, so that must translate into your novels.

Rain Trueax said...

I appreciate the honest appraisal of the trailer, Tabor. It's funny too in a way as it makes me think there need to be two trailers, but I will admit romance novels are not about homely or even ordinary people. They are adult fairy tales. They can deal with serious problems as this one does, but they are also romances which means spicy and possibly like a movie more than what happened to your next door neighbor.

In creating trailers, I've gone more and more with them using stock photos because it's faster and I like the fun of it. Parapluie/Diane, who with Dick has been one of my biggest blog supporters in the writing) has said reading one of them (not this one but another that I just created a trailer for) reminded her of being an old lady and playing with Barbie dolls. I didn't mind that comment either. They aren't books aimed at the reality of our world even if they can deal with real world problems as this one does. They are fantasy ;)

I've read a few sociological studies on what kind of women read them and it's mostly those who need the break from their own reality. Statistically one study done by a university made the claim that it was nurses and people in demanding careers where the last thing they want in their fiction is stress. I totally get that they are not everyone's cup of tea. I put this blog here because I think the topic of this one matters a lot for people to understand but having said it here, it's not a requirement to read the book to get it.

A lot of my readers probably did already understand the ramifications of abuse (things that can even be mostly forgotten but not unfelt). It seemed especially important now with the ones who have tried to defend Sandusky in anyway. The worst crime there, in my opinion, was the ones who covered it up. That man needs to be in prison where he hopefully will be going, but a lot of people didn't tell or stop it. Same with the church. I think it's because they don't really get the damage it does.

Rain Trueax said...

I should add that the subject of adult repercussions from abuse in a romance has fallen pretty flat with readers of them also ;) I suppose such readers want lighter fare than not only that but the ideas Dane has about education. He is a very handsome man but when I was in high school, we had a very handsome principal too. It isn't really all that convenient for them. He ended up having an affair with the PE teacher who was married to our vice principal at the time and it was quite the scandal. I don't think that would fit a romance book for how it ended up.

Lynn said...

When your blog came in on my e-mail my first thought was I must stop by and offer my congratulations. As always your thought provoking bog lured me in. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a book trailer. Technology is moving so fast. I watch people, young and old, managing their lives on their cell phones and I’m awestruck. I still keep my cellphone plugged in or by my chair like rotary. You miss a lot of calls that way. Ebooks are another novelty to me. I wish they had another name. A book is a book. Congratulations are still order for tackling a tough subject, for keeping alive your talent as a wordsmith and wrapping it up in romance. Way to go, Rain.