Autism Fact: "There is no medical detection or cure for autism." Competition Comment (with an email) to win an ebook from my backlist. Contest open until April 17th (central time). A Word My cousin was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome many years ago now, but before the diagnosis came, there were hard times because the once normal young girl, meeting every milestone she should, was no longer. Frustrated and scared, it was a lot for everyone to deal with. She was a lot to handle but we always made things work. Mainly, and more importantly, because there was communication through the whole process. We used words. As an author we can pour over our own words all day and not be satisfied with what we have written. Other times we write 15,000 words in a couple days and feel we have created a masterpiece. But when we write those words we know when we put them down, they are only the first draft. All the emotions, ideas, and interaction between our characters are there on the page, ready for us to take them apart, to unwrap them to see what we can find and continue to explore again then hand them over to our readers. The autism spectrum has a wide variety of people on it. Some are high functioning, just seeming a little odd while others are totally nonverbal, needing one on one attention, and everything else in between. It's amazing how words become so important to someone on the autism spectrum, or for a person who cares for a person with autism. For the mother who holds onto hope to her child's voice one more time, to say something like "Mom". For the Asperger's woman in the back of the office, cringing when her coworkers refer to her as "Canada" because she does things differently, knowing it's an insult, to both her and Canada. For the child who tries hard to communicate with his dad but can't look him in the eye because it's too hard. For the family overhearing people complaining about the behavior of their child when the strangers don't know. For the child who can finally say "Hello" after years of non-communication—triumph finally! Words can build hope or tear it down. Words are so important but are often used carelessly. They have opened wounds but can be used to mend them. Words can bring kindness where none was, bring understanding to those who haven't experienced/interacted with someone on the autism spectrum. They can remind people to not rush to judgement and offer a hand for awareness. Thank you for stopping by, you can find info on my upcoming release below. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance at something on my backlist (Books Tab). In addition, there are many other authors taking part of RJ's Autism Blog Hop. You can find the list HERE. Just released! Available at MCB website, Amazon, B&N, ARe and (soon) other third party sellers. Since the dawn of human expression, man has gazed up at the heavens in wonder, inspired by the wheeling of the stars to explain his surroundings. While our perception of those surroundings have changed, from thinking of the Earth as a flat, stable plane to realizing we’re falling through space in a tiny atmospheric bubble, our wonder remains constant. Space stations, alien races, far-flung planets—join the Mischief Corner authors as they explore the possibilities the stars might offer. The catch? Returning to mundane old Earth might be harder than you think. Finding Connor: The Borillian Twist, Book 1 - Toni Griffin Mark, a RAAF fighter pilot, is on leave for the first time since the aliens decided to say 'Hello'. He meets Connor, a numbers man for a casino, at a gay bar and danced the night away. Their one night together changes their entire lives and what people think they know about life on Earth. The Usual Conventions: Unconventional Romances 1 - Mathilde Watson When Chris meets the alien—man—of his dreams, "Ensign Brodeich Geinn" aka actor Brody Gates, it's as one of the coordinators for the first annual OBX Science Fiction Convention in North Carolina. To his delight, Brody seems to return his interest, albeit in typical alien "Brodeich" fashion. Awkward alien or not, Chris is more than willing to play out any sexual fantasy for his SciFi crush, especially when Brody fumbles over the simplest of human conventions. Feel Me - Freddy MacKay One terrorist blast changed Master Tobias Zimmer's entire existence, relegating him to being nothing more than just a "Coppies" because of the metal replacing his flesh. As the once future Shogun of moon colony Orion 1, he now idles his time away keeping tabs on the Loyalists while his father and brother broker negotiations with the Earth Consortium. A confrontation with his childhood enemy, Dr. Thorsten Nordenfelt, sets into motion events that cannot be undone and puts Tobias's sheltered heart at the center of the colony's attempts to free itself from the repressive Earth's rule. Shax's War: Brimstone 3 - Angel Martinez The boys desperately need a vacation. With the not-quite-ill-gotten gains from the Frog incident, Shax takes the Brimstone's crew to the exclusive resort planet, Opal. What could possibly go wrong there?
12 Comments
TracyG.
4/2/2014 06:22:17 pm
I think its great that all you authors are promoting awareness. There is so much about Autism that is still unknown, people need to be aware to understand.
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Angel Martinez
4/2/2014 08:34:27 pm
Hi Freds! (No, don't enter me, lol) I love what you've said here - so important for folks to being to understand - not to judge so quickly. And I love your Aspie hero, Geeves. You know that :)
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laurie g
4/2/2014 09:37:14 pm
my dad was like your cousin when he was alive. it took to the age of 50 for him to find out he had aspbergers. he was born in a time when autism wasn't even on the radar so he had a hard slog tiil he found out. i always felt bad he was left to struggle for so long with out answers. if he had been born today he would have been diagnosed at a young age and got help for it sooner
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Shirley Ann Speakman
4/2/2014 11:52:03 pm
I think this blog hop is a great way to highlight Autism and authors have such a way with words that they can promote and help causes.
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Suze
4/3/2014 06:20:20 am
Thanks for your thoughts. For those of us who don't have direct experience, it is the vast range of experiences that seem so confusing at times. So it is useful through all the blogs to see how the real experience is.
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Trix
4/3/2014 11:33:59 am
I think Asperger's in general is really misunderstood, so thank you for the post!
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Trix
4/3/2014 11:34:29 am
Forgot the e-mail: vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com
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theartistryofthebipolarbrain
4/3/2014 12:12:16 pm
Beautiful post. Being bipolar, I often feel like I'm speaking a different language from everyone else.
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4/3/2014 07:34:09 pm
A very good post. Words have so much power! We have a responsibility to use them thoughtfully.
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Jill P
4/4/2014 02:17:22 am
Thank you for being involved in this great event.
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H.B.
4/4/2014 01:17:39 pm
Thank you for taking part in the hop and spreading awareness about Autism. It's wonderful that so many authors have pulled together to educate others.
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bn100
4/9/2014 12:55:58 pm
Nice of you to support
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AuthorI tend to be a little squirrelly, but my friends still love me anyway. ;) Archives
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