Chloe Stowe's Blog: The Words and Madness of Chloe Stowe - Posts Tagged "fear"

Chapter Five: Chortles and Bananas

“But there was a small corner inside of him where an irrational panic hid. It hid until the sun disappeared and the night crashed in through his windows. Even now he shivered remembering it. “It was the kind of dark you can’t understand. The kind you don’t want to.”” (page 108)



My moment of silence is over.

For two days, I’ve kept this blog quiet out of respect for the innocent lives lost in Connecticut Friday. I felt it was the best way I could acknowledge the tragedy. I hope everyone understands that.

Now, however, the silence must be broken.

It has been rumored by various media outlets (the same media outlets that had erroneously identified the shooter as Ryan Lanza and Mrs. Lanza as a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary) that the killer, Adam, suffered from Asperger’s Syndrome. Whether or not this turns out to be true, I’m deathly afraid that this “mild” form of autism will be (and has already been) used as a reason for the violence.

I must, and I will continue to vehemently disagree.

Balthazar Macy, the twelve year old boy in Miracle on Lombard Street suffers from Asperger’s. This choice of characterization was made months ago. Of course, there was no way I could have known that the syndrome would suddenly be filling the headlines right before Christmas, right before my novel’s release tomorrow. I have mixed feelings about this coincidence.

My initial knee-jerk reaction was “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me! Maybe it’s not too late to change, well, everything.” The very last thing I wanted to do was to tug at heartstrings still bleeding just to tell a silly story. I don’t want to profit from this tragedy whatsoever. I thought about asking for the book to be pulled…

Then, I yanked my head out of my ass and realized the truth.

Perhaps, just perhaps, twelve year old Balthazar could be used as a small, meek though powerful beacon of truth.

Asperger’s Syndrome does not cause violence. It should not be blamed for the evil the shooter exhibited last Friday, and it should not be looked at as a “marker” for killers-to-be.

Asperger’s is a condition that greatly effects a person’s ability to socially interact with the world. It often isolates its sufferers; it does not turn them into murderers.

Balthazar is a sweet boy whose belief in Christmas magic is magical in and of itself. There is not a violent bone in his body. His story, while fictional, is realistic. Reading about his struggles and his triumphs I hope will reveal the truth about Asperger’s.

I often ask myself if there is a reason why God has chosen to send me down this writing path. Perhaps, just perhaps, Balthazar Macy is the reason why.

Miracle on Lombard Street releases tomorrow, Tuesday December 18th. I hope you consider adding it to your romance library not because of Balthazar but because you want to read a damn good love story…

But if you do allow Balthazar Macy into your life I promise that you will treasure the boy, not fear him.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe
Chloe Stowe