by J. L. Greger
Many holiday stories focus on
perfect children who are only naughty enough to be cute.
In
the real world, no child is as perfect as the ones in these tales. Maybe that's
part of the appeal of Tiny Tim in Dicken's A
Christmas Carol. Today we could call him a special needs child; in Dicken's
time he would have been called #handicapped or worse.
What are special needs children? Legally these children have been determined to require "special attention and specific necessities that other children do not." These children and their families may have to
cope with physical problems (such as muscular dystrophy, chronic asthma, epilepsy), developmental
impairments (including down syndrome, autism, dyslexia) and/or behavioral and
emotional issues (like attention deficit disorder and bipolar disorder). In
general, each #special-needs-child is unique, but all need the loving support
of their family.
In
my #psychological #mystery Dirty Holy Water, I tried to illustrate the difficulties a family faces in coping
with the needs of special needs children. Many of these problems individually
may sound trivial, but collectively they prove overwhelming to the Jansen
family in the novel. Thus, when the grandmother Lurleen Jansen is brutally
murdered, the disarray in the family becomes obvious to a family friend Sara
Almquist and the police.
What problems do parents of special needs
children face? At
least one parent in a family (usually the #mother) is often unable to be
employed outside the home and/or participate normally in social interactions
with other adults because of her child's many appointments with medical
providers, therapists, and school personnel. The medication regimen for the child
varies markedly with growth and the activity levels of the child and must be
monitored regularly. These adjustments are sometimes intellectually challenging
even for medical professional, let alone untrained parents. On top of all these
issues, any underlying emotional problems of parents of special needs children
are often exacerbated because of fear, guilt, financial insecurity, social
isolation, and/or anger. In other words, families of special needs children
sometimes develop an interesting combination of strengths and vulnerabilities.
Accordingly,
I was able to develop multi-dimensional characters in Dirty Holy Water. The mother Mitzi and grandmother Lurleen are
outwardly conscientious and loving. The developmentally delayed little boy
Matt seems sweet while the teenage girl
Kayla with attention deficit disorder is thirteen going on thirty. The
grandfather Pete is smart but distant. The reader soon learns these
characteristics are facades. If I say more I'll give away the plot.
Perhaps the KIRKUS Review will reassure you.
"A thought-provoking, disturbing, and engaging mystery with a likable,
strong-willed female lead."
Are
happy endings possible for special needs children? Definitely yes. Many special needs
children develop into adults who hold jobs and function well in society,
especially if supportive community facilities are available. Although some
parents and kin of special needs children never stop mourning their children's
lost potential, many learn loving, contented sons and daughter (as children and
adults) are the ultimate mark of success in life. My experience with doing pet
therapy with hospitalized special needs children is that many need a best
friend, like Bug, my pet therapy dog and a character in all my novels.
I
suspect most readers will find the conclusion of Dirty Holy Water uplifting. Didn't you feel hopeful for Tiny Tim at
the end of Dicken's A Christmas Carol?
Buy Dirty
Holy Water (paperback or ebook) at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0960028587
Blurb
for Dirty Holy Water: Life is
complicated for Sara Almquist in this romantic and psychological mystery. She's
about to become engaged and leave for a vacation in India when she becomes the
chief suspect in the murder of a friend. Only the friend and her family, well
to put it politely, have a couple of dark secrets. Sara soon realizes the
difference between a villain and a victim can be small - alarmingly small,
especially in a dysfunctional family.
Bio:
J.L. Greger
has consulted on scientific issues worldwide and loves to travel. Thus, she likes to include both science
and her travel experiences in her thriller/mystery novels in the Science
Traveler series. Award-winning books in the series include: The Flu Is Coming, Murder: A Way to Lose
Weight, Malignancy, Riddled with Clues, and A Pound of Flesh, Sorta.
Learn more at: http://www.jlgreger.com
Comments
Dirty Holy Water.