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February 1, 2008 10:23 AM

BEST OF 2007 GUEST BLOG: Caroline Smailes

Helen picked Caroline Smailes' In Search of Adam as the best book she'd read in 2007. I loved it too. And Caroline was kind enough to agree to guest blog for us! We're happy...

It happened again yesterday. I went to the school to pick up my three kiddies and I saw a playground mum making a direct route towards me. She’s one of those mums who never normally talks to me, she’s immaculately dressed with perfectly straight hair (no hidden clumps of kink at the back, like mine) and she was almost barging towards me. I found myself sweating.

She boomed at me, “I’ve read your book.”

“Th..th..anks,” I seriously stuttered, her tone told me that there was more.

“I can’t believe that someone like you would write something like that. It just goes to show that you never know what goes on inside someone’s head,” she cackled and then flew away on her broomstick. (I may have exaggerated slightly here).

But, I get this a lot. 

In Search of Adam tackles child abuse, suicide, eating disorders and self harm. Am I selling it to you? All I can say, in an attempt to justify, is that as I write my stories unfold and develop into what I’d consider a true, an honest reaction to events. I can’t create a happily ever after, if that happily ever after will make the plot or story lose integrity. Some readers will find this uncomfortable, some will begin to look at me differently, and others will connect with the narrator, journeying through the novel with her/him. Within In Search of Adam, bad things happen but I tried to write a novel that was layered with so much more then just bad things. I wanted the reader to be left feeling hope, redemption, peace.

Since publication of the hardback, I’ve been overwhelmed by the response. I’ve written something that makes people react in some way. I’ve been true to myself in producing a story that is grounded in fact, tackling the reality that bad things happen and if we simply ignore the bad things, well it won’t make them go away. 

In the playground, yesterday, I did consider chasing after the playground mum and trying to highlight the fairytale imagery, the religious themes and above all to tell her that her children could be trusted in my care. But I didn’t chase. Instead I stood in the playground, planning out the sex scene that was to be included in my next novel and wondering what the playground gossips would declare of me then.

Sometimes, I really really love writing stories.

Check out Caroline's novella, Disraeli Avenue, which she is offering as a free ebook.

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Posted by Keris on February 1, 2008 in Guest blogs | Permalink

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