|
|
|
T J Askren
I have always had a natural inclination toward writing. I began writing my own diary at the age of 10 and, throughout the years I have kept journals and scrapbooks. I began writing short essays and stories in the 1990s and published a short story called "Baby Blue" in 1994. Writing has been my preferred method of communication for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, some of my writing has gotten me into hot water, but writing, as I am learning from other writers, is a compulsion.
An American Tale (previously Growing Wishbones)
I began my first novel, An American Tale, during a time of my life when I was struggling with events of my youth. An American Tale was a therapeutic catharsis for me. The characters in my novel are amalgams of people I've known throughout my life. There are elements of truth in each character's story. One of the main characters deals with issues of coming out, living as a gay person through the eighties and nineties, and acceptance of herself. The other main character in An American Taleendures years of sexual and emotional abuse.
The ramifications of her abuse affect her many years later, resulting in substance abuse, failed relationships, and a crushed self-worth.
In the United States, 1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18. More than 90% are abused by people they know, love and trust. Most never tell their story. This novel is dedicated to those survivors and for those who could no longer endure the pain.
Derailed
When I was diagnosed with fibrosing mediastinitis I was frustrated by the lack of information about this disease. After attending a conference last summer, I realized that the need for information by patients and health care workers was significant. DERAILED: Living with Fibrosing Mediastinitis was written as a guide for those people. I also wanted to include the stories of individuals living with FM to show the varied manifestations of this rare disease. I'd like to, again, thank those people who shared their personal stories.
Killian James
Killian James started out as a fun, erotic book written for sheer decadence. As I was writing the book, a much deeper story emerged. I lost my maternal grandmother when I was five years old and I have always imagined that, if she had lived a longer life, we would have had a profound relationship. I did, however, have a close relationship with my paternal grandmother with whom I spent many summers. As different as my two grandmothers were, elements of them are found in Killian's grandmother, Maggie.
Nursing and working in hospitals are all I've known since I was eighteen. As a result, characters from both novels are nurses. The cases in the book are fiction, but they are based on things I have personally experienced during my career.
An American Tale (previously Growing Wishbones)
I began my first novel, An American Tale, during a time of my life when I was struggling with events of my youth. An American Tale was a therapeutic catharsis for me. The characters in my novel are amalgams of people I've known throughout my life. There are elements of truth in each character's story. One of the main characters deals with issues of coming out, living as a gay person through the eighties and nineties, and acceptance of herself. The other main character in An American Taleendures years of sexual and emotional abuse.
The ramifications of her abuse affect her many years later, resulting in substance abuse, failed relationships, and a crushed self-worth.
In the United States, 1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18. More than 90% are abused by people they know, love and trust. Most never tell their story. This novel is dedicated to those survivors and for those who could no longer endure the pain.
Derailed
When I was diagnosed with fibrosing mediastinitis I was frustrated by the lack of information about this disease. After attending a conference last summer, I realized that the need for information by patients and health care workers was significant. DERAILED: Living with Fibrosing Mediastinitis was written as a guide for those people. I also wanted to include the stories of individuals living with FM to show the varied manifestations of this rare disease. I'd like to, again, thank those people who shared their personal stories.
Killian James
Killian James started out as a fun, erotic book written for sheer decadence. As I was writing the book, a much deeper story emerged. I lost my maternal grandmother when I was five years old and I have always imagined that, if she had lived a longer life, we would have had a profound relationship. I did, however, have a close relationship with my paternal grandmother with whom I spent many summers. As different as my two grandmothers were, elements of them are found in Killian's grandmother, Maggie.
Nursing and working in hospitals are all I've known since I was eighteen. As a result, characters from both novels are nurses. The cases in the book are fiction, but they are based on things I have personally experienced during my career.
