Harelquin Romance for Pandas moms

[LNN]

A friend of mine has published her first book - a genuine harlequin romance with a hero who has OCD.

http://harlequinblog.com/2012/09/ocd-and-believable-characters/comment-page-1/#comment-14922

 

« Harlequin Blog News RoundUP: September 6, 2012

OCD and Believable Characters

 

by Barbara Claypole White, author of The Unfinished Garden (Harlequin MIRA)

 

I use dark what if scenarios to fuel my stories. And I’ll tell you a secret: they come from events in my own life. While The Unfinished Garden was evolving, I latched on to a maternal fear I couldn’t shake. A perverted what if: What if, when my young son grew up, no one could see beyond his quirky behavior and crippling anxiety to love him as much as I did?

 

My son has obsessive-compulsive disorder, and there have been moments when his OCD has overwhelmed both of us. Imagining him alone and unloved—I know, what is my problem—led me to James Nealy, the obsessive-compulsive romantic hero of The Unfinished Garden.

 

Once I found James, I wanted only to create a believable character with an invisible disability, not make a grandiose statement about OCD. Popular culture often portrays obsessive-compulsives as crazy shut-ins or serial killers. Or worse, victims. Take Monk, for example, the brilliant obsessive-compulsive television detective. Did anyone see the episode where school kids laughed at him? Man, that one brought me to tears.

 

There’s nothing typical about OCD and there’s no cure, even though fictional obsessive-compulsives often find one. OCD is a highly individualized anxiety disorder. It’s an allergy to life. Navigating an ordinary day demands extraordinary courage; fighting back demands the ability to reprogram thoughts. There are no short cuts with OCD. You want to wrestle that anxiety monster to the floor? You have to get down and dirty. In James’s case, quite literally. Dirt is his greatest fear.

 

But James is determined to change that, and so he tries to hire Tilly Silverberg as a landscaper. He plans to watch her create beauty out of his terror, desensitize himself, and then mess around with a spade when no one’s looking.

 

Sounds simple, right? Wrong. To understand James’s struggle, try this: Pick a fear, any fear, and amplify it to the point of debilitating anxiety. Now imagine living with that fear every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day. Sometimes it’s background static; sometimes it’s stereo surround sound. Sometimes people understand; more often, they don’t. There’s a reason James is estranged from the people he loves. Any member of my OCD support group will tell you OCD is a living, breathing nightmare that destroys families.

 

During the launch week of The Unfinished Garden, I woke up every morning to a tangled mess of anxiety in my gut. I tried applying some of the techniques I’d learned through my son’s years of cognitive behavioral therapy. And I failed. My son gave me lovely hugs—he’s that kind of guy—and a gentle, “Not as easy as it looks, is it?” ###### no, was my answer. But he’s learned to fight back and bend the OCD to his will. He’s also become a gifted student, an award-winning poet, and a talented musician. With a really cute girlfriend and a best buddy who plans to be buried with him. Seriously.

 

And here’s the real reason I love James: He isn’t always successful at bossing back his OCD, but he’s brave enough to try. When Tilly needs him, he battles his fear of flying for her, and tries not to fixate on the compost under her fingernails. He’s not a victim and he’s not a psycho, although his favorite song is Psycho Killer. He’s a charismatic, successful guy who happens to be terrified of everything but snakes. Which gives him one up on Indiana Jones.

 

 

Barb is extremely funny and a great ERP advocate. You can read some of her blogs here:

http://www.easytolovebut.com/author/bclaypolewhitegmail-com/

 

If you get a chuckle or two and it's in your budget and you could use a good escape, please consider supporting her.

[MomWithOCDSon]

I can just imagine the look on DH's face when I pick up a Harlequin Romance for our standard bedtime reading session! It may rival the look on his face when I opened a copy of "Fifty Shades of Grey"! Hey, what's a little guilty pleasure among all the morass of hefty medical journal papers and articles?! I think I'm due!

 

I will definitely check it out; I love her blogs as her tales of a teenage son with OCD resonate so with some of my own experiences!

 

Wonder if I can get an electronic copy and keep DS guessing what I'm up to on my I-Pad instead of advertising with a jacket cover . . . . . .

[philamom]

[PowPow]

I totally thought this was a joke at first, when I saw the subject line.... I was trying to figure out what PANDAS news could possibly be as exciting as a Harlequin Romance to a PANDAS mom

& this book sure is -- maybe I will pick up a copy too!

 

OH & for those of you out there who do not watch MONK- you need to. It is a Friday night tradition here in my house- most of the kids watch it from 8-10pm without fail. It is a great show.

[sosudden]

Wow I definitely will be picking up one! Can't wait to share the true story and story line witb me dd! She is only 10 but a very gifted writer Stories of surviving and thriving - we need those around here!