Author’s
Inspiration
Misfortune of Time
By Christy
Nicholas
In the past, I’ve tried
to address particular issues as a subplot of my novels. I’ve showcased things
such as the Great Hunger in Ireland, forced marriage, or marginalized
populations.
However, Misfortune of
Time deals with a difficult subject – abuse. In order to get a proper feel of
the horror of this situation, I interviewed three friends, all of whom suffered
from spousal abuse. Gretchen, Ian, and Lindsay were all kind enough to give me
anecdotes (which is a hopelessly innocent word for such stories) of their time
with their partners. Examples of gaslighting, physical and emotional abuse,
using a child as a tool to inflict harm.
In the course of this
research, while writing the novel, the explosion of the #metoo movement came
into popular media coverage. The sheer volume of voices shouting against the
centuries of injustice have finally become too loud to drown out in
misogynistic bullying.
The legion of men (and
women) who are being brought down by the increasing cries of abuse increases
every day. While some may be false cries or exaggerations, the vast majority
will be true accusations, shattering the previously impervious armor of
Establishment and Custom.
In my book, I try to
highlight the fact that this abuse is NOT new. It is endemic to many cultures,
many times, many people. The only way to minimize this abuse is to make it not
normal. The only way to remove it from normalcy is to call it out as something
unacceptable whenever it’s encountered. The wolf whistle on the subway or the
condescending mansplaining in the board room, both need to be called out.
I also wanted to portray
the heroine, Étaín, as someone who isn’t young and naïve. An abuse victim can
be any age. Even if she ‘knows better’, if she’s had abusive partners in the
past, she is MUCH more likely to find herself in another abusive relationship.
The spiraling self-doubt is not easily cured.
Étaín has lived many lifetimes thanks to a magical brooch that allows
her to maintain her age. Despite her years of experience, she once again falls
into a marriage with a husband who becomes abusive. And yet, she stays to
protect her grandson, despite being beaten to within an inch of her life.
For all the men and
women that struggle from day to day with their partner, their parent, their
sibling, their boss, whomever is in their life and abusing their trust, believe
that there is not only hope, there is avenue for escape. There are friends who
will help. There are agencies designed to extract you and your children. There
are options for each and every one of you.
People care. They really
do care. If you cannot believe that, remember that your brain can lie to you.
If my novel reaches one
person and convinces them of the above, then all the hard work and research
that went into writing it will have been worth it. All it takes is one life made better.
Misfortune
of Time
Book #6 of The Druid’s Brooch Series
In 11th century Ireland, Étaín must hide her
pagan magic from her pious Christian priest husband, Airtre. She wants to
escape his physical abuse, but she must stay to protect their grandson, Maelan.
Over many lifetimes, she has learned how to endure her own pain, but Maelan is
young and vulnerable.
When Airtre's paranoia and jealousy spiral out of
control, Étaín has no choice but to escape in the night with little more than
the clothing on her back, leaving a trusted friend to protect Maelan.
This is
not the first lifetime Étaín has fled, and she knows how to survive. But when
her past comes back to haunt her, she must make decisions that may result in
disaster for her, her grandson, and everyone she loves.
Christy Nicholas
Christy Nicholas, also known as
Green Dragon, is an author, artist and accountant. After she failed to become
an airline pilot, she quit her ceaseless pursuit of careers that begin with
‘A’, and decided to concentrate on her writing. Since she has Project Completion
Disorder, she is one of the few authors she knows with NO unfinished novels.
Christy has her hands in many
crafts, including digital art, beaded jewelry, writing, and photography. In
real life, she’s a CPA, but having grown up with art all around her (her
mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are/were all artists), it sort of
infected her, as it were.
She wants to expose the incredible
beauty in this world, hidden beneath the everyday grime of familiarity and
habit, and share it with others. She uses characters out of time and places
infused with magic and myth.
Combine this love of beauty with a
bit of financial sense and you get an art business. She does local art and
craft shows, as well as sending her art to various science fiction conventions
throughout the country and abroad.
What an excellent post, Christy. So many abused victims tend to hide in the shadows, regardless of the century. And perhaps your story will help them to step out into the light. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I hope I did the horrible aspects of this justice. I interviewed several friends who had gone through abuse to get details.
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