Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Grimsley Hollow, The Chosen One by Nicole Storey

  KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH

Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where, every Wednesday, readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!

 Grimsley Hollow, The Chosen One by Nicole Storey

Back Cover Blurb

Gage wanted friends and adventure, but he had no idea they would come at such a dangerous price.  Can one autistic boy defeat an evil witch and save his new friends?  Travel to Grimsley Hollow and find out!  After all, not all superheroes wear capes…courage comes from the heart!

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Grimsley Hollow

The Story Behind the Story

I never knew a book with an autistic child as the main character and hero would be frowned upon by some readers.  Would I have written the book differently had I known this?  Absolutely not – it’s high time people realize that autism is not synonymous with the words “mentally handicapped.”

I began writing this book in earnest after my son, who has autism and Tourette’s, started middle school.  After the peace and calm of his elementary school years, it was quite a shock when he was bullied on his second day of sixth grade.  I must say it enraged me that kids were calling him names and making fun of him, especially since these children had no idea who my son was, nor took the time to get to know him before making such harsh judgments.  They called him a “freak”, just because he was a little different.  I have read a few books with autistic characters in them, but they are always portrayed as helpless and ignorant, or as idiot savants.  I decided it was time to write a book that showed what special-needs children are really like.  I wanted readers to know what autism is, and how if effects those who have it.  I wanted to educate other children, teach them that in some way or another, we are ALL different, and that special-needs kids want the same things they do:  acceptance for who they are and inclusion in our lives.

I came up with Grimsley Hollow by combining things I love the most, which include Halloween and my children.  Halloween is my favorite holiday.  It only seemed natural that I create a world where every scary monster and magical being I loved as a child (and still do) actually lived.  I wanted to pull them from their pretend existence in fairy tales and movies – give them life, characteristics and a voice.

I began writing the story in February of 2011.  I finished in September and was signed with Inknbeans Press in November.  My son, Gage, is the main character in the book.  All of the autistic elements in the book come from his experiences with the neurological disorder.  I believe my book is different from other juvenile/YA fantasy books because the main character is a child who struggles with a disorder, yet finds strength and courage he never knew he had.  It teaches about acceptance of others – no matter how different they may be – but the moral is disguised in a fun, spooky read that kids can enjoy.  They learn a lesson without realizing it.  I didn’t sugar-coat the autism aspects of the story, nor exaggerate it for dramatical purposes.  I want other kids to learn how autistic children really are and to be able to relate to them on some level.  I think I accomplished that with Grimsley Hollow.  It is a series I will always be proud of.

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  Meet Nicole Storey, Author….

Hello!  My name is Nicole Storey and I am the author of Grimsley Hollow-The Chosen One.  I live in Georgia with my husband of twelve years, two amazing children, a finicky cat, and tanks full of goldfish.  When I’m not playing in the imaginary world of Grimsley Hollow and dreaming up new adventures for my characters, I enjoy reading and reviewing books, gardening, and cooking.  I also love to go online and look at Halloween decorations – it’s my favorite holiday!

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**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Nicole will give away a copy of GRIMSLEY HOLLOW, THE CHOSEN ONE (via Smashwords) to two lucky readers who comment on her Author Interview (Monday) or her Book Bench blog (Wednesday)!  Multiple comments only count as one entry. Winners will be randomly selected and announced on Friday, May 4th.  Good luck!  Thanks, Nicole, for sharing your story with us!