How often do you read books where the mom has any real part
in the plot? With all the Young Adult
books out there, the general idea behind most stories seems to be that the main
characters don’t have parents or the parents aren’t that involved in the
story. Harry Potter’s parents are dead, Katniss’ mom
in the Hunger Games pretty much checked out after her husband passed away, and none
of the characters in the Maze Runner even remember their parents, much less
know if they are still alive or the walking diseased.
In many of the mystery books I read, the main character may
have parents involved in the story, or they may not. For the most part, parents really aren’t
involved. If it doesn’t move the story
along, there’s really no reason to include parents other than to give the main
character more depth or to give the readers something to relate to.
In the mystery series I’m deep in the middle of, where I’m now
writing my third novel, my main character has parents and they are warm, loving
and always there for her when she needs them.
But Jorja learns in “No Mother of Mine” that there’s a secret behind her
birth and who her parents really are and her world is changed in one moment
when she learns the truth behind what actually occurred on the day she was
born. In “Best Kept Secrets” the story
of Jorja’s past continues to unfold as she finally learns the truth about her
father. During the series, Jorja has to try
to come to terms with what happened and what her birth mother was capable of
but it’s a process and not something she’s likely to really understand until
further in the series, if at all. Even
if Jorja never quite understands, my plan is to work it out for myself and the
readers by eventually writing a prequel to the series to involve the story
behind her birth parents. It’s an idea in
the works, anyway.
In “No Mother of Mine” we also met Kat, who hires Jorja to find
the mother who abandoned her and her father when Kat was just a toddler. The result of Jorja’s investigation shows us
that the past is not always what it seems to be. In “Best Kept Secrets” we not only get to know
more about Jorja’s father, but we follow the stories involving two other families,
with mothers who desperately act to save their children and fathers who only
put shame to their titles of father and husband. Not all parents are like the parents Jorja
grew up with…many are like my other characters; full of rage, hate, greed,
jealously, and fear.
Why did I decide to use parents in the series? Because parents are the core of our being…it’s
why we’re here, whether the parents we live with gave birth to us or not.
Another reason my stories involve parents is that it’s
usually family which propels us towards whatever future we finally etch out for
ourselves. How we are raised, who we
live with, the experiences we’re involved with as children, who we look up to
or who we fear…all these things eventually play a part in what we do with our
lives, whether it can be easily explained or not. Some grow up with a good family life and
continue on in that tradition with their own families; while others are brought
up in happy, healthy homes yet somehow turn into what the media will later
label as a monster. Those who knew only
fear as children might vent their rage on others in an attempt to shed the anger
buried deep inside them while others may face those fears with defiance and a
determination not to force the same abuse on their own children or spouse.
Of course, there’s more to family than just our parents. In my third novel family is still key, with one
story involving brothers, another a stepson and stepmother and yet another is
about an aunt who finds herself in hot water.
While I enjoy writing about Jorja as she investigates each case, it is
the story behind the story involving what makes families tick that I also like
to touch on and what I hope readers also enjoy.
It all seems kind of heavy for just a mystery series but my books have never been just about a mystery series for me. They are a way for me to express myself and
to share with others the stories, characters and emotions I believe many can
relate to or may have strong feelings about.
While as a writer I do hope others
enjoy what I have to share, it’s also important to remember this quote to avoid
the risk of losing the passion behind the reason:
“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to
write for the public and have no self.”
~Cyril Connolly~
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