Carin Jayne Casey, author, podcaster
Books at Amazon.com:
"My Dear Rosa Jean," "Mystery at Candice Bay," and
"Granny Babysits the Mischievous Five"
Carin Jayne Casey on YouTube
About the Author
As a child living in a middle-class community in Ohio, I experienced my own version of family dysfunctions, including parents with marital issues, sibling favorites, and varying levels of (then acceptable) corporal punishments. I deliberately observed, studied, and compared my circumstances with other families’ dynamics. When I became a teenager, my family moved to a rural, low-income area in West Virginia; it was indeed a difficult transition. Once there, we found that we had to adjust to a whole new world: families in our area had different priorities and a different culture than we were accustomed to; the schools were more casual in dress and disciplinary measures, which we appreciated; the geography changed from flat to mountainous surroundings as far as one could see, to the point that it was almost claustrophobic; the language included new terms and pronunciations; and the people were generally much friendlier (also appreciated). I arrived in West Virginia heartbroken because I had left behind lifetime friends and my first “puppy love,” so I refused to befriend other people for several months. While living in a community with daily struggles for financial and emotional survival, I became aware of a variety of troubling and sometimes violent family situations. As a woman, I failed in several attempted relationships, each showing me a new level of inability to thrive. My experiences coupled with my continued observations and studies of others’ lives encouraged my specific interest in child abuse and domestic violence. All of the main characters in this novel were designed to represent what I believe to be a good composite of folks and their lives within the domestic violence arena. We have the villainous abuser and his creative use of commonly known tactics; his naive victim whose history includes child abuse, as is typically the case; and a third character who represents the victim’s support system. The story line is filled with a mixed set of individuals’ reactions and perceptions as they witness small portions of these characters’ lives. Within the subject matter of child abuse and domestic violence, my goals are to
•simply encourage better awareness;
•provide a foundation for gaining understanding and empathy toward victims;
•give exposure to available spiritual support for those involved;
•display typical characteristics in abusers and in victims;
•show potential choices witnesses may have;
•share some lasting effects on victims, their families, and others;
•present recovery considerations and paths; and
•offer some available resources. Although I share this fictional story with sincere hopes of helping others, I am keenly aware that as a person, I cannot escape the inclusion of my personal interpretations and perceptions of life. Nothing I write is intended to depict any particular individual or cause anyone any harm. As an American, I enjoy the freedom to creatively express my own thoughts, opinions, and positions regarding an ongoing issue in today’s society. As a Christian, I encourage each person to do this: if God has brought you out of something and provided you with His miracles, then tell about it; share it with others in whatever ways you can. Thank you, and I pray that God will bless you and your families.
