Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting a stop on the Evil Games Blog Tour
I am thrilled to be able to welcome back to Jaffareadstoo Angela Marsons talking to us today about
Tackling Sensitive Subjects
I have been asked if there is any subject matter that I wouldn’t tackle in the Kim Stone series of books and my answer to that is no. I firmly believe that any subject can be explored providing it is done with respect and sensitivity.
In Evil Games I cover child abuse, manipulation, sociopathy, autism and Post Natal Psychosis amongst other subjects.
Exploring disabilities, both mental and physical is important to me. My partner, Julie, faces many physical challenges but it does not change the person inside. I recall an occasion when she was confined to a wheelchair and we were out shopping for a necklace for her mum’s birthday. In the first jewellery store the assistant asked me what my partner was looking for. I (not so) politely asked her to speak to my partner directly as it was only her legs that were impaired.
In the next store we entered the assistant took the tray from the window, brought it around the counter and placed it on Julie’s legs without addressing me once. No prizes for guessing which store got the sale.
It is important to me to capture the personality behind the disability, the spirit within as I tried to do with Lucy in Silent Scream who suffered with Muscular Dystrophy. In Evil Games I introduced a character named Dougie who although severely autistic was a loving and sharply intelligent young man.
It can be easy to overdo the description of a particularly gruesome crime scene. If you add too much information the reader can become inured against the subject completely. Many times I’ve had to edit out details on the second draft so that the horror can be realised in the reader’s own imagination.
The imagination is such a powerful instrument. There is a particular scene at the opening of Evil Games where Kim and her team carry out an early morning raid on the home of a paedophile. During the raid they search the cellar and uncover clues of the abuse. I chose not to detail the horror of the acts as that fear and repulsion lives in us all. The details were alluded to rather than stated but the scene stayed with me for a very long time. I always explain to readers that if a scene was difficult to read then it was also difficult to write.
As an author I don’t feel it’s my place to preach about subjects or to even pass judgement but I do think it’s an opportunity to bring subjects up for discussion. I always try to remember that my job is primarily to entertain the reader and if possible tap into their emotions whether that be anger, sadness or joy.
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| Zaffre 26 January 2017 |
The greater the evil, the more deadly the game
A bit of blurb...
When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal attack, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution. But, as more vengeful killings come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far more sinister at work.
With the investigation quickly gathering momentum, Kim finds herself exposed to great danger and in the sights of a lethal individual undertaking their own twisted experiment.
Up against a sociopath who seems to know her every weakness, for Detective Stone, each move she makes could be deadly. As the body count starts to mount, Kim will have to dig deeper than ever before to stop the killing. And this time - it's personal.
Angela Marsons is the author of the Amazon #1 bestseller SILENT SCREAM. She lives in the Black Country with her partner, their bouncy Labrador and a swearing parrot.
Find out more on Angela's website by clicking here
Follow on Twitter @WriteAngie
My thanks to Angela for her fascinating guest post, to Emily at Bonnier Zaffre and to Kim at Bookouture for the invitation to be part of this exciting blog tour.
The blog tour runs 23rd January to 13th February - do visit the other stops on the tour and follow on Twitter at #EvilGames.
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