Author’s Note
As always, thanks so much for reading. I appreciate you coming along on yet another journey. I hope the ride was as fulfilling for you as it was for me to create.
The idea for Cruel World was born of an image that came to me out of the blue some time ago of a boy sitting with his father in a room full of books. The boy was afflicted with a deformity that kept him from doing all the typical things that someone his age would have partaken in. He did not go to school, he didn’t play with other kids, he had no one besides his doting father who wanted only to protect him from the cruelty outside their walls. The original title I had for this story was The Bookseller’s Son.
What evolved from there became Cruel World. Of course my singular idea transformed into something frightening and thrilling as is the nature of my contemplation. I wanted to know how someone who was cut off from the outside world, someone dubbed as a physical ‘monster’, would deal with being released from his sanctuary/prison into a world filled with real monsters, both human and not.
I have unending respect for the resiliency of those who suffer from some type of physical or mental disability, and hope that I conveyed my admiration throughout the book. Those of us who are blessed with healthy bodies and mental abilities should reflect more upon the notion of lacking such traits that are often taken for granted. The suffering that many endure goes unnoticed at times, and just by realizing how fortunate many of us are would go a long way in the extension of kindness and empathy.
Once again, I hope you’ve enjoyed the book, and if you have feedback, I would love to hear from you in the form of a review, an email, or by reaching out via social media. Thank you for your company and I hope to have a new place for us to go soon if you’re up for the ride.