This is a guest post written by Rebecca Reid, the author of The Coop.
I dread to think that the answer to that question could be yes. However, I must ponder before I respond.
My debut novel ‘The Coop’ was written and undergoing its second edit when it occurred to me that its pages were steeped in the destruction of innocence. Jodie Tiding becomes the embodiment of purity, both destroyed and encapsulated by it. She is unforgivably pursued by Mathew, whose own beliefs are an abuse of his naivety. Where there is innocence, a darkness lingers beneath.
This realization shook me. Yes, I had written it, but I myself, had not foreseen it. It may seem strange to you, that an author could complete a manuscript still unaware of the threads weaving it together. This, however, did not shock me in the slightest. It came as more of a joyous revelation – my psyche had worked its magic. That is, after all, what writing is all about.
I cannot speak for other authors when it comes to creativity or finding a source for new material but I can speak for myself. My method is this, wait for the itch to become a nag and then begin. The story is alive, it grows as it fills the pages and ends when it sees fit. Some parts are contrived, others manipulated to coincide with what has already happened but ask me where it is going and my answer will always be the same – I don’t know until I get there. Hence the revelation within ‘The Coop’. Had my fear of disintegrating innocence within the world around us affected me this much? It would appear so.
The digital era that we are engulfed in is both amazing and perhaps hindering. There is an underlying fear of loosing connection with our youngsters, fighting to maintain personal interaction and keeping them from premature exposure to the darker side of our world. Don’t get me wrong, throughout every period in history
advancements have sparked similar fears within people – books were once one of those advancements. However, as the world develops and society continues to seek out new levels of exposure, heights we ourselves cannot yet imagine, is there a place for this concept of innocence we once so admired?
Ask yourself again, innocence, do you fear for its existence? There was a time the word would tumble from our lips, continually associated with children, youths, the sublimely unaware. Is that still the case?
Rebecca Reid was withdrawn from school due to illness at fourteen. Being limited in the things she was able to do, she wrote all the time − poetry, stories, feelings, thoughts. At 16 she had her own page in the local weekly newspaper, the Bangor Spectator, in which she covered anything and everything: fashion, beauty, film, teen issues etc. At 17 she became a model, doing catwalk, photographic work, and TV. In 2008 she graduated in English from Queens University, Belfast, and she was awarded
an Arts Council writing grant in 2009. Married in 2007, she lives in N. Ireland with her husband and their three daughters. The Coop is her first novel, and part of the Thickets Wood Trilogy.
Follow Rebecca on Twitter and Facebook
A psychological thriller about the destruction of innocence.
Enter The Coop, a dark and mysteriously misleading psychological thriller.
A girl, apparently imprisoned in a room, is the thread of mystery running parallel to the tale of Thatchbury village.
Meet Howard and Lilly. They take you on a journey through Thatchbury where Mathew, the child from the coop, shoots Jodie Tiding, and so unravels the history of his loveless raising, her innocence and the dramatic events leading them to disaster.
The Coop is a darkly compelling vision of the layers of consciousness. Although conceived as the first novel in a trilogy, The Coop stands alone as a brilliant individual work of fiction.
Pick up your copy of The Coop at Amazon
One lucky winner will receive a Kindle Fire HD from the author!
Giveaway ends 11/30. Open to US & Canada 18+ only. Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below or click here. Good luck!
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Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. icefairy's Treasure Chest is not responsible for prize fulfillment.
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