In the aftermath of a brutal car crash, Doris Cassidy begins to mourn the death of her husband. From her hospital bed, now a young widow, she contemplates the rest of her life alone and depressed, no longer able to share memories with the only man she ever loved. Until a doctor reveals a shocking surprise to her - she's pregnant. And she's due to give birth at any minute...
Just as she realises the car crash was caused by her mysterious stomach pains, Doris goes into unexpected labour and gives birth to a child she instantly despises. Unforgiving and hateful, and on the brink of insanity, she has no intention of being a dutiful mother to the baby that took everything from her.
Which is when she names the baby Charlotte...
Genre: FICTION / HorrorWhen Charlotte was released, my readers expressed an interest in both an origin story and a sequel, so I decided to give them both. Awakening is the former (with Amy being the latter).
To date, this is probably my most revered book - mainly because of my handling of the subject matter and explicit content. Child abuse is not a topic that should be taken lightly, and in writing this story, I had to do my research. Luckily, the dedication resulted in excellent sales, and also revitalised the interest in Charlotte (which was released in 2014).
Highest Amazon Chart Position: #1 in Psychological/#2 in Horror/Thriller
Much like Charlotte, this book still sells well today, and is a huge hit at conventions. Of all my titles, The Charlotte Chronicles is my most demanded for a foreign language translation.
"You can't compare those two scenarios, not at all."
"I can, and I have the fucking right to. She's been nothing more than a figurative and literal headache for me since her unwanted birth. She makes my life hell. Why should I treat her with any respect, or any love?"
"She's your daughter!" Richard bellowed.
"And I'm the parent, I make the decisions."
Richard sneered. "You're not a parent; you're a monster, a fucking parasite. You don’t deserve a child, not at all."
"That's not what you said before," she chided. "You said I would make a great mother."
"And I was horribly wrong. Way off base." He waved his hand around the room. "The evidence proves that."
He turned to walk away. Doris pushed off the floor and stood up. "Where are you going?"
"I'm leaving. Our discussion last night, the perfect end to a perfect evening, I can't believe I shared that with someone so … immoral, so evil."
