So I invented small setups and things to say such as “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dunn.” Then I wrote the following scene which had both Shira and I laughing uncontrollably. And it goes to show each of us that we can be fun and funny no matter how serious life is or we may need to be at times.ĭuring the writing of the story, it bothered me that Chance didn’t laugh and I thought it sad and unfair to him not to have that bit of joy in his life. Xav teases Chance, makes fun of things and people like “pig Dick,” he isn’t afraid to do the inane, all while he maintains calm and aplomb. In A Solitary Man, Chance’s soul is ravaged by the solitary confinement he endured in his youth, so I interjected humor as often as I could into the story.

It allows us to feel camaraderie, to identify with others, to see things from new perspectives, and to tease good-naturedly. Good humor is the motivation for laughter. Taking nothing away from it, it’s only a symptom. We’re familiar with the adage that laughter is the best medicine. I also didn’t want to neglect the grueling task of what a victim like Chance endures in order to live again after leaving an abusive environment. When writing A Solitary Man, I considered the elements of hope and triumph that we needed in order to be able to address the serious issues of solitary confinement and commercial sexual exploitation of children without the story becoming too difficult to read. Though I write for Harmony Ink Press and have spent the past four years concentrating on young adult works, I write primarily for adults- surprise!Īny of you who know me and my writing, know I place a tremendous value on humor. I have also written in multiple mainstream venues for years, and spent way too much time on movie sets as a kid watching films come to life for the silver screen.

I have a unique writing background in a number of ways, not the least of which is that I was raised by a prolific author.

I write young adult works for Dreamspinner’s Harmony Ink Press label under C. My name is Aisling “Ash” Mancy and my name may be new to you. A warm welcome to author Aisling Mancy joining us today here at Love Bytes!Ī very special thank you to Dani and all the folks at Love Bytes Reviews for hosting Shira Anthony and me for the release of A Solitary Man! It’s great to be here!

A Solitary Man by Shira Anthony