Here we are with another #mybookalphabet letter — P for Paul McCormick, the teenaged artist, athlete, wheelchair user, and romantic lead of my debut contemporary fantasy novel KNIFE. . In an earlier #booksthatmademe post I shared how I got the inspiration for Paul’s character after reading A SWIFTLY TILTING PLANET. But there were a few more ingredients that went into his portrayal too, including the two quadriplegic writer friends I made on FidoNet back in the 90’s, early in my writing journey. I asked them to read an early draft of KNIFE and give me feedback, because I knew I might be treading on thin ice when it came to Paul’s portrayal, and didn’t want to be careless or glib about it. Joe Chamberlain’s comment that “he’s a bit of an ass, but a believable ass,” gave me the reassurance I needed. . Because Paul is, a bit. Instead of a saintly role model or inspiration, he’s an angry and frustrated young man still reeling from the accident that broke his spine and cost him the use of his legs. He feels like his dreams have been shattered and he’s lost everything that made his life worth living, so he makes a few self-centered and even self-destructive choices in the first half of the book. He is, after all, a teenaged boy. . But Paul’s loneliness and isolation also serve as the catalyst for a secret, extraordinary friendship that will change the course of his life — and my faery heroine’s, too. As Knife and Paul get to know each other, they start to bring out the best in each other… and discover that the things they once thought they wanted in life might not be what they really need, after all. . The illustration of Paul drawing Knife — one of my first and favorite pieces of fanart — is by Irrel (@paolaspixels). . . . #disabilityinclusion #disability #wheelchairuser #disabilityinfiction #fairies #fairy #fae #fairytale #faery #fairybooks #faeriesofinstagram #magical #enclaveescape #enclavepublishing #yabooks #IReadYA #yareads #speculativefiction #christianfantasy #noordinaryfairytale #faeryrebels #knife #knifebook #paulmccormick https://www.instagram.com/p/B_LDRfMg-XP/?igshid=1wdcmdxv3jl5z
