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ADD, Autism, and Dementia, Oh My! by Sabrina Jeffries

I live in a neurodivergent family. I’m ADD, my son is profoundly autistic, my husband is on the ASD spectrum, and my dad is ADD, but also now has dementia, So, I try to include neurodivergent characters when I can. Unfortunately, I can’t really depict a profoundly autistic character in my historical romances, because no one knew about autism in the Regency, so no character can explain to any other character why the character with autism is how he or she is.

Besides, characters who have my son’s level of autism would, if they were lucky and their parents had money, have been sent to live with another family who took care of them. Some parents would visit their children occasionally at their new location. Many would not. After all, it was considered somehow shameful to have a “broken” child. Those neurodivergent kids who weren’t as lucky (or rich) would most likely have been sent to an asylum to live. That’s too unbearably sad for me to include in what I want to be joyful, satisfying books.

But once in a while, in real Regency life, families kept their precious disabled children and coddled and loved them, at least as long as they were able to do so. So, that was the path I chose for a minor character in my most recent book, Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart. I gave a happy ending to an eleven-year-old who is somewhat brain-damaged from an accident of birth. His name is Cyril, and by the end of the book, I fell completely in love with him. So, of course, in the end I gave him everything he could want in the world. Because being able to create moments like that is the whole reason I became a writer of happily ever after fiction in the first place!

Purchase Links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496751027?ie=UTF8&*entries*=0&viewID=&*Version*=1
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hazardous-to-a-dukes-heart-sabrina-jeffries/1146072435?ean=9781496751027
https://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781496751027/
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hazardous-to-a-duke-s-heart
https://books.apple.com/us/book/hazardous-to-a-dukes-heart/id6670490943https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496751027/hazardous-to-a-dukes-heart/
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sabrina_Jeffries_Hazardous_to_a_Duke_s_Heart?id=lB4fEQAAQBAJ&pli=1
https://bookshop.org/p/books/hazardous-to-a-dukes-heart-sabrina-jeffries/21684877?ean=9781496751027&next=t&source=IndieBound
https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496751027/hazardous-to-a-dukes-heart/
https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/book/9781496751027

Where You Can Find Sabrina:
Facebook: SabrinaJeffriesAuthor
Instagram: authorsabrinajeffries
Pinterest: Sabrina Jeffries
Goodreads: Sabrina Jeffries

️ Timeless Romance, Modern Giveaway Alert!

To celebrate the Historical Romance Day, I’m hosting a special giveaways! And Advanced Reader’s Copy of Hazardous to the Duke’s Heart 📚✨

How to Enter:

  1. Comment below with your favorite historical romance trope. 😉
  2. Follow me on social media.
  3. Share this post with your friends who love a good romance!

The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Friday, March 7.  Don’t miss out on your chance to dive into a world of passion, intrigue, and unforgettable characters. 💖

Good luck, and happy reading! 📖💕

Historical Romance Blog – Sabrina Jeffries

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