What Would The Neighbors Think?

SYNOPSIS: Abandoned by her mother, Aimee grows up with her old-fashioned grandmother in a lonely house filled with secrets.  Her undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder contributes to how she perceives her grandma’s paranoia and strict rules, and that perception sets the stage for how she views the rest of the world.

As soon as she comes of age, Aimee flees her grandmother’s scrutiny, and in her search for someone to love her, she marries a man she barely knows, only to discover that she soon has her own sinister secrets to protect.  Her only friends are her coworkers, and her safe haven is at her office.  But her colleagues soon start to realize that something about her isn’t right, and they work together to break down the barrier she’s created to seclude herself from their judging eyes.

What Aimee doesn’t realize is that the channels of the brain run deep, and that she’s become her own worst enemy, keeping far more secrets from herself than the rest of the world.  As you travel with Aimee through the twists and turns of this psychological thriller, you, too, may soon be asking, “WHAT WOULD THE NEIGHBORS THINK?”

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Word Count: 90,500
First Draft: September 11, 2013 – October 1, 2013
Status: Undergoing Minor Structural Editing
Genre: Psychological Thriller

HISTORY:  In September, 2013, I had the idea to make someone her own worst enemy.  A lot of the protagonist is based on myself, such as her Autism Spectrum Disorder and her overzealous grandmother.  My grandma always worried what the neighbors thought, to the point of debilitation.  If you are unfamiliar with Asperger’s Syndrome, this story can definitely give you an in depth look as to how our brains function as far as processing language, exact words, and social behaviors.  This novel has a “Hitchcock-esque” feel to it and an ending that is sure to astound you.

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QUICK PITCH:  Abandoned by her mother, Aimee is raised by her old-fashioned grandmother in a lonely house filled with secrets.  Her undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder contributes to how she perceives her grandma’s paranoia and strict rules; and that perception sets the stage for how she sees the rest of the world.  As soon as she comes of age, she flees the only home she’s ever known, as well as her grandmother’s scrutiny and paranoia, and in her search for someone to love her, she marries a man she barely knows, only to discover that she soon has her own sinister secrets to protect. What Aimee doesn’t realize is that the channels of the brain run deep, and that she’s become her own worst enemy, keeping far more secrets from herself than the rest of the world, in this psychologically thrilling tale of Sleeping With the Enemy meets Shutter Island.

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