My Muse and Project

My life motto has always been: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That is what I have been trying to do for the past fifteen years. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who supports me and loves me unconditionally. I have four beautiful children who I adore. Those are the things I hold on to during times of trials in my life.
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The following is the link to my latest project. It is the result of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. I'm very proud of this book and I hope that it brings hope and encouragement to everyone who reads it. The book is finally listed on Amazon and you can copy and paste the following link to see it: http://www.amazon.com/The-A-List-Yahnira-Backus/dp/1460912071/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340587290&sr=1-8&keywords=The+%22A%22+List
Brief synopsis: The story takes place in the future where autism has reached epidemic proportions. Autism is renamed ASP to include the broad spectrum of disorders associated with the newly discovered gene mutation. The main character, Sarah, is a beautiful young lady who has graduated from a research facility, called the GRF, where young infants are raised and nurtured under a very controlled environment. Parents have to make the difficult choice of either raising these children on their own or giving them up to the GRF. The reader will experience Sarah's journey as she leaves her familiar home, meets her biological family, and begins a new life full of new experiences. She will ultimately discover that there is much more to the GRF than she realized. Finding love and working for the government on a secret mission will only be the beginning of her new life. This story will touch your heart and give you hope and encouragement as to the future of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
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Writing this novel was very therapeutic for me. I was able to use my life experiences as well as the experiences of the many children and young adults I have met over the years. My goal was to capture the thinking process of these unique individuals. I wanted to give the reader a unique perspective into the mind, talents, and challenges they face. Often times I see the reactions and comments made by individuals who just don't understand. They think that autism means "Rainman"...an individual who is a genius at one thing and who otherwise cannot interact with the world around him. That is not always the case. The spectrum is so broad that they are currently changing the guidelines for diagnosis and the labels placed on these people. There is no "one-size fits all" approach when it comes to diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. After reading my book, I hope people take the main message I want to convey. That is: although there is no cure for autism, that doesn't mean there is no hope.