After giving up writing for more than two decades, an East Peorian has stepped back into the role of author.
Sam Saladino reworked, added to and rewrote a novel he published 25 years ago into a newly released and modernized novel, “Erebus — Nightmare of a Social Worker.”
The first novel, “Erebus — Child of Chaos,” was based on the personal experiences Saladino had working in foster care and children’s homes.
“Troubled adolescence is a real eyeopener. I already had an interest in writing, so there is a mixture of fiction and experiences here,” Saladino said.
Incorporating stories from life experiences, researching psychological theories and creating a fiction to move the novel along had Saladino writing “Child of Chaos” for nearly five years, he said.
Yet, after editing the novel into a screenplay and a failed attempt at a movie deal in the early ’90s, Saladino became frustrated and moved on from writing.
“I had two kids. That might have made a difference, but I think I was just burnt out of the writing thing,” Saladino said. “I went into a new direction. But now I am back. I guess it is never too late.”
Fearing he would be laid off from work, Saladino started to think of what to do next. He decided to revisit his old novel.
Branden Books, the publishers of his original novel, opted to republish the book.
“They wanted me to retype the entire manuscript. Technology was not the same in the ’90s, and a digital copy was not available,” Saladino said. “I was not looking forward to it, but this gave me a chance to incorporate the screenplay, develop more characters and rework the text.”
Rewriting the novel took 11 months to complete, he said. Saladino edited the novel as if it was taking place in today’s society, rather than the ’90s.
He also included an evil character to interact with the other characters.
“Erebus — Nightmare of a Social Worker” is described in Saladino’s press release as “a powerful novel about young adults striving to survive and to overcome personal and social addictions in today’s promiscuous society.”
Saladino considers the novel as a mainstream psychological fiction, which delves into the main character’s psyche.
“Even though I consider it general fiction, I think the book is for someone who wants to experience an entirely different world. Unless you have experienced it, you can’t imagine what goes on,” Saladino said.
