Who doesn’t like a coming-of-age story? Children and teenagers learn about the world beyond the street they grew up on while navigating their way towards adulthood is something we can all relate to. This idea, in relation to Woolaston Entertainment, was first explored in 2001’s From Here to There. This opened the door for many other books, including 2006’s Novocaine.

This first version of Novocaine was very personal for me because many of the events in Erin’s life mirrored my own experiences at the time. Erin and her mother lived in a friend’s house in Newport News, Virginia and acted as caretakers, just as my mother and I did. Erin’s Uncle Ron talks them into moving in with him and his girlfriend Darleen in Kennesaw, Georgia. That very same thing happened to me about a year before I wrote this book.

Erin and her mother clash with Darleen, who doesn’t really want them in “her house”, which leads to several arguments. Eventually Ron puts Erin and her mother out. They move into a motel, where Erin watches the music video for Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” for the first time and falls in love with Green Day. The girls eventually move to New York and live with Great Aunt Aileene, and 83-year-old who lives alone. The living conditions aren’t the best, but they tough it out.

While working at Walgreen’s Erin meets Gerrard, aka Gerry, and the two become friends and later, start dating. However, their relationship becomes strained. He’s Greek, and all of his friends are Greek and he comes from a strict family. Gerry and his friends frequently speak Greek in front of Erin, knowing that she can’t understand them. After five months of dating, Gerry finally tells his parents about his “friend” Erin, which strains the relationship even more.

Erin and her mother temporarily move in with Great Uncle Tim after finding an enormous rat at Aileene’s. There’s a death in the family and a funeral takes place, and Erin sees Ron there. He has put Darleen out and married another woman he has only known for a month. Aileene has been placed in a retirement home. Later, two of Gerry’s friends have been dumped by their girlfriends, and Erin ends up breaking up with Gerry. Erin sees it as karma and decides not to let the bad things she has experienced destroy her life. She even considers writing a book about her experiences.

 “I don’t need you to love me, because I love me.”

Erin Michaels, published version of Novocaine

There are no connections to Our Lady of Righteous Rage in this version, because Our Lady didn’t exist yet. In fact, there is very little mention of any music at all in this one. Fast forward nine years to 2015, when I revamped the story and published it.

The Novocaine you know is a much better version, in my opinion. There are still some personal connections between Erin’s life and my own, but this version is much less personal. Erin and her mother do leave Virginia for Georgia after her uncle convinces them the family needs to be closer to one another. This time, her uncle is involved in a financial scam and won’t admit he’s been taken, and puts them out of his house. They move in with an aunt in New York, and eventually get their own place. Erin meets Gerard, and later meets the band Our Lady of Righteous Rage, and even ends up working for them. She and Amy Edwards become close friends, and Amy becomes a sort of big sister to Erin; making her feel welcome in her inner circle and offering advice.

“Bad shit happens, but you can get through it , if you really want to.”

Erin Michaels, published version of Novocaine

Erin learns to value herself, and defines her role in her relationship with Gerard. This leads to her breaking up with him. She continues to grow, and continues to work with Our Lady of Righteous Rage. And later, she gets two more books of her own.

I hope you enjoyed this nostalgic little trip. Until next time…