Why do Mothers kill their Infants?

One of the themes of Inconceivable! is the unspoken crime of infanticide, which occurs in conjunction with post-partum depression, sometimes, but other times in an attempt to deny pregnancy ever occurred.  And while Inconceivable! is fiction, the following is an example of the reality of maternal infanticide.

KEARNS, Utah (AP) — A newborn baby was in extremely critical condition Tuesday after her 24-year-old mother left her in a neighbor's trash can in Utah, a state that allows mothers to drop off newborns at hospitals without consequences, police and health officials said.

A woman heard what she thought was a kitten meowing in the trash bin in the Salt Lake City suburb of Kearns on Tuesday morning and found the baby, Unified Police Detective Jared Richardson said.

Richardson says the girl was airlifted to a hospital in Salt Lake City, where she's now on a ventilator and fighting for her life.

Her mother, who was being questioned by police, later returned and told officers she had left the baby about an hour before the child was found.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder, who oversees the Unified Police Department, said authorities believe the baby girl was born Sunday.

Winder said at a news conference that investigators did not have any information about where the mother gave birth or why she may have left the baby in the trash can.

An unidentified woman is escorted from a home by a police officer after a baby was found in a garbage …"We had a young lady make a very, very terrible decision," he said.

Police would decide whether to arrest the mother after interviewing her, Winder said. Generally, anyone who abandons a child can face felony charges, in addition to any abuse or neglect charges, he said.

There were no visible injuries to the child and no information about the child's father, Winder said.

At the news conference, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and health officials listed resources available for expectant and new mothers, including a crisis hotline and the state's safe haven law, which allows mothers to leave newborns at hospitals, no questions asked.

Inconceivable! by Steve Marshall Cohen

Hunter Weather Report

High wind and heavy rain today brought ducks, geese, turkeys, frogs and rifle shots throughout the day, followed in the evening by the sound of fat raindrops hitting the last few leaves and the leaves thudding to the ground. Temps in mid 60s. Watch for slippery conditions as the leaves float on the road on their way to a winter resting place.

Coming to Life Soon

Thanks to the beta-readers of Inconceivable!  These readers received a pdf with no cover art, interior illustrations or author bio of any kind and were asked to comment. Selected excerpts in order of receipt.


“The writing is smooth and commercial. These pages are funny, quirky, and sweet and yet they have an oddly foreboding quality to them. The book has a nice pace and an engaging writing style.  Both Helene and Greco are intriguing.  I found this entertaining from beginning to end.”


“The strongest thing about Inconceivable! is that it takes a very singular issue, i.e. Helene and Greco’s anxiety about their pregnancy, and branches out from that into a detailed journey through their pasts and heritage. The method of using short chapters to juggle viewpoints from multiple characters works well and kept me interested throughout. I was impressed by the overall scope of the story and more specifically, by the skill with which the author has developed a dozen (or so!) key characters. By the epilogue, everything came together nicely and I wasn’t left wondering about loose ends. It’s an interesting story and fun to read!”


“I have read Inconceivable! and enjoyed it very much. Can't understand what is taking these publishers so long to publish it.”


“This book is so much fun to read you don’t realize how much you’ve learned or how deep the themes are until two days later. Even the chapter titles are clever.”


 “I very much enjoyed reading Inconceivable!   The story development kept me interested, which must mean that the writing was good.  The breadth of knowledge that went into the book is impressive. You learn various national cultures, ethnicities, peculiarities, aspects of the Holocaust – even life on the banks of the East River.  The characters are believable.  A natural for the movies.”


“The problem with this book is that I can’t identify a genre.  It’s funny, but it’s not a comedy.  There’s a love story, but it’s not a romance.  It’s not chick lit, but it deals with serious female issues – pregnancy, self-image, relationships.  It’s a mystery without detectives.  There’s history, genetics and medicine, but not dry. There are social issues, but it’s not preachy.  I give up.”


“I laughed out loud a few times, some tears here and there and cheered at the ending. In the final chapter, I thought I knew everyone and I wanted to be there with them.”


"Loved reading Inconceivable!  Good story, fascinating twists, kept me engaged all the way through.  Its author comes across as highly intelligent and sensitive; in fact, a bit of a polymath.   So many different facets of life, and made part of the story in a coherent manner."


“An artfully crafted a story, the constituents of which are rarely combined in today’s literature. Historical events and contemporary family drama take the stage against the backdrop of New York City as characters struggle with  unique issues and uncover painful truths. From the holocaust to rural Ireland, cultural stereotypes to modern yuppie values, Inconceivable! is a journey that is a natural for the big screen.

Judge this book by its cover, please. Would you be motivated to read it?

Final Installment, Songs Inspired by True Events

#3 Why You Blue?
by Steve Marshall Cohen
Copyright 2014

(To a rock-a-billy beat)

Chorus:

Aint lost your job
Aint lost your girl
Aint lost your dog

So why you blue?

My paycheck’s pretty OK
Clears the bank - I get decent pay
And outside it’s a beautiful day
So why’m I so blue?

            Chorus

My girl is hot, I love how she sways

She got sexy eyes and legs for days
And she loves me true, so she says
So why’m I so blue?

Chorus

My dogs a drooler, his name is ol’ Rick
Wags his tongue - loves to slobber and lick
Chases rabbits and catches ‘em quick
So why’ I got the blues?

Chorus

Gonna tell you the sad news
‘Bout what’s got me down and blue
Some dumbass joker without a clue
Went and stepped on my blue suede shoes!

Second of Three Songs Inspired by True Events

#2 Wal-Mart Mama
by Steve Marshall Cohen
Copyright 2014

(To a country rhythm)

Oh I love my Wal-Mart mama
Oh I love my Wal-Mart mama
She goes shopping in her pajama
She goes shopping in her pajama

(background vocal): And what did she come to buy?

She got a cart full of cheese whiz and blonde hair dye
Cart’s piled high with bacon, chips and cherry pie
Cases of  Banquet Coors for her guy
Jerkys and turkeys and now you know why…

Oh, I love my Wal-Mart mama
She goes shopping in her pajama
She’s my Wal-Mart mama
She shops in fuzzy slippers and her pajama!

(background vocal): And what did she come to buy?

She buyin’ a tablecloth? – no, it’s a sweater!
Whatever she wants – you’d better let her!
Whatever she points at – you just go get ‘er
Watch them boys – they just wanna hit ‘er

Oh, She looks very cool in the checkout line

Too many items – she can’t count to nine!
She’s in no hurry – yeah, she takes her time
That big ole’ Wal-Mart mama of mine!

Three Songs (over three days) Inspired by True Events

#1 Toss My Keys

By Steve Marshall Cohen
copyright 2014

Toss My Keys
(to a blues beat)

I saw you toss my keys, baby
Yeah, I saw you toss my keys
Leavin’ the bar, into the trees
I saw you toss my keys
background vocals: (So I know you won’t be comin’ home)

I saw you call your man, baby
Yeah, I saw you call your man
Near my car, where you threw the keys
I saw you call your man
(So I know you won’t be comin’ home)

I saw you drive away, baby
Yeah, I saw you peel away
Wasn’t my car, but you had the keys
I saw you speed away
(So I know you won’t be comin’ home)

You said that you love me, baby
You said it was just you and me
But now I know you're just a tease,

'cause I saw you toss my keys.
(So you aint welcome home)