12/22/2025 Author Notes Series: NUBS

Today's note is on NUBS, another one of my bizarre novellas in which a young woman falls victim to her own intrusive thoughts about a rather unique phenomenon.

NUBS, like so many of my short novellas came from an idea my daughter had. My oldest daughter has a professional interest and fascination, in an empathetic way, with the phantom limb pain that so many amputees speak of. The idea of it has always held some intrigue for her and has led to many conversations about how they might feel, how the person would feel, the effect on their mental state, or on their recovery, etc. It is a unique condition that only an amputee can feel or begin to explain and her fascination with it is purely on the side of wanting to understand it as a professional, and to wrap her mind around the concept and how one may approach handling it. As a side note, she is a child therapist, so she works with children of all kinds with all kinds of afflictions.

So many questions have risen from these talks that I used to tease her that this idea may very well be her intrusive thought that finally drives her crazy, much like having an itch that you cannot scratch or a pain that you cannot relieve. I, myself, suffer from pain of all kinds, my condition is what they call invisible, so I do understand a bit of what amputees may experience with regards to reactions from others, but I cannot imagine dealing with the actual experience of the pain myself.

NUBS came from that idea, of the concept of this intrusive thought consuming a rather normal and well-balanced person, in every other way, at least, to the point that they do something drastic to satisfy that thought or urge. I did make my daughter the main character once more. She is mostly herself, some of her traits and routines are in this story, but the intrusive thoughts and the extreme things that occur, well, that's all fiction for poor our Kitty to handle.

I hope you will check it out if you have not already.

Grab It Here:

https://www.amazon.com/NUBS-Candace-Nola/dp/B0FXB9T4D5