Jennifer Lane Books

Thank you for your great comments on the first post of this series about understanding psychopathology as a means of providing more depth for your characters. Today the focus is on Borderline Personality Disorder. I wanted to cover this diagnosis not only because Joanna St. James asked me to but also because I can sum up Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in one word: DRAMA! What better traits can you achieve for your character?

The term “borderline” refers to the time in the early 1900’s when individuals were diagnosed as either neurotic or psychotic, yet some patients seemed to be right in between: teetering on the borderline between neurotic and psychotic.

Which famous character is the poster child for BPD?

For a discussion about BPD I must reference the brilliant work of Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., the creator of Dialectical Behavior Therapy specifically for the treatment of BPD.

Emotional instability wreaks havoc for individuals with BPD, who have impairments in three main areas: emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and crisis management.

Emotional dysregulation: heightened emotional sensitivity, quick and intense emotions, wide mood swings, insecure self-image, often feeling empty or bad; heightened anxiety, depression, and anger. “I can’t handle this feeling!”

Interpersonal ineffectiveness: turmoil in social life, love-hate relationships (idealizing people and thinking they are the scum of the earth), black-and-white thinking, intense fear of abandonment. “You’re a bastard . . . but please don’t leave me!”

Chaos and crisis: suicide attempts, self-injury (like cutting), engagement in impulsive and risky behaviors such as unsafe sex, compulsive spending, drug use, reckless driving, and gambling. “If you leave me I’ll kill myself.”

If you’re feeling helpless and manipulated in a relationship, the other person might be exhibiting symptoms of BPD. So how does this exhausting, painful disorder develop?

Dr. Linehan’s theory is that individuals with BPD experienced an invalidating environment as children. They are highly sensitive, perhaps starting as “difficult” babies and continuing with anxious or “touchy” temperaments. This sensitivity in itself is not a problem if the family can understand and nurture this special child. However, if family members are not as emotionally sensitive, they may have trouble with comprehension and acceptance, and may unwittingly reject the child, creating an environment that fosters BPD.

I like this theory because it doesn’t blame the individual or the family, but rather the poor fit between the two. Family members often believe the loved one is choosing to “overreact” when in fact the individual is wired to feel emotions more intensely, and needs to develop skills to cope with this increased stress.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a skills-based approach, targeting the most destructive behaviors first and incorporation Eastern teachings like mindfulness.

Joanna asked a great question: “Can any of these disorders be treated without therapy?” As a therapist, I’d have to say that therapy is one of the best ways. But I don’t want to be so narcissistic as to claim it’s the only way. A psychiatrist would say that medication can assist with some symptoms of these disorders. A minister would say that faith is the way to heal. I just watched a fabulous movie, I’ve Loved You So Long, about a woman released after serving 15 years in prison for the death of her son. Instead of prison rehabilitating her, it was connecting with her sister and her family, new friends, and fine art that healed her. I think we can find healing in many different places.

So, how about you? Would you like to create a Teddi Forrester character in your novel? God help us!

Hey, it’s Monday. Stop your booing and join our Meet an Author Monday Bloghop.

One of my favorite genres is Romantic Suspense, so I’m excited to participate in this challenge!

Jamie from Nitty Gritty Romance and Erotica Reviews is hosting the 2011 Romantic Suspense Challenge.

The Rules:

1. Create a post for the challenge using the image above and link back to this post.
–Non-Bloggers: You are welcome to join too. Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.
2. Sign up with the Mr. Linky.
–Link to your challenge post when you sign up please.
3. The goal of this challenge is to read AT LEAST 12 novels that are Romantic Suspense between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Books read before January 1, 2011 do NOT count towards the challenge.
4. Audio, eBooks, paper all count. Re-reads are ok but try to keep them to a minimum. Cross overs from other challenges are ok.
5. There is no need to create your list now. Please feel free to use your challenge post to keep track of your titles if you so desire.

Here’s a helpful list on Goodreads if you are looking for some ideas for titles.

I hope you’ll join in on the challenge.

As a psychologist/author (or psycho author), I’m starting a series of posts today about using psychological diagnosis to assist the development of your characters. The typical layperson is probably more familiar with diagnoses like depression, anxiety, substance abuse, etc. — what mental health professionals refer to as “Axis I” disorders. However, I’ll focus on personality disorders, known as “Axis II”.

Personality disorders are clinical syndromes with enduring patterns of inner experience and interactions with the world, with a typical age of onset in late adolescence or adulthood. Because these patterns are inflexible and interwoven into an individual’s personality, they are more difficult to treat. The DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition) lists ten personality disorders. I plan to cover a few of my favorites, starting with Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

The Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders defines Narcissistic Personality Disorder as “a pattern of grandiosity (exaggerated claims of talents, importance, or specialness) in the patient’s private fantasies or outward behavior; a need for constant admiration from others; and a lack of empathy for others.”

The diagnosis refers to the Greek myth of Narcissus, a hunter with unparalleled beauty and pride. When he scorned the love of others, the gods punished him. Narcissus became entranced by his reflection in a pool of water, so much so that he was unable to leave and slowly pined away by the water until his death.

The lack of reflection (aka empathy) is so important to the development of this disorder. As children, we need empathy from our parents/caregivers. Here are some examples of empathic parents:

Child: “This is so unfair!”
Parent: “You’re disappointed about this (and it’s still going to happen).”

Child: “I hate you.”
Parent: “You’re angry with me.”

Child: “I can fly!”
Parent: “You’re so happy you believe you can fly!” (hopefully the child’s not close to a ledge at this point).

The reflection provided above can teach children to label and accept their emotions, and to connect with others through expressing their emotions. What happens when parents repeatedly fail to provide empathy? At its most severe (neglect and abuse), narcissim can develop.

Child: “This is so unfair!”
Parent: “This is perfectly fair, stupid. How dare you complain about this when I’m taking time out of my busy schedule to make this happen. You kids just take and take, and don’t care at all about what I’ve got on my plate.”

Child: (crying)
Parent: “Stop that crying this instant, you little baby! Put a smile on that face or you’ll be in big trouble.”

How can a child provide empathy for others when he’s never received it himself? As an adult he will constantly search for what’s missing–that reflection and validation from others. He will build a carefully constructed outer shell that is egotistical and entitled. He will demand that others admire him. Naturally, others will feel frustrated by his apparent egotism and lack of caring, and will eventually shun him. When this happens, the outer hard shell crumbles, revealing an extremely insecure core. The narcissist is quite vulnerable to deep depression at this point.

Narcissists might pursue careers like acting and professional sports. They are likely drawn to acting since it provides that mirror they so desperately seek. Some actors may only feel whole when the audience is cheering and the paparazzi are snapping photos. Likewise, fans adore elite athletes, giving them a pass on misbehavior, as long as the athletes continue performing well.

I’m currently writing a story featuring a narcissist. He’s a highly demanding boss and his underlings fear him more than respect him, making fun of him behind his back. When he’s angry, he expects everyone to cater to his needs, and he is physically abusive to his children. His wife tolerates this ridiculous behavior because she has some features of Dependent Personality Disorder herself. (It’s even more stimulating to create a romance based on several personality disorders!)

Thinking of fictional narcissists, Colonel Nathan Jessup from A Few Good Men comes to mind:

Eek! Do you have any characters with narcissistic traits? I hope this post is helpful to you in your characterization. What other psychological disorders would you like to learn about?

It’s time for Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop! It’s a great way for authors to network your blog.

Through the month of December, Omnific Publishing is having a holiday sale. Buy a print copy of With Good Behavior or any Omnific title, and get the e-book FREE!

Well, I woke up to the first SNOW of the winter this morning in Ohio–a perfect time to cuddle up on my sofa and post my interview with Lisa Sanchez, author of paranormal romance Eve of Samhain (see my review below).

Jennifer Lane (JL): How did you start writing novels?

Lisa Sanchez (LS): I’ve always enjoyed telling stories. When I was younger, if I wasn’t playing outside, I was in my room at my desk imagining goofy stories. I enjoy a good laugh, and have always tried to incorporate humor in whatever I write, even at a young age.

JL: What’s been the most difficult part of your journey to publication?

LS: This question made me laugh. The answer is easy: patience. I’ve had to learn how to be patient, and it’s been quite difficult. I’m an instant gratification girl, and with publishing the motto is “hurry up and wait.” I’m not sure if there is anything easy about getting your manuscript published. The writing, the editing, submitting … all of that takes a lot of hard work and determination. Those things, though difficult at times, are what makes the journey as a whole rewarding.

JL: What led to your interest in paranormal romance?

LS: I’ve always had a fascination with vampires. Even before Edward Cullen, lol! However, when The Twilight saga hit the bookstores, I was a goner. I devoured the first three books in a week and waited very impatiently for the fourth. While waiting I discovered J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series and that was it for me. I was hopelessly addicted.

JL: I attended Notre Dame for grad school so I particularly enjoyed the Irish flavor of this novel. What led to your interest in Irish folklore?

LS: While I love vampires, I knew I wanted to write something different. I did a web search for mythical creatures and found the legend of The Gancanagh. The idea of a sexy male faerie with an addictive touch was too awesome not to explore. The fact that the legend is part of my Irish heritage was a bonus. And really, what woman doesn’t enjoy a sexy Irish accent? Woohoo!

JL: I was intrigued by the snarky tone of the novel. Does that represent your voice, or is it more specific to Ryann and Quinn?

LS: Hee hee, the snark is all me. Well, I should say a combination of me and my oldest daughter, Kendall. Quite a few of Ryann’s one liners are things that regularly run through my head on any given day. Scary!

JL: I understand that Eve of Samhain is the first novel in the Hanaford Park series. What’s the status on forthcoming novels in that series?

LS: Yes, EOS is the first in what I hope will be a four book series. Book two, tentatively titled Pleasures Untold is slated to release in February of 2011. Just around the corner! I’m a little over half way through with book three, and that’s really all I can say on that one. I don’t want to spoil anything!

JL: Any other projects you’re working on?
 
LS: Not at the moment. Between edits for Pleasures Untold, revisions I just completed for a romantic suspense that’s on submission, and book three, I’ve been pretty busy. I do have a few ideas popping around inside my head, but I’m holding onto them for a while. I’d like to finish book three before I start anything new.
 
Breaking News: Lisa just signed a contract for her romantic suspense novel! Check out her blog for details.
 
Thank you for spending some time with me, Lisa. I look forward to reading Pleasures Untold!

Eve of Samhain by Lisa Sanchez

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SNARKY MODERN FAERIE TALE

Eve of Samhain is a paranormal romance featuring Ryann Pierce, a college student by day and club waitress by night. Losing her parents at a young age has turned Ryann into a feisty, stubborn, independent young woman, and woe to the club patron who tries to grab a piece of her alluring backside–he’s sure to receive a harsh word or quick smack in return . . .

Until Quinn Donegan enters. He’s a tall, muscular, blue-eyed hunk with a sexy Irish brogue and a spirited argumentativeness of his own. Oh, and did I mention he’s a 500 year-old faerie? Ryann’s too disheveled by his tantalizing effect on her to respond with her typical cheek, but that doesn’t stop Quinn from continuing to throw out barbs and insults . . . surely a sign of his affection? Quinn is determined to keep Ryann safe from a nefarious shape-shifter that stalks her and says creepy things like “Mine” while threatening her.

I love how Quinn and Ryann seem made for each other not only due to their physical attraction but also due to their similar impudence. Because of Quinn’s arrogance and womanizing, the faerie queen placed a curse on him long ago. As a result, he and Ryann have to refrain from touching each other, ratcheting up the palpable sexual tension. Quinn’s Gaelic words reminded me of Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series, and I felt like Claire Randall, swooning every time Quinn murmured sweet nothings in Gaelic.

Ryann is clever with her made-up words. I laughed out loud when she calls Quinn a “fastard” and describes her own “badonkadonk-sized keister”, as well as lines like this from p. 47 when Quinn’s describing his powers:

“You’d only lose your mind if I were to shag you.”

“SHAG me?” I said, slightly taken aback. Were we trapped in a Mike Myers film and I didn’t know it?

I also liked how Ryann wasn’t very experienced in the bedroom. It makes her seem more real.

I felt sad for Ryann that she has such negative body image despite being at a lean, healthy body weight and drawing the obvious attention of male suitors. She’s obsessed with her appearance to the point that she restricts her food intake and insists on early morning runs no matter how late she goes to bed or how many dangers lurk on her path.

Sadly, this preoccupation with weight and shape can occur even to those women who are closer to society’s “ideal”, and I wonder if her negative body image is a manifestation of her overall poor sense of self after growing up without parents. Ryann lacks confidence in general, a vulnerability hiding beneath a hard exterior, and she funnels all that self-doubt into hating her body. They say that the love and acceptance of a romantic partner can improve body image, and I was pleased when Ryann begins focusing on more important aspects of her life as Quinn weaves himself into her world. It was good to see both characters grow as a result of their relationship.

Reading how things turned out in the end, I felt happy and satisfied. Overall a very enjoyable read by Lisa Sanchez!

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Time for Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop! Visit Lisa Sanchez’s blog for the details.

I have a thing for men in uniforms, particularly military uniforms.

The closely cropped hair, freshly shaved skin, sharply pressed tunic, chiseled jaw, integrity to fight for his principles . . . *fans self*

Even though Tom Cruise is kind of a tool now, I think I saw Top Gun about 25 times in 1986.

So naturally I want to embrace the challenge of reading books with men in uniform.

The Book Vixen is hosting Men in Uniform Reading Challenge!

Details:
•Runs January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011(books read prior to 1/1/11 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime – Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.

•The goal is to read as many novels that involve men in inform as you’d like. It can be a policeman, firefighter, paramedic, Army, Navy, Marine Corp., etc. – As long as the leading man wears some sort of uniform, it counts. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.

•Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).

•Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine.

•You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge but feel free to do so.

•Post this reading challenge on your blog so you can keep a list of the books you’ve read for this challenge. Please include a link back to this post so readers can join the challenge too.

•You do not have to be a book blogger to participate. You can keep tabs on books you’ve read for this challenge on Goodreads or LibraryThing if you’d like (maybe make a shelf for “Men in Uniform Reading Challenge”). If you are not on either of those sites then you can list the books you read for this challenge in the comments on my wrap-up post, which will be up at the end of 2011.

My novel With Good Behavior features some men in uniform, and here’s a list of military books on goodreads.

And don’t forget our Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop.

Fragile Beasts by Tawni O’Dell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love stories about dysfunctional families, and this was one of the best I’ve read in a long time.

Fragile Beasts opens with the narration of Kyle Hayes, a 15 year-old boy who admires his older brother, Pennsylvania high-school baseball standout Klint, as well as his younger sister, Krystal. Kyle’s attended every one of Klint’s baseball games, and has drawn countless pictures for Krystal. Problem is, Krystal now lives far away in Arizona after their mom scooped her up and left their father for another man. An even bigger problem is that their father just inadvertently killed himself in a drunk-driving accident.

It’s quite a dilemma about where Kyle and Klint will live after their father’s funeral. Their dad was a blue-collar drunk, but he looks like “Parent of the Year” compared to their cruel, cold mother. Enter the wealthy, childless Candace Jack. Miss Jack agrees to take in the boys, mostly to spite her nephew (the owner of the local coal company) but also to protect the boys from their mother.

Candace Jack has an intricate history of her own, and her family rivals the Hayes for putting the fun in dysfunction. She has a Spaniard, Luis, living with her, and decorates her large home in the brilliant colors and bullfighting paintings of Spain. It turns out that Candace had loved one of Spain’s most artistic torreos, Manuel Obrador. His death in the bullfighting ring in 1959 left her bereft, and she’s never recovered. But she did bring back to Pennsylvania the bull that killed Manuel, and the bull’s grandson now lives on her estate.

I adore the character of Kyle. He’s one of the sweetest teenage boys I’ve ever met. He’s inquisitive, artistic, empathic, and kind, but he still maintains the voracious appetite and ogling of girls characteristic of his age and gender.

Klint, on the other hand, is not so sweet. He’s morose and haunted, harboring a life-threatening secret.

Tawni O’Dell is a master of metaphor. Here are some of my favorites:

“All three of the (bulls) are massive coal-black monsters with sharply pointed upturned white horns that look like they’d slide through a grown man’s chest as easily as a power drill through butter” (p. 137)

“Bert stands nearby, impeccably and elegantly groomed, holding the dog’s gaudy neon pink, fur-lined, jewel-encrusted carrier coolly at his side, looking like some homophobic screenwriter’s idea of a gay doctor who makes house calls” (p. 203)

“…time passes more slowly at the beginning and ends of our lives. As children time is thick and sweet like syrup yet we can’t wait to get older. We enter adulthood and time escapes like water through an open hand. Then it slows again in the twilight years, becoming the congealed consistency of fat skimmed off a stewed chicken, and we have nothing left but to wait for death” (p. 288)

I also loved the author’s exploration of artists, whether they be bullfighters, painters, or baseball players.

“An artist doesn’t create in order to get money, or fame, or acceptance, or love. It’s a force inside him, something he must do or his soul will shrivel up and die” (p. 142)

I’m a former college athlete and Ms. O’Dell totally nailed what happens to athletes who are depressed or suffering some sort of malaise:

“An accountant can be down in the dumps and still add up his daily figures. A teacher can be concerned about her sick mother and still assign chapters for her students to read. A truck driver can be angry at his spouse and still cover all the miles on his route. But an artist’s self is his work. If something is wrong with one, the other falls into decay. I imagine it’s the same for an athlete and his performance” (p. 152).

My only criticism is that the plot sagged a bit at the end of the second act. While I loved Candace and Luis, I didn’t find their points of view as appealing as Kyle’s.

Brilliant characterization, gripping emotions, a plot with depth and heart – this novel is a must read.

You may not have heard of Tawni O’Dell, but she’s an awesome author as far as I’m concerned. Her novel Back Roads was an Oprah pick, and here is an interesting interview with her about her path as a writer.

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This month it’s my turn to host book club, meaning that I’ll be providing dessert for our discussion of Fragile Beasts by Tawni O’Dell (my 5 star review will be forthcoming on this blog), as well as selecting our book for the next two months. Check out the “Book Club” tab above to see a photo of my lovely book club!

I have several possibilities running around my mind for my selection, and wanted to ask your opinion. I usually like to preview books before I select them but of the ones mentioned below, the only one I’ve read is The Hunger Games. What do you think of each book?

The Hunger Games trilogy. Overall I loved this series and want to share it with my friends, but I have a couple of hestitations: 1) if they end up reading the trilogy, I wasn’t happy with the ending of Mockingjay, and 2) we don’t typically read Young Adult books.

Let the Great World Spin by by Colum McCann. I haven’t read this but it was recommended to me by another book club. It takes place in the early 1970’s in New York and is about several different stories that weave together in the end. However, it’s only available as hardcover and my club tends to prefer paperback.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. This is a book told from a dog’s point of view. The dog’s name is Enzo, which happens to be the name of the vicious mafia don in my novel, so that should be an interesting challenge for me!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. A Young Adult book about a girl and a wolf that I’ve been wanting to read (as well as the sequel Linger).

Any thoughts on those books? Or are there any additional books your book club loved that you’d like to recommend?

Time for our Meet an Author Monday Bloghop. Read instructions here. This bloghop is hosted by Lisa Sanchez, whose book Eve of Samhain I just started and it’s awesome!

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very interesting take on a romance novel. It was probably more of a spiritual and philosophical guide, but romance did figure prominently. I read it for my book club at work.

From the back of the book: “Rarely does adolescent love reach its full potential, but what happens when two young lovers reunite after eleven years? Time has transformed Pilar into a strong and independent woman, while her deovted childhood friend has grown into a handsome and charismatic spiritual leader… Now, they are together once again, embarking on a journey fraught with difficulties…”

What I liked most in this story was Pilar’s battle between her head and her heart. She’d grown weary of dreams and possibilities, and had settled into a life of mundane details, dominated by concerns like paying the bills and taking out the trash. But then she was faced with the prospect of reuniting with a childhood love, a man who owned no home and who made his living through preaching miracles–specifically, the feminine side of God. Pilar’s heart fluttered and her head worried. I can totally relate to Pilar.

The writing was beautiful and lyrical, full of so many thought-provoking quotes, like:

“But love is much like a dam: if you allow a tiny crack to form through which only a trickle of water can pass, that trickle will quickly bring down the whole structure, and soon no one will be able to control the force of the current.” (p. 31)

“For years, I had fought against my heart, because I was afraid of sadness, suffering, and abandonment. But now I knew that true love was above all that and that it would be better to die than to fail to love.” (p. 104)

“But he wasn’t listening. He had stood, seized my hair in his hands, and was kissing me. I clutched at his hair, too, and squeezed himm with all my strength, biting his lips and feeling his tongue move in my mouth. This was the kiss I had waited for so long–a kiss born by the rivers of our childhood, when we didn’t yet know what love meant…A kiss that had been lost so many times and now was found. In the moment of that kiss were years of searching, disillusionment, and impossible dreams.” (p. 148) Now THAT was a kiss!

I have a special affinity for water after being a competitive swimmer all my life, and I love what Coelho wrote about the Goddess manifesting herself to us through water. The metaphor of breaking a glass representing breaking through our fears was also masterful.

It was fascinating to me that Coelho never names Pilar’s male friend. No doubt the author is audacious and unique!

What I didn’t like so much was the ending. It felt rather dry after the rich, flowing text that came before it.

I joked on my blog that I needed a Clif’s Note version to understand this book, but I can proudly say that I wrote this review all by myself and I think I grew to understand and like this book better in the process! I’m giving it 3.5 stars. It’s not really my cup of tea–I need more plot and character development–but if you’re in for a thoughtful read, this is it. Someday I’d love to read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

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