Tag: cognitive processing therapy

cover reveal, new release

New Release LOW WATER

Jennifer Lane

Happy release day to my 10th novel, sport psych suspense Low Water.

Amazon US

Universal Book Link

Two lives marked by trauma. One chance to rediscover hope.

In the sun-drenched Lowcountry of South Carolina, a swim coach haunted by tragedy and a psychologist devoted to healing cross paths just as their lives unravel.

He once believed Olympic-sized dreams and awful dad jokes could get him through anything, but waves of grief threaten to pull him under. She has built a career navigating others through pain, yet she struggles to confront her own.

When their worlds collide, Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD forces the question: is it possible to dive into the past without drowning? Neither expects the other to become a lifeline. But with connection and courage, they search for a way forward—one stroke at a time.

Striving, tender, and surprisingly funny, this is a story about resilience and learning that the best way out of the deep end is together.

The exciting climax of Low Water takes place on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Behind the scenes: Why did I write this book? 

It’s been four years since I published sports romance Rivals. In the meantime, I’ve strived to help psychotherapy clients heal.

Have traumatized book characters led you to despair? Did you ever wonder, “How will they ever recover from this tragedy?”  

As a psychologist, once I learned a powerful PTSD treatment called Cognitive Processing Therapy, I now feel hope that EVERYONE can recover from a traumatic event. When I read about characters stuck in trauma, I want to yell at them, “Go get CPT!”

Witnessing trauma survivors turn their lives around inspired me to write a fictionalized version. Due to my background as a college swimmer, I chose a swim coach as the protagonist. His psychologist faces her own drama when she meets a mysterious man while speed-dating.

~*~

Thanks to fellow author Ronel Janse Van Vuuren for hosting me on her blog to talk about domestic violence and PTSD.

insecure writers support group, writing

Making Progress Hell or Low Water #IWSG

Jennifer Lane

Join us for the Insecure Writers Support Group, where we share our doubts and celebrate our victories. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for starting (and maintaining!) the amazing group.

The wonderful co-hosts for the September 3 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight. You rock, ladies!

This is the second question of the month that involves A.I., which I know nothing about, so I’ll abstain from answering. I need to get with the times and learn more.

I finally feel some momentum with my novel–thanks to the group for your suggestions for getting unstuck! I have about 15K more words to write. I would love to publish Low Water before an author event I’m attending in Savannah, GA on November 1 (since the novel is set nearby.) It’s probably an unrealistic timeline. But the only space my editor has before February of 2026 is in early October. Therefore, I’m going for it!

If you would like to join me for a writing sprint in the month of September, please let me know.

How was your August? I visited my sister in Chicago, where we took in a Savannah Bananas game. Have you heard of Banana Ball? It’s like the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball:

We also saw the air show from a boat on the lake. *sings* Highway to the danger zone

Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 72,500 / ~87,000 words

insecure writers support group, writing

Balancing Your Writing #IWSG

Jennifer Lane
Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh for starting the Insecure Writers Support Group.

Time for another monthly meeting across the blogoverse for all writers who second-guess themselves. *raises hand*

Thank you so much to this month’s co-hosts: Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim!

I’m excited that I finally have some momentum on my new novel, Low Water. I’ve written about 10,000 words (out of a probable 80-90K), and I’m hoping that the upcoming therapy scenes in my story will flow more easily since my day job immerses me in psychotherapy.

After falling in love with a trauma treatment I learned called cognitive processing therapy for PTSD, I wanted to write a story about a swim coach not only healing from a horrific event in his life, but also experiencing post-traumatic growth. It’s not a psychological thriller, though. More like a mental health drama, but that’s not really a thing. Have you ever written a story that doesn’t fit easily into existing genres?

Balance is on my mind while writing this story. Cognitive processing therapy utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy, an approach that helps you balance your thinking so that you feel better. Trauma survivors sometimes get stuck in the past when their thoughts are full of self-blame, self-doubt, and/or self-directed anger.

Speaking of writing therapy scenes, I want to balance the five elements of writing (mentioned in this insightful Writers Helping Writers post) and avoid too much dialogue. I hope to portray evenly the elements of setting, action, reaction, and inner thoughts/feelings along with the dialogue. How well do you achieve a balance in your writing?

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

(Have you ever tried to paddle board? That’s one area where my balance is HORRIBLE! I spend way more time in the water than on the board, but it does elicit plenty of laughs.)