Readers on the Couch: Guest Blog at the Mesdames of Mayhem

I wasn't able to post this one right away since I was at a conference and my iPad wouldn't see the wireless. My newest guest post is at the Mesdames of Mayhem, where I discuss why we love mysteries from a psychological point of view.

As a psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist, I hear the following three complaints most often in my practice:

1. I can’t sleep.
2. My mind won’t stop racing.
3. Why is this anxiety/depression/sleep problem happening to me?

I address the first two a lot. The third one doesn’t come up quite as often because people, being naturally curious about themselves and their own lives and minds, usually have a good idea of how their sleep problems started. However, when I ask if they can think of what kicked off their insomnia, about ten to twenty percent of patients frown, wrinkle their noses, and eventually admit they can’t say why or give some vague answer like “stress, but my life has always been stressful, so I’m not sure that’s it.” Some are very distressed that they can’t figure out the origin of the problem because, as human beings, we like to have explanations. Knowing why gives us a sense of control.

To read the rest, click here.

Don't forget that my debut novel The Mountain's Shadow is now available in all electronic formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other ebook retailers.

My Book Sale: Guest posting at Demons, Dreams & Dragon Wings Blog

Today the lovely ladies over at the Demons, Dreams & Dragon Wings blog are hosting me as a guest with my first sale story. Yes, you have to click through a content warning to get there, but I promise the post is SFW.

I'm not sure how much I believe in metaphysical stuff like projecting intentions and the power of clearing out old stuff to make room for new opportunity, but after the way my first sale happened, I might become a believer.

To read the rest, click here.

Don't forget, The Mountain's Shadow will be out on October 1! It's already available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers.

A Guest Post: The Sane Psychowriter -- Practicing Mindful Detachment

Greetings, all! I recently did a guest post for the lovely ladies at the Laptops and Lingerie blog. Yes, I wrote it on my laptop...while wearing pajamas. An excerpt: When I originally proposed the idea for this post to Cheryl, I thought I had conquered some old fears through the formidable combination of insight and Maggie's M&M talk. Sadly, that is not the case. The problem is that I keep thinking I know where my life is going and where things will end up, and that simply ends up not being true... To keep reading, click here.