First, I have to say that I just finished The Vampire Shrink and I loved it! As both a Psychotherapist and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist do you see parts of yourself in the heroine Kismet Knight?
Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed the book! I loved writing it.
Kismet is absolutely an idealized part of me. She's younger, prettier and thinner! And she gets to hang out with gorgeous men of all varieties. But we share a therapeutic orientation. I use parts of myself in all my stories. It's Psychotherapy by Fiction for me! I think that most of the characters writers create are some aspect of the self. Either an idealized/desired part, or a feared/resisted part, or an expanded part - and then there's the idea of a collective unconscious, where we have access to everything that ever has existed, everything that now exists and everything that will exist! Wow! Lots of characters to choose from!
With all of your degrees and work experiences what led you to writing fiction?
One of the things I've always done is write. I've written nonfiction for years, mostly articles and presentation materials about psychological and metaphysical topics. And I wrote a newspaper column (sort of a cosmic "Dear Abby") for five years. It was actually one of my hypnotherapy students who was responsible for my shift into fiction. We'd gathered at my house for a group meeting, and she saw all the vampire books in my bookcase (I’ve been a rabid vampire fan since I was a kid). That was in January of 2004, and at that time I didn't know there was something called "paranormal romance." (Yikes, what a powerful discovery!) My student asked me if I'd read any of Laurell K. Hamilton's work and I hadn't. She loaned me the first few books in the Anita series, and I was hooked. After reading every paranormal fiction book I could get my hands on, I got the wild notion that perhaps I could write a vampire book. During the three years I've been writing fiction, paranormal romance exploded in several directions - some of which were excellent for me, since I tend to write "with romance elements" and "urban fantasy" rather than traditional romance.
Tell me where the idea for The Vampire Shrink came from?
The idea actually came from a real client session. While I have worked with "Goth" clients who talked about drinking blood and such, the specific session that triggered the birth of The Vampire Shrink dealt with another topic: alien abduction. This particular client (she gave me permission to share very vague details about the session) talked about being an abductee. I've had lots of clients who want to recover alien abduction memories through hypnosis (the root of the situation often turns out to be something non-alien in the client's mundane environment). Anyway, something about this young woman's story captured my imagination. I thought later, what if this was someone who was hanging out with "vampire wannabes" instead of aliens? What would an imaginary therapist do if she got pulled in? What if there was a gorgeous vampire in the mix? I went home that evening and started typing.
How would Kismet diagnose someone who came into her office claiming to be friends with real vampires?
Well, at first she would've been highly skeptical, but as the story unfolds, she becomes more open. As we see in the book, she resists facing what she doesn't want to face for as long as she possibly can. As a clinician, I have to walk a fine line between keeping an open mind and being aware of delusional behavior. It's definitely a gray area.
Kismet decides to advertise as the vampire Psychologist in order to gain information for a book. What type of book would it be?
She wants to write a best-seller about the sub-culture of vampire wannabes. The lost souls who seek meaning in their empty lives by acting out and joining a dark, dramatic world. She intends to gather case studies, create a treatment plan, and claim her 15-minutes of fame, including her dream of being on Oprah.
How would Kismet diagnose herself when she begins to "believe" that there is more to Devereux than she thought? How would she "explain" the unexplainable to herself?
Kismet immediately goes to her comfort zone: scientific/clinical "facts." She "knows" there is no such thing as vampires, so she struggles to line up what she experiences with what she's been trained to believe. Throughout the course of the book, she is forced to open her mind. Speaking for myself, I'd love to have that kind of experience! I'd love for a real immortal to walk into my office! Especially a gorgeous one! But, until that happens, I'll just live vicariously through Kismet!
Do you see re-visiting Kismet Knight for more stories or are you busy with other projects right now?
I hope Kismet will continue for several books. I'm in the midst of completing book #2 now, and have an outline for book #3. I can see many books in her future. While I was trying to sell The Vampire Shrink, I wrote a short story for possible inclusion in an anthology. The anthology didn't happen, but the short story was purchased by The Wild Rose Press. The short story, "Diary of a Narcissistic Bloodsucker" is about a very self-absorbed, yet clever (I hope) female vampire (Zara). I hope to write more in Zara's world, too, when I can. I also write erotic paranormal romance under a pen name, and have sold 2 short stories and a novella to epubs.
I see that you are a Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist, Intuitive, group facilitator, as well as teaching at the collegiate level and offering workshops and lectures through your private practice. You are one busy woman! How do you manage it all and still have time to write such an amazing book?
The great thing about working for myself is that I'm the keeper of my schedule! I either have a short attention span (grin), or a wide range of interests, but I find that I enjoy doing a little of this and a little of that. I tend to see clients three days a week, then teach occasional classes, offer workshops perhaps once per month and the rest of the time is free for writing. I've been trying to motivate myself to walk every day (with sketchy results so far), but who needs sleep, eh? I function a lot better when I'm busy. I’m one of those people who seems to be able to do more when there's too much to do! (Otherwise, my Inner Sloth comes out!)
Putting the professional titles aside, tell me about the woman Lynda Hilburn.
I spent a lot of years as a single mom (my son lives on his own now), and I love living in Colorado. Boulder is in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and every day brings something new to goggle at. You'd think (living here) I'd be a skier or mountain climber, but I'm not. I am an avid walker (okay, I used to be an avid walker and now I'm a thinking-about-doing-it walker). I love to read, sing along to classic rock, have long conversations with friends in coffee shops, and write. Writing gives me the best outlet for my quirky sense of humor and world view. There is a part of me that is very outgoing: I love to make presentations, teach classes, give interviews, etc. Then there is the other part of me: very introspective, private and quiet. I've discovered that I always need to make sure both parts are taken care of.
What other projects do you have available to readers at this time?
Well, since I'm still in the midst of writing the second Kismet book, the only thing available at the moment is my strange little short story, "Diary of a Narcissistic Bloodsucker," available through The Wild Rose Press. And, if a reader's taste runs hotter, my alter ego writes erotic paranormal romance. Her (Hera St. Aubyn) short stories can be purchased at The Wild Rose Press, and she just released a novella through Loose Id. All vampire stories. I can't help myself.
What can we expect from you in the future?
More books about Kismet and company, perhaps a book or series about a psychic (I've got to address that part of my work, too!!), and I've been asked to write more about Zara from "Diary" and Tempest from "Undead in the City." That ought to keep me busy for a while. And, I'm always considering writing nonfiction about what it's like to combine the intuitive and the therapeutic as a counselor, and/or something about metaphysics, expanded consciousness and Tarot.
What is the number one reason people visit a hypnotherapist? Quit smoking? Weight loss?
Those are certainly strong motivations for people to come to a hypnotherapist. I love all forms of hypnosis and can offer all techniques, but I have to admit I enjoy delving into clients' psyches to uncover the roots of things. If someone only wants to quit smoking (which hypnosis is a great tool for), and they aren't interested in digging around down in the mental cellar, I probably will refer them to a colleague who specializes in behavioral hypnosis. I get lots of people (mostly women) who want to change their bodies. That's the number one reason people come to me. And body issues always have deep roots. As we explore the reasons why their bodies are the way they are, we also learn a lot about the person's beliefs, patterns, fears, etc. It can be an amazing transformation process.
What advice would you give to someone who would like to write a book? Any secrets to your success?
I have to say what almost all writers say when asked that question: persistence. Refuse to give up. Never follow anyone else's vision instead of your own. Don't give power to the rule books over your own intuition. Learning the writing rules is great, but don't stop there. Keep going. Make the rules yours. Especially today, as all the genre boundaries are bending and blending, write what you want to write. Find a great critique group. It might take a while to find the right one. Don't hesitate to keep looking until you make the right connection. Make sure you don't spend all your time talking about writing and taking classes about writing and reading books about how to write, instead of writing. The only way to become a writer is to write.
As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't aware of the romance writers community when I began writing fiction. Discovering the vast resources of RWA and all its local chapters was a path-changing surprise. Join with the romance writers, whether you write traditional romance or not. The benefits are great.
©Debbie H. and GWN
May 2007
