One of my favorite writers is Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes. She wrote the best-selling book, “Women Who Run with the Wolves.” Not only is she a brilliant writer, but she’s also a psychologist. Dr. Estes shares myths and fairytales and then uses the stories as a means to examine real life. To ask the big questions. The ones that stump us.

My bachelor’s degree is in Developmental Psychology. And like Dr. Estes, I’ve always been fascinated with stories and people. I remember being six years old and stumbling upon a psychology book. I instantly fell in love. Reading came easy to me, so even at that age, I was able to start studying and appreciating the complexity of human nature.

My books are my archive of the lessons I’ve learned, either through my own experiences or by observing the experiences of others. Like fairytales, I use characters and fantastical settings to illustrate things I don’t want to forget.

Didn’t most of us learn that it isn’t wise to talk to strangers from reading Little Red Riding Hood? I write my books with the same intention. Hopefully, I create stories with enough emotion and drama that the themes stay with the reader (and me) even after the tale is finished. At least, that’s my goal.

My form of preparatory research for writing my books is to devour psychology books in the early morning, while I eat my oatmeal and drink my tea. This is where I get my ideas.

If you read my Spirit and the Wolfman Series closely, you might notice that one character is a narcissist. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I won’t mention which one. I’ve read many books about narcissism, and unfortunately, have had experiences with one in real life. Part of the motivation of writing that character was to create a reminder of what a narcissist looks like, so I can run the other way if I see one again.

I’m taking a new direction with my blog. I’d like to share more behind the scenes thoughts I have about the psychology woven within my fantasy books. Also, I’ll be talking about the shows and stories I love to watch and read, and more importantly, what I learn from them.  I’m an addict of Asian Fantasy (currently binge-watching k-drama Hotel Del Luna on Netflix). As for reading, I’m working my way through “Love and Work” by Marcus Buckingham. I’ll be sure to share about these and future books/shows I come across.

Please subscribe to the blog and share the journey with me! I’d love to hear your thoughts. What important life lessons have you learned from a story?