Why do you write about mental health so much in your books?

The short answer is "because I can't help myself."

Here's the longer one:

I'm on a mission to reduce the global suicide rate to zero. Yes, I know that's a lofty goal but I believe it's a do-able one. Probably not in my lifetime but it is possible.

I believe the way we do that is twofold: those of us who live with Depression need to express ourselves and tell our stories. To lessen our own self-stigma and shame. This will make the topic of Depression less taboo and the more we talk about it, the easier it becomes for people to ask for help. Also, the easier it becomes to ask others if they're okay. And to receive honest, no bullshit answers.

Both of these things make it easier for us to help each other and build a world that celebrates each other's differences, rather than denigrating them.

I write about mental illness because I want the topic to become an every day conversation. I want us to speak of Depression the same way we do of the common cold or a broken leg. Not spoken about in hushed tones with a sense of the taboo.

Why do you write about vampires?

Because I adore them. I always have. I loved them way before they were popular (again) and certainly well before they ever sparkled.

I love Dracula, Bela Lugosi, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bram Stoker, Charlaine Harris's vampires and the Morganville Vampires from Rachel Caine. I love vampire music, vampire clothing, vampire books, vampire fangs. I even love vampire red lipstick and hair dye.

When I was a kid, I found vampires to be both terrifying and fascinating. In NZ, here we used to have what was called "The Sunday Horrors" on tv on a Sunday night. I used to love scaring myself shitless watching them.

As soon as I was old enough I read Dracula by Bram Stoker and then I went on a search to find every other vampire story I could. Unfortunately, all I could find were teenage romances that happened to have a vampire or two in them.

I swore that one day, I'd write the vampire stories that I wanted to read.

And now, I do.

Why would I want to sign up for your newsletter?

I like to keep my readers informed of goings-on in my world. Only interesting ones though, I promise not to bore you with what I ate for dinner last night. Instead you'll get book updates, any specials that are happening and the odd mental health essay if somethings really sitting on my mind at the time.

You'll also be first to know of any book promos, mine or others, any new book reviews I've done and any mental health essays I've written.

And yep, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Do you have a mental illness?

I sure do. I've lived with Depression since my childhood. Back then we didn't know that children could get Depression so I wasn't actually treated until my mid-twenties. I've just turned 55 now, so I consider Depression to be an old frenemy. As well as a demon.

I also struggle with anxiety occasionally and have a number of physical issues which have a huge impact on my mental state. Currently, I'm managing my Depression well with medication, self-help techniques and writing. I have to always be aware of my mood and how close I am to sinking down in the pit. As you can imagine, menopause was a barrel of laughs.

I now live a full, happy, life, alongside my Depression instead of despite it. I don't deny the demon but I don't allow it to take control any more than I have to. If you'd like to know more about how I manage my Depression and my views of how we should manage it as a society, check out my non-fiction book Depression; Sucks.

Do you have any mental health qualifications?

I sure do. I have a BA in Psychology, a National Certficate in Mental Health Support Work and over 25 years of work experience with people with mental illness, alcohol and other drug issues.

More importantly, I've been there and done that. I live and breathe Depression every single day.

In Fiona's Own Words:

I always wanted to be a mother. I couldn’t conceive of a world where I wasn’t a mother. I was 45 years old when I finally had to face the fact that it was never going to happen for me. I was always going to be childless by circumstance, not by choice.


I was devastated. And I was left with a choice. I either found a way to live with it or I gave in to the Depression, which to me, probably meant drinking myself to death. 


Obviously, I chose the first option, or I wouldn’t be here talking to you now. But, it wasn’t easy. There were many days, and nights, when option two seemed like a much better idea. I think what kept me going was the idea that if I gave in, all the things I’d learned over the years would be lost. Those lessons would mean nothing because I’d not passed them on.


At that time, I’d been treated for Depression for approximately 25 years. I should have been treated for longer but back then nobody realized that children could be Depressed. I’d never been actively suicidal, I was more likely to die from a stupid accident or prolonged self-harm.


Once I’d made the decision to live and to keep fighting, I had to find a way to do it. I decided to use the same tactics I advised my clients to use and I began to write my feelings down. I wasn’t ready to write about my childlessness experience at that time, so I decided to write the vampire novel I’d wanted to write since I was a kid.


That first book was shit. As all first books are, and should be. I may publish it one day but it will take a whole lot of revising and editing before that happens. But writing that book was a real eye-opener for me. It reminded me of just how much I loved to write.


I love words. I love telling stories. I love creating. I love spreading ideas and putting knowledge into the world.


I also love vampires. Dark, delicious, evil, vampires. Monsters. There’ll be no sparklers here, thank you very much. I’m sure there’s a deep and meaningful correlation between my love of the undead and the fact that there have been so many deaths in my life, starting with my father when I was six years old. Oh yeah, and I love psychology.


I don’t love Depression, but I’ve lived with it for most of my life. We’re old frenemies now. I’ve also worked in mental health for over 25 years and I have a BA in Psychology. That doesn’t make me an expert though. I’m only an expert in my own mental health. But, I have learned some shit.


I’m on a mission to reduce the global suicide rate to zero. It’s a lofty goal, I know, but it’s one worth striving for. Nobody should ever, ever, feel that their best option is to be dead. Nobody.


But to ensure we have a world where nobody kills themselves, we have to build the right kind of society. What’s the right kind? One that celebrates what makes people “different” rather than denigrates them. One that ensures people feel comfortable asking for help, whenever they need it and knowing that they’ll be listened to with respect and love. One where people who say “how are you?” really want to know the answer. They’re not just being polite. And one where mental illness, suicide, and psychosis are all every day conversations and not a dirty little secret.


I write with humor, well, okay, with sarcasm, and I have a vivid imagination. I hope to stir your imagination too. I use bad words when I write too, because I use them when I speak. If the word fuck offends you, you might want to put my book down and choose another.


Go on, I won’t be offended. 

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