Eris Field's Blog

Monday, March 20, 2017
NEW RELEASE for ERIS FIELD
Amazon Best Selling author Eris Field leads us into an exotic world seldom experienced by Western women. Abbey's Search for Sanctuary is book one of the Destiny: Choice or Chance Trilogy.

Honor killings aren’t common in Buffalo, NY, but when it occurs, Turkish-American nurse Abbey knows she must protect her dead sister’s infant daughter, Jenny. Abbey’s sister was murdered by her Muslim husband for leaving him when she learned his mother would perform the cruel ritual of female circumcision on Jenny.

Once a fighter and medic with the Kurdish forces in Iraq, Rami now works with the refugees in Buffalo. Shunned by his grandfather for failing to demand retribution when his arranged marriage failed, Rami has mastered the art of avoiding emotional attachments. That is until he meets Abbey.

Warning Abbey that honor killings are family affairs and she and Jenny are in danger, Rami offers her a way out: a marriage of convenience and a safe place to live--his homeland, Kurdistan where they’ll be protected by the clan.

Abbey has vowed to do what it takes to protect Jenny. Can she face going back to the world of her childhood, a world of headscarves and submission, a world she escaped once?


Eris Field was born in the Green Mountains of Vermont—Jericho, Vermont to be precise—close by the home of Wilson Bentley (aka Snowflake Bentley), the first person in the world to photograph snowflakes. She learned from her Vermont neighbors that pursuit of one’s dream is a worthwhile life goal.

As a seventeen year old student nurse at Albany Hospital, Eris met a Turkish surgical intern who told her fascinating stories about the history of Turkey, the loss of the Ottoman Empire, and forced population exchanges. After they married and moved to Buffalo, Eris worked as a nurse at Children’s Hospital and at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

After taking time off to raise five children and amassing rejection letters for her short stories, Eris earned her master’s degree in Psychiatric Nursing at the University at Buffalo. Later, she taught psychiatric nursing at the University and wrote a textbook for psychiatric nurse practitioners—a wonderful rewarding but never to be repeated experience.

Eris now writes novels, usually international, contemporary romances. Her interest in history and her experience in psychiatry often play a part in her stories. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Western New York Romance Writers. In addition to writing, Eris’s interests include: Prevention of Psychiatric Disorders; Eradicating Honor Killings, supporting the Crossroads Springs Orphanage in Kenya for children orphaned by AIDS, and learning more about Turkey, Cyprus, and Kurdistan.

Contemporary, international novel from Amazon Best Selling author—Abbey’s Search for Sanctuary. Stand-alone book one of Destiny: Choice or Chance Series. Will be released as an e-book on March 15, 2017

Honor killings aren’t common in Buffalo, NY, but Turkish-American nurse Abbey knows she must protect her sister’s infant daughter, Jenny, after her sister is murdered by her Muslim husband for leaving him when he told her his mother was coming from Egypt to perform the cruel ritual of female circumcision on Jenny.

Once a fighter and medic with the Kurdish forces in Iraq, Rami now works with the refugees in Buffalo. Shunned by his grandfather for refusing to seek retribution when his arranged marriage failed, Rami has mastered the art of avoiding emotional attachments. That is until he meets Abbey.

Warning Abbey that honor killings are family affairs and she and Jenny are in danger, Rami offers her a way out: a marriage of convenience and a safe place to live--his homeland, Kurdistan where they’ll be protected by the clan.

Abbey has vowed to do what it takes to protect Jenny but can she face going back to the world of her childhood, a world of headscarves and submission, a world she escaped once?


I hope you will like this first book of the trilogy.
**

Monday, August 15, 2016
PICNIC POWER
by Eris Field

Picnics have long been known to have the power to move wooing to marriage. Wooing or courting is different from dating. It is the process by which one person, having decided that he/she has found an acceptable life partner, convinces the other person that they should forsake all others and move forward toward marriage.

In the past, a certain hierarchy of enticements was used by a gentleman wooing a lady. Love letters written in perfect penmanship on personal stationery was often the opening salvo. Unlike email or text messages, letters could be stroked, sniffed, hidden in bodices, tucked under pillows, and read repeatedly by candlelight.


Photo by John Kasawa
Candy and flowers followed. Boxes of candy—carefully selected candies nestled in elaborately decorated boxes were delivered to the lady with a brief message written on a card. The language of flowers was carefully studied so that the right message would be conveyed by the bouquet.

While letters, candy, and flowers were effective, they took time. A gentleman determined to marry, and soon, pulled out the heavy artillery—the picnic. Picnics have two elements—seeming innocence and surprise. The gentleman would not disclose the destination or the contents of the picnic basket. Please note it was a basket not a cooler, Styrofoam chest, backpack, or plastic bag from the deli. The gentleman carried a blanket over one arm that had the purpose of keeping grass stains off the lady’s dress and the picnic basket over the other arm.


Contents of the basket included the essentials: a bottle or two of wine, two glasses, napkins, and delicious food that was usually not encountered at regular meals and so had a slightly forbidden quality. Tempting items included: crisp bread or rolls, cheeses (Brie, Gruyere, Provolone or Jarlsberg), thinly sliced smoked turkey, cold fried chicken, prosciutto, Lebanon salami, hard boiled eggs, olives, nuts, and fruits. The basket always held the lady’s favorite dessert.

Picnic settings, with careful planning, were private and, with the blanket, fairly comfortable. The wine was crisp and the food delicious. In fact, over time it was found that a properly planned picnic had a fairly strong correlation with marriage.

In my contemporary novel, The Gift of Love, psychiatrist Andrew, in a hurry to convince Laurel to marry him, finds himself using his elderly Aunt’s courting instructions, including the picnic.


Laurel, a slightly impulsive pediatric nurse who spent her early years in foster care, dreams of having a family of her own—six children, no men in the dream. Laurel doesn’t just dream, she has a plan—stop her stepsister’s compulsive hoarding, clear out the mountains of paper engulfing every room, and sell the old house that is pushing her toward bankruptcy. As a last resort, she raids her retirement fund to go to a conference on the newest treatments for compulsive hoarding.

Andrew, a psychiatrist, is never impulsive. A reticent, somewhat austere man, he limits his interactions with people to his work. About to leave for the conference where he has agreed to fill in for a colleague, he suddenly finds himself the reluctant caretaker of a two and a half year old boy.

When they first meet, a series of unfortunate events cause Laure to view Andrew as arrogant, rude, but disturbingly attractive, while Andrew to view Laurel as a dangerous distraction to be avoided. Faced with a crisis, they are forced work together, but will they be able to put aside their protective armor and trust each other enough to let love in?

Amazon Buy Link


Eris Field was born in the Green Mountains of Vermont—Jericho, Vermont to be precise—close by the home of Wilson Bentley (aka Snowflake Bentley), the first person in the world to photograph snowflakes. She learned from her Vermont neighbors that pursuit of one’s dream is a worthwhile life goal.

As a seventeen year old student nurse at Albany Hospital, Eris met a Turkish surgical intern who told her fascinating stories about the history of Turkey, the loss of the Ottoman Empire, and forced population exchanges. After they married and moved to Buffalo, Eris worked as a nurse at Children’s Hospital and at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

After taking time off to raise five children and amassing rejection letters for her short stories, Eris earned her master’s degree in Psychiatric Nursing at the University at Buffalo. Later, she taught psychiatric nursing at the University and wrote a textbook for psychiatric nurse practitioners—a wonderful rewarding but never to be repeated experience.

Eris now writes novels, usually international, contemporary romances. Her interest in history and her experience in psychiatry often play a part in her stories. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Western New York Romance Writers. In addition to writing, Eris’s interests include: Prevention of Psychiatric Disorders; Eradicating Honor Killings, supporting the Crossroads Springs Orphanage in Kenya for children orphaned by AIDS, and learning more about Turkey, Cyprus, and Kurdistan.

Not only is Turkish food delicious, it also has some of the most enticing names of all the world's cuisines. One of the most famous eggplant dishes is Pathcan Imam Bayildi. It is an eggplant dish so delicious that the Imam fainted after tasting it.

In my novel, Lattice of Love, Turkish-American Emine kicks open the lattices created by the old harem rules of her grandmother when she refuses an arranged marriage. Accepting a marriage of convenience brings it's own problems. Emine goes into battle with the weapons at her disposal--her grandmother's recipes starting with her favorite meatballs, Kadin Budu Kofte, aka Ladies' Thighs.

Over time, she makes use of the red silk lingerie of every Turkish bride, the 41 spice Turkish bath, and the folklore of quilts.

Please check out my blog on Sloane's Wednesday blog:
http://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com/2016...

Thanks so much,
Eris
www.erisfield.com
eperese@aol.com

Newly released romance.
No Greater Love: There is no greater love than to give of yourself to help others.

A child refugee orphaned by an earthquake in Turkey and adopted by a childless American couple, Janan has grown into a beautiful woman who dreams of having a home of her own, a home where love lives.

Jilted once, child psychiatrist Pieter has retreated from life and devotes himself to caring for the child refugees flooding into Amsterdam. Now, struggling with late-onset leukemia, he travels to New York for a second opinion where he meets Janan and feels love again.

Recognizing Pieter as the man of her dreams and knowing he will be gone in the morning, she asks him for one night.

Later, alone and facing complications of pregnancy, Janan accepts an unusual offer of help even though it may imperil her chances of finding happiness.

Writing the Backstory for Your Troubled Characters: Borderline Personality Disorder

Of the ten personality disorders, one of the most chaotic and disruptive for the people who suffer from it, for their families, and for their co-workers is the Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

Rarely do authors create a credible backstory for a character with BPD although they may present a secondary character with some of the signs of BPD such as cutting the wrists or overdosing on substances.

Writing about a character with BPD or symptoms of the disorder, requires creating a credible back story that incorporates at least some of the following: A description of the character’s emotions, thinking and behaviors, predisposing factors or risk factors from very early on in the character’s life, precipitating factors, course over time, and a realistic portrayal of the response of others to the character’s emotions, thinking, and behaviors.

Emotions often include: intense anger and fears of abandonment. People with this disorder may complain of being unable to feel anything or of feelings of emptiness. Many continue, as adults, to use comforting objects such as pillows or stuffed animals to sooth their feelings.

Thinking includes: magical thinking and paranoid thoughts. They think of situations as all black or all white. They often have problems with remembering things such as instructions or times for meetings.

Behaviors may include:
•Trying very hard to never be alone because of their fear of abandonment.
•Expressing their anger with verbally aggressive words.
•Frequently occurring impulsive behaviors such as wrist cutting, substance use, reckless activities, and engaging in promiscuous sexual activities.
•Making suicide attempts. In some cases, there is an expectation that they will be rescued.

Predisposing factors include:
•Female gender
•Moderate genetic influence
•Abnormal brain development during gestation
•Birth complications
•Chaos in families such as frequent separations
•Poverty,
•Frequent relocations
•History of mental illness in parents (depression, anxiety, substance abuse)
•Neglect or abusive parenting
•Physical and sexual abuse (Sexual abuse increases risk three fold.)
•Childhood head injuries

Precipitating factors include:
•Crises such as breaking up with a boy-friend,
•Loss of a friendship,
•Or a feeling of being abandoned that leads to behaviors of wrist cutting or taking an over-dose of a medication and these behaviors may lead to an Emergency Room visit.

Course of the illness:
•In infancy, there are often delays in reaching milestones such as sitting, walking, saying first words.
•As children, they are often impulsive and may have problems with concentrating in school.
•As adolescents, they may have problems with anger that caused them difficulties with others and result in social isolation.
•As older adolescents, they may have been involved in substance abuse and have made suicide attempts that resulted in hospitalizations.
•As adults, they tend to have problems with relationships and employment.

Effect on others:
•Others often respond to the behaviors of individuals with BPD with frustration, anger, or fear.
•Family members, friends, and co-workers feel that they have to ‘walk on eggs’ when they are around the person with BPD in order to avoid precipitating an outburst of anger or self-destructive behaviors.
•Family members are terrified of the thought of suicide and believe that they must do everything to prevent it. They feel guilt, anger, and hopelessness about repeated suicide attempts.
•Fear makes others accommodate the person with BPD but that accommodation causes resentment and anger.
•Brothers and sisters often are forced to become care-takers. They may try to keep the family member’s illness secret.
•Family members are forced to deal with medical emergencies, treatment decisions, costs of medical care, loss of income, and legal complications.
•Differences in opinions of how to manage the family member with BPD cause conflicts in marriages, separations, and divorce.

My contemporary, international romance, No Greater Love, will be released as an e-book on June 17, 2015 and will be available from Amazon.com and Soul Mate Publishing.

If you were moved by the recent movie, Woman in Gold, you will find No Greater Love a fascinating read--a beautiful Circassian refugee and a Dutch psychiatrist help an older man seek restitution for the property of his family killed during German occupation of Holland in WWII.

Lattices of Love is now available as a paperback! Such a wonderful sensation to hold a copy in my hands.

The key features of Obsessive-compulsive Personality Disorder are rigidity, perfectionism, orderliness, and control. People with this disorder believe that everything should be done perfectly. They believe that their beliefs of orderliness, perfection, and obstinacy are correct. They fear making mistakes, fear being judged for not doing it right. Their emotions are rigidly controlled and they may become angry if challenged about needing to finish a task even if it is not perfect.

The way they behave creates problems for them with family and co-workers. For example, they often insist that there is only one way, the right way, to do something: arrange kitchen cupboards, make a bed, wash the car, cut the lawn, and take a vacation. They tend to be stingy with money and to hoard worn out, useless items. At work, they have problems finishing a task because it must be done perfectly and they have trouble delegating work to others or working in a group.

Risk factors for developing Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder include:
1) Male gender
2) Genetic influence (runs in the family)
3) Parental pressure to perform perfectly and to follow rules
4) Lack of parental warmth and few rewards for trying new things spontaneously.
5) Childhood emotional and physical neglect

In childhood, there is insistence on following precise rules, doing things in a set order, and keeping a careful routine such as bedtime rituals. Orderliness is shown in precise arrangement of toys, shoes, and clothing. Children are often socially isolated because of their insistence that play must follow certain rules and games must be played perfectly. As adults, their perfectionism and need to control interfere with work and relationships. They are often lonely, withdrawn people.