A Goodreads user asked Lisa Unger:

Hi Lisa, we've talked about The Red Hunter thru email and how you are able to portray people who've been victims of abuse so very accurately. I'm now reading Black Out and again, I'm amazed how well you can write about PTSD and everything that goes along with it to the point where for a survivor like myself, it takes my breath away. Do you accomplish this from reading stories or talking to survivors?

Lisa Unger Hi, Cass, Thanks for that. It means a lot to hear that I've accurately portrayed victims of abuse, and those suffering in the aftermath of trauma. I do a lot of reading, learning, and listening. I draw from life experience and from the experiences of people I know. Which is not to say that I'm a survivor of abuse, or that I have suffered from PTSD. But I do understand what it means to suffer loss, to experience something devastating that changes the fabric of who you are, to witness something that your mind has difficulty accepting. From there, it's a matter of empathy, extrapolating to bigger, more damaging events and what impact they might have. We're not so very different -- any of us. Whatever our secondary differences -- culture, gender, experience -- at the core we are the same. It's not hard to imagine, or to feel for, people who are suffering, and to accurately describe that experience. Thanks again for reading, and for staying in touch. It means a lot. Best, L

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