Minds Playing Tricks

by Barbara Elsborg

One of the threads of my suspense story ‘Chosen’ is about Capgras Syndrome, where a sufferer believes a close family member, in this case my character’s husband and daughter have been replaced by imposters who look like them. The mother of my heroine, Kate, develops the syndrome after a car accident and refuses to acknowledge her husband or daughter. (Strikes me as a good way to dismiss family members you’re fed up of- as long as you can keep it up)

I have to admit, I’m completely fascinated by these quirky medical conditions. 

Stendhal syndrome – causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness and confusion to an individual if they are confronted by something incredibly beautiful. (Not the reason my husband made my heart beat fast last night then)

Cotard Delusion – where a person believes they are dead or don’t actually exist or they’re putrefying. (wow- idea for a paranormal novel there, Cotard Delusion and the Zombies)

Diogenes Syndrome – common in the elderly – they don’t look after themselves and compulsively hoard, sometimes hoarding animals or body waste. (Oh yuk – but hoarding books doesn’t count, does it? And I did take my twice yearly bath a few days ago)

Paris Syndrome – one of my favorites – where every year a handful of Japanese tourists have to be repatriated from the French capital when they are shocked by the difference between reality and their expectations. (I was shocked at the cost of everything. I ought to write a blog about how to live on bread and water in Paris)

Reduplicative Paramnesia – bit of a mouthful. It’s a belief that a place has been duplicated so there are two of them. Two cities of Paris (sorry Japanese tourists). (Brilliant idea for movie coming to me now…)

Finally – Fregoli Delusion – opposite of the Capgras syndrome – where a person believes different people are in fact all the same in disguise. (There is only me in the world, everyone else is the same person – I’m worried now)

I know malfunctioning brains aren’t something to laugh about but the mind is a fabulous as well as a treacherous thing. Most of us are lucky enough to know the difference between appearance and reality. Those of us who are writers try to draw readers into the world of our imagination and hope they have fun there. I hope I cling to my imagination until I’m old and gray. (less of the - you already are - husband!)

By Chosen HERE!

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Barbara Elsborg 

www.barbaraelsborg.com

www.barbaraelsborg.blogspot.com

Barbara Elsborg's 10Q Tuesday

What did you want to be when you grew up?  A spy. I really wanted to join the foreign office and be an undercover operative. But I told so many people, it sort of ruined my chances. Apart from which, I couldn’t cope with being tortured. I used to think I could but husband pointed out, they’d only have to threaten my kids and I’d say anything. Or tickle my feet.  

What are your favorite TV shows?   I watch very little TV. I like the news – how boring am I? But I really love Trueblood. It was a total coincidence that I created a vampire family called the Truebloods, so it’s a clan name for me rather than vampire blood, but I like the fact that I have something in common with the show and Ms Harris, though sadly not the fact that she’s sold more than a million ebooks!! 

How do you describe your writing style?   Well, I hope it’s easy to read, funny dialogue, heavy on character and non-brain taxing. I do tend to go for tall, blond heroines – oh, guess what – I’m tall and blonde. They tend to have some vile flaws and of course, I’m flawless. (cough) But the main gist of my stories is two damaged individuals (or three) who grow and heal through their relationship with each other. I want to make people laugh and cry and think. And if they think – I’ll read another by her, so much the better.

What book am I reading now?  The One That Got Away – by Lucy Dawson. It’s the story of married woman who on a whim gets in touch with an ex on Facebook and how she’s trawled into choppy waters. It’s a very uncomfortable read because you can feel disaster looming. It’s dark chick-lit.

Does your significant other read your stuff?  No, but he has just started to read Strangers, which is my favorite. I’ve asked him not to comment until he’s finished it. He can crush me with a look so he’s going to have to be careful. He likes seafaring books set in the Napoleonic era, so sexy contemporary stories about a movie star and a waitress are not his thing.

Tell us about your current release?  Chosen – out with Decadent at the beginning of June – is the dark and twisted tale of a manipulative bastard called Jack who drags a young woman on a nightmare journey across the States and she has no idea why. I like writing bad guys but Jack is more than bad – he’s a psychopath.

Do you play any sports?  I ski, I run and I do things in the bedroom. Hey, mind out of gutter – that would be a different sort of sport.

What group did you hang out with in high school?  The cool guys. Ah, no, that would be a lie. I had no friends and I’m not lying about that. I was very much a loner. I kept myself to myself and had conversations in my head with film stars, made up adventures for me to have with them and wrote them at night in bed. I have lots of books full of stories about me with all sorts of guys! If you want to know why I had no friends – because I realized how hurtful people could be and it made me not want to trust anyone. I was teased and bullied because of my height and I never really recovered from that for years. Not much fun when you have to wear flat shoes – and men’s at that! 

What songs are most played on your MP3?  Nora Roberts, Robbie Williams, James Morrison, Beautiful South. I run to music. I like Robbie best and he’s inspired several of my stories with his lyrics.

What is the next big thing?  A film is going to be made of five of my – oh no, that was a dream – sorry! Next big thing in my life – son is moving to the States and taking his dog. The dog that worships me, won’t let me use the loo on my own in case there are bad things in the bathroom, the dog that crawls into bed between me and husband if he can!

13 Fun Facts about Barbara Elsborg (and these are really funny!)

1. I’m blonde, but after having spotted one grey hair - I now dye my locks with mixed results. I know I should read the packet but hey, what can go wrong? My nicknames – badger, skunk (purely the look!!), snowball and pinkie. Yes, that time it really did go wrong.

2. I live in the largest county in England and as I write I have a great view of rolling moorland and sheep and a former lunatic asylum and sheep. I love sheep. Well, not love them. You know what I mean.

3. Writing. I really do love that. I started by making up episodes of TV series with me as the heroine. You name it, I’ve been in it. My range is from paranormal to suspense to contemporary to erotica but everything I write has a touch of romance and humor. Well, I think I’m funny. My family laugh at me all the time.

4. Former life – a sad cautionary tale. Started off as a government inspector – spying on people trying to cheat on their taxes. A short period as a media planner in an advertising agency. I fled that at dead of night. Several years selling cyanide – mainly to Sweden for the largest chemical company in the UK. Grand title of export manager. There was just me in the department. Had kids. Ughghghg. Then went to work as Government Inspector, spying on teachers. I was so popular, you can’t believe. Thank goodness I married well. (Married for money anyway)

5. No I didn’t, dear. Husband is financial whiz. Met at university when he was bringing a sack of potatoes to my flat mate. Romance is his middle name. Gifts to me include – supermarket vouchers, hedge trimmer and a hammer drill and reduced flowers past their wilt-by date. He spent most of his life in the aerospace industry making missiles. He’s atoning for his sins by doing my shopping.

6. Two children. Daughter a lawyer. Son about to need her services. Enough said.

7. Books – I ADORE. I read at least one a day. I have thousands as I can’t stand to part with them. I read at lightning speed. 70-80 pages in 20 minutes. That’s fast? Right?

8. What do I do all day? Write. All day if I can. It’s my world and I love it. Start at 8.00 and finish late. Interspersed with journeys on the internet and satisfying needs of husband. No, not those sorts of needs. Really!! I was thinking of making coffee.

9. Worried about – possible visit from FBI. Research for one of my thrillers did involve some investigation into how a fetus would decay under a boat shed. See upcoming book –Chosen – from Decadent!!  Research into plastic handcuffs brought a deluge of porn. Well, that was my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

10. I’m very tall. 5’10 and a bit. I used to be very self-conscious about my height. Now I don’t care. I’m far more worried about other bits of me.

11. I won the prize at school for ‘Good Conduct and Example’ It was the worst day of my life. Well, one of them. I so want to be bad. Sigh.

12. I am incapable of telling right from left at crucial moments. Won’t be flying jets anytime soon.

I’m struggling now. I’m really not interesting.

13. Ohh, I was once kicked by a giraffe.


Phew, made it.