NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

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NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Monday, February 6, 2017

Phobias


We all have them. I fear drowning. I have one of those emergency hammers to break the windshield should I ever accidentally drive into a large body of water. Granted, I’d probably lose all rationale in such a situation. 

I also have a fear–well, not necessarily a fear–more of an aversion–to cut flowers. I believe it stems from attending a funeral too early in life. I forever associate cut flowers with that. No Valentine’s Day bouquets for me. I would take that as a personal insult. (Hah! Hard to romance this romance author!) But, I do love flowers as long as they are growing in a pot, or naturally.

Okay, enough about me. Let’s talk about my dog. She has this strange phobia with the dishwasher. It has nothing to do with the machine running. If I simply shut the dishwasher door she has a complete meltdown (video below).

In my case my phobias can be identified. One stems from seeing a traumatic movie too early in life, and the other from a family funeral too early in childhood. 

So, what did my dog experience in her ‘childhood’ that involved a dishwasher?


Do you have any inexplicable phobias, or can you identify their sources? Have you used a phobia as a motivation for a heroine? Can you relate to the line, “Snakes…why did it have to be snakes?” :)


Maureen



6 comments:

Rita said...

My biggest fear is lightening. Been within five feet of a strike a few times. Had all the hair on my face seared away an knocked on my hinny. I will NOT swim in the ocean at night. If I’m going to be eaten I want to at least see what it is. Been bumped many times by sharks and on this day if my feet are dangling in a pool and someone yells shark my feet are out. When communing with nature don’t much like the idea of a bear coming into camp or meeting up with Bigfoot. Not a fear but a loathing of snails and slugs. Put one of those things on me and prepare to die.

Anne Marie Becker said...

That's so interesting about your dog! Anxiety is such a strange thing, and it's hard to know what it will attach to for a person. And then it causes all those physical reactions that, once attached to a stimulus are not easy to control...ugh. I don't think I have a true phobia (though drowning or fire would be at the top of that list), but I do hate mosquitos with a passion. Does that count? ;)

Elise Warner said...

Perhaps you pup wants to be featured in your next mystery? I've been afraid of heights since I was in diapers and crawled up the stairs in an apartment building panicking everyone until I was found.I have passed the fear on to Scene Stealer's Augusta Weidenmaier--now there are two of us.

Maureen A. Miller said...

Rita, that's so scary. And you live in lightning central down there! "Snails....why'd it have to be snails?" :)

Anne Marie, yes mosquito aversion counts! I have a similar reaction to the ironing board as my dog has to the dishwasher. :)

That's so smart to pass that fear on to a character, Elise. It becomes so genuine. And yes, if you get me on top of a building, I'll get down on all fours and start crawling around.

jean harrington said...

Well, Maureen, I'm claustrophobic. Never take an elevator alone. Need someone with me in case the thing breaks down. Not kidding. I've been known to climb multiple staircases to avoid an elevator. Even in heels. Hmm, maybe I can use that phobia as a plot point in a current WIP. Thanks for setting me on a plotting path.

Maureen A. Miller said...

Goodness, you keep fit, Jean. :) I like the idea for using that in your WIP.

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