Patricia Hamilton Shook - Combining Psychology With a Love of Mysteries

Patricia Hamilton Shook was born in Massachusetts and has lived there most of her life. Reading has been a favorite pastime since she first began combining letters into words on a page and, while being a psychologist has provided many opportunities to write, she has always dreamed of writing a novel. As a psychologist, she combines her professional expertise with a love of mysteries and Cape Cod that dates back to childhood to inform her debut novel Seeking Glory.

Please give us a short introduction to what Seeking Glory is about.

Kate LaRue is a divorced, successful businesswoman who owns an art gallery and gift store on Cape Cod. When she assumes custody of her young granddaughter Glory after the death of her long-missing daughter Ally she soon discovers that Glory is mute and seemingly traumatized. To help her, she must try to solve the mystery of her granddaughter's origins. As she struggles to deal with her own and Ally's past she finds she is not the only one seeking Glory.

Was there something in particular that made you want to tackle this?

It was just the confluence of different ideas that came together. For example, my interest in psychology in general played a role but also an article I read about play therapy with children with selective mutism. Difficulty in finding meaning in traditional religious practice is a fairly common phenomenon that interests me and I also have a related interest in why people join cults. It just came together.

Tell us more about Kate LaRue. What makes her tick?

Kate is a complicated character who is a very intelligent, successful woman who owns and runs her own business. However, she is very insecure about her abilities to maintain close relationships with family in particular. She blames herself for her divorce and that her only child, her estranged daughter Allison, left home at 18 and did not return. Kate shut herself off from potentially hurtful relationships as a result. The events as they unfold in the story challenge her beliefs about herself and about the past.

A prevalent team in this book is the delicate balance between work and the demands imposed by personal life. Why did you find this important to write about?

It is such an important part of life especially for a single woman who must balance raising children with managing a career. There are more single men out there with children now than previously so I imagine it's hard for them as well.

How did your background as a psychologist influence this book?

Well, psychology plays a big role in this book. What makes Kate tick is all about psychology as are the reasons for Glory's selective mutism.

Why did you pick Cape Cod as the backdrop for this book?

Cape Cod has been one of my favorite places since my childhood when I would spend two wonderful weeks there every summer in my grandmother's cottage in Harwichport. I even tried to write a novel that took place on the Cape when I was a child. I still love spending time there in the summer.

In most books, the protagonists are young. Why did you make a 53-year-old yours?

I can only answer that by saying I'm not young so I could identify with my main character a little more.

Is there an underlying message you wish to relay about basic human nature through your characters?

I think that many people, women especially, tend to underestimate themselves and can be afraid to take chances for fear of getting hurt. It's important to find a way to get past that and allow yourself to take some reasonable chances in life.

Do any of your characters ever take off on their own tangent, refusing to do what you had planned for them?

That's an interesting idea but I haven't had that happen yet. Maybe later I'll have a character who is very independent and refuses to cooperate with me.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on another book that continues to have themes in psychology, family relationships, and spirituality but in a different setting. I don't want to say more right now.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I don't have a webpage yet but I'm working on it. I am on Facebook and Twitter though!