Author Interview
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?
I wrote my first book and my friend illustrated it when I was eight years old. I don’t remember not wanting to be a writer, but that was my first completed writing project.
Where/When do you best like to write?
Early morning, outside on my deck if possible. Usually in my office.
Do you have any interesting writing habits or superstitions?
I don’t know…maybe my habit is to write when I am inspired and struggle to make it a practice when not working on a specific project.
When you are struggling to write/have writer’s block, what are some ways that help you find your creative muse again?
Reading books I love. Going for walks. Letting myself off the hook and practicing non-attachment. Yoga. Allowing myself to take a break with the trust that I will return to the practice when I am ready.
Is there a message/theme in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Self-acceptance
Deconstructing stigma
Vulnerability and authenticity
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book(s)?
How much I didn’t know. I thought writing a book wouldn’t be easy, exactly, but all I had to do was write until it was complete, right?
What’s the best writing advice you have ever received?
Show up and do it every day, even if you have a million excuses; aim for 1000 words. When I am able to do this, I am always amazed.
How do your spouse/significant other/friends/family feel about your writing career?
It’s a mixed bag. My colleagues and friends seem to think it’s great, my mom has been very supportive, and my spouse and kids thought the writing had ended now that I’m publishing the book. They had heaved sighs of relief. I’m going to have to break it to them gently.
In Our Blood: A Memoir
by Caitlin Billings
BOOK SPECS
Pub date: July 12, 2022
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Memoir / Mental Health / LGBT+
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64742415-2
Page count: 280
ABOUT THE BOOK
Caitlin Billings thought she could neatly walk away from her past. After finding support in her adoptive father and overcoming an eating disorder in college, she thought she had worked through her own pain enough to provide support for others. In her work as a mental health professional and role as a mother, she felt tremendous pressure to be perfect and present stability.
But a hold-up at gunpoint breaks her carefully balanced world apart. Suddenly, Caitlin is trapped by frightening mental health issues while raising two young children, and just when she feels in control of her newfound bipolar disorder, her elder child shows similar depressive symptoms. Convinced she is to blame for her child’s pain, Caitlin is determined to be perfect, to provide stability for her family—until an allegation of sexual assault in their home makes her question her fundamental ability to protect her children. Amidst a relapse and overwhelming internalized shame, her elder child comes out as transgender, forcing Caitlin to reconsider her own tolerance and understanding.
Part coming-of-age, part reckoning of motherhood, In Our Blood is a therapist’s honest account of professional and personal struggles and an intergenerational story of acceptance, self-love and fluidity.
ADVANCED PRAISE
“An important and powerful contribution to the genre, Billings’ insightful, compassionate, and deeply felt memoir traces the thread of personal history as it informs her work as a therapist. A must-read for both mental health professionals and general readers alike, this book breaks down the perception of barriers that divide us—between ‘provider’ and ‘consumer,’ between ‘expert’ and ‘patient,’ between ‘sick’ and ‘well’—in a work that speaks to the hope of healing and wholeness for us all.” —Marya Hornbacher, New York Times bestselling author of Wasted and Madness: A Bipolar Life.
“Caitlin Billings deftly interweaves stories from her professional therapy work with her dramatic personal experiences. As a health professional diagnosed with bipolar, I closely identified with her struggles to accept both her diagnosis and the prescribed treatments. In Our Blood is a compelling, evocative and—with its intergenerational focus—unique addition to the mental health literature.” —Merryl Hammond, PhD, author of Mad Like Me: Travels in Bipolar Country
“More than a memoir or a case study, this is a page-turner that will draw you all the way in and have you rooting for the author and her family; and maybe even help you feel a little less alone.” —Dave Stevens, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
“In Our Blood is an impassioned memoir that shares an authentic journey… an important piece of mental health literature and should be a must-read for anyone looking for personal experiences with mental illness.” —Literary Titan, five-star review
“Extremely compassionate and thoughtful, Caitlin Billings writes her memoir with an intensity that will pierce readers to their core… Tackling crucial themes, In Our Blood is written with the rhythm of a songwriter and the grace of a dancer.” —Indies Today, five-star review
“In stunningly sharp and vivid language… Billings joins a growing number of therapists and doctors who push back against the stigma within the field. Bravo!” —Willa Goodfellow, author of Prozac Monologues: A Voice from the Edge
“Caitlin Billings shares the story of both her own mental health struggles and those of her loved ones in a way that is intimate and vulnerable. This book is a beautifully crafted and compelling page-turner. I was rooting for Caitlin and her family the entire time.” —Melanie D. Gibson, author of Kicking and Screaming: A Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts
Advance Awards for In Our Blood
2022 International Book Awards Finalist in Nonfiction LGBTQ
2022 Independent Publishers Book Awards Silver Winner in Nonfiction Parenting
2021 Literary Titan Book Awards Gold Winner
2021 Firebird Book Awards First Place Winner in LGBTQ Nonfiction
2021 Firebird Book Awards Second Place Winner in Parenting and Family
2021 Firebird Book Awards Second Place Winner in Psychiatry/Psychology
2021 Indies Today Awards Finalist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caitlin Billings (Crockett, CA)
Psychotherapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Author of In Our Blood
A Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California, she specializes in deep trauma therapy, is pursuing EMDR Therapy certification, and owns her own private practice.
Throughout he career, Caitlin has worked with court-mandated groups for domestic violence offenders, partial hospitalization programs, substance use programs, residential rehabilitation services, family support services and as a birthing doula. She has also contended with abandonment from her biological father, an eating disorder, a deep-set need for perfection, post-traumatic stress and bipolar disorder. Despite involuntary hospitalizations and an initial refusal to accept her bipolar diagnosis, Caitlin reclaimed her life and sanity, successfully establishing herself as a professional and a supportive mother to her gender-fluid elder child.
Caitlin is honored by her work, sitting with individuals as they process their trauma and step toward healing. Everyone has some cognition of “I don’t matter; I’m worthless” due to society’s expectations. She aims to prove that people can build a depth of understanding and acceptance if they embrace imperfection and self-love. By sharing her memoir, “warts and all,” she hopes to change the lives of others with her message, “You matter. You are no other. You are not alone.”
https://www.caitlinbillings.com/
TW: @cemmabillings
