It all unraveled at the funeral...
Horace Reid's death opened the door to our freedom. His widow, Elizabeth, exists only on paper. She disappeared thirty years ago. It's us, the Tribe, who live in her body now. But nobody knows that. Us are Elise, the reluctant host, Lilly the closer, Ama, the proverbial mother, Sky, our wise guide, Amadeus, the warrior, and Luke, the man around the house. There are others, but we make sure they stay hidden and away from harm.
After Horace's funeral, they tried to lock us in a mental hospital. Our sister-in-law had it all carefully planned. Thanks to quick thinking—yes, being a multiple has its advantages—we escaped to New Zealand's South Island. Tucked away in the West Coast wilderness we... well, the plan was to continue our healing. We didn't expect that monsters from our past still had us on their radar. When the police accuse us of murder we have to run again. Where to go, which way to turn? Our neighbor Scott appears helpful, but can we trust him? Can we trust ourselves? Can we trust anyone?
THE GIRL FROM THE TREE HOUSE is the first of a series of psychological thrillers set in current day New Zealand. It describes how Elizabeth, a thirty-two-year-old woman with multiple personalities (Dissociative Identity Disorder, DID), fights for her sanity and freedom. Four core personalities tell the story from the inside out, giving a touching insight into the workings of the dissociated mind. There are no graphic descriptions of abuse.
Gudrun Frerichs is a retired psychotherapist and trauma specialist in the field of (sexual) abuse recovery. She successfully worked with many clients who had a DID diagnosis. Recovery from trauma and dissociation has been the focus of her Master's dissertation (2000) and Ph.D. thesis (2008) and is also the topic of her blog Multiple Voices. THE GIRL FROM THE TREE HOUSE is a spectacular departure from her romance series THE GOLDEN GIRLS.
I’ve always been a storyteller and passionate reader. Though in the last few years, I became disappointed with books featuring a hero and heroine in their twenties or early thirties. Life doesn’t end at thirty-five, people! The fact is, people who are past fifty, sixty, and yes, even seventy have not stopped loving, longing, dreaming of adventure, and–dare I say it–having sex.
I’m a writer sitting in our cottage in windy Wellington, New Zealand, with Steffie the rescue dog at my feet, writing romantic fiction armed with a box of chocolates, my laptop, a cup of Earl Grey or the occasional glass of Merlot.
I'm interested in showing that women and men in the second half of their lives still have stories of great passion and love to tell. Therefore, my heroines and heroes are of the more seasoned age. They are the George Clooneys, Sandra Bullocks, and Jane Fondas of this world.
I let the characters in my books overcome dangerous obstacles I create for them to find their Happy Ever After. And finding it, they will. After all, I’m writing romantic suspense!
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