Inspired by his years as a clinical psychologist, first-time author, Dan Dylan, writes about the cycle of abuse in his novel, "Chameleon" (ISBN 1439234140). Adults interested in psychology, sociopathy, and the cyclical nature of child abuse should find this novel realistic and gripping. Retired FBI profiler John Foster, Ph.D., now a respected Chicago psychologist, has diagnosed and treated mental disorders throughout his career, but he finds himself seriously challenged by the diagnostic puzzle presented by suspected sociopath Eddie Vinson. Foster becomes snared in a lethal game of one-up-manship and must draw on his years of professional training and experience to anticipate Vinson's actions as he consults with law enforcement to bring him to justice. Foster's brief therapeutic contacts with Vinson yield a complex clinical picture, but there is sufficient evidence to indicate that Eddie Vinson was a victim of chronic parental neglect and repeated sexual abuse. Thus, "Chameleon" chronicles the evolution of a child victim to adult sociopath whose actions and distorted views of self and society perpetuate the cycle of abuse. "Incidents of abuse grab headlines and occur every minute of every day," Dylan said. "Neglect and abuse have consequences that impact us all. In the absence of treatment, some abused children can-and do-become abusive or violent adults." With more than 35 years of practice in clinical psychology, Dylan has witnessed the cycle of abuse firsthand, often spanning multiple generations, and in extreme cases, adult survivors of abuse pass on to their children the trauma of their own victimization. Using fiction as his medium, Dylan shares with his readers one psychologist's perspective of child abuse and its ramifications.
About the Author: Dan Dylan is a pen name for the first-time author of Chameleon. He is a suburban Chicago native who attended Southern Illinois University, Carbondale where he completed his Ph.D. in Psychology. To fulfill an APA internship, he selected a state psychiatric hospital in Louisiana where he could be immersed in both acute and chronic psychological disorders. That internship led to sixteen years as a staff psychologist. He also joined a part-time private practice to obtain the supervision required for LA licensure. In the years that followed, private practice became a full-time commitment of thirty-five years. In recent years, his professional interests have focused on forensic psychology. Through his writing of fiction, Dylan seeks to portray the increasingly influential role of his profession and to foster an understanding of psychology's contribution to one of the most pressing concerns of our society. By exploring child neglect and abuse and its ramifications for individuals, families, and society at all levels, he hopes to give his readers a small slice of one psychologist's perspective. With the publication of Chameleon, Dylan will follow the lead of his alter-ego, John Foster, and relax into semi-retirement in Orange Beach, AL so he can write while overlooking Perdido Pass and the blue-green waters of the resilient Gulf of Mexico. His second novel, Duty to Warn, is in progress and will continue John Foster's career. A third novel, set in a fictional state psychiatric hospital, will capture the comedy that was Dylan's clinical psychology internship.