Quirky characters, snappy dialog, and
a twisty plot take readers on an evocative journey of healing and transformation.
About the Book
Something’s the matter with Carmine.
A shy, narcoleptic bookkeeper hides from the world and finds comfort in arcane mathematical proofs. Haunted by a face at his window, Carmine falls asleep during the day and spends lonely nights in his office trying to balance the books. But the numbers never add up.
One night everything changes…
A powerful story of psychological breakdown and redemption.
About the Author
Born and raised in Denver, I journeyed from the Rocky Mountains to the New England coast. Eventually, I discovered that psychology and psychoanalysis satisfied my interest in the private struggles and conflicts that make us human. People and their stories have constantly amazed and inspired me. I've authored and edited five professional books on psychological assessment, the Rorschach Inkblot Test, psychoses, and bipolar disorders.
As a practicing psychologist, my passion for listening to people tell their stories ripens with age. Unable to resist the play of imagination, I published my debut novel, The 11th Inkblot, in 2020, and Tears Are Only Water followed in 2023. Writing fiction provides a space for deciphering intriguing psychological concepts, creating quirky, interesting characters, and humanizing their struggles and resiliency.
Praise for The 11th Inkblot
“A spellbindingly measured narrative that entertains and enthralls… A unique and captivating story of a young mind torn between science and art.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“The 11th Inkblot is a psychologically-textured coming of age mystery involving unexplained family alienation, childhood grief, trauma of war, and a search for connections.”
—NYRB
“J. Herman Kleiger's first work of fiction is a tour de force! This is a story of a man's journey through inchoate family conflict and confusion as a boy, the brutality and soul scarring of war as a young man, his subsequent descent into madness, and finally his resurrection through psychological treatment with a caring and brilliant therapist.”
—Barton Evans, Ph.D., Goodreads Review
“The young son of a watchmaker with a fascination for art begins creating inkblot drawings in this engrossing debut novel by Kleiger…One of the most compelling elements of this well-written and lovingly embroidered novel involves if or how Anton’s life will intersect with that of the Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach, pioneer of the eponymous inkblot test.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A great read! Kleiger weaves a compelling tapestry of psychological history and fiction, filled with complex and fascinating characters living through trauma and loss. I found the depiction of the humane and sensitive treatment of PTSD highlighting the centrality of the long-term therapeutic relationship focused on reintegration of the self, instead of short-term maneuvers aimed at symptom relief especially moving.”
—Joseph Silvio, M.D., Amazon Review
“Prepare to be quickly drawn into this engrossing page-turner that fascinates in its historical accuracy and invites the reader into a beautifully spun web of interconnected lives and events…”
—Lj Leeson, Amazon Review
"Spellbindingly measured narrative that entertains and enthralls…A unique and captivating story of a young mind torn between science and art… engrossing debut novel by Kleiger.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Latest Blog Post
Today, I’m not talking about hearing voices as in auditory hallucinations, but hearing one’s characters come to life in the spoken words of an audiobook. Characters are born in writers’ minds who imagine them in exquisite detail, envisioning their appearance, life histories, quirks and vulnerabilities, and, most importantly, how they speak. Creating interesting characters with distinctive speech patterns and voice qualities is as enjoyable as it is challenging. Giving your…
Read MoreNon-Fiction Titles of James H. Kleiger
