Sidney Lanier

I am a clinical psychologist who has dedicated my life to helping others. I have served as a therapist, counselor, trusted confidante, mentor and advisor.

Much of what I have learned about people has been through their intimate sharing of their challenges, tragedies and difficulties in relationships. Many relationships begin with unabashed love and genuine commitment.

But somewhere along the way, things happen, problems and disappointments occur, and other people with their idiosyncratic needs intrude. Suddenly, life and love are no longer simple; but rather, they become complicated and stressful.

I wrote this book, entirely fiction, built around a foundation of psychological understanding and practical experience. Therapists have sometimes been described as voyeurs--people who want to peer into the secret lives of others without getting emotionally involved themselves.

Hidden Past is a blending of various situations in which people find themselves. Some of these situations are fairly common, but some are likely beyond those you have experienced, seen or even heard about. I believe I am equally empathetic with the typical male view of relationships and the typical female view. I can identify with either, and genders can become blurred.

A constant in many relationships is love, and it takes its own twists and turns, leaving the participants to experience everything from the highest highs to the lowest lows. Two subtle questions underlie much of the book's stories: How well do you ever really know another person? And how much should you reveal to an intimate partner about your past?

Hidden Past can be read at three levels: It can be entertaining. It can raise questions and pose answers about relationships. It can even help the reader learn about herself, and discover how past relationships could have worked out differently.

I sometimes think of Hidden Past as my grandiose effort to help people--offering a self-help book disguised as a romance novel.