Some of the most powerful stories about mental health are the ones that don’t lecture you.

They pull you into a world, introduce you to characters that feel real, and then quietly change how you think about the systems we all live inside.

In this guest episode of The Author’s Mic™, I sat down with Chris Gamble—a Washington, D.C.-based mental health professional and indie author—about writing fiction that challenges the way people understand mental health, while still delivering an entertaining, page-turning story.

If you’re an indie author, reader, therapist, or creative building an author platform that stands for something, this conversation is for you.

Watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/DZPxdNZAj7c 

Who is Chris Gamble?

Chris is a mental health professional who writes fiction with a clear purpose: to offer a bigger, more critical lens on mental health beyond the usual “suffering narrative.”

He’s also the founder of his own publishing company, Blank Passage, where he publishes his work and builds his creative mission under one umbrella.

The books we discussed

Chris shared two novels during the episode:

• Where We Are Free (released October 6)
  A thriller about a therapist taking on a big tech company—alongside an underground Black organization called The Village, whose mission is to further the well-being of Black people across the world.
• Tales of a Black Therapist (released in 2023)
  Chris’s first novel, also fiction, rooted in the realities of the mental health field.

Why fiction is the point (not an accident)

One of the most important parts of this conversation was Chris explaining why he chooses fiction.

Not because he can’t write nonfiction.

Because fiction gives him room to:

• avoid writing about real clients (and protect people’s privacy)
• zoom out and explore the bigger systems shaping mental health
• teach through story in a way that’s engaging, not preachy
• explore multiple genres—thrillers, sci-fi, horror—without being boxed in

As a storyteller, he’s not limiting himself to one lane. He’s building a world.

Is this a series?

Yes—Where We Are Free is the start of something bigger.

Chris explained that the main character in this book (Dom—short for Freedom) is different from the protagonist in his first novel, but this new book is designed to expand into a larger story universe.

He’s building:

• an initial duology (origin story)
• then a wider story world that could branch into standalones or short story collections

For indie authors thinking long-term (and thinking like entrepreneurs), that’s a real strategy: one strong story world can support years of creative output.

Quick mental health reminder from a mental health professional

I asked Chris for one simple, accessible mental health tip people can actually do.

His answer was direct:

• prioritize sleep
• and if the simple steps stop working, don’t be afraid to reach out for professional support

Connect with Chris Gamble 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris_theounselor 

• Website: https://blankpassagelc.com 

Want to be a guest on The Author’s Mic™?

If you’re an indie author, poet, editor, creative, or entrepreneur in this space and you want to share your work on the show:

https://brightheadedpublishing.com
Click Be a Guest on Author’s Mic™ and submit your info.