Our
bus has yet another stop to make - at the home of Stephanie Hussey,
north of Boston.
What
genre do you write? Would you consider writing anything else?
Is
there a genre that has everything but the kitchen sink in it? Lol I
would put my books in the paranormal/fantasy with romance section. I
also have a couple of half-finished stories that are
horror/thrillers.
Do
you outline and plan or do you let the plot unfold?
Both.
I like to have some sort of rough outline to keep me somewhat in line
but at the same time I do like to let the story unfold. The outline
is there in case I hit the blank wall and need to regroup. I’d say
75% unfold and 25% outline (sorta like my laundry pile-hmmmm).
What
do you like most about writing?
When
I’m writing I am in that world with my characters. We have coffee
and chocolate and they tell me their story and I see their world. I
love telling their stories to others. It’s great fun.
What
do you find most difficult?
EDITING!!!
There are those who say they love it but not me… I don’t think
I’ll ever enjoy it.
What
makes a good plot?
Believability.
What
is a question you'd like to be asked and never are? Answer it.
Is
your family supportive or not? Some are and aren’t. It’s hard
having close family members not believe in you. They think it’s a
hobby you’ll outgrow even though you’ve been doing it for years.
I find it’s a struggle to make them understand what it is I do.
It’s important and a part of me but some people just don’t
understand it. I guess they’ll come around if I ever make the
best-seller list, huh? LOL
What
experiences have inspired you?
Traveling,
meeting new people, reading, music. All of that inspires me every
day.
How
did you first become interested in writing?
I’ve
just always held stories in my head and when I realized that I could
just string the words together and make up my own stories well there
you go.
What
are your current projects?
Doing
this blog hop with some great authors. Working on my current wip, ALL
ACCESS, and re-editing REMEMBRANCE for self publication for a Winter
release (fingers crossed).
How
important is dialogue and how do you use it?
They
(the powers that be) say it’s important but I only use it when
necessary. I don’t find it my strong point but my beta readers say
I use it enough. Mostly I use it so you can learn about another
character.
S.
A. Hussey is a freelance writer, author, and published poet. She
writes for Bluebird Reviews and Rock-it-Write both web-based music
review sites and has had two poems published in anthology books. She
takes part in on-line critique and writers groups. Her latest
project is preparing her first novel, REMEMBRANCE, for self
publication in January 2014. She continues to write and is working
on another story entitled, ALL ACCESS.
I
live in a small coastal community just north of Boston,
Massachusetts, and very close to the witch city of Salem. I have two
amazingly beautiful daughters, and a 20-year-old Maine coon cat named
Gidget who we believe gives rides to fairies in exchange for her long
and leisurely life lounging on the back of my sofa. I am a full-time
manager at a local hospital and when I’m not there I’m writing,
reading or listening to music.
I
enjoy a good concert, and write reviews for my music website,
Rock-it-Write, as well as do freelance reviews for an amazing
fan-based music website, Blue Bird Reviews. I enjoy most genres of
music but the blues and classic rock are favorites. Led Zeppelin
stole my heart and makes my soul come alive.
Reading
is another passion. I love escaping into new worlds every day. My
favorite is, The Songmaster, by Orson Scott Card. There’s something
in the way the worlds were weaved and how the characters were brought
to life. When I first read it my 11 year-old mind was enthralled. I
wanted to do that – I wanted to create and write, and I did for
many years through poems and short stories, stopping only to raise my
girls. Now I’m back, creating worlds and characters of my own and
having a blast while doing it.
REMEMBRANCE: "Everybody has a past but not everyone has
it return to torment them 600-years later."
EXCERPT:
REMEMBRANCE - Part of Chapter 1
Perhaps
the threatening dark storm clouds would miss Averswyth altogether but
Arianh doubted it. Its primal energy already imbued the air; from the
light winds caressing her skin to the fine mist that whorled her once
flat-ironed strawberry blonde hair. Staring out from inside the open
back door of the kitchen she took note of the fast brewing storm. A
low rumble was heard in the distance, and flashes of silver were seen
in the approaching ominous clouds. This storm would ask and give no
quarter. It was going to be a doozie.
Storms
of this type she loved. Thrived on them even, the powerful forces
both fascinating and enchanting her, but not today. Today was a
crawl-back-into-bed-and-throw-the-covers-over-your-head-and-hide,
kind of a day. It was sucking, quite royally. Having only been out of
bed for four hours everything seemed to be going to hell in a hand
basket. If just one more thing happened she was going to lose it. How
could everything piece together so smoothly then fall apart so fast?
Someone was throwing a kink into the cog and it was pissing her off.
Now this bloody storm. “Gaah!”
The
moon festival and concert she was putting on and performing in was
stressing her out. Ari growled low in her throat even though she
wanted to scream. Whatever made her think she could pull this off?
She lifted the cup she was holding to her mouth and slugged the warm
tea down like a shot of cheap whiskey. Things were not boding well
for the performance.
Ari
watched the rain fall; the weather wasn’t cooperating at all,
running the gamut from clouds of dismal gray to torrential downpours
with thunder and lightning. It had been like this off and on for the
past several days. If it didn’t stop soon the field would be a
pond, clouds would obscure the triple moon eclipse, and everything
would be for naught. This concert was supposed to help cement her
with the locals. If she had to cancel it…no, I’m not cancelling
it. I’m not giving up. There’s still time to right everything.
She had to have faith in people and Mother Nature.
Everything
happens for a reason including the weather. It will all work out. The
manager of the copy store assured her the programme books would get
here before the show, and if they didn’t…she’d improvise.
Tickets would get printed, she’d find another company to get her
chairs from, the shuttle buses rehired after being mysteriously
cancelled, staff and concessioners were still coming.
Thankfully
Showco was still on but with this storm the stage set and equipment
rentals were going to have to wait another day. It would be alright.
It would. In response an obnoxious loud boom reverberated all around
her. Ari jumped at the sound then took a step back, her feet tripping
over something underfoot, making her crash-land onto her backside.
“Whatcha…sweet
mother of pearl…” She heard a loud hiss and spied her cat,
Ghost, sitting in the hall corner casting a death-eaters glance her
way. “Oh you have nerve looking at me like that, you out to get me
too?” When she stood up the cat took off running. “That’s
right, run you little fur ball. Pain in my arse, you are.” Rubbing
her backside Ari turned quick when she heard a familiar sniggering
sound coming from behind her.
“Oh!
Just ducky. You saw that huh?” Ari watched her friend, Owen,
shake his head as he continued chuckling. “It’s not funny.”
“Miss
Perfection taken down by a little cat. How’s that bum? Didcha crack
it?”
Owen
chortled at his own humor and Ari rolled her eyes heavenward.
“Really? That’s all you have? There’s a storm coming. Don’t
you have to batten down the hatches or something? Isn’t that what I
pay you for, to grounds keep?”
“Ooooh,
someone’s a bit testy today, emotions on edge, huh? Tis not like
you to get this nervous before a show. What’s going on…those
dreams again?”
“NO!”
Owen’s
brow rose. “No? So you’re going to stay in denial huh?”
“Let
it alone Owen.”
“Can’t.
What kind of friend would I be? I’m telling you Ari you need to
yell out their names and just get it out there. Let the universe,
fate, destiny do its job. The longer you ignore your purpose the more
it’s going to gob smack you. The regression was well over six
months ago, when are you…”
“Stop
it Owen…”
“Nope.
No can do.” He moved towards her quickly, placing a hand on her
shoulder. “Listen up because I’m tired of this shite. March
upstairs to the tower and yell out their names. Just do it! If they
come, they come. You have to move forward. You’re stagnating.
You’re afraid.”
“Damn
you. I’m not afraid.” She shrugged his hand off her shoulder and
moved towards the corridor. “I’m working it out just….slowly.”
“Really?
Go yank someone else’s chain will ya. This is me you’re talking
to. Admit it. You’re afraid of the unknown. Who isn’t? I know
having that past life regression wasn’t easy. I know the dreams you
have from both past and future are scary, and the déjà vu moments
are creepy as all get out. All of this isn’t easy but it’s
happening for a reason. Face it head-on. The Arianh Forrest I know is
a fighter. She isn’t a quitter.”
“Bite
me.”
Owen
laughed. Grabbing a mac from the peg he put it on then looked back at
her.
“Get
it together Ari. You need to do this. What’s the worst thing that
could happen? They come searching. Are you that scared of two men?”
