Hello peeps! I’m thrilled to host today fellow member of eNovel Authors at Work, Susan Tarr. Susan’s books will intrigue you, and she’s brought loads of pictures to show, some of them old ones related to her book, Phenomena, inspired by a real story.
As a child I knew Malcolm, who was then a young man. Dad often invited him home for meals. Malcolm was one of the ‘lost children’ forgotten or abandoned by their families. We followed his story from childhood to adulthood as best we could even after he was eventually discharged back into the community. When considering the tragedy and abuse of Malcolm’s wasted earlier years, it is a story of immeasurable sadness. Yet he ultimately rose above it all, and with admirable strength, courage and innate resilience, was finally able to free ‘the regular boy within’ as he had always wanted. I was raised within the community of the Seacliff Mental Hospital village so it was difficult to know where fiction ended and the greater truth took over…
Miranda, a quirky, strong-minded and lovable young woman, splurges her inheritance on the old Miranda Bay Sanatorium in the sub-tropical Bay of Islands, New Zealand, simply because it bears her name. She knows little about running a business and depends heavily on loyal cousin Pansy’s expertise. In her frantic drive for success Miranda hires a motley crew to get cracking on the property. Hamilton, her lascivious financial advisor, seizes the opportunity to undermine her. But now with paying guests expected, she must make some serious decisions.
So the guests trickle in – hardly the sophisticates Miranda has envisaged. At the brink of despair, she experiences deepening depression and manic behavior…
Bethany, recently returned from Europe, seeks medical advice for a stomach upset. Because of her mixed parentage, she has inherited a specific gene, which has made her a candidate for colorectal cancer. She challenges her diagnosis; she is too young for this kind of condition and she has too much life to live. And so she sets off on a whole new journey of discovery, taking her eclectic group of friends with her.
I’m Jack. I’m a real pedigree dog, and I’ve got real papers to prove it. My parents have abandoned me into boarding kennels in the Far North of New Zealand, while they travel the world. I’m not at all happy about that. However, I shall do my best to maintain my dignity while getting on with the job. Among these unruly and noisy mutts, I intend to remain aloof and guarded. And as for that black cat with the skinny tail and missing eye, there’s no way she’s getting anywhere near me. At all! And I’ll keep a diary so when my parents return they can read how absolutely miserable I have been all these months. Yes, I shall keep a diary…
Hello Susan and welcome to my blog!
Hi Frossie, thank you for the invitation!
What has inspired you to write PHENOMENA – The Lost and Forgotten Children?
Since I worked at various psychiatric hospitals in New Zealand, the inspiration for writing about historic mental health from the perspective of a young boy came about. The boy in the story (once he’d grown into a man) visited our home often as we were growing up. Dad would bring him home for meals so he became a small part of our family.
Do you see yourself in any of your characters, or do any of them have traits you wish you had?
When writing my books, I am barely below the surface. I guess to read my work is to know me. Or at least a large part of how my mind operates. Oh! And I see myself in pretty much every Sandra Bullock movie. I can guess what she will do next and how she will probably fail spectacularly. (*laughs*)
I love Sandra Bullock! I expect you had good vibes about her role in Gravity! What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?
I love a good book of historic fiction. I’m fortunate to be reading Jana Petken’s latest work, prior to publication. She’s my favorite author.
Do you have any advice for other indie authors?
Never ask family and friends what they think of your WIP. My husband seems to think that gives him authority to wield a red pen. And family and friends want to preserve their relationship with you, at any cost.
Choose an editor once you have rewritten and edited your work until you are heartily sick of it. And then follow up with a proofreader. A proofreader is vital.
Great advice, Susan. Choose a male and a female character from your book and tell us which actor and actress you’d cast to play them in a film adaptation.
PHENOMENA would need Forrest Whittaker.
MIRANDA BAY & When the ROLLER COASTER Stops would have Sandra Bullock. Perfect casting.
Sandra again! Now I want to read your books more than ever (*giggles*) What were your most and least favorite subjects in school?
Human Biology and English were my favorites. I always wanted to be a missionary doctor. Math, I cannot do!
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
‘Wuthering Heights’ sticks in my mind for the wrong reason. It was required high school reading. It bored me witless. But then I discovered that same book in my personal library a few years back. I read and wondered at the brilliance behind such a story, and the writing. I laugh at the amazing growth in my reading taste and my understanding of others’ writing.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Of Mice and Men. Well, Steinbeck is Steinbeck, after all. The simplicity of his writing wraps itself around you.
Geek Love. I accidentally discovered this Katherine Dunn work. Brilliant, crazy, demented writing. Where on earth does this woman get her weird ideas from?
An Angel at My Table. Janet Frame was an inmate at SEACLIFF Mental Hospital, which is where my work PHENOMENA the Lost and Forgotten Children is set. I get her! I get her scenery descriptions. Especially since I was raised in the Seacliff village, here in New Zealand.
God Knows. Joseph Heller’s take on King David and his court. Hilarious.
The Rain Queen. Katherine Scholes. I was married and raised my little family in Kenya, so reading this book and loving it just made sense.
In most of my reading, I am exploring our fragile mind and seeing things from a whole new perspective. That’s what grabs me; the frailty of our human condition. But I love a good humorous story too.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I love my thoughts. I love the way my brain thinks. My writing generally crosses the genre, and happily so. I make my characters quirky, lovable and over the top in some cases. When they come alive they take me down paths I had never imagined. That’s when I let go and simply follow them. I form an emotional connection with them. Because I have several books on the go at any one time, I can direct whatever emotion I may be experiencing at that time into a specific work. You know that time in real life conflict when you say, after the event, ‘If only I’d said…’? Well, this is my chance to say exactly what I would have said given that chance.
I know exactly what you mean! Tell us, is it true you used to run a kennel with your husband?
Yes, that’s right. It also included a cattery, and we exported specialty cats to Europe, South Africa and USA. I would give injections to the dogs and cats, if required, nurse them back to good health, or sit with them when they faded away. We also rehabilitated animals from car accidents with physio and exercising and groomed show dogs or mutts. Anything animal/poultry was never too hard for us to master.
Wow! It must have been really rewarding for you both…
Oh yes, a glorious period in our lives.
You’ve brought photos!
Yes! These are the boarding kennels. You can also see our grapes growing over the fencing. There were 14 large kennels inside, and 4 large runs outdoors. The settings were all very park-like.
The cattery is the gorgeous wee house. Completed in color steel and with ranch sliders. Like a granny flat.
Wonderful! Is this your house in the last picture?
Not the one I live in now, but the one we lived in at the time.
I love it, so near the water. Looks absolutely enchanting. Thank you so much for sharing these photos with us, Susan, and for being here with us today. It’s been a real pleasure!
Thank you for inviting me, Frossie. I had a wonderful time!
I grew up way down south in New Zealand. Otago was very cold in the winter, with ice formed over puddles. We used to break those on our way to school. We lived near the old Seacliff Mental Hospital, and we shared our little primary school with patients from there. I worked at various psychiatric hospitals in New Zealand before sailing to Kenya, East Africa, in a 28ft yacht. From Kenya I wrote letters home to Mum and Dad that eventually turned into stories. And from there my love of writing, travel and tourism came into being.
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