I’m not sure if I realized I wanted to be a writer at any one particular time. Like so many things in life, it just developed through chance encounters and creative interest. My artistic pleasure had always been drawing. All through school art class was my best-graded subject. My interest in fictional writing began when I took a class in stage and screenplay the early 1980’s. My college professor really found what I wrote of interest and encouraged me to continue to write. Producing a novel hadn’t crossed my mind as it seemed too time consuming and detailed. As far as writing recognition, it began in eighth grade when I won an award with my "Becoming an American" essay. After that it wasn't until early 1990 my article on 1-800 Psychic Hot Lines was published in Bay Area newspaper for psychic interests. It wasn’t until 1990 when I self-published a consumer's guide about psychic readings on the advice of a friend did I realize how much I enjoyed sharing information through writing a book. I've written articles on various subjects published on-line sites and my blog. The screenplay I began in the late 1990’s would become my first novel, “The Skye in June.”And the beat goes on...
2. In what kind of environment do you work best in?
Music stimulates my creativity and puts me in the writing flow. I listen to all kinds from classical to 1960’s rock and my favorite, Motown. At times, I’ve written paragraphs while cooking dinner, sitting in my favorite San Francisco tea room and while watching TV at night with the hubby. Seems as though some noise stimulates my creative mind.
3. What's your favourite thing about being a writer?
As far as my how-to books (one to be published in ‘15) I enjoy sharing what I have learned and experienced as a professional psychic/medium. I like to teach and explain the often misunderstood as well as share stories about people with hopes, fears and courage to go beyond challenges and pains. I confess ever since I was little, I love to make up stories. Something I learned about my mother who is a great storyteller, poet and lover of books. My characters become real to me; I talk them, know how and why they think and act. From that I create their body language to tell their story, how they smile or snarl, talk and walk.
4. How did you come up with the idea for your latest book?
My latest is due, fingers crossed, in January, 2015. A client has been asking for few years that I write about communicating with the dead, one of my “other job” outside being an author. Since there are so many books on that subject already, I wasn't too interested. So, I took a survey of clients, friends and on Facebook as to the interest of this subject. It was 100% supported with a long list of questions about it (to be included in the book.) My latest published novel, City of Redemption came to be through meeting a Scottish actor who requested I write a screenplay with her as the lead. She did a read in Los Angeles of my first novel, The Skye in June, and loved the Scottish character. By the time I completed she was in the Hollywood wind, so I decided to write it as a novel since it was more than halfway there.
5. Do you ever base your characters on people you know?
Yes, I have taken characteristics as well as life experiences from people I know or have heard about. Hopefully, I changed the physical looks and of course, the name, so no one could pinpoint – “hey! that’s me” or "that's so in so!" I must say though whilst I deny, deny, deny, people have busted me.
6. Do you ever wish that some of your characters were real?
They are to me. The live in my head. I only present them and their stories to readers.
7. What do your family and friends think about your book/s?
Love them. Not only have they supported my works by setting up book events and selling them to their friends, but family and friends were very much involved in the production of my books. My first non-fiction The Timeless Counselor: The Best Guide to a Successful Psychic Reading (not the original title) my mother and I met almost daily. She guided to presenting a clear and reasonable approach to readers not familiar with the topic. One of my five sisters did the original artwork, which unfortunately is not in the ebook edition now. Many friends were involved from computer, printing help to and actual putting together the original printed copies. We set-up tables in my garage and put 2,500 copies together (all sold). Both my novels, first written as screenplays were read aloud with Scottish family for authenticity. The second novel, also read aloud, was videoed. What a fun time was had while corrections were made.
8. Do you plan out your books or do you just go with the flow?
I plan to some degree. I ask myself, why am I writing this? What is it I want to share or teach? That is the beginning and leads my thoughts to create where it is going. The ending for my fictional work is quite hazy at first. It’s not always easy to bring to an end, to part ways, so to speak, with my characters. I could go on being a part of their lives. Alas, all good things must have an ending at some time as is similar to our own life experiences - conclusion and beginnings.
9. What’s next for you?
Now that is the million-dollar question and if someone could tell me, I’d probably give it a go. Writing is a great adventure, editing is a necessary often painful challenge, the day of publishing, scary and exciting – and then there’s marketing. Years and years of marketing. My clients in marketing tell me I’ve done a very good job – but it is job and I’m older now. So next? I truly don’t know. Right now, I'm enjoying simple pleasures and not driving myself all the time to produce. Maybe in time I’ll write the much requested sequel someday to “The Skye in June.”
10. What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
You love to write? Then write. Share it with a writers’ group. If not in your area, there’s plenty who meet on line. To polish your writing skills, to express yourself more clearly, take classes, workshops, learn, learn! Authors love to share how they published and marketed their works. Good idea to hear them out. Some of it is good advice, most repetitive, but you just might use it at some time of another. Don’t gauge your worth on what others say unless you find worthy to learn and change for the better something in your art, your writing. Write because you love it, it is you, your artistic expression.
11. What your guilty pleasure?
Why chocolate, of course! The other one is running away, even for an overnight to a motel to hide in the room, no computers, no calls to the outside world, nobody needing me. Just sleeping, watching TV, eating Chinese food. Alone.
12. Do you have a nickname?
Once upon a time, when I was a young wild thing, a guy tagged me “Outtahand Callaghan” – Callaghan being my maiden name. It stuck for years. One of my sisters gave me a large sticker with it in bold lettering. That was placed on my fire engine red toolbox, which was used during my blue color working days. Eventually, life and motherhood calmed me (mostly) down. Perhaps I should have used it as my pen name for my novels. The Skye in June by Outtahand Callaghan – oh my I do like that! The other is Junie and only my family and very close friends may call me that.
13. How do you handle writers block?
Grrrr, to writers’ block. “I really want to but I just can’t,” is one of my whines when experiencing writer’s block. Because I like to write, something, anything, you’ll find me on Facebook giving my comments or opinions more than usual. During the blocks my blogs are written on time in hopes getting a burst of creativity. Sometimes I go back to an unfinished piece or start a new one in hopes of getting into the flow of my imagination (if writing a novel). In the end, the piece I’m working on gets some attention and once I get going, comes the obsession – no stopping the train to even snack.
14. If you could go back in time what one piece of advice would you give yourself?
Not to let the opinion of others decide whether I’m talented, worthwhile, or “good enough” to follow what my heart knows is right for me. Even if it is right at the time, to follow through and learn as I go rather than listen to others to play it safe or fit in.
15. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Write a novel. Only kidding. I’ve lived a full enough life of crazy times starting during the days of Haight/Ashbury, the ‘60’s. I was a product of my environment is my answer to the question about rock n’ roll and drugs. One could say, I lived out loud my pain with a jolly attitude most the time. Fast motorcycles, wild horses, strong whiskey and handsome men! Probably not a wise thing to announce, but the craziest thing I did was try to end my life, not once, oh no! that wouldn’t do, but more than that. And then I was gifted my son. Sigh, love and responsibility helped ease the crazy out of me.
16. Do you believe in fate?
Fate has no choices. Destiny has, therefore I believe in destiny. How we fulfill it or not is up to us. We come to live on earth with some kind of blueprint to why we are here. I am here to inspire others to be true to self. I'm quite accepting of most, even if my acceptance of a person is to avoid them for how they are. Since childhood I attract many because I like people, enjoyed clowning in front of the camera and love animals. This is true today. I choose to continue with the same likes and in return have made a career and kept an interest in my childhood interests.
19. If you could be any animal in the world what would you be and why?
I do love animals, all kinds. Dogs are my favorite, but I will chose a horse. They are big, beautiful, love to run and roam free. If I wasn’t a free horse, I prefer a very large grazing pasture with a rider who truly understands the mostly, gentle nature of this beast.
20. For many of us writing is not our full time job, what is yours?
I’m mostly retired, but for forty years my role has been a psychic reader and medium. For quite a few years my biggest challenge was in believing I could earn a living to take care of my household and let go of my other jobs (secretary, bartender and my favorite union labor job). Finally I did and there you go. It was my destiny.
The Skye In June
June MacDonald’s fate is sealed the day she is born when her mother, Cathy, defies her husband Jimmy by giving their new daughter a pagan name instead of a Catholic saint’s, as is their tradition. The decision forever sets the MacDonald family on a course for disaster, and no one can foresee that June will grow up to threaten their strong religious beliefs. After a family tragedy the MacDonald family emigrates from Scotland to San Francisco, California, in the hopes of a new beginning. There, young June begins to have visions. They haunt Cathy, revealing her secret past in the Scottish Highlands. June’s religiously rigid and abusive father will not tolerate the visions. That doesn’t stop June’s feisty nature or curiosity about her psychic abilities and interest in witchcraft. The family is on the brink of imploding when June and her three sisters come of age in the 1960’s Haight Ashbury scene. Their father’s declaration seems to be coming true: “Doomed to hell, every last one of you.” In order to save June, Cathy must take heed of June's physic message before it is too late.
Buy The Skye In June or June's other book here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=june+ahern&x=0&y=0
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