Interview With Alisha Sevigny

Welcome to the site Alisha! Most of you probably don’t know this, but Alisha and I actually go way back but I had no idea she was a writer too until recently. How crazy is that? Her latest book SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS comes out in the UK today!

Anyway, let’s get to it!

KJ: Hey Alisha! Welcome! Okay, first question is a hard hitting one. I know authors can be pretty divided on this but Post-It Notes or notebooks?

AS: I can’t resist a pretty notebook…

KJ: I know what you mean! I have stacks of them everywhere! Do you like to dance like no one’s watching?

AS: This is one of the central tenants of my life philosophy.

KJ: Whew! I’m glad I’m not the only one! What’s on Your Bucket List?

AS: I love to travel so I’d like to hit up a few more countries, I’m at 16 I think now…I also wouldn’t mind hitting a best-seller list or two 😉

KJ: Same here! On both counts lol! When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?

AS: I think I’ve always been a writer but I didn’t truly let myself become one until after I worked for a few years representing crazy authors and decided I was actually one myself.

KJ: I’m glad you decided to write! Plotter or Pantser.

AS: I’m a pantser though I have a vague idea of where I want to go. I do think it’d make my life easier if I was a plotter but that’s not the way I create – trying to get better at it though!

KJ: I’m the same! I do love the discovery aspect of being a panster. Where do your ideas come from?

AS: I have SO many ideas – it’s finding the time to write them all down! I do find I”m most creative when I’m in nature. I also have exceedingly vivid dreams.

KJ: Wonderful! You’ll never run out anytime soon! What is your latest release?

AS: My latest release is out this week! It’s SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS and to quote one reviewer it is “a coming of age tale with an environmental angle that sparkles with humour and sizzles with a dreamy romance, hitting all the right notes, leaving the reader satisfied. An excellent choice for those who enjoy a smart summer romance layered with varied and well developed characters who are as natural and refreshing as a summer breeze off the lake.”

KJ: Sounds swoon worthy! Can’t wait to get my hands on it! How did the plot come about for it?

AS: When I was younger our family did a lot of camping. I grew up in a pretty remote area in the pacific northwest of British Colombia and that was what we did for most of our summer vacations, having six people in our family and it costing a fortune to fly anywhere..

KJ: Camping is great, especially in that area. How long did it take to write?

AS: It took a year or two as I’m pretty slow, and had a baby who wasn’t really on board with sleeping through the night until he was about 3 (and still isn’t the best at it ).

KJ: Perseverance! I like that! What’s next on your writing list?

AS: I’m working on another contemporary romance featuring fortune tellers and palm readers, it’s modern day Wiccan fun. I also have a middle grade series I’m working on that’s set in Ancient Egypt and pretty darn exhilarating, if I do say so myself 😉

KJ: Both sound amazing! Can’t wait to see them on the bookshelves!

Summer Constellations Blurb

Julia Ducharme is ready for a fresh start. Her little brother has finally recovered from a serious illness, and now she just wants to enjoy peak season at the campground her family owns. Maybe this will be the year her annual summer fling with Dan Schaeffer becomes something more?

But her summer dreams are quickly shattered. First, Dan arrives for vacation with a new girlfriend in tow, and then Julia discovers this may be her last summer in the only home she’s ever known.

Crushing medical bills have brought her single mom to the brink of bankruptcy, and a wealthy developer is sniffing around the campground. He sees what Julia sees: lush woods, a pristine lake, miles of trails for adventure. Unlike Julia, he thinks this is the perfect spot for a casino resort.

Heartbroken and afraid, Julia looks to the stars for some perspective. Taking her telescope down to the dock one night, she has a chance encounter with a guitar-playing boy who offers some helpful advice. Too bad this handsome stranger is the developer’s son, Nick Constantine.

As plans for a resort move forward, Julia is desperate to find a solution that doesn’t mean leaving the lake. Nick, in turn, is desperate to separate himself from his father’s aggressive business tactics. He promises that, together, they can thwart the sale.

But can Julia trust him to conspire against his own father? And could she ever she trust him with her heart?

SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS is a story of lost summers, hidden treasure and love written in the stars. It is also a thoughtful reflection on what it means to love — and leave — one’s childhood home.

BUY LINK: AMAZON (UK)

EXCERPT

“What are you looking at?”

“The sky,” I say, pointing up.

“I can see that,” he says. “Anything in particular?”

My cheeks flush. “There’s a meteor shower tonight.”

“Nice. Can you see it with the naked eye?”

Something about hearing the word “naked” makes the flush spread down my body. Good thing it’s dark.

“If the clouds cooperate.” Turning my back to him, I busy myself with the telescope.

He doesn’t take the hint. “You have a beautiful property here,” he says. “Thanks.” My voice cracks as a few residual tears well up and spill over. Oh, God. I still can’t believe what Mom’s considering. This is our home. My home. Are we going to move to some cookie-cutter house with a tiny backyard? I need fresh air, the trees, the lake, the freedom that comes from wide-open spaces and all that other stuff Mom’s beloved Dixie Chicks sing about.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

Great. Now I’m crying in front of strangers.

“Fine.” I sniffle. Unfortunately, getting sympathy when crying always makes things a million times worse. It’s like dousing flames with kerosene. Tears fall down my cheeks faster than I can wipe them away. You’d think I’d have none left by now.

“I’m fine,” I blubber again. I squat down on the dock and scoop up some fresh lake water to splash on my face. “I just wish that life wasn’t, you know, so … unfair.” The words fly out as I think of Caleb and the campground. Dan and Taylor.

The pirate crouches beside me. “Why don’t you wish that on one of those stars up there?” His voice is soothing, like how you’d talk to a wounded animal.

I rattle off an old astronomy joke. “When you wish upon a star you’re a few million years too late. That star is dead, just like your dreams.” It’s lame, not to mention inaccurate, but it fits my mood.

He bursts out laughing, the sound echoing over the lake. “Well. That’s uplifting.”

I kick off my flip-flops and submerge my feet in the lake. The cool water caresses my shins.

The stranger sits next to me. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No offense, but I don’t really know you,” I say, not about to bare my soul to some random guy. With no shirt on. And very hairy legs. You’d think I’d be used to it around here, but they don’t usually make them as, um … Chiseled? Ripped? Perfect? … as this guy.

“Sometimes it helps to unburden yourself to a complete stranger,” he says, all reasonable. “Like confession. Think of it as a free therapy session.”

“And you’re the therapist?” I give him a sidelong glance. Definitely not a priest. “What qualifications do you have?”

“I’ve been told I’m a great listener.” His smile is the only light in the dark. “I also happen to be free of charge and currently available.” Something about his gentle tone gets to me. He’s trying really hard to be nice.

I hesitate. “It’s hard to even know where to begin.” But I do.

Thanks again for visiting, Alisha!

Keep up to date with Alisha at her site: alishasevigny.com