Featured Interview With Angela Hausman
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up all over the place — I went to 13 different schools in 12 years. I’ve continued that somewhat as an adult, although I’ve lived in DC for the last 7 years with 2 cats and 2 dogs. Over the 7 years, my children left the house one by one and are all living their own lives now — 2 here in the DC Metro and 1 out in LA trying to make it as an actor after conquering the role available locally.
I think growing up in a state of flux actually contributed to my writing skills, especially when it comes to creating characters, since I’ve run across some real whoppers in my travels. Each of my characters has a piece of someone I met — a quirk, a backstory, a manner of speech, etc. I truly believe characters are what sells a story because there are only so many plots out there.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always loved books, maybe because I didn’t have a lot of close friends — when you move around all the time, you don’t really have that opportunity. I started writing when I was about 13, writing a fantasy series of short stories staring a particularly lovable space traveller who shared his experiences traveling the galaxy. People seemed to like it — even those who didn’t share my DNA. A teacher in junior high asked me to stage a play based on one of the adventures using students from the class. It was fun — and challenging to lead a group of middle schoolers to learn the parts. We performed for several classes.
As an adult, I didn’t have time to write with my career, kids, etc. I wrote the first page of “Buried Ladies” probably 5 years ago. But, I picked it back up in April and surprised myself by finishing it in only about 4 months. It’s now out for final reviews prior to publication (and there’s still time to get a free review copy). Meanwhile, I’m about 1/2 way through the second book in the series “Scars of the Past” which follows our main characters as they move to DC to start the cyberterrorism unit of the FBI. I plan to finish the 3 book series early next year, then start on a fantasy book set in a post-apocalyptic world based on a web series starting my daughter. I’m currently in negotiations with the screenwriter from that venture.
In college, I once took a creative writing class, where I learned you have to write to become a better writer — throwing away about the first 100,000 words. It’s like sports, you don’t start in the NFL, you start in pee wee football. I took that to heart and spent most of my career writing — mostly non-fiction — where I honed my writing skills (organization, flow, voice). Today, at least until the writing stuff pays the bills) I continue writing non-fiction in marketing and business intelligence.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Currently, my favorite author is a fellow new writer from DC — Matthew FitsSimmons, whose first book “The Short Drop” is really the inspiration behind “Buried Ladies” as they’re both written from several points of view, with the action moving from one set of characters to the next.
I read mostly murder/ mystery novels, although I find Stephen King an inspiration to writers. You can never go wrong reading his book “On Writing” and seeing how he translates that from his successful novels.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Buried Ladies” is a fast-paced novel set along the Texas/ Mexican border — a place called the valley. It’s here that our story starts with a 911 call to report Estella’s murder. But, there’s no body – only a missing person and a red stain on the carpeting in the home she shares with her husband, Jaime. Soon, bodies turn up in a construction site north of McAllen, but none of them is Estella. So, what’s happened to Estella.
Jaime flees McAllen soon after police interview him about his wife’s disappearance — they don’t buy his story that she’s visiting relatives. As he prepares to fly out, he runs across the real serial killer, a ruthless man who kills his victims as part of his sexual release. Many are poor women from Mexico.
The story winds its way through Mexican cartels, especially the Gulf Cartel, where readers learn about how these organizations operate outside the law with impunity, due to their vast wealth in a poor country. Arturo is one of the leaders. He lives in an opulent home — really a compound where he enforces the rules of his cartel masters and stores drugs destined to reach the US through is network of mules.
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