June 11th, 2004 Chat with Penny Hussey
(aka Phyllis Ann Welch)
22:18:02 [Elaine] I would like to welcome everyone to Word Museum and to thank our guest Phyllis Ann Welsh aka Penny Hussey (my publisher and great gal)
22:18:07 Jacki enters this room
22:18:16 [Penny] ::blush::
22:18:18 [Elaine] Let me introduce Phyllis Ann. She is the author of the fantasy/romance series, The Silvan Wars Saga. Her first book was published by NovelBooks, Inc. in December, 2001.
22:18:29 [Elaine] She has been writing professionally since 1996, and her work includes poems, short stories, novels as well as various non-fiction news articles.
22:18:53 [Elaine] Ms. Welsh’s alter-ego is Penny Hussey, President & CEO of NovelBooks, Inc. She resides in Massachusetts with her husband of 33 years, three children, one cat and one dog. (she’ll have to tell you about the infamous pool party )
22:19:01 [Elaine] When asked how she finds time for everything, she happily replies she’ll do anything if it gets her out of housework.
22:19:12 [Elaine] Visit Penny Hussey’s website at:
http://www.sff.net/People/GrandDuchess/Phyllis.htm
22:19:23 jacki is now a moderator for this room.
22:19:33 [Elaine] Tonight, Penny will be offering two (2) handmade, scented candles in large sea shells as a doorprize so please stick around to the end to have a chance to win.
22:19:50 [Elaine] Phyllis’s current release is THE CHOOSING, Book II of The Silvan Wars Saga
22:20:08 [Elaine] by NovelBooks Inc. at http://www.novelbooksinc.com
22:20:35 [Elaine] Let me tell you about THE CHOOSING, then we’ll let Penny introduce herself. Feenix is in the tightest spot of her long and checkered career as a warrior. Naked, her sword and dagger gone, she’s at the mercy of the elements and a half-elf with ice-blue eyes.
22:20:47 [Elaine] How dare he capture her and carry her off into the home of the enemy, the night elves? However, a bad situation can be turned to advantage. All she has to do is lose the chains, discover the elves’ plans, find some decent clothes, and make good her escape.
22:20:55 [Elaine] But she forgot to include in her reckoning a mischievous god and the entrancing charm of her sexy captor. THE CHOOSING, Book II of The Silvan Wars Saga ~ fantasy/romance for all your senses.
22:21:28 [Elaine] It sounds fab Penny! Please tell us about THE CHOOSING and The Silvan Wars Saga and introduce yourself. ga
22:21:43 [Jacki] <sorry I’m late>
22:21:57 [Jacki] <Hi Penny!>
22:22:06 [Elaine] Jacki – would you like to take over?
22:22:20 [Penny] Wow. The way you tell it, Elaine, I’m special!
22:22:29 [Penny] Hi, Jacki!
22:22:37 [Elaine] because you ARE!
22:22:39 [Jacki] Sure, Elaine. We had a baseball game run very late…
22:23:08 [Elaine] Been there done that (I don’t know how to get the smilie faces)
22:23:17 [Penny] Well, THE CHOOSING is the story of the Night Elves, and how they figure into the god’s plan on Tylana.
22:23:19 [Elaine] (guess I just found out. LOL)
22:23:45 [Barbara] ?
22:23:46 [Penny] My heroine is Feenix and I had the hardest time trying to shut her up!
22:24:09 [Penny] My hero is the half-elf prince. L’Garn. He’s pretty sexy and cool, and very dark …
22:24:29 [Moe] <elaine-check email please>
22:25:05 [Penny] Into myself? …. um, I’m just an average middle aged writer, who hates shoes and housework… love my family, tho.
22:25:16 Elaine exits from this room
22:25:25 [Penny] Ok. That’s it for now. I hate just talking about myself. Ask the questions!ga
22:25:28 [Glenda] ?
22:25:44 [Blanche] ?
22:26:00 [Jacki] Barbara, ga
22:26:19 Chinara enters this room
22:26:34 [Barbara] Penny, did you plot out your world of Tylana, or did it just grow?
22:26:36 [Chinara] (Chinara is me (Elaine) – hope I did this right)
22:27:17 chinara is now a moderator for this room.
22:27:33 [Penny] Barbara … I created Tylana over the course of 15 years of role-playing. I was the DM and I created Tylana for my friends to play and adventure in.
22:27:55 [Chinara] ?
22:28:22 [Penny] But I should mention that I wasn’t the typical DM. After every session I wrote up the existing senarios for each player, and how their characters were impacted or impacted the world. I was writing every day.
22:28:55 [Penny] When I decided to stop playing, I had piles and piles of histories, songs, stories, adventures, characters — the whole world. So that’s what I write about.
22:29:07 [Penny] BUT Ido not use my friends characters.
22:29:12 [Penny] ga
22:29:27 [Jacki] Very interesting, Penny.
22:29:40 [Jacki] ga, Glenda
22:29:50 [Penny] After 20 years, I know my world pretty well
22:29:53 [Barbara] Fascinating, thanks
22:29:55 [Glenda] Do you only write fantasy?
22:30:04 [BettyD] !?
22:30:29 [Jacki] I’d have problems separating it from reality after 20 years.
22:30:42 [Penny] Glenda, no. I’m writing a historical romance, and I’ve written a SciFi short story that will be published in a year or so.
22:30:55 [Penny] Jacki LOL!!! Sometimes I do!
22:31:19 [Penny] ga
22:31:45 [Jacki] You’re up, Blanche
22:31:56 [Blanche] Do your family members read your fantasy/romance books?
22:33:05 [Penny] Some of them. My husband hasn’t read them.. although he keeps telling me he will My sister read them, and she told me she was surprised I wrote so well.
22:33:39 [Penny] My sister-in-law (who used to role-play with me) told me she loved having Tylana come to life. ga
22:34:05 [Blanche] LOL
22:35:41 [Penny] Am I still connected ?
22:35:50 [Penny] Yep. That was a test ..
22:35:54 [Moe] yep
22:35:58 [Blanche]
22:36:00 [Chinara] yes Penny – Jacki are you still here?
22:36:16 [Jacki] Yep, just a technical problem on my part. Your up Elaine
22:36:23 [Chinara] (well, maybe you just answered my question but here goes anyway) So did you just get Tylana’s character from the game or did most or all of the story come from the roll of the dice? so you’ve had to create new characters to go with Tylana? ga
22:37:52 [Penny] Interesting question …. I didn’t roll any dice to create Tylana. That all came (and continues to come) from my head. If you ever Dungeoned, you know that there are published adventures you can buy. I didn’t do that. I created each one of my own adventures.
22:38:34 [Penny] It was more fun that way. However, I did allow the characters to create their own people and played off that.
22:39:22 [Penny] So, all of the characters in my books are my own creation …. although I have to admit that I modeled Feenix after one of my players. But only she and I would know that.
22:39:25 [Penny] Ga
22:39:27 [Chinara] I played about 20 years or more ago, but I don’t know if it was exactly D&D. our friend set it up and rolled the dice with the computer. ga
22:39:51 [Jacki] ga, Betty
22:39:55 Barbara exits from this room
22:39:55 [Penny] No. I never used the computer … didn’t haveone them.
22:40:04 [BettyD] Thanks. First the comment. My favourite line from the synopsis is “find some decent clothes”. I’ve “played” that scene in AD&D after spending an hour choosing my weapons and other items. So I sympathise with Feenix.
22:40:34 [Jacki] LOL
22:40:50 [BettyD] Now the question. Do you find there’s a strong readership for this sort of fantasy novel? My only attempt in the genre met with less than a glowing response from my more literary friends.
22:41:02 [Penny] LOL!!! Actually, Feenix turns into a dolphin (a “blessing” from the god) and when she turned back into human form, her clothes and gear were not where they were supposed to be.
22:41:32 [Penny] Betty, I’m going to answer that question on two levels: author and publisher.
22:42:27 [Penny] As an author, people at first seem a little wary of reading a fantasy/romance book. But once they read it, they seem to really love the genre. More so now since Lord of the Rings introduced people to what REAL elves look like!
22:42:48 [Penny] I was so tired of telling people, “no, not Keebler elves!! Tolkien elves!”
22:42:59 [BettyD] LOL
22:43:12 [Penny] As a publisher, the best selling books right now are scifi and fantasy/romance.
22:43:15 [Penny] Ga.
22:43:38 [Chinara] ?
22:43:49 [Penny] Did I answer your question?
22:44:03 [BettyD] Yes, thanks!
22:44:19 [Glenda] ?
22:44:20 [Jacki] I can honestly say that I had no interest in elves until I read Penny’s books.
22:44:27 [Jacki] ga, Elaine
22:44:31 [Chinara] I’ve heard you say this before – that sci fi and fantasy/romance are hot – you also said that contemporary isn’t. why is that? any theories? ga
22:44:32 [Penny] Well, thank you jacki!
22:45:06 [Penny] Please bear in mind that I am speaking as the publisher of trade paperbacks here ….
22:46:28 [Penny] Small press can’t compete head to head with NY. Think about it. Why would Susie Reader spend $15 for a book, that has to be shipped, when she can walk to her nearest Wal-Mart or even corner store and buy a comtemporary for $8 and start to read it immediately?
22:46:50 [Penny] In most cases, Susie Reader won’t. NY has the market on contempts.
22:47:03 [Penny] However, NY is missing the boat on cross genre books.
22:47:37 [Penny] Think of it like a TV station …. NY is NBC or CBS …. Small press is like UPN or FOX. We have to find our niche and then work it.
22:48:16 [Penny] I have tried publishing very good contemps. they are excellent books, but most readers are just not going to wait to get them or pay for them.
22:48:29 [Penny] But they will pay for books they can’t get at the local Wal-Mart.
22:48:32 [Penny] Ga
22:48:52 [Jacki] makes sense
22:49:06 [Jacki] ga,Glenda
22:49:13 [Glenda] Of the books you’ve written…have a favorite?
22:49:18 [Chinara] yes, it makes sense
22:49:25 [Moe] You need the suzie readers who are too lazy to go to walmart.
22:49:33 [Penny] YES! THE CHOOSING. I loved writing Feenix.
22:49:37 [Penny] LOL, Moe
22:49:42 [Jacki] LOL,Moe
22:49:44 [Penny] How do we find them?
22:50:00 [Moe] I’m one.
22:50:09 [BettyD] me too
22:50:11 [Glenda] or those of us who avoid wallyworld.
22:50:14 [Penny] Glenda, I like the current book I’m working on, too. Book III
22:50:19 [Blanche] LOL Moe,You just found one
22:50:48 [Penny] Ok, but you can’t tell me you haven’t purchased a book at the grocery store or local CVS …
22:50:54 [Glenda] ?
22:51:01 [Jacki] Yep
22:51:10 [Jacki] ga, Glenda
22:51:30 [Glenda] Are your books OK to be read by teens?
22:51:38 [Moe] I am purchasing more books online all the time. It surprises me how much. I never thought I would buy an ebook either.
22:51:58 [Moe] I do understan what you are say thought, Penny.
22:52:09 [Moe] Sorry for interrupting.
22:52:10 [Jacki] <Penny is giving her prize away to whoever asks the most interesting questions…>
22:52:43 [Glenda] ?
22:52:47 [Penny] Glenda, I would rate my books PG13. My 16 year old daughter stopped reading them after the first love scene …. she was embarrased that her MOTHER wrote that! But if you let your teen watch R rated movies, I wouldn’t worry about my books.
22:52:49 [Blanche] ?
22:53:34 [Penny] One thing: There is no consumation until a mating (equivalent to a wedding) in my books. Call me old fashioned
22:53:38 [Penny] Ga
22:54:06 [Jacki] Glenda, again
22:54:15 [Glenda] Ever had elf sex? LOL! Sorry, could not resist after the prize info.
22:54:37 [Jacki] ROTFL
22:54:40 [Blanche] LOL
22:54:40 [Penny] Me or my heroine? Actually, I have a funny story about that …
22:55:05 [Glenda] do tell!
22:55:13 [Penny] When I was writing my first book, my hero, Rendolin, seemed to come to life for me. Very much like Kory in the beginning of the book…
22:55:44 [Penny] In my mind I could see him striding up and down my livingroom telling me what he would say, and what he would NOT say or do….
22:56:22 [Penny] Well, one night my husband and I were making love,and there was Rendolin at the end of my bed critiquing us!!! He started telling me what HE would do and how he’d do it differently!
22:56:39 [Penny] I started laughing and told my husband that Rendolin was taking notes.
22:56:59 [Chinara] LOL
22:57:06 [Penny] George (my hubby) said, “That’s it! Get downstairs and finish the blasted book so we can have some privacy!!”
22:57:21 [Glenda] hehe!
22:57:22 [Jacki] It’s that reality from fiction separation thing isn’t, Penny? LOL
22:57:25 [BettyD] LOL
22:57:45 [Penny] I think so, Jacki
22:57:58 [Jacki] Ga, Blanche. Then if Penny wants to give away a prize…
22:58:06 [Blanche]
22:58:10 [Penny] But ever since then, whenever I tell my hubby I need him to do research, he jumps at the chance!
22:59:04 [Penny] Ga
22:59:09 [Blanche] What is the funniest thing a fan has said to you?
23:00:08 [Blanche] Before Glenda? ga
23:00:30 [Penny] Hmmmm. Funniest …. I think it was when they asked how I ever came up with the idea of the feather in the library from book I. when I told them, they blushed so red, I laughed and laughed. Of course, it was a church member who asked…
23:00:50 [Penny] Definately,before Glenda ga
23:01:30 [Penny] Ok. Want me to give away a prize?
23:01:56 [Jacki] Go for it!
23:02:29 [Moe] Penny can you describe the doorprize for us.
23:02:58 [Penny] Jacki, are we using the candles for the raffle at the end?
23:03:08 [Penny] Um, doorprizes?
23:03:30 [Jacki] I believe so, Penny
23:03:48 [Penny] I have a free book, THE CHOOSING, to give away for the most interesting question…. which is what Ithought I’d do now.
23:04:07 [Jacki] Yayyy
23:04:39 [Penny] Some great questions tonite, but Ithinnk Glenda’s question made me laugh the most. So GLENDA!
23:04:57 [Glenda] Cool!
23:04:57 [Jacki] Woohoo, Glenda!
23:04:59 [Blanche] Congrats Glenda
23:05:01 [Penny] Send me your mailing address and I’ll send you an autographed copy of the book.
23:05:12 [Moe] Yeah Glenda
23:05:20 [Jacki] <Are linda and *lizzie still here?>
23:05:24 [Glenda] what’s your email?
23:05:36 [Penny] The doorprizes are beautiful scented candles, in real sea shells.
23:05:54 [Penny] My email is penny@novelbooksinc.com
23:06:24 [Glenda] thanks!
23:06:28 [LindaB] I’m here Jacki
23:06:45 [Jacki] Hi Linda!
23:06:49 [Penny] You’ve been very quiet Linda
23:06:57 [Glenda] silent Linda!
23:07:02 [LindaB] Hi Jacki! I didn’t want to interrupt while Penny was answering questions.
23:07:04 [lizzie] yeah, I’m lurking in the shadows. lurk lurk lurk
23:07:23 [Jacki] See, now that’s why I had to ask if they were still here. Too quiet
23:07:27 [Moe] *Moe click on the lights*
23:07:29 [Chinara] yay Glenda!
23:07:56 [Jacki] Are you drawing for the doorprize, or is it another interesting question, Penny?
23:08:35 [Penny] Well, since we have two candles, why don’t we do one doorprize and one question.
23:08:56 [Jacki] Glenda, you’re going to love The Choosing.
23:09:05 [Jacki] Sure, Penny ga
23:09:09 [Penny] Let me ask you all …. which question did you find most interesting? Besides Glenda’s
23:09:26 [Glenda] I can’t wait to read it. My mother is very ill and I read at her bedside..all the time.
23:09:30 [Penny] I don’t want you guys to have been bored ….
23:10:05 [lizzie] nope, not bored at all. I learn from the shadows.
23:10:06 [Blanche] Chinara
23:10:11 [BettyD] I liked Penny’s question: “Umm, doorprizes?”
23:10:26 [Jacki] LOL!
23:10:33 [Penny] Betty LOL
23:10:40 [Blanche] LOL
23:11:02 [Penny] Ok. I’ll pick the question I think was pretty cool …
23:11:09 [Jacki] I liked the question about how you thought of your stories, but I can’t scroll that far up. Who asked that one?
23:11:31 [Jacki] And Elaine’s question about contemps
23:11:40 [Glenda] chinara?
23:11:51 [Chinara] elaine is chinara
23:12:01 [LindaB] I think George should get a prize for putting up with fictional characters critiquing his bedroom manners.
23:12:08 [BettyD] and Penny’s response about NY cornering the market on “contempts”
23:12:08 [Chinara] LOL Linda
23:12:20 [Glenda] I agree Linda. LOL
23:12:22 [Jacki] No Kidding, Linda!
23:12:44 [Blanche] LOL Linda
23:13:57 [Glenda] George could blister that elf’s behind with a candle
23:14:01 [Penny] I think Betty’s question about readership and fantasy
23:14:12 [Penny] LOL Glenda!
23:14:26 [Penny] Betty, you get a lovely sea candle.
23:14:30 [BettyD] see folks, sucking up to the author works 😉
23:14:55 [Penny] LOL Send me your mailing address, Betty.
23:14:57 [Glenda] Congrats Betty!!!
23:14:59 [Blanche] Congrats Betty
23:15:11 [Chinara] way to go Betty!
23:15:13 [Penny] Jacki, why don’t you pick the door prize?
23:15:37 [Penny] Who is smileyface?
23:15:50 [Moe] Jacki just stepped away.
23:16:01 [Jacki] Okay Penny
23:16:04 [Moe] She’s back, never mind
23:16:09 [Penny] Ok. Moe you pick!
23:16:09 [Jacki] Congrats, Betty!
23:16:13 [Moe] Smiley Face is Sherri
23:16:15 [smileyface] Hi, I’m smileyface, aka sherri
23:16:16 [BettyD] and to think I spent most of the day practising for Friday the 13th
23:16:20 [Penny] Or Jacki ….
23:16:22 [LindaB] Not me these days, Penny
23:17:02 [Moe] Jacki?
23:17:06 [Moe]
23:17:08 [Jacki] Okay, the lucky winner issss….
23:17:12 [Penny] (((Hugs))) Linda
23:17:18 [Jacki] drumroll please
23:17:38 [Jacki] my little boy is drawing the name
23:17:46 [BettyD] bra rhum pa bumm
23:17:51 [Penny] Cool!
23:18:00 [Glenda] playing kazoo..no drums
23:18:18 [Jacki] thank you Betty and Glenda. The winner is lizzie!
23:18:28 [LindaB] ;ljfffj perua ;lkj eukow (keyboards make lousy drums)
23:18:30 [BettyD] yay lizzie
23:18:32 [Penny] *lizzie!
23:18:39 [Glenda] congratulations to lizzie!!
23:18:40 [Jacki] Congrats, *lizzie!
23:18:44 [Blanche] Congrats lizzie
23:19:01 lizzie exits from this room
23:19:06 lizzie enters this room
23:19:07 [Moe] Before everyone leaves can I get some feedback on this chatroom, please?
Thanks.
23:19:29 [lizzie] lizzie got bumped for a bit there!
23:19:31 [Glenda] sure moe
23:19:36 [BettyD] not as ugly as the last one
23:19:38 [Jacki] Gosh, lizzie, were you jumping on your keyboard? LOL
23:19:42 [LindaB] It works great, Mo! I like it.
23:19:43 [Penny] I like it a lot,Moe. Easiest I think I’ve ever used.
23:19:46 [Glenda] congrats lizzie!
23:19:49 [lizzie] And thanks you!
23:19:56 [Penny] lizzie you won!
23:20:01 [lizzie] Nope just watching the conversation and all of a sudden it stopped!
23:20:02 [Jacki] Did anyone have problems getting in?
23:20:07 [Chinara] the room is good
23:20:13 [Chinara] not tonight
23:20:16 [Blanche] I like it too.
23:20:22 [Penny] Nope, no probs getting in
23:20:25 [Glenda] love the bright colors!
23:20:27 [lizzie] I think the colors are easy on my poor tired eyes
23:20:35 [Blanche] Good night all
23:20:41 [Glenda] no problems
23:20:44 [lizzie] I got right back in when my connection dot went red. <g>
23:20:49 [Moe] Excellent, Thanks so much for coming out.
23:20:50 [Penny] Thank you all for talking to me. And thanks to WordMuseum for hosting this chat for me. You’re great!
23:20:51 [Jacki] Nite, Blanche! Thanks for joining us
23:21:03 [Moe] Penny thanks for entertaining us.
23:21:15 [Glenda] Thank you Penny.
23:21:16 [Penny] That’s what I live for, Moe!
