Have you ever thought of working on a job where your office is not confined within the four corners of a room? Where your office lies in the universe, the world itself? The freedom it could bring is liberating, rejuvenating even. Anne Hutcheson invokes a tear-jerking, heartfelt, and inspirational story in her book, Beyond the Moon and the Heartache Too. Through the main character, Sidnei Jewell, she firmly shared her stand on the importance of dreams and the act of actually realizing them. That it is not so bad to be so different and to be so good is not really too much. The reality of life, the good and the bad, is well encapsulated in her book, Beyond the Moon and the Heartache Too. Hutcheson did a perfect job on this one!
What inspired you to write this kind of story?
I found out when getting together with friends and acquaintances whose parents now required their support that they often shared common concerns. Among these experiences were siblings caring for their parents who had unwittingly turned their lives over to these siblings. It was not unusual to learn that the parents had lost money, belongings, possessions, and sadly their badly needed prescriptions while under the care of one of their children. Further research revealed that these dirty little secrets occurred more often than I would have thought possible. It is a circumstance I felt needed to be brought out into the open.
What message do you want to convey to the human race by creating a character like Sidnei?
There are many Sidnei’s out there. They are women who tenaciously seek the best life can offer and never lose sight of where they came from, who they are, and where they can go in spite of the odds. Most importantly, they know they are solely responsible for who they are becoming each and every day.
Logan is such a sweet guy. Did you base his character on a real human being?
Logan is the guy we all want to grow up and grow older with. He’s real all right! You just have to look hard for him!
I pity Jezzi, Jepson’s wife, and Sidnei’s mother. I wonder why she let her husband do those horrible things to young girls and why she stayed with him all those years?
There are many Jezzi’s in this world. They give their love and allegiance to a man who may give them things and to a man they have come to believe they can not live without. These women are afraid to walk away and all too often turn a blind eye on the world they have chosen.
Tam was mentioned many times in the story, but what exactly happened to him?
Ah, Tam! He is the brother who loses himself in the world he finds too hostile to care about. All of my characters in each of my books are composites of multiple people I have known. Sidnei, Logan, Jezzi, Tam and the others are real people. Many have said people like my characters don’t exist. Make no mistake. They exist, and they are everywhere.
I so love Sidnei and Logan’s love story, I cried for joy because of how they love and support each other. Is there any chance that they would have a child or children? Is there any planned sequel to this book?
Sidnei herself would not want to bring a child into a world where others can’t always be trusted. Her children are the moon and the stars, the sun and the planets. She and Logan created a life for the two of them to enjoy together based on mutual trust and respect. No sequel is planned.
Do you really intend to make your readers cry as they read this book?
Because I sure did, cried a lot.
My intention when I write is to talk about the topics that frighten us and make us want to walk away. These real life demons like cancer, heart disease, neglect and abuse, the infirmities and loneliness of old age are out there in our everyday lives and need to be brought out into the open and discussed. Tears are a release of the anxiety and tension they conjure up. Tears are real and so are these demons.
How do you deal with the emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing the story?
So, interestingly, I cry too. As I research my topics, facing the facts head on, the truth can be unbearable. The power of an individual’s human spirit and the innate resilience of my main characters must point the way to an acceptable, though not always perfect, resolution. That is a truth in life we can not really run away from. Long walks and espresso help.
What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Ernest Hemingway is my mentor. Favorite authors currently include Anne Tyler, Virginia Woolf, and Barbara Kingsolver. I am an avid reader and read voraciously.
Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers?
I am researching the demons of a suicide survivor. I am struggling with all the unanswered questions.
This book is available on Amazon.
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