Guest Post by Deborah Plummer Bussey ( Author of The Family That Stays Together)

  The Family That Stays Together

One of my fondest childhood memories was going to the county library that was located at the end of my street.  In those days, absent video games, Xboxes, and iPads and when television only had three channels, I spent a lot of time at the library checking out book after book.  My parents encouraged my reading and challenged me to read more than the ten books for the library’s summer reading club.  That was always such an easy contest.

My sisters and I spent lots of time outdoors making up stories about each other, entertaining ourselves and showcasing the tales to a neighborhood audience.  While a Girl Scout, my Scout Leader, Mrs. Ford surprised me with a blank journal as gift.  “I noticed you liked to write,” she said when she handed it to me.  I wondered how she knew that and at the same time wondered if it was true.  Did I really like to write?  I knew I liked to read, but was I a writer?

As an undergraduate student, I double majored in English and Psychology.  I majored in English because I loved to read. I majored in psychology because I was intrigued by human behavior.   As a graduate student in psychology, I learned to write like an academic.  I wrote like an academic for many, many years.  I still write like an academic because I like to eat and I earn money as an academic.  I never thought I could earn money as a writer.

So, after a long career as an academic, I found that I still wanted to write.  But I didn’t want to write non-fiction or professional journal articles.  A friend, an attorney who writes fiction in her spare time, encouraged me to write fiction. And so I did.  I write fiction because it is cathartic to make stuff up.  It reminds me of being on the stoop of my inner- city childhood home laughing with my sisters on made-up stuff that we thought was hilarious or crying about made-up stuff that manipulated our emotions or scaring ourselves by our imagination of a world embedded in fear.

Like most writers, I also write as a form of communication.  First, to learn about myself through the characters I create, the tension that forms in the plots, and how the stories come to resolution. Thus, publishing my work is also important.  It is such a great thrill to get that bound book in your hands or to see the words come across on your e-reader.  I found that by blogging, the thrill could come even more often.   Every time one of my blogs is published on Huffington Post, I feel like I’ve just won a Pulitzer Prize. 

Find Deborah Here:
DLPlummer.com
 

 HuffingtonPost.com/Deborah-Plummer 

@SisterNun 

 Facebook

Goodreads

Out summer 2013
 Deborah Plummer Bussey introduced readers to a new kind of mystery
with her first Sister Nun novel, and she gives fans the second psychological-social installment of her
page-turning series this July.
“The Family That Stays Together” continues the fast-paced adventures of sisters Kathy and Tina first
chronicled in Bussey’s debut book “They Still Call Me Sister.” This time, the two women join forces to
protect a family friend, a television celebrity who has been accused of murdering her ex-fiancé. But as
usual, scandal, foul play and trouble lurk around every corner.
Bussey bases Kathy’s character on her own life as a psychologist and former nun. In each mystery,
Kathy is faced with the challenge of how to bring to light something she finds out in her clinical
practice without breaking confidentiality. Her gregarious sister, Tina, aids her as the two amateur
sleuths uncover suicides and accidental deaths as murders.
“The Family That Stays Together” from Half Dozen Publications is not the typical murder mystery.
The story sparks stimulating conversations for book clubs and all readers about diversity, gay issues
and emotional maturity, as well as the contemporary challenges of Catholic faith.
“My belief is that if you are fully embracing life you are bound to encounter diversity and by extension
its challenges and benefits,” Bussey said. “The Sister Nun stories reflect the challenges that people
often encounter while trying to navigate our increasingly multicultural society.”
Bussey is a psychologist and human resources professional in Massachusetts who specializes in
diversity management. In addition to creating the Sister Nun literary series, she is the award-winning
author of “Racing Across the Lines: Changing Race Relationships Through Friendships.”

About Deborah Plummer Bussey

One of Deborah Plummer Bussey’s favorite childhood
memories is visiting the local library where she first
immersed herself into the world of books, but she never
thought that one day she would become a writer. She is now
releasing her third book in summer 2013.
Bussey lived in Cleveland, Ohio, until she was recruited to
the University of Massachusetts Medical School in New
England. She holds a Master of Education degree in
community consultation and a doctorate in psychology. She
is a psychologist and human resources professional with
expertise in diversity management and organizational
development.
After a lengthy career as an academic, she discovered a
passion for writing. Bussey’s nonfiction self-help book,
“Racing Across the Lines: Changing Race Relationships
Through Friendships,” released by Pilgrim Press received the
publishing company’s Mayflower Award for Best
Publication in the church and state category. She is also the
editor of the “Handbook of Diversity Management: Beyond
Awareness to Competency Based Learning” from University
Press of America.
Having spent more than a dozen years of her life as a nun, Bussey is the creator of the Sister Nun
mystery series. Half Dozen Publications released her debut novel, “They Still Call Me Sister,” in
December 2011. Her newest book, “The Family That Stays Together,” is due out in June 2013.
Bussey lives in Westborough, Mass., where she is a regular blogger for The Huffington Post.