Allen Wolf's Blog, page 5
June 22, 2017
Hooked Named Finalist for 2017 Literary Classic Awards
Allen Wolf’s romantic comedy novel, Hooked, has been named a finalist for the 2017 Literary Classic Awards. On July 1, Hooked will be named a winner of the Silver, Gold, or Top Honors Medal. This will be the sixth award Allen will receive for Hooked. Selected from entries from around the globe, the Literary Classic Award finalists are being recognized for their contributions to the craft of writing, illustrating, and publishing exceptional literature for young adults.
Hooked is a romantic comedy about a man who believes he found his perfect soulmate except his autism prevents him from realizing she’s actually a prostitute. The other honors Hooked has won include a Book of the Year Award from Foreword Reviews, Gold Medal from Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, and the Silver Medal from the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards. Kirkus Reviews called Hooked, “Entertaining, Well-Paced, and Highly Visual. It’s a charming, humorous, and hopeful tale. A quirky, touching love story that offers insights into autism, religion, and personal tragedy.”
Judging is based upon the criteria set forth by our awards committee which seeks to honor books promoting character, vision, creativity and learning, through content which educates and inspires audiences. The judging committee consists of experts with backgrounds in publishing, writing, editing, design, illustration, and book reviewing. The Literary Classics Awards will be held in conjunction with the Great American Book Festival in Rapid City, South Dakota, over Labor Day Weekend in 2017.
Hooked is available in print, eBook, or Audiobook from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and at local bookstores through Indiebound.
June 9, 2017
I Took Our Baby to Disneyland. Alone.
When my daughter Adele was six months old and I was tasked with looking after her for a day, I did what any responsible father would do. I took her to Disneyland.
That was the first time I would be alone with our baby for a whole day to look after her so I wanted to get it right. No sitting around and getting ready for her next eat, play, sleep cycle. We would be doing all that at the Happiest Place on Earth.
I packed up the diaper bag, some sun screen, formula, and, well, my wife actually packed up everything for me.
“Are you really taking her to Disneyland?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
If you see a loud show, make sure to protect your baby’s ears.
“Of course. She’ll love it.” I said.
What child, in this case baby, would not want a day at Disneyland if she had the cognitive skills to choose? Sure, she would remember none of it but I had read somewhere that experiences like this would help stimulate her neurons. I was on a mission to build her brain. You’re welcome, daughter.
The first thing I discovered was how challenging it was to fold up a stroller while holding a baby and a diaper bag while I attempted to grab a seat on the tram. My years at the gym gave me a slight advantage. Still, the tourists wore mild looks of concern as I juggled doing everything while unlatching the tram door. An older woman leaned over to help and I was grateful.
As the tram rolled toward the entrance, I held baby Adele in my arms and told her she’d get to meet Mickey Mouse. I took her blinking eyes as a sign of enthusiasm. I decided to avoid the princesses on this trip. I didn’t want Adele feeling self-conscious in her drool-stained onesie next to their sparkling gowns. I was sensitive that way.
It’s a Small World is a great ride for babies.
When we entered the park, I stumbled upon the Baby Center. In all my years visiting the park as a single person, I had never noticed this little gem of a building. They stationed a cast member near the entrance who looked like the grandma you’d always longed for. She greeted us with a kind smile and told me about their changing areas, places where I could feed Adele, and the private breast feeding area which was not actually for me. I picked up Adele to bring her to the changing area and promptly walked into that breast feeding area before realizing I went the wrong way. It was empty so embarrassment avoided.
I later discovered California Adventure has their own Baby Center as well, but it’s dressed up less like your backwoods grandmother’s home and more like what a modern grandmother would prefer. Both places were a welcome relief from the crazy crowds and heat. They also sold diapers and formula.
Adele wasn’t tall enough for Space Mountain and I deemed the Haunted Mansion to be too scary for her delicate imagination. Instead, we settled for calm rides like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh which generated looks of wide eyed wonder throughout. We also managed to fly over the streets of London on the Peter Pan Ride, as well as float through It’s a Small World. I also took her to see a few shows and the parade but made sure her ears were protected from the volume.
Best Rides for Babies & Toddlers at DisneylandThe Many Adventures of Winnie the PoohMost Fantasy Land ridesFinding Nemo Submarine RideEnchanted Tiki RoomTarzan’s TreehouseJungle CruiseIt’s a Small WorldKing Arthur CarrouselDisneyland RailroadBest Rides for Babies & Toddlers at California AdventureMonster’s Inc.Bug’s LandRedwood Creek Challenge TrailLittle Mermaid’s Undersea AdventureAnimation PavilionMickey’s Fun Wheel (on the stable gondola)Red Car TrolleyKing Triton’s Carousel
When she finally got to meet Mickey Mouse, she was most fascinated by his big bulbous nose. It probably reminder her of one of her toys. She tried to chew it.
Throughout the day, Adele mostly wore a look that read, “Is this for real?” as we traipsed from one experience to the next. Getting her to smile for a picture turned out to be impossible. I’m guessing her brain was too busy growing.
By the time she turned one year old she had visited Disneyland a few times. I myself ventured there every week to work on my novel and each time I did, I made a mental note of what Adele might enjoy experiencing on her next trip. She’s now four years old and whenever I ask her, “What did you dream about last night?” she most frequently tells me, “Disneyland.”
Have you had experiences bringing a young one to Disneyland? Let me know your tips in the comments below.
May 24, 2017
Disneyland Inspires Me to Write
Most people give me a you-must-be-crazy look when I mention that I’ve been to Disneyland over 400 times. Then I explain why. I’ve been a very prolific writer at the park which is where I’ve worked on screenplays, my novel Hooked, and my upcoming novel based on the Wizard of Oz. One writing day at Disneyland has equaled two writing days anywhere else. Why? Inspiration. Disneyland inspires me to write because everything there is based on stories.
Each attraction supports a narrative that features you as the main character and takes you on an adventure. Not only that, but characters from those stories walk around and interact with you. It’s as if you’re in the middle of stories that have come to life.
On a Friday afternoon, I was working on a screenplay while sitting on a park bench in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. The Mad Hatter noticed me and wandered over with Alice and the Queen of Hearts close behind.
“What is that contraption?” the Mad Hatter asked, pointing to my computer with a confused look on his face.
“My computer. I’m working on a screenplay,” I said.
“May we read it?” the Mad Hatter asked.
I laughed. “Of course.”
I turned the screen so the Mad Hatter could look it over. He directed Alice to read along with him and they enacted a scene from Hooked where two characters go on a date. As they delivered the lines, a crowd gathered. The Mad Hatter and Alice finished the scene with relish and the crowd applauded. The Queen of Hearts, however, held her nose and motioned that it stunk.
I winked at her. “Everyone’s a critic.”
As they walked away, it struck me how magical it was to have three people, who were playing characters created by Lewis Carroll, reading and bringing my story to life. That doesn’t happen at Starbucks. Unless it’s the Starbucks at Disneyland.
When tourists have noticed me working on my laptop, they usually have a different reaction. They typically glare at me as if I’m a workaholic likely neglecting my kids. Because no one ventures to Disneyland alone, right?
In the summertime, people have jokingly yelled at me to get off my computer and go enjoy myself. On one afternoon, I was writing in a section of California Adventure and a little boy wandered over to inform me that I shouldn’t be working at Disneyland. He then turned and dashed away.
Some tourists have been confused by what I was doing. During one of my trips, my computer battery was dying so I plugged it into an outlet at Hungry Bear restaurant which is at the far side of the park, next to the future Star Wars land. While I wrote, the fireworks exploded overhead.
A man wearing mouse ears passed by me and said, “That’s so cool.”
“What?” I asked.
He pointed to my computer. “That you’re doing the fireworks.”
I laughed and told him I was writing. From his look, that didn’t seem to make sense to him.
While most of my experiences at Disneyland have been positive, sometimes I’ve had run-ins with cast members (what Disneyland calls their employees). I’ll write about that in my next blog.
Has Disneyland inspired you? If so, let me know how in the comments below.
April 27, 2017
Celebrate Hooked Winning the Silver Medal
To celebrate, we’re giving away several prizes in a new contest. The Grand Prize is a Gourmet Gift Basket + a signed copy of Hooked. The gift basket includes Yogurt Covered Peanuts, Australian Licorice, Assorted Milk Toffees, Butterscotch flavored candy discs, Gourmet Caramel Popcorn, Botano Cajun Mix, and Assorted Milk Toffees. We’ll also give away three additional signed copies of Hooked. Enter today.
January 12, 2017
Hooked Movie Relocated to Seattle
The setting for the movie version of Allen Wolf’s award-winning novel Hooked has been relocated to Seattle with a target filming start date of summer 2017.
“As I thought about Hooked becoming a movie, I wanted to give fans of the novel a different experience in the theater. Hooked now takes place in unique locations around Seattle and there are some other surprises in store as well,” writer Allen Wolf said. “At the heart of Hooked is the love story between Shawn and Violet. I was happy to discover how their story can come alive even more in the vibrant city of Seattle.”
One of the primary locations in the story is a coffee shop which fits in well with Seattle’s coffee centric culture. Prominent locations around Seattle are now featured in the film which will also utilize local crews.
The story of Hooked sheds light on human trafficking and Seattle is one of the nation’s top cities struggling with that issue as well.
Seattle is also home to Washington Filmworks which handles film production support for the state and has helped provide resources to prepare Hooked for production. As we prepare for production, we’ll be announcing other local partnerships to bring Hooked to the screen.
Hooked Relocated to Seattle
The setting for the movie version of Allen Wolf’s award-winning novel Hooked has been relocated to Seattle with a target filming start date of summer 2017.
“As I thought about Hooked becoming a movie, I wanted to give fans of the novel a different experience in the theater. Hooked now takes place in unique locations around Seattle and there are some other surprises in store as well,” writer Allen Wolf said. “At the heart of Hooked is the love story between Shawn and Violet. I was happy to discover how their story can come alive even more in the vibrant city of Seattle.”
One of the primary locations in the story is a coffee shop which fits in well with Seattle’s coffee centric culture. The Space Needle, Pioneer Square, and the Waterfront are now prominently featured in the film which will also utilize local crews.
Seattle is home to Washington Filmworks which handles film production support for the state and has helped provide resources to prepare Hooked for production. As we prepare for production, we’ll be announcing other local partnerships to bring Hooked to the screen.
October 13, 2016
Disney Releases New Trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
This morning, Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd released a new trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This trailer reveals even more plot details than the previous ones. The film will arrive in theaters December 16th. As a child, I was inspired to be a storyteller by the original Star Wars movies. It has been a thrill to see the saga continue through new movies. Are you as excited as I am?
September 28, 2016
Contest Celebrates Hooked as Book of the Year Winner
Author & Filmmaker Allen Wolf’s website launched a new contest to celebrate his novel Hooked being named as a Book of Year Winner by Foreword Reviews. The site will be giving away a Gourmet Celebration Gift Basket and signed copies of Hooked.
Hooked is a romantic comedy about a man who believes he found his perfect soulmate except his autism prevents him from realizing she’s actually a prostitute. Hooked won 4th Place in the and the reviewer calls the novel a “Heartfelt, out-of-the-ordinary romance.”
Hooked has won other awards including the Gold Medal from Readers’ Favorite Book Awards and the Silver Medal from the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards. It is currently being developed into a movie.
The Grand Prize for the contest is the Gourmet Celebration Gift Basket which includes Oilvera’s Flatbread Crisps, Chocolate Salted Caramel Cookies, Bellagio Hot Cocoa, Nature’s Joy Pistachios, Chocolate Hazelnut Wafer Rolls, Brown & Haley Cashew Roca Butter Crunch, Tavolare Savory Snack Mix, Chambery Chocolate Crackle Cookies, Bavarian Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Primrose Flashers, Vanilla Kiss Taffies, and a signed copy of Hooked.
Three additional signed copies of Hooked will also be given away. The contest ends on Friday, December 9th. Winners will be announced on Allen Wolf’s Facebook page. Enter at Allen-Wolf.com.
July 25, 2016
Best Trailers from Comic Con
San Diego’s Comic Con has become the place where studios debut trailers for some of their most exciting upcoming movies. Or, at least the movies they would like us to be the most excited about. These films are heavy in visual effects and grand storylines. Which of these are you most looking forward to?
Justice League: While technically not considered a trailer, this footage gives a glimpse of a movie that appears to veer away from the depressingly dark Batman v Superman. The best parts of this are The Flash and Batman’s observation of his underwater friend’s special abilities. You’ll have to wait until November 2017 for this one.
Wonder Woman: Arriving in June 2017, Gale Godot continues her iconic role and headlines the first female driven superhero movie. Chris Pine is also along for the ride as well as your favorite House of Cards co-star, Robin Wright.
Kong: Skull Island: I personally loved Peter Jackson’s King Kong but it didn’t quite take off like the studio hoped it would. Enter: another reboot from the folks who brought us Godzilla, starring Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson. I was a fan of most of the Godzilla reboot so I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with Kong.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Whenever a new Harry Potter book or movie arrived, I quickly devoured them so I was excited about the idea of this world continuing to expand. This new trailer gives a greater glimpse into this upcoming film.
Lego Batman: My own fascination with filmmaking started when I created a short film using Lego figures when I was a kid so I had a special love for the first Lego Movie. Now, the love continues with Lego Batman continuing with what looks like a hilarious story.
Dr. Strange: One of the best parts of Inception was the folding cities, now we get even more of those in the upcoming Dr. Strange. I know very little about this character but the movie certainly looks visually thrilling.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword: Guy Ritchie gives us a new take on King Arthur starring Charlie Hunnan and Jude Law.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Okay, so there wasn’t a new trailer for the upcoming sequel. But, they did announce a remodel of the Tower of Terror from Disney’s California Adventure which will be called Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! If you’re not too distracted by this Imagineer’s super droopy earlobe, here’s a fun look into what they’ll be creating. Will you miss the Tower of Terror?
TV Trailers: Comic Con also gave us a sneak peek into upcoming TV series as well.
Sherlock Season 4: If you’re a fan of the Sherlock series, here’s a teaser about what’s to come.
Star Trek: Discovery: The outer space voyages of Star Trek will continue with the USS Discovery.
As a filmmaker and novelist, I appreciate movies that challenge my imagination.
Which of these films or TV shows are you most looking forward to?
July 14, 2016
Hooked Named Book of the Year Winner
Allen Wolf’s romantic comedy Hooked was named a winner of the IndieFab Book of the Year Awards where it took 4th Place. Sponsored by Foreword Reviews, thousands of eligible books were judged by a select group of librarians and booksellers from around the country and announced at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Orlando. Book of the Year Awards honor the best books from independent publishers.
“I’m thrilled for Hooked to be honored and included among these other novels. I appreciate how people have responded to Shawn and Violet’s story,” commented author Allen Wolf.
Victoria Sutherland, publisher of Foreword Reviews, says the Book of the Year Awards utilize librarians and booksellers “to provide us with an insider’s perspective on what would do well on consumer and library shelves. Using industry professionals confirms the trade quality of a book.”
Hooked follows the story of Shawn who discovers his perfect soulmate in Violet but his autism keeps him from realizing she’s actually a prostitute. The story was inspired by the book of Hosea from the Bible.
Hooked has already won several other awards–the Gold Medal from the Reader’s Choice Awards, the Silver Medal from the Benjamin Franklin Awards, the Bronze from IP Awards, and was a finalist for the USA Book Awards. Hooked is also being developed into a film.
Kirkus Reviews called Hooked, “Entertaining, Well-Paced, and Highly Visual. It’s a charming, humorous, and hopeful tale. A quirky, touching love story that offers insights into autism, religion, and personal tragedy.”
Hooked is available in print, eBook, or Audiobook from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and at local bookstores through Indiebound.
