Allison Wells's Blog, page 4

Another Title Coming Soon!

I am a little late in blogging this, but in December I signed a contract with Monster Ivy Publishing to publish my third novel, Bell of the Night. I am both giddy excited and incredibly nervous at the prospect.

Monster Ivy focuses on edgy and clean fiction, so Bell of the Night fits in perfectly.
The main characters are Teddy Sullivan, a preacher from Maryland, and Bluebell, one of many “District Girls” from the infamous red-light district of New Orleans called Storyville.
The book takes place in and around Storyville around 1915, the latter years the district was legal. It would be made illegal in 1917. Bluebell, or Bell, works in one of many legal brothels for a notorious madam.
She meets the good Reverend Sullivan who came to the Big Easy set on winning souls, but instead he falls head over heels for one of the girls.

While Bell of the Night is a clean book, it doesn’t shy away from serious topics that go hand-in-hand with life in a brothel over 100 years ago.

The inspiration for Bell of the Night comes from the discovered photo plates from photographer E. J. Bellocq. I encourage you to look up these vivid and often strange photos for yourself, but be forewarned – many of them are nudes.

There was one photo in particular that struck me. A young woman with waist-length dark curls, wearing a lovely dress, clutching a large bunch of flowers. She doesn’t look at the camera. I knew immediately I wanted to tell her story. And thus, Bell was born.

My publisher and I are working on edits and we’re hoping for a late summer release! Until then, I’ll leave you with the photo that inspired the book!

[image error]Photo by E. J. Bellocq, public domain

Cover Reveal!

I love cover reveals, don’t you? And this one is amazing. Thanks to the staff at Ambassador International for their hard work!

I am even more thrilled to announce that When Waves Break comes out on Feb. 18, 2020! Just in time for Easter Baskets!

Have a blessed day everyone!

The Precipice of…

I don’t know what I’m on the precipice of, but I feel like I’m there. Hanging over the edge of something.

You see, this weekend I head off to celebrate my great-aunt’s 100th birthday. She’s an amazing lady who has seen so much in her 100 years. My grandmother, her sister, passed away at the age of 66 when I was a child, so I appreciate having this older generation to celebrate.

But then, I just got news that my best friend, who has stage IV breast cancer, is entering the final weeks and months of her life. She’s been fighting for over three years and is only 38 years old. That she won’t live to turn 39 – barring a complete miracle I truly believe CAN happen – is mind boggling and heart shattering.

Not that my aunt doesn’t deserve to turn 100, but why must my friend’s life be cut so short? I have begged God to heal her or give her more time. But it seems His answer is that she has been granted more time than she should have and time is almost up.

Life is so precious, y’all. It’s so fragile. It’s the most priceless thing we have – life. Time. It’s never enough.

[image error]



A Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3 NIV

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him. 15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. 

When Waves Break: Cover Update

It’s getting real, y’all! My talented designer Hannah has been giving me a few cover art designs in the past week or so. It’s hard to find something that conveys the heaviness and the hope that is contained in the pages of When Waves Break.

But with prayer and some back and forth discussion, I think we’ve done it! I approved a final cover design and I and thrilled to be able to show you – soon!

Stay tuned, because the cover reveal will be coming up sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas!

For now, here’s a hint:

[image error]

I know, you can’t tell much… but it will all be revealed soon!

When Waves Break Characters: Part II

Last time I showed you what I think Abby and Harvey would look like as parents in their 40s. I also introduced you to my vision for the four men in the book.

Today I want you to meet The Nicholas Twins. They couldn’t be more different.
Eve is minutes older than her twin sister Juliette. The only physical trait they share are their stunning green eyes, inherited from their father, Harvey. Otherwise, you would never know they were sisters let alone twins.

Eve is a little taller and curvier than her sister. Her hair is bright red and straight as a stick. Though she has the fiery hair, she has the calmer demeanor of the two and longs to see the good in the world.

Juliette is a bit more straight in her bodily appearance, but her hair got all the curves. Near-black curls spring all over her head, much like her mother’s. But she keeps is shorter so it looks more like an afro (which are all the rage in 1968). Juliette sees herself as a hippie and wants the world to believe in free love.

Both girls are raised in the church, with their father as pastor. They grow up with their older cousin PJ, now called Pete, and two younger siblings, Joey and Alisa.

When looking for pictures to represent the twins, I came across singer Annie Clark (known as St. Vincent) and model Madeline Ford. Both have large eyes, a more pointed chin, and the hair that makes each girl so distinctive.

[image error]Madeline Ford



[image error]Annie Clark

[image error]



[image error]

You can see more of my inspirations on my Pinterest board for When Waves Break.

Reviews, please!

Dearest friends and readers,

If you have had the opportunity to read War-Torn Heart and you have not left a review on Amazon or Goodreads, would you please consider doing so now?
Authors need good reviews to keep their books on shelves and available to readers and I could really use some more reviews on War-Torn Heart to show my publisher that I am a writer that readers want to read. I truly feel that God has blessed me with all these stories in my head and I desperately want to share them with you.

If you would be so kind:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/War-Torn-Heart-Allison-Wells-ebook/dp/B07MBFJRXB/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=allison+wells&qid=1547838680&sr=8-3

And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40947681-war-torn-heart

I greatly appreciate all the glowing reviews you have texted and emailed to me, so – please, please, please – go to these two sites and leave that reviews there!

Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart!

Allison

When Waves Break Characters, Part I

I’m getting more and more excited about the upcoming release of When Waves Break this winter! I wanted to tell you a little about the characters while we wait.

This is the sequel to War-Torn Heart, but focuses on the twin daughters of Abby and Harvey Nicholas. Which means Abby and Harvey have grown up a lot in the 27 years since they first met in 1941.
I was thinking a lot about what I thought they would look like as 40-something parents. I think Abby still has her signature curls, and Harvey’s dashing dark hair has given way to some very handsome grays. I scoured Pinterest for who might best represent these two beloved characters and found two amazing actors…

The ever dignified Andie MacDowell as the older version of Abby. She has the curls, the Southern charm, and that perfect 1960s mom vibe.
We all remember Dermot Mulroney from My Best Friend’s Wedding, but here he’s a little older and a little more dignified. He’s handsome as ever and wonderful inspiration as Harvey.

[image error]The Ever Beautiful Andie MacDowell as Abby
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/108508672260061138/



[image error]A dapper Dermot Mulroney as Harvey https://www.pinterest.com/pin/108508672260061188/

There happen to be 4 main male characters in When Waves Break. You’ll have to wait to see who’s who and what role they play in the story, but for now, here’s what they look like in my head. You have Buzz Herbert, Jesse Washington, Booker Winston, and Patrick McKenzie.

[image error]Buzz Herbert



[image error]Jesse Washington

[image error]Clifford Mamotte as Booker Winston



[image error]Alex Pettyfer as Patrick McKenzie

I hope when readers get their hands on When Waves Break they will feel that these models/actors accurately reflect what these four characters look like. I think they do.

In the next installment, we’ll look a little more closely at the twin main characters of the book – Eve and Juliette Nicholas. Come back soon for that!

Update on The Bloom of Roses

With school back in swing, I mistakenly thought I would have tons of time to get back to writing. Not so much. With four children ages 4-12, we are constantly go-go-go. But I’m working slowly and steadily.

The Bloom of Roses is over 70,000 words now with no end in sight (I’m estimating it to end at 100,000-120,000 words). I actually emailed my editor last week and, after giving her a rundown of the story line, asked if she thought it might be worth making into a 3-book series. She seemed to like the idea well enough, so perhaps I’ll be working on fleshing out this one large novel into 3 smaller novels.

[image error](c) 2019 Allison Wells

A good chunk of the book takes place on a plantation in the small town of Saint Matthews. Saint Matthews was and is a very real town in South Carolina and I had the pleasure of driving through it recently and I took some photos.

While the plantation in the book, Echo Trail, is fictional, there are still many nineteenth-century homes standing in and around Saint Matthews, including this one. It was built between 1820-1824 by a Reverend Wanamaker for Brig. Gen. Keitt. Keitt lived there from 1824 until the War Between the States. He will killed in battle in 1864. The house is now called the Puritan House. Isn’t it GORGEOUS??

[image error](c) 2019 Allison Wells



[image error](c) 2019 Allison Wells

It only seemed fitting that as I drove, I passed field after field of cotton, as Echo Trail is a cotton plantation. There’s a reason we call cotton “Southern Snow,” because all the fields were white. It was absolutely gorgeous! I was so pleasantly surprised by the beauty.

So that’s the latest update on The Bloom of Roses. I am loving these characters and I can just picture them running in front of this beautiful home and down to the fields. Next time, hopefully I will know a little more about if this will end up as a series following three characters, and maybe I can share what I think those characters will look like.

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Author Profile: Verity Buchanan

[image error]

Your name 
*Verity Buchanan

The name of the book you’re promoting. 
*The Journey

What Genre is your book? 
*Fantasy

If it’s not released yet, when is your launch date?
*October 1

Tell us a little about your book. 
*The Journey is a YA coming-of-age story, following three siblings who are kicked out of their home and have to find a place of safety. It’s a travel story with lots of setting changes, a sibling story that explores communication and the complicated bond of family, and a character growth story where people have to mature in the face of trial. Included: jealousy complex (non-romantic), lots of missing family members, and sacrificing, forest-dwelling maniacs.

Tell me about your main character(s). 
*The Journey’s principal character is Fred Thorne. His conscientious soul fears being in charge, yet at the beginning of The Journey that’s exactly what happens to him. Throughout the first third of the book, he’s constantly hoping for a chance to hand it over to “someone else”. He knows he’ll fail his sisters, he won’t be able to protect them from all he should, and the more he fails them, the more guilt he bears. Sandy Thorne, who shares much of the spotlight with him, couldn’t care less about responsibility and rules. In fact, she spends her life breaking a lot of the rules. Self-reliant and confident as a rule, she nonetheless has a subverted need for affirmation, which, once awakened, may get a little… obsessive.

How has faith played a role in your book? 
*The aspects worked in little by little. I didn’t have any intention of incorporating it when I first began the story (way back in 2013). Later on, when I trashed certain plot ideas and needed a new one, the thindran presented itself. The thindran is, quite simply, a messenger of God. Equivalent to an angel, you could say, but intrinsically corporeal, so not quite. It isn’t God itself; it can be challenged, gainsaid, but there are few who would dare to. It’s an unfallen creature and terrifying in its holiness and power. Part of The Journey is about how circumstances we see as unhappy and horrible are God’s way of creating something good. His hand is over the Thornes throughout their journey when they are least aware of it, making sure that even the evil that crosses their paths will ultimately bring about His wise ends. I would say more, but I keep treading on spoilers, so we’ll leave it at that. I still would not call my book “overtly” Christian. The hints presented are pretty subtle, and that is conscious. I prefer to take an organic method of introducing my stance, and the first books are filled with references yet rarely explicit. Eventually, the focus swings around and takes Christian themes straight on, letting characters grapple with their faith and ask hard questions.

What was the hardest part about writing this book?
*Fred. My struggling, responsible, currently lovable protagonist was a splitting headache in the middle of the first draft. I didn’t understand the concept of overwriting an emotion at the time, and consequently ALL his emotions were overwritten. He had maudlin soliloquies on a page-by-page basis, and I detested him, but had no idea how to fix him. Late in 2015, I deliberately altered my writing style to a closer imitation of an author I deeply admired. It became straightforward, concise, and slightly archaic, and suddenly all the extraneous Fred-drama was gone. His internal thoughts naturally followed the concise pattern I was trying to emulate, and I actually began to love him. My other saving decision was to include Sandy’s point of view. Her sassy, ironic voice balances out Fred’s serious thoughts.

What was the most enjoyable part about writing this book?
*The climax for sure. What a rush of emotion that was. The words were practically writing themselves under my hands, yet I had to keep putting down the pencil because of the pure awe and exhilaration surging through me. It was the kind of thing one couldn’t rush through, any more than the characters experiencing it would dare (or be able) to rush the moment. It’s now three years since I wrote it, but the memory rears up with fresh vitality every time.

If you could swap lives with your main character for a short time, would you? Why or why not? 
*My gut response was to howl “NO” and flip my computer across the room to emphasize the point (no, I didn’t actually do it!). If that gives you any idea of how I treat my characters… well, it gives you an idea. But to be fair, The Journey’s time span includes plenty of mundane traveling, and I do love traveling. So if I could pick an uneventful slot, I’d totally sacrifice my modern comforts to see the vivid landscapes of Legea.

Why do readers want to pick this book up? 
*That’s a great question! There are any number of reasons, really. If you like sibling stories, you should pick this up. I firmly believe there aren’t enough YA sibling-focused stories out there. If solid character growth is your thing, you’ll definitely get that in The Journey. If you like descriptive prose in a classically-influenced style, this might be the book for you. Or if you enjoy fantasy with a highly developed world and a bit of language nerdiness, well, you might just give this a try.

What’s next for you as an author? What are you working on now? 
*I’m editing the next book in the Ceristen Series; The Journey is book 1. There are four books in the series total, all of which are completed, and I hope to submit them to Ambassador International in the future. I’m also in the midst of writing the four-volume sequel to the Ceristen Series (yes, it gets complicated. Four books in one series, followed by one book in four volumes). The sequel is an epic fantasy proper, quite unlike the Ceristen Series in its scope, but it maintains the same themes of character growth and platonic relationships. Faith elements come more strongly into play, and much of the story focuses on older protagonists (40+ years old). Finally, I have a middle-grade side project called Swirls of Sand. I started writing it for fun, because I wanted to explore a more ethnically diverse country that doesn’t feature in the main series aside from cameos. It’s become one of my favorite stories because it’s so unique in its setting and plot (and style; I’m writing it in first person, a break from my norm), but it too features my signature touch of sibling relationships and character-growth plots. It’s a side project with no current intentions to publish, and I post it to the online writer community of Wattpad when I find time to work on it.

Anything else important you want to tell readers? 
*Hmm. Only that I love each and every person who decides to invest their time in my baby. I know it can’t ever be perfect, and I’m frankly terrified for it to go out in the world, but I captured what I meant to in its pages, and for that reason I love it. And my heart bursts to know that there are people eager to love it as much as I do.

Please include your social media links and a link to purchase your book. 
*Social media: https://www.facebook.com/VBuchananWrites/ https://www.instagram.com/verityb.writes/ https://www.wattpad.com/user/autumn_sunfire
The Journey isn’t released yet, but when it is you’ll be able to purchase it here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620209357

So long, Dottie

Just a bit ago I heard that one of my writing heroes passed away.

Dorothea Benton Frank, author of Lowcounty, South Carolina stories about family, motherhood, and the beach, passed away this morning after a very brief battle with cancer. If you know me, you know I hate cancer.

I had the distinct privilege of meeting Dottie, as her friends called her, twice. Both times with my own Bacon Tribe – the inspiration for the Grit Girls. In fact, there’s a Grit Girls about meeting our favorite author who is based on Dottie.

The world has lost an amazing writer, and we will miss her stories. Rest well, Dottie. You will be remembered for years and years to come.

[image error]The Bacon Tribe with Dottie Frank in 2017.

[image error]Here we are again with Dottie in 2018.