Allison Wells's Blog, page 7

You’re a Published Author – Now What?

Congratulations, Allison! You’re now a published author!

What are you doing to do now?
Keep writing as God leads me. Hopefully the next book, When Waves Break, will be out by the end of the year. We’ll see. I have several more books in the works. I need to finish one!

[image error]

I thought you had a third book written…
I do. It’s not a third in this story line, though. It is a Christian novel, but it might be a little too much for a majority of Christian readers. I’ve pitched it to dozens of agents/publishers and they all say it’s a hard niche. So we’ll see what happens with it.

Are you suddenly rich and famous?
Not hardly. Still a mom of four who just broke up a fight and cleaned all the kitchen accessories because I discovered we have mice. Ugh.

What do your kids think?
Not too much. They’re more concerned with their after school snack. My daughter, who is 12, is the most aware and she thinks it’s “pretty cool.”

Do you have copies of your book?
I should have them on hand in the next few days. Shipping 50 books takes a while!

What’s the most exciting thing about all of this?
The support I’ve been receiving. People are sharing links and pictures. My family and friends have been amazing. I am very blessed!

The Chronicles of Kate & the Grit Girls: 16

It’s been a minute since the Grit Girls got to hang out together, so when a local pub called Scotland Yard announced they were doing a 90s themed trivia night, I insisted we go together. Who would know the 90s better than the three of us? We were in the prime of our youth during that decade.

[image error]

It was a Tuesday night, so I had to find someone to take Savannah to her dance class, and find a carpool for Jace’s baseball practice, and Chase stayed home with other kids, but I was determined I was going to go out and have fun with my girlfriends.

Delia and Frankie Ann both pulled into my driveway at the same time so we could carpool together. Then we all had to compare who’s minivan was the best one to ride in. Frankie Ann’s was full of car seats. Mine looked like it was hit with a tornado of toys. Delia’s minivan was the cleanest of the bunch, so she drove. The minivan cleanliness struggle is real, y’all. So very real.

Scotland Yard is nestled along a busy street in a college town not far from us, but there is a parking garage that’s free after five o’clock, so we headed straight for it. It was only about two blocks from our destination. As Delia’s minivan circled up the levels, I noticed several pick-up trucks and a lot of adorable compact cars. Want to guess how many had car seats in the back? That’s right. None.

But we have no shame in our mom game. We climbed out of the minivan with wearing our blouses and nicest jeans. I was wearing my incredibly comfortable Sketchers sneakers that also looked nice. Two in one, y’all. Frankie Ann had an adorable sweater because she’s always cold.

And then a trio of college aged girls walked by. They were wearing adorable heels or thigh high boots. Their non-stretch marked midriffs were bare and even though it was only fifty degrees outside, one was wearing shorts so short I could see her cheeks. Those cheeks. I kid you not. It’s a fashion thing now. All I could think of was the germs she was both picking up and leaving behind on seats.

I looked at them. Then I looked at us. Classier? Yes. Smarter? Oh my goodness, yes. But attractive and more confident? Not in that moment, that’s for sure. In that moment we were old ladies from the senior center shuffling off for a game of bingo. I frowned.

“Don’t let them get to you,” Frankie Ann said, touching my arm.

“But they’re so… so tiny,” I whispered. “They need to eat a cake. Each.”

Delia snorted. “Wait until they pop out a few kids, have a desk job, and more debt than they could ever imagine. They’ll turn into us. Just like we turned into the women twenty years older than we were.”

While her wisdom was sound, it did not improve my mood. I thought about the women I know who are twenty years older than me now, and that was most depressing. I thank the good Lord for each and every year I get, and I can only pray to age gracefully, but I’m not going down without a fight.

We followed the college girls to the pub. They sailed past it for something different. They probably weren’t even born until 1999. Prince would have had a field day with them. And they wouldn’t know Friends from Frazier about the 90s.

Frankie Ann led the way through the doors of Scotland Yard. The place was crowded and loud. I was feeling all of my thirty-eight years even more. It was too much for me, but still – trivia night! We approached the hostess stand.

“Three for dinner and trivia,” Frankie Ann said.

The girl behind the stand didn’t even look old enough to be in a bar. Her blonde hair was piled high on top of her head, the ends were dyed hot pink. She wore a flannel shirt over a cropped black top and black bike shorts that ended before her thighs began. I wondered if her mother knew she was dressed like that.

“Sorry. We’re full. No more tables until after trivia,” she said as she smacked the gum in her mouth.

“But’s an hour until trivia starts,” Delia said, looking at her watch.

“Yeah, all the tables are staying for trivia. The bar is open though,” the girl replied.

We glanced the the bar. All those seats were taken as well.

I marched up the girl, feeling entirely fed up with these kids. “Don’t you know who I am? I am Kate Moffatt and I demand a table!” I know my face was red. I had been looking forward to this trivia for a week, I was not going to be turned away.

We were turned away.

On the other hand, once we left the pub I could actually hear and breathe again. I had not realized just how much Scotland Yard smelled of stale beer and feet. And being able to hear my own thoughts again was nice.

Delia shook her head at me. “And just who do you think you are, Kate? Did you become Kate Middleton overnight?”

Frankie Ann laughed. “It was hilarious. I gotta give it to that girl, though, she didn’t believe you for a second.”

I stomped my feet the way Caroline might. “I don’t know. I thought maybe if she thought I was someone important, she would give us a table.”

“They were all full, Kate,” Frankie Ann reminded me. “There were no tables to be had.”

“I know. I’m just really disappointed.”

So we stood there for a minute. Three middle-aged women dressed up like some good looking librarians. We were all dressed up with no place to go.

“Have you tried the Charm Barn? I hear it’s really good,” Delia suggested.

“I can download a trivia app on my phone,” Frankie Ann added.

I smiled. This is what good friends did. “Sounds perfect.”

3 Questions Wednesday with Allison Wells

I am so excited to kick off the week before launch with this interview! Thanks to the Inspired Prompt crew for taking an interest in me and War-Torn Heart!

2 Weeks

It’s so hard to fathom that I will be a published author in 2 weeks time. Maybe I’m carrying on about it a bit much, but when you have a dream that lasts for over 25 years and it FINALLY becomes a reality – it’s a big deal!

I have learned, however, that I might have some copies of War-Torn Heart in hand about a week prior my release date of March 20th, so I might be planning a little pre-release something – you’ll have to check in on my Facebook page to see the details!

Until then, my days have been filled with doing blog interviews, writing my magazine articles, and parenting a constantly rotating door of sick children (Is it spring YET???).

[image error]

 

Guest Star: Allison

[image error][image error][image error]

Over the next several weeks I will be the special guest on several websites and other media outlets! I will try to share the links and dates here for you to check out!

March 13: Inspired Prompts

March 18: June Foster

March 18-23: Bookstagram Tour

March 20: LAUNCH DAY!

March 20: Catherine Castle

March 26: Liz Tolsma

I think that’s what I have for now. I hope you will join me next month as I promote War-Torn Heart. Your support means the world to me!

War-Torn Heart Trailer – Finally!

Are you ready? I know I am! Here we go… the trailer for War-Torn Heart.

And if for some reason that doesn’t work… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CgYudt5fKw

I hope you are as excited as I am. As I said, Adison was the PERFECT Abby. Isn’t she amazing?

We have just over one month until War-Torn Heart comes out. Count down with me!

I have also started a YouTube channel, so please subscribe. I’ll be sharing some video updates from time to time as well.

 

War-Torn Heart Trailer. Almost.

One thing I’ve wanted to do for a while is create a book trailer for War-Torn Heart. I think most authors will tell you that their book plays like a movie in our heads, so I really wanted a physical picture of what Abby and Harvey looked like for me.

That leaves the issue of finding people who would look like the characters. I describe Abby as a pretty girl with dark curly hair. Harvey is tall, trim, and also dark haired.

This past fall I took one look at our pastor’s daughter then looked to my husband, “She’s my Abby!” Her name is Adison and she’s a beautiful girl inside and out. I finally asked her parents if they would be okay with my asking her about it. They said yes, and Adison happily agreed to be my Abby.

Finding a Harvey was a little harder. I didn’t have an exact picture of him in my head. For the sake of the trailer, I asked Adison if she thought her boyfriend Nicholas would do it. She said he would (not sure if Nicholas agreed or if she agreed for him).

The pair were wonderful. They put on the clothes I asked them to wear, they did take after take in freezing cold weather of cheesy scenes I had written out for the trailer.

We filmed the entire thing at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pendleton. It was built in 1822 and Clemson Univ. founder Thomas Green Clemson is buried there. I have to give a huge thanks to the people at Saint Paul’s for opening the building for us and allowing us to make use of their grounds.

I’m hoping the trailer will be ready in a few days, but until then, here are a few photos!

Tattoos, Part I

I’ve touted myself as a Christian author with tattoos, but I haven’t spoken about them much here on the ol’ blog. I’ve been tattooed over a dozen times, but only have seven completed tattoos (for now).

I truly believe tattoos are an artistic expression of both tattoo artist and the wearer. I love being able to go to my artist and say, “This is what I want,” and he can make it better than I ever imagined.

Each tattoo has a special meaning to me, and while I have perhaps “grown up” beyond a particular tattoo, it serves as a reminder of that time in my life and that’s something I can never regret.

I still remember making an appointment for my first tattoo. I was eighteen and determined. I had a friend make an appointment with me. That night at dinner, a man at another table heard us talking about the tattoos and began to describe the process in detail. To the point that I ran outside and threw up. I cancelled that appointment.

Two years later, at 20, I still wanted a tattoo. I had done a lot of research into the process, the colors, even the removal process.

I decided to get a heart-shaped music note. I was a very active member of the Clemson University Tiger Band and in Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Service Fraternity. I wanted my love of music to show. I also wanted to represent Clemson and my faith in God.

This is what we came up with. Minus the dots and sparkles – that’s coming later.

[image error]

That’s not my only show of faith tattoo. In my early 30s I decided I was ready to have a more “obvious” tattoo with placement. I had wanted a cross tattoo for some time and decided to place on on my wrist. I decided to go for the outside of my wrist so it was always facing out, always there to be seen.

This was a way to show my faith constantly, and also served as a reminder for me to constantly try to be Christ-like in my actions.

[image error]

So those are two of my tattoos. I’ll tell you about more in the weeks to come!

What I’m Writing Now

With the New Year comes a new story to tell. I was struck around Christmas time with the story of three generations of women who fight to come out on top. Their methods might not be the best, but they do what they have to do, generation by generation, to overcome the issues in their lives.

I’ve been doing a lot of research that spans roughly forty years in the history of the United States – 1840 through the 1870s. Sadly, much of what I’m looking for isn’t available in a Google search or in the library. I have to use my imagination and I can only pray that I’m doing justice to the three women telling me their story in my head.

As usual, the story (still unnamed) takes place in South Carolina, this time near Saint Matthews, a small town south of Columbia. We begin with the life of a young slave woman and progress to her daughter, and eventually her granddaughter. All have faced the oppression that comes with being a woman of color on a southern plantation. And all will find their own way to seek the Lord and overcome the hands they were dealt.

I don’t write for it to be pretty. Real life is hard and unfair. I will never forget being told that God does give us more than we can handle – it’s what we do with it that He’s looking for. Do we panic? Do we hide? Or do we cast our troubles on the Lord and let Him handle it?

I pray that this story will show the mercy of God and the forgiveness of both God and man. We’ll see how it goes. So far I’m more than 10,000 words in. Please join me in praying that this story will glorify God above all else.

That’s what’s new with me. God bless!