Last year I hosted a great guest post by
Alle Wells and today I’m lucky enough to interview her and find out more about
this amazing author.
First of all, thank you so much Alle for taking the time to chat with me. Since you wrote your guest post about your
first book, Lame Excuses, you have done so much including publishing two more books,
Railroad Man and Leaving Serenity. Could you tell us a bit about them?
Railroad Man begins in the South at the onset of the Great Depression. Twenty-year-old Mickey is one of the lucky ones. He comes from a good home, lands a good job with the railroad, and has found the love of his life. Mickey’s problems start when he realizes that his true love is forbidden. A cold, lonely night leads Mickey to the back alleyways of Atlanta that will change his life forever. This is the story of Mickey’s life, his love, his success, and his sorrow. His strengths and weaknesses cross the boundaries of time and reach into the readers’ hearts.
Leaving Serenity is a fictional story based on the life of Annette Bevels. In 1996, Nikky Harris is the image of perfection—her hair, her toned body, her chiseled face, and her big bucks. What we see on the outside isn’t what counts, or is it? Nicky is an example of what people want to see. People rarely take the time to look beneath the superficial layer of what made Nikky, Nikky. Leaving Serenity shares the story of this young woman’s struggle to find herself at a time in American history when women struggled to be seen in the world.
As well as writing, you have set up a great website, Alle’s Five Star Reviews. Could you tell us about the site?
First of all, thank you so much Alle for taking the time to chat with me. Since you wrote your guest post about your
first book, Lame Excuses, you have done so much including publishing two more books,
Railroad Man and Leaving Serenity. Could you tell us a bit about them?
Thank you, Katheryn, for your generous hospitality! My stories are fictional, but they are based on the lives of people I have known throughout my life. Each life has its successes and its failures. The strengths and weaknesses in my characters are consequences of the times they lived in, and their economic and environmental settings.
Railroad Man begins in the South at the onset of the Great Depression. Twenty-year-old Mickey is one of the lucky ones. He comes from a good home, lands a good job with the railroad, and has found the love of his life. Mickey’s problems start when he realizes that his true love is forbidden. A cold, lonely night leads Mickey to the back alleyways of Atlanta that will change his life forever. This is the story of Mickey’s life, his love, his success, and his sorrow. His strengths and weaknesses cross the boundaries of time and reach into the readers’ hearts. Leaving Serenity is a fictional story based on the life of Annette Bevels. In 1996, Nikky Harris is the image of perfection—her hair, her toned body, her chiseled face, and her big bucks. What we see on the outside isn’t what counts, or is it? Nicky is an example of what people want to see. People rarely take the time to look beneath the superficial layer of what made Nikky, Nikky. Leaving Serenity shares the story of this young woman’s struggle to find herself at a time in American history when women struggled to be seen in the world.As well as writing, you have set up a great website, Alle’s Five Star Reviews. Could you tell us about the site?
Yes,Katheryn! Recently, my lifelong love of reading has gravitated toward reading work from indie authors. Indie books are so refreshing! I love the original content and new voices I hear from indie authors. My blog is dedicated to
sharing the work of indie authors. I only post five star reviews because I
don’t want to jeopardize any author’s reputation by posting a bad review. If I
can’t post a five star review, then I don’t post a review at all.
What are you reading at the moment?
Several works of Historical Short Fiction
from Katrina Parker Williams, The Spruce Gum Box by Elizabeth Wilder, and
Atomic Summer by Elaine Walsh.
I believe you also have a blog (or
two?). Could you tell us about it?
Interestingly,
I join Bette Lee Crosby Books: Words, Wit and Wisdom each Sunday to present
“Southern Sunday”, a blog about living organically, reading, writing, and the
beauty of southern life. Bette and I thought it would be nice to combine our
efforts to reach a larger audience of southern fiction lovers. Alle’s Southern
Sunday is also available on Goodreads.
What are you working on at the moment?
Oh, Katheryn, I love working on my WIP! It is called “Mill People”. It’s the story of the lost society of cotton mill workers and their communities that once thrived as the middle class in the American South. The story of the lost mill
communities is touching, heart-warming, and an unfortunate loss to our region.
What you’re not writing, reading or blogging, what do you like to do in your free time?
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen! Maintaining a complete, organic vegetarian lifestyle is quite time consuming. In the summer months, I freeze or dehydrate enough food and herbs to supply my household for the remainder of the
year.
Where can people buy your books and find out more about you?
My books are available on Amazon. Here is the link
to my Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/Alle-Wells/e/B005AU5KQE
http://www.amazon.com/Alle-Wells/e/B005AU5KQE
Do you have any final parting comments
or advice?
Just to thank you for allowing me to join you, and to say that I love your wonderful romances that take me to exotic places! If anyone is interested, I’d love to connect on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter!
Thank you Alle! I’m so glad you like my romance novels, and thank you for taking the time to tell me about your wonderful books.
Thanks, Alle, for sharing so much about your writing and life with us - I can't wait to read your new book, Mill People!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Gae-Lynn! You are such a great supporter of your fellow indie authors!
DeleteReally interesting to read - Mill People looks right up my street. I'll get it when it comes out. I love reading stuff about American History, particularly during times like the Depression. I live in the north of England where the 30s depression hit really badly, too - have you heard of the Jarrow Marchers?
ReplyDeleteRe the reviews - a 4 star review is good as well! I only give 5* if I think something is outstanding - but I can enjoy a book and recommend it without it being a 5*. Really, a 3* is perfectly good too - according to Goodreads' scale it means you 'liked' it - which is fair enough, but people seem to see a 3* as a bad review these days, which it isn't. I know what you mean, though - I prefer to say nothing than say something negative.
Hi Terry, Thanks for the comment and for your interest in my work. In the South, we say, "If you can't say anything good, say nothing at all!"
DeleteSomehow, I don't think we're an ocean apart in our thinking.
Your friend,
Alle