Author Interview of Allyson R. Abbott

GIRL WITH PEN GIVES A WARM WELCOME TO ALLYSON R. ABBOTT.  ALLYSON WAS KIND ENOUGH TO TAKE TIME OUT OF HER BUSY SCHEDULE TO ANSWER SOME OF MY READER'S QUESTIONS.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself to start?

Hello, my name is Allyson, and I write under the name of Allyson R. Abbott. The R is for Rose (after my mother) and Abbott is my maiden name. I come from Northampton, in the Midlands, UK, but I travel a lot and living in Spain at the moment.
It’s because of our travelling (our, as in my husband and I), that I actually became an author. We were on a long road trip around the USA in a Motor home, and I found I had a lot of spare time on my hands. Reading was a hobby and had been thinking about writing ever since I discovered that Kindle allowed anyone to publish a book.
My husband was all for it, thinking it would earn us some extra travelling funds, so we naively set out as me writing and marketing and my husband formatting and publishing.
It has now taken over our lives. We had no idea what was involved to sell books. And of course, the more you write the bigger the workload. I think my husband regrets his enthusiasm, as he very often reminds me that he has retired once!

Q: How are you feeling now that your latest book is out & on tour?

Mistletoe Kisses and Christmas Wishes is a joint venture between Tamara Ferguson and myself. It was published on 25th Nov and has already reached #1 in two different categories. I am absolutely thrilled. It has had some great reviews as well. I can’t stop smiling.

Q: What inspires you to write?

People. Most of my stories are about people who could be anyone’s neighbour. I mostly write for a mature reader, generally my characters are over forty. My latest story, The Prickly Christmas Kiss is more New Adult story. There are a lot of my family and friends traits in my books. As long as I am selling books and readers are being entertained, I will keep writing.

Q: Describe your book in 3 words?
Funny, wacky and magical

Q: Out of all of your books do you have a favorite character or couple?

In Goodbye, Hello Linda is the main character and I love the way she picks herself up and moves on. In the same book her best friend, Fiona, has a great personality and I keep thinking about writing a follow up book of those two on an adventure. It seems to me that in my stories it is the support character that has all the good lines and fun. In An English Rose, for example, Bill, pops up from nowhere. He was nowhere in sight one minute and the next he was there and full of life. I really like Bill, he is a jolly, fun loving person. My characters just seem to arrive. I am a punster, not a plotter, so this happens when you create as you write.

Q: Do you have a routine you follow when you write? (i.e.listen to music, sit in a certain chair or at a certain desk)
No. I keep hankering after a desk and chair, but being vagabonds it is difficult to set up anywhere. I use a laptop and it can be on a table or on my lap. I can be in a house or in a motor home/camper van. I do not listen to music, but I do like a little bit of background noise, although I write more when it is quiet. I tend to write when I have to. If have a book due out, then I write like mad at the last minute. If I am creating a new story then I will sit and write till it’s finished, so I tend to get my stories written fairly quickly. They are novellas or short stories though, if they were full length novels, then I may have to revisit my methods.


Q: What was the first thing that came to your mind when your first book was published?
Woohoo, I am going to be rich.
Then reality hit. I actually have to publicize and market the book, which costs money. I’m still trying to learn the best method to sell books. I don’t think there is any one particular way, it is different for all authors, depending on time and place. Now I know what to expect; I did mention we were very naive!
 

Q: What is your favorite genre to read & write?
I much prefer to read thrillers, murder mystery or detective stories, something with a puzzle that needs to be solved. I write romance, erotica or literary fiction, as well as nonfiction. I would love to write a police or suspense story, but I’m not sure I would have the patience to work out a plot. In Romance or literary fiction, you can make it as you go along and as long as the story is believable, you don’t have to worry so much about facts. In detective or mysteries it all has to link together and procedure is important. I do also read romance stories, preferring older characters with a bit of spirit and loads of baggage.

Q: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world who would it be & why?
Answering this question right now at this time, it would be Tamara Ferguson. My friend and co-author of Mistletoe Kisses and Christmas Wishes. We spend hours daily emailing each other, whether it is about our books, marketing, publishing formatting or happenings in our lives. We have never met or spoken on the phone. She lives in Illinois and I am in Spain. I keep threatening to turn up on her doorstep.
I would so love to meet her and have a glass of wine (or a bottle), she has been such an inspiration to me. She works non-stop at publicizing, not just her own books for a lot of other people as well, all for free. She is regularly at number 1 and on top of all that is a full time carer to her grown son.


Q: Do you read all the reviews for your book(s)?
Yes I do, and take in any points that readers have to offer on ways to improve my writing. I am always happy to get a review. Whether it is one word or an epic. I don’t mind negative reviews as long as they are helpful. I know that I cannot please all readers all the time, and don’t expect to, but if something is bad, then I would like to know what. And of course, good reviews always give me a lift.

Q: Which do you prefer paperback, hardback or ebooks & why?
This is a difficult one. I like the flexibility of ebooks. I have the kindle app on my phone, so I can read where ever, whenever. I very often read at night, secretly if I can’t sleep, the phone light does not wake my husband. He often wonders why I am tired in the mornings. But, put me in a garden, or by a pool or beach and paperback wins hands down. There is something about actually having a book in your hands and turning the pages. I like to share my books as well, which you can’t do with ebooks. But when travelling, ebooks win again.

Q: When you aren't writing what do you do to relax and have fun?
Go out for a meal with my husband, spend time with my family or cooking. I do not always have a kitchen, so now being in a house in Spain for a year, I am making jam, cakes, and the freezer is full of stews etc.

Okay now some fun ones:
Q: What are your favorite types of heroines? Do you like the damsel in distress who needs saving or the kick-ass variety? Why? Kick ass, ones that have spirit and go out and do it. Because they have more interesting things to say
Q: Can you tell us about your worst date ever?
Q: What is your one “guilty pleasure”?
Q: What is or was your most embarrassing moment or the craziest thing you have ever don’t? Come on you can’t hold out on everyone. LOL
Q: Do you have a favorite love scene from a book or movie? Which book/movie & scene? It would have to be the cafe scene from When Harry met Sally, which is not really a love scene, but it makes me laugh and I wish I had the guts to do something like that

How about a little of This or That:
Coffee or Tea?  Coffee
Chocolate or Vanilla?  Vanilla
Kinky or Sweet? Sweet,
Tall, dark & handsome or blonde, surfer type?  both
Dine in or Dine out?  Dine out
Sunset or Sunrise?  Sunset….sunrise is too early
Steak or Chicken?  steak
Cats or Dogs? Cats
Dom or Sub? Dom, I’m much too bossy to be a sub.
Summer or Winter? Autumn
Shower or Bath? shower
Beer or Wine? Wine
Scary or Comedy? comedy
Biker or Billionaire? Biker
Thong or Commando? Commando
Rock or Country?  Rock
Pink or Black? black

ALLYSON THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE SO MY READERS CAN GET TO KNOW YOU.  EVERYONE MUST CHECK OUT MSTLETOE KISSES AND CHRISTMAS WISHES.  I WILL BE POSTING MY REVIEW OF BOTH BOOKS VERY SOON.