Sometimes people are just so darn smart and interesting. Author Allen Boyer is all that and more. He's a family man, a teacher and author. He has written the popular (Bess Bullock Retirement Home Series) plus a few non-fiction books, and he is a fellow Cozy Catter! Here is my conversation with this talented gentleman.
Allen, is there someone, something or an event in your life that set
you on the road to being an author?
The character of Bess Bullock was born from two very special
ladies that I had the pleasure of knowing.
The first was a dear aunt, Mae Gruber, who could charm the socks
off of anyone. When I visited Mae at her retirement home, I watched how
she used her wit and smile around nurses and residents to motivate people to do
things for her.
My wife’s grandmother, Ruth Moore, was the second person who inspired me. Ruth had a sharp mind right up to the end of her life.
She lived to be one hundred. She took computer classes at a local
college when she was ninety-three years old. She read a few books a week.
She had lots of tricks to keep herself thinking throughout her time in a
retirement home.
These were the two ladies that really helped me form the character
of Bess Bullock.
What do you like about writing and what bugs you about it?
I love tinkering with words. Once I have a completed
manuscript, the tinkering begins. It’s the part of the writing process
that I could spend months on. I read James Joyce in college and the way
he used language has a big influence on my writing. I love listening to
how words sound and combining them in a way that is poetic to listen to.
What bugs me about writing? Well, my only qualm would lie in
how fast a reader wants a new book. I’ll spend nine months to a year on a
book, then a reader will tell me they read the book in a matter of days and ask
me when the next one is coming out. Wouldn't it be equitable to take nine
months in reading a book, since it took nine months to write it? Ha-ha.
Good point but it aint gonna happen, especially when it's a GOOD book.
Allen, how long have you been writing books and what other writing do
you do?
My first book was published ten years ago by a national publisher.
Arthur Ashe and Me was the name of the book. It was a Young Adult
novel that was part mystery and part biography. The book was sold on the
grounds of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in New York for a few years.
That was kind of neat. I wrote a second book about Roberto Clemente
and then a nonfiction book about the West Point Academy and some of its famous
graduates. Terribly challenging to write nonfiction. A bit more
tedious in how researching facts set the pace for how fast I could complete the
manuscript.
Please tell us about your protagonist. Is she--he a lot like you? What
are his--her assets and weaknesses?
I thought it would be interesting to
take a character with a heightened sense for observation and put them in a
place where there is an abundance of time to watch other residents. What
secrets would be uncovered? What mysteries would be discovered? For
a writer, it simply made for a situation that was begging to be explored.
What is the most amazing thing that has happened to you or that
you have done?
After I had my first three books published, my wife and I
had three children. That led to a long break from writing, but the
experience of parenthood really is an incredible ride. If I have to
choose between writing or playing blocks with my kids, I’ll pick blocks every time.
Where can we find your books, Allen---and is there anything else you would like
to say--such as a website or blog?
All of my books are available where books are sold online. I
also have a blog at allenboyer.weebly.com It is always such a privilege to
write a story that readers can enjoy. When I wrote my first book, I was
working at a private school and it was quite exciting to see students carrying
my book in the hallways or reading my book in classrooms. One day, I do
remember two young boys walking down the hall in front of me. One of them
was carrying a copy of my book. Before I knew it he pulled the book up
and cracked the other boy on the back of the head with my book. Both boys
giggled and I knew right then that one man’s success can be another person’s
headache. I’m pleased that the Bess Bullock series has found so many
devoted readers and look forward to continuing her adventures. You can
read more about the series at my blog: allenboyer.weebly.com
Thank you, Allen, for writing wonderful books for us to read, and for taking the time to share the inspiring story of your life as a writer, teacher and father.
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