Archive for the ‘susie loves artists’ Category
Do you have a favorite place you love to go and eat? But when you’re there – you try different things on the menu? That’s the mindset I’ve used as a writer. I love writing in multiple genres – trying different things. Sometimes I believe rules can be ‘bent’ a little and I don’t always ‘write what I know’ or ‘stick to one type of writing’. My writing career starting for the stage. I was a playwright and composer of musicals. Interspersing an acting career in with it, I went on to write some short stories and then turned to a collection that had one thing in common: diversity. A novella about my half brother who was an addict and passed away at 34 years old. A novel about two brothers coming to terms with one brother’s sexuality and how religion played a huge part in their lives. A children’s picture book about autism awareness through the eyes of the child with autism. And coming up in April, a novel of a woman in search of her past so that she can move on with her future.
I love to set my stories in different locations and then study about that area. I change the religious and educational backgrounds of my characters in each story. I feel being a male writer should not preclude me from writing in the first person voice of a woman or the mindset of a child. Music also plays a huge part in my writing and I find myself listening to the music my characters enjoy. All of this is different from who Greg is as a person. Yes, there are pieces of me in what I write – but nothing excites me more as a writer than learning something new to share in my work.
All writers have different approaches to what they do. It seems with me, ideas always come as I’m about to go to sleep at night so I have to jump up and write some notes. (So much for a good nights sleep.) Sometimes I outline out the entire book, other times I let the story grow and develop as I write. But always inevitably, the characters lead the story where they want to go and something always changes from where I thought I was first starting out. For me, this adds great excitement to what I’m doing! It goes back to the ‘bending rules’ because you may not always get what you expect from a Gregory Allen story. A friend told me once that I tend to always add a twist so that readers can’t guess where it is leading. I don’t think I do it on purpose, but I’m glad to not tell the ‘guy gets girl’ story over and over. I love to see characters that are in some sort of adverse situation and watch how they can maneuver themselves through it. Sometimes they may be likable and you really root for them. Other times, you may want to shake the character around the neck – but still find ways to empathize with them.
It goes back to that favorite restaurant. My dream is that readers would say “I really love to check out what Greg has cooking up…and this time, I’ll try the spicy meal!”
You can keep up with Gregory G. Allen on Facebook or Twitter. Or check out his ‘restaurant’ to see if there is something that makes you hungry.
Don’t be scared this Friday the 13th! Fill your Kindle with 13 free books from Amazon!
The books:
1. Darker By Degree by Susan Branham and Keri Knutson – A missing girl. A mysterious break-in. A brutal murder. Actress Maddie Pryce is looking for her big break, but finds herself at the center of a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. Soon she’s tangled up with a persistent detective, a driven director, a playboy producer, and an unstable ingenue. Can Maddie unravel the clues before her next role is as a serial killer’s victim?
2. Diary of Murder by Jean Henry Mead - Dana Logan’s wealthy sister, Georgi, dies and Georgi’s husband claims it was suicide. Dana knows her sister would never take her own life and sets out to prove it was murder, with her friend, Sarah Cafferty. During their investigation, they stumble over more bodies and place their own lives in jeopardy when they encounter a vicious drug ring.
3. Ghost Island by Bonnie Hearn Hill – Is Aaron a dream, or is he something much more deadly? Livia Hinson has just begun a Seminar at Sea when a storm hits their boat. Now, she is stranded with the other students on an island off the coast of California. Far away from her foster home and her heartbreak, Livia finds Aaron, the perfect love. But the only way they can be together is in her dreams.
4. Kiki Lowenstein and the Purple Passion: A Kiki Lowenstein Short Story by Joanna Campbell Slan - When a customer’s daughter is falsely accused, Kiki Lowenstein foils a nasty plan to ruin the girl’s reputation. Mystery, crafts, recipes, humor, romance/short story.
5. One Small Victory by Maryann Miller – the story of one woman’s courage. Suspense novel by Maryann Miller, based on a true story of a woman who infiltrated a drug ring and helped bring down a major distributor in her small Texas town. Don’t discount what a mother can do to protect her children. First published in hardback, now available as an e-book and as a trade paperback.
6. Rock & Roll Homicide by RJ McDonnell – The 1st novel in the Rock & Roll Mystery Series finds PI Jason Duffy helping the widow of a slain rock star after she climbs to #1 in the police suspect charts. Duffy, an inexperienced former club musician, sorts through suspects ranging from band members to the Russian Mafia in this rocking whodunit. 4.67 Star Average.
7. Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba – After starring on a hit game show set aboard a Tall Ship, personal trainer Cassidy Novak discovers that she has attracted a stalker. Can she trust Zach Gallagher, the gorgeous newspaper photographer assigned to follow her for a local series? As things heat up with the stalker and with Zach, soon Cassidy will need to call SOS for real. “Easy read and extremely well written.” Stephenie LaGrossa, Survivor; “I could not put this book down.” Book Club Queen
8. Southeast Asian Quartet by William S. Shepard – Mystery, suspense and murder in Southeast Asia in the style of Somerset Maugham, these four tales evoke Singapore, Borneo, Malaya and Indochina. Perhaps you’ll solve the disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Thai Silk King, missing for 35 years. Draw up a chair at the Raffles Bar and join us!
9. Taken by Debra Lee - Welcome to the fictitious little town of Watery, Pennsylvania where the district attorney’s personal secretary, Mary Murray never planned to become a single mom or a suspect in her infant’s disappearance, but she plans to find Jena before she suffers the same fate Mary’s younger brother had when he was taken twelve years earlier.
10. The Four Last Things by Timothy Hallinan – Hired to follow a young woman, private eye Simeon Grist becomes mired in murder and a million-dollar religious scam in The Four Last Things, the first in a series of highly-praised LA private-eye novels written in the 1990s by 2011 Edgar nominee Timothy Hallinan. The Drood Review called it “One of the 10 best books of the year.” Publisher’s Weekly: “Very satisfying;” Booklist: “a sure winner.”
11. When a Man Loves a Woman: Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Alina Adams – Can a man and woman ever truly be just friends? What about if one of them is married? What if one of them suddenly isn’t anymore? Originally published as a paperback by Dell in 2000, the 2011 e-book re-release multimedia edition now features all the text of the original, plus a bonus musical soundtrack to compliment the story! A romance from mystery author Alina Adams.
12. Willowtree by Mike Bove - Bruce DelRano, retired postman, golf and food nut, finds a body near the golf course. He believes the murder is connected to others and involves his Apache friend. Together, they stay a step ahead of the police in trying to solve the cases. They uncover dark secrets of a close knit group of friends in the town of Willowtree, Arizona. This is a fun read with some interesting characters.
13. Whispering by Gerrie Ferris Finger – Will Cleo Snow admit to making love with charming World War I fly-boy Graham Henry to clear him in the disappearance of an island woman who claims he plans to marry her? Will Graham compromise Cleo to clear himself? With her spirit firmed by deceit, Cleo vows to uncover the truth and keep her secret.
I’d love to hear which ones you got and which ones you read! Check back with me!
You are cordially invited! I’m going to host the inaugural twitter party featuring artists!
First up: my dear twitter friend and one of my favorite authors to date: Terri Giuliano Long (here’s her twitter)! She wrote the touching and oh so very real novel In Leah’s Wake. Here’s my review!
On Thursday, December 15, 2011, at 8pm eastern/7pm central, I will be chatting with Terri on twitter. This is an opportunity to ask her questions! This is an opportunity to get to know her better!
I really hope you’ll join us! RSVP in the comments! Comment questions you want to ask! Please let your friends know! Tweet about it using the hashtag #susielovesartists. The more the merrier!
