LKBR: Thank you for joining us today, Allen.
AB: Always a pleasure to chat with you, Lisa.
LKBR: Please
tell us a bit about yourself.
AB: I’m the author of
thirteen books for two different publishers.
I’m a husband and father of three children. I also have a one-year-old Golden Retriever
who insists on playing tug-o-war with me every night. So, in my house, it is a challenge to find
time to write.
LKBR: Please
tell us about your new book.
AB: Morning Mist and Murder is the title. It’s a murder mystery
that takes place in a small community in Pennsylvania packed with artists and
scholars. Since no one has experience
with a homicide investigation, the mayor recruits a new resident to help with
the case. August Summerfield is his
name. He’s a retired government worker who’s
more interested in bird watching than people.
He also has a sharp mind for details and is usually one step ahead of
other people.
LKBR: What
is your writing process? Do you have a certain order you use when starting a
new story, such as the crime, the characters, location?
AB: I actually started writing this
book twenty-five years ago. I wanted to
write a murder mystery and found myself stuck on a plot point, so I put the
manuscript away. Fast forward to 2020 when
I found the manuscript during lockdown and went to work. It was kind of like co-authoring a story with
a much younger version of myself. So, I
had this framework to work with, but a lot did change from the original story
to what was published in Morning Mist and Murder.
LKBR: How
many hours a day/week do you write?
AB: It can vary. I think a lot about scenes before I sit down
to write, so it comes out pretty quickly.
A good day for me would be about six pages.
LKBR: Do
you have a favorite place to write?
AB: Lately on my back
porch. I tend to listen to music while I
write. I find that some good
instrumental music really enhances the scenes that I work on.
LKBR:
Where’s the strangest place inspiration has hit?
AB: Lots of ideas
during a shower. Don’t know why but…it
happens.
LKBR: Are
you working on any new projects?
AB: I usually have two
manuscripts going at the same time. I
have about fifty pages done for another series I write. I’ve also been outlining the next August
Summerfield mystery.
LKBR:
Have you ever thought about giving up on writing? If yes, why? What kept you
going?
AB: My brain is wired
for writing. Whether fiction or
nonfiction, it comes pretty natural to me so, no, I’ve never thought about
giving it up.
LKBR: What
can you see yourself doing if you weren’t writing?
AB: I have two sons,
so we enjoy golf and tennis. My wife and
I like to get away when we can. Also,
our one-year-old dog needs lots of walks.
So I do have plenty of activities to balance out the writing. Time away from writing, for me, gets the
creative juices going.
LKBR: If
you could make one request of a reader, what would that be?
AB: Take your time
when you read and enjoy the story. As a writer,
I began with poetry in college. I was
lucky enough to have some published and then I progressed to short stories and
eventually books. Language and how words
sound together is something I put a premium on when I write. I just want the reader to appreciate that.
LKBR: Please let us know any links you have where we can follow you.
AB: https://allenboyer.weebly.com/blog/allen-boyer-an-authors-blog
LKBR:
Thank you so much, Allen! I’m looking forward to chatting with you again soon.
AB: Always a pleasure.
Hope you, like your readers, have a good summer of reading by the pool,
the garden or the beach.
With your recommendation and those fabulous book covers, I know that Allen B. Boyer, a new to me author, is an author I am going to love getting to know through his books. Enjoyed reading the interview and learning more about him too.
ReplyDelete2clowns at arkansas dot net
Fascinating Article about an author that I have not read yet. These books look fantastic. How much fun will this
ReplyDeleteBe to go through discovering everything here