INTERVIEW With Jeffrey B. Allen

It is with Great Pleasure to present Author Jeffrey B. Allen to Today's Interview! Geri: When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer? Jeffrey: When I was just a boy, elementary school age, I started a local newspaper. Nella News it was called. Nella being backward for Allen, of course. I have also been blessed with a very overactive, and some say, strange imagination. That imagination led me into painting, instead of writing, although I remained an avid story teller.The decision to write GoneAway came after much prodding from my two grown children. Once I got started, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Geri: What type of books do you enjoy writing? Jeffrey: I write a form of fantasy that mixes with reality. Geri: Did a special person in your life inspire you to become a writer? Jeffrey: My father inspired me in so many ways. Also, my wife, daughter, and son. Geri: Have you written any books based on a true life story? Jeffrey: True life comes out in every author's work. In my case, GoneAway is about me. Every story I write will be about me. Geri: Who is your favorite author? Jeffrey: Hemmingway, Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clark Geri: Are your characters created from people you've known in real life? Jeffrey: Both, I am inspired by people I meet, good and bad. I use them as skeletons for my characters. Geri: How many books have you written? Jeffrey: GoneAway is my first published novel. Geri: Where can your books be purchased? Jeffrey: Amazon, Barnesandnoble, and all online book sellers. Geri: Describe how you felt the first time you were published. Jeffrey: When I picked up my book for the first time, it was as if my baby was just born. Three and a half years of writing, and a year to find a publisher was one of the most difficult things I had ever done in my life. Geri: Do you have any current work in progress? Jeffrey: Yes! My next novel "Beneath The Quarry Waters" is almost complete. Geri: What are some links to your websites? Jeffrey: www.jeffreyballen.com Geri: Do you have goals set for the future? Jeffrey: I want to reach to the highest peak I can. Why not? I think GoneAway would make a fantastic movie. Geri: Are you exactly where you want to be in your writing? Jeffrey: I want to achieve notoriety for my writing. I must keep writing! Geri: What can help authors reach their dream? Jeffrey: Work hard, work regular, work when you don't want to work. Read a lot, observe everything! Geri: Have you ever experienced writer's block? Jeffrey: No! Writer's block is an excuse, like I can't come to work today, because I have a cold. Geri: What can prevent it? Jeffrey: Take the words out of your vocabulary! Geri: As a child, did you have favorite books? Jeffrey: My mother read me, "Little Red Riding Hood, Mother Goose, The Brothers Grim." I read Hunter Thompson, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and more. Geri: As a child, did you enjoy reading a lot? Jeffrey: Most of the time, I went in stages. It was in high school that I really began to read. Geri: If you had the opportunity to one day live the life of a famous author, who would it be? Jeffrey: Besides Jeffrey B. Allen? I would have to say Shakespeare! Geri: Many authors feel a sense of self-satisfaction, self-achievement after publishing a book, can you relate? Jeffrey: Absolutely! Writing a good novel that people will read, finish, and enjoy is one of the hardest things a person can do. If one achieves that, the author has experienced much more. Geri: How do you balance occupation with writing Jeffrey: For twenty-eight years, I owned my own business. After selling it, I coasted for about a year. I finished GoneAway just after I sold the business. It's harder now, but I still write several hours a day. Geri: How did you feel at your first book-signing? Jeffrey: Kind of strange at first, but I am a born ham. I love attention, and I love to talk about my book. I love book signings, and I wish I could do more. Geri: If you won the lottery tomorrow, would anything change? Jeffrey: Nothing, except that I would have more time to write. Geri: As writers, we begin with a manuscript, and end with promotions. What was your most difficult task? Jeffrey: I thought writing the novel was hard work, but promotion is even harder. I am the first to admit that I need help with it. I'm actively looking for someone to promote my work, while I write. Geri: Some writers need to listen to music, or look at the ocean while writing. Do you have a particular scenery? Jeffrey: No, none at all. I pound away at the keyboard in short sentences. One on each line. That's how I stream my thoughts on to the page. Geri: If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be? Jeffrey: I like true science fiction, such as Arthur C. Clarke, or Michael Crichton. I would probably write in that genre. Although, I like the stretch that Larry Niven puts on it as well. Geri: It's been a pleasure, and delightful to work with you! Jeffrey: Thankyou! Geri: