Today we’d like to introduce you to Brook Allen

Hi Brook, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

My interest in writing began in junior high. However, college forced me to buck-up and focus on a career, which I’ve pursued, and with which I’ve provided a living for thirty-four years.

About seven years ago, I got serious about trying to publish a manuscript I’d worked on for almost fifteen years. I attended my first writer’s conference and there, I met the woman who would wind up being my editor. She and I have a marvelous creative union and I discovered how vital it is to have an excellent working relationship with an editor, as well as fellow authors.

In 2019, I published the first book in my Antonius Trilogy–Antonius: Son of Rome. The other two books in the line-up followed; one later in 2019 and the other in 2020, during COVID-19. At that point, I had to sit back and ask myself: “What next?” I couldn’t travel or even enter most libraries. Any research would have to be done online and from an armchair.

Since I live in Virginia, I decided to write on a local story, and found that my heart was TOTALLY there. I hadn’t realized I could be that fired up about another project, but I was. This past March (2024), West of Santillane was published. It’s the story of young Julia Hancock, who married explorer William Clark in 1808. Their union took them all the way to St. Louis, where Thomas Jefferson had appointed him to be the head of Indian Affairs and Brigadier General of Militia. By the time they left Julia’s sumptuous home of Santillane, Julia was already expecting their first child. And her adventure takes off from there,

I find it amazing how producing a novel can transport me mentally through a learning process of research, creativity, and the temperance of hard work.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

For me, marketing is the toughest thing about independent publishing. Right now, we’re still climbing out of a recession and the first thing that’s compromised in a tight wallet is entertainment. And let’s face it–that’s exactly what books are: entertainment. And–there is such a glut of books available online. Having my book actually being seen is the challenge I face, along with every other independent author out there. And when you’re working a day-job on top of it all, time-management is imperative when it comes to activities outside of work.

I’d like to add audio books to my sales, so retirement is looking mighty inviting right now!

All that aside, things have gone exceptionally well for me, as long as I’m not dependent on making a living from selling books! Ha! The reason I write is because I love to do it. I’m learning that more and more as I pursue this dream of mine. My tangible success is in awards that my books have won and in the generous reviews of readers. Sure, it would be awesome to be agented, with a six-figure book deal, and have an advertising budget with my work seen internationally in bookstores and produced on the silver-screen, but I simply won’t waste time complaining. Besides, being indie means I get to write whatever I WANT. Nothing I write is dictated to me, which is often what happens among trendy publishers.

I simply write what I want–stories I become passionate about and that speak to me.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

As of now, my four books are all biographical historical fiction–stories based upon a historical person who really lived with a plot-line following their lives until they die or until a pivotal point in their life emerges.

I’m truly happy writing historical fiction. Unlike some people, I’m capable of entering a library, bookstore, or museum and spending 3+ hours researching, reading, and browsing. Time spent in my great room at home with research materials and my laptop is literally my happy-place. Let me alone and I’ll get busy on plotting, drafting, or editing my current project.

Some of my readers may have expected me to continue writing specifically about ancient Rome in some way. The Antonius Trilogy has been well-received by critics and it would have been easy to build a brand around that being my specialty, However, there is just SO much history from which to choose. I love American history, too. At this point, I may be sticking closer to my United States for a few more books. Will I ever return to writing about the ancient world again? Actually, I think it’s likely. My newest business cards say: Brook Allen~ History made alive. And that’s how I want my work to be remembered by readers. Let them believe that I take a character and help make that person come alive again through character, world-building, and plot. And if I can do that for a reader, then I am a success at what I do.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?

Books from other authors help me a lot, I’ve found. Just last week, I finished Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, and took a deep breath, thinking, “Wow, I want to write just like her when I grow up!” Of course, there are also occasions when I close a book and think, “Ugh. I don’t know if I can finish this…” Haha!

My point here is that I’m often able to read into an author’s plot-mind now. Before I was authoring books, I’d never been able to do that. But now? I do it all the time, often figuring out the story’s end prior to the book’s last page. But it’s those books that leave me guessing–the ones that have me staying up until 2am reading? Those are the ones that really open my eyes, despite a lack of sleep. I simply stand amazed at authors able to manage plot twists and surprises toward the end that make me shake my head for all the RIGHT reasons.

Pricing:

• Antonius Trilogy Books: Print Copies~$18.95, Kindle version~$5.99
• West of Santillane: Print Copy~$19.99, Kindle version~ $5.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brookallenauthor.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookallen54/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Historical.FictionWriter/photos/a.1921073788134240/274856848538 4762/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/1BrookAllen
• Other: BUY LINKS: Antonius: Son of Rome- https://mybook.to/0HMl Antonius: Second in Command- https://mybook.to/FQ9CeKf Antonius: Soldier of Fate- https://mybook.to/5bIc West of Santillane- amzn.to/48KZn3N

Image Credits

N/A. All photos are property of Brook Allen.