Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brook Allen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Brook, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
As I was invested in writing the Antonius Trilogy, one well-known author of historical fiction kept coming to mind. Bestselling internationally-known author Margaret George’s book THE MEMOIRS OF CLEOPATRA had influenced and inspired my own work so much. I simply wanted to tell her.
I wrote her a simple thank you note via her agent, figuring that if I were a bestselling author, I’d want to know I’d inspired someone else. Two weeks later, I got a HUGE email from her. She wanted to hear more about my work, and after a few weeks, we were emailing one another all the time. In a few months, she invited me to an author conference where she was speaking, so that we could meet.
Anyway, as it grew near to the time that my own book would be launching, my editor kept encouraging me to request that Margaret consider “blurbing” my book’s front cover–a term we authors use to write a brief statement of endorsement. Finally, I emailed her and asked. She wrote back within thirty minutes, stating that she’d LOVE to do this for me.
I was floored. How many debut independent authors get to meet their favorite bestselling author AND have her write a blurb for their book? To this day, Margaret George and I have a close friendship and I consider her my mentor.
Brook, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have always loved writing. To prepare for the deep research needed to write the Antonius Trilogy, I completed a Masters program at Hollins University, emphasizing classwork in Ancient Roman studies. My Antonius Trilogy is a detailed account of the life of Marcus Antonius—Marc Antony, which took fifteen years to complete.
The first installment, Antonius: Son of Rome was published in March 2019. It follows Antony as a young man, from the age of eleven, when his father died in disgrace, until he’s twenty-seven and meets Cleopatra for the first time. The Trilogy’s second book is Antonius: Second in Command, dealing with Antony’s tumultuous rise to power at Caesar’s side and culminating with the civil war against Brutus and Cassius. Antonius: Soldier of Fate is the final book in the trilogy, spotlighting the romance between Antonius and Cleopatra and the historic war with Octavian Caesar.
My research for the Antonius Trilogy led me to Italy, Egypt, Greece, and even Turkey, exploring places where Antony once lived, fought, and eventually died. While researching abroad, I consulted with scholars and archaeologists well-versed in Hellenistic and Roman history, specifically pinpointing the late Republican Period in Rome.
I belong to the Historical Novel Society and attend conferences as often as possible to study craft and meet fellow authors. In 2019, Son of Rome won the Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year Award. In 2020, it was honored with a silver medal in the international Reader’s Favorite Book Reviewers Book Awards and also won First Place in the prestigious Chaucer Division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards, 2020.
My next project will launch on March 8, 2024. It’s titled West of Santillane, and is the untold story of Julia Hancock, who became explorer William Clark’s first wife. It takes place in the early 19th century–quite a jump from antiquity! However, it’s been a delight to research characters and their period throughout my home grounds of southwest Virginia and on into Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, and Idaho. West of Santillane will launch on March 8, 2024.
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At present, I teach full-time as a Music Educator in a rural public-school district . My personal interests include travel, cycling, hiking in the woods, reading, and spending downtime with my husband and big, black dog, Jak. I live in the heart of southwest Virginia in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
DON’T GIVE UP!
As a writer, one has to have extremely thick skin. I have had to re-write material so many times, that if I wasn’t already aware of what it takes to complete a novel, I’d be embarrassed to admit it. However, each time I’ve had to rewrite an entire book or segment of a book, it’s been rewarding and I’ve seen my work blossom and grow, making me tougher and better at the craft.
Antonius: Son of Rome was one of the books I had to completely re-write, as I removed multiple points of view characters, making Marcus–my protagonist–the only point of view. With West of Santillane, I had to go back through the book and remove all traces of my first attempt at making it a “diary” styled work. My editor and I agreed that writing it that way was far too contrived. I needed to rewrite it in “real time”. Then I had to add a huge plot-line that was fictitious, but had to be plausible, all the while keeping the history that is known, intact. It was the toughest writing I’ve ever done, so this next book was written with real blood, sweat, and tears.
Writers have to have stubborn work ethics and “git ‘er done” attitudes.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Several years ago, I had the privilege of hearing bestselling author Jeff Shaara (Gods and Generals) speak. His closing words really blew me away: “Write what you want to write.”
Right now, in traditional publication, there’s this ridiculously narrow time-frame for historical fiction, from which agents and publishers are selecting material. It’s the main reason I’m still an independent author. However, being independent means getting to do exactly what Shaara said. I get to write whatever I want, in whatever time period I prefer. I don’t have to have a female protagonist unless I really want to.
I have plenty of friends who are traditionally published, and their top frustration is being coerced into writing what their agents want them to write. I could not be happy doing that, and writing is my happy place. If someone’s heart isn’t in their work, how can they be expected to create a story that sends emotion to readers? That’s not how I want to write.
Shaara was right. “Write what you want to write.”
At least independent authors have the ability to publish in this day and age–and do it in a classy fashion. The book industry is constantly changing, but writing what you WANT is important to this author.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.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: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard?ref=nav_profile_authordash
Image Credits
Photographer Jack Miles took my headshot, but I own the rights to them. Each of the book covers shared were designed by Jenny Quinlan. The photo of me with Margaret George is my own.