Every mother’s heart holds a bit of magic…her children’s love. Enchantment awaits in 12 new, previously unpublished-stories, by #1 bestselling and/or multi-award winning authors from across the globe. Captivating tales of romance or fiction fashioned from loving memories, these poignant stories are sure to touch your heart.
10% of proceeds from this anthology will go to the National MS Society for research.
Scribed
Inktera (formally Page Foundry)
Tolino
AN INTERVIEW WITH Allyson R. Abbott
One of the Authors FROM
MOTHER’S DAY MAGIC Anthology
#1 Best Seller and 4 times 5★ seal award from Readers’ favorite
The Story I’ve Contributed Is
An English Rose
A Mother’s Love, A Love Inspired
At eighty-five, Rose fears her usefulness and independence are shrinking. Her grown daughters have full lives, and Rose worries if she’s a burden to them. After meeting Bill, a spark of laughter and purpose comes flooding back into her routine, especially when her happy healthy family reveal a few cracks and turn to her for advice and support. And Rose blossoms, opening her heart to accept new challenges.
Allyson R. Abbott, British romance author, always finds a way of encouraging the reader to become attached to her characters. Using wit, humour and real life situations the protagonists could be your friend or neighbour.
What Was The Inspiration For Your Mother’s Day Magic Story?
My own mother. She is a great inspiration for me, even at 86yrs old, she is always on the go and her social life is more active than mine, even though she is visually impaired. She has a wicked sense of humour and laughs at everything, enjoying all she can in life.
How much research was involved in writing your story? How did you go about it?
I just sat and thought about my mum, it was easy and pleasurable.
How often do your characters surprise you by doing or saying something totally unexpected?
I’m a panster, and write as I go along. Bill, In An English Rose, was a total surprise, he came out of nowhere, but is such a loveable, jolly character.
Do you miss spending time with your characters when you finish writing this story?
I have a habit of trying to think about a follow up book, to keep the characters alive. I just can’t let go. I am the character, when I am writing, so I know they have so much more to give. I find it hard to remove myself from a book.
What writer has been your biggest inspiration?
I am great lover of the classics, especially by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. I love the way they subtly use humour. Most of my books have a humorous element. I also enjoy a Lee Child book and now, of course, having found his books, Cary Allen Stone. I am always in awe of writers who can weave a good plot. To round of my inspirations, I also need to add Janet Evanovich to my list. I love a book that makes me laugh out loud, and the Stephanie Plum series are so funny, I have read them all. I have just found a new author, Aimee Horton, her book Mother’s Ruined, had me howling with laughter.
What non-writer had the most influence on your life and why?
My husband, only recently married, but he has such faith in my abilities and is so supportive, he makes me believe that I can do anything. When you have someone at your side to lean on and trusts you explicably, if gives your live a boost and opens so many doors.
How important is the choosing of character names to you? Have you ever decided on a name and then changed it because it wasn’t right for the character?
The name of the character usually pops into my head as I write. If it doesn’t I will just leave a line XXXXXX until it reveals itself to me. As most of my writing is about people over 40yrs old, and sometime a lot older. I often think of friends or relatives names, of that era, that will suit my characters.
Do you allow others to read your work in progress, or do you keep it a secret until you’ve finished your first draft?
I usually share my work with my husband, by reading it aloud to him. This also helps me to edit it. If it is clumsy in speech or just doesn’t sound right then I can change.
What inspired you to write your first book?
For the first time in my life I actually found I had time on my hands. I had always wanted to have a go at writing a book, I think most people do, but I realised that there was an indie movement, and now was a good time. When my niece-in-law to be, celebrated her first published book, it took me by surprise. It gave me a push. I thought if my niece can do, so can I. So I took pen to paper and started writing.
What might we be surprised to know about you?
I like nothing more than to sit in an English pub with a pint of real ale in my hand. I really miss a good British beer, during my travels. I spend most of my time on the road, or at least abroad somewhere, flitting from one continent to another. It is a great life.
In Addition
An English Rose, was inspired by my mother. She is 86yrs old and has macular degeneration and is now registered as blind. Along with her deteriorating hearing, diabetes, asthma and extremely delicate thin skin, she drags herself to church every Sunday to make her peace with God. Her middle name is Rose, and she is a happy and active senior. Now she has a mobility scooter, she is never at home. Nothing seems to slow her enthusiasm for life down. Losing her sight has stopped her from her many hobbies of Green Bowling, painting, pottery, sewing, reading, but she still struggles on with her knitting, and laughs about all the air-holes that appear through dropped stiches. She talks about her numbered days, and then books a holiday abroad. I just love her to pieces.
About the Author
I love to travel, but I also need to work. Being an author allows me to combine both of activities and has the added bonus of life being an adventure. I never know where I will be sitting writing from one year to the next. As I write this, I am in South Africa, in February I travel to Spain for a few months and by June, in the USA. It is a great life, if you don’t mind a little insecurity.
I try to bring a little of my adventurous personality into my stories. Being a ‘mature aging gracefully’ woman, I feel akin to the problems of aging and relationships. I spent many years on my own before finding my truly remarkable and very patient partner who I happily gave up my whole world for. My stories are about mature relationships with mature people. People who have character and humour, who have a history; people just like us.
I like to call it Hen Lit, Not Chick Lit, but they are not just about falling in love. They are about real relationships and adventure.
LINKS:
Email Address Allyson.Abbott@hotmail.com
Webpage http://www.AllysonRAbbott.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/AllysonRAbbott
Facebook www.facebook.com/AllysonRAbbott
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/aabbott0517/
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/AllysonRAbbott
Google Play http://bit.ly/1NBlDxP
Goodreads www.goodreads.com/AllysonRAbbott
Blog Page http://allysonrabbott.blogspot.co.uk/