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Destiny Allison writes narrative non-fiction/memoir, and she writes it in a no-holds-barred fashion that captures audiences across the globe. The Romance Diet: Body Image and the Wars We Wage On Ourselves was our pick for Grand Prize in the 2016 Journey Awards.

Join us in discovering what drives Destiny Allison.

Chanticleer: Tell us a little about yourself: How did you start writing?

Allison: I started writing at a very young age. My father was an aspiring writer and I wanted to be like him. I published my first poems when I was nine.

Chanticleer: Nine-years old? Wow! That is so exciting – Congratulations! When did you realize you that you were an author?

Allison: The day I released my first book, Shaping Destiny. There’s a big difference between being a writer and being an author. When you become an author, you can change people’s lives.

Chanti: Well said, Destiny. Thank you for that. What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.

Allison: I love to hike with my dog and I love to kayak, which is difficult because I live in the desert. Finding water is a constant adventure and a joy. I also own and operate several businesses. I think I was a social entrepreneur before the term was coined.

Chanti: You’re ahead of your time! How do you come up with your ideas for a story?

Allison: Most often, they come to me, as long as I’m writing regularly. When I try to force an idea, the writing typically isn’t good.

Chanti: Speaking of writing regularly, how do you approach your writing day?

Allison: With anticipation. I’m very disciplined when working on a project and I like to start early in the morning. I have to write at least 500 words every day, but usually, by the time I do, I have the inspiration for a couple of thousand.

Chanti: What areas of your writing are you most confident in? What advice would you give someone who is struggling in that area?

Allison: Memoir is my greatest strength. My advice to other memoir authors is simple. Be brutally honest, but don’t feel like you have to provide every detail. Lay bare the bones of your story – know why you’re telling it and what message you hope your readers will take from it – then concentrate on the details that craft that message. Be lush with your imagery, authentic with your dialogue, and borrow from fiction. Your aunt may have been wearing a green hat that day but giving her a red one might flesh out her character and add pop to your story. It’s important to work on your craft. What do you do to grow your author chops? Read, write, repeat.

Chanti: What do you do in your community to improve/promote literacy?

Allison: I sponsor readings, support my local library, and help local authors sell their books.

Chanti: That is so important – Thank you! Give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.

Allison: While we all love to see our work in bookstores, I’ve found that marketing outside the mainstream is more effective. I sell The Romance Diet in a local boutique and it does really well there because the subject matter is so close the hearts of that store’s customers. Knowing you market matters most when promoting your book.

Chanti: Very smart! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?

Allison: The most important thing a reader can do for an author is to leave a review. The next best thing is telling friends about the books they love and giving those books as gifts. Loaning a book is great, but gifting a book is better. Authors need to eat, too.

Chanti: Destiny Allison is also a sculptor and works in steel. Here is a quote from her blog:

Steel is exciting to me as a medium because it can have an exceptional softness in the final finish. I achieve a combination of organic forms and geometric shapes through the use of my MIG welder and plasma cutter. I create my colors by applying acid patina and heat to the raw metal, after the form has been completed. The combination of techniques allows me the freedom to explore relationships between emotional and intellectual responses to experience.

Reminds me of the editing process…Chanticleer

Thank you, Destiny Allison, for being a part of the Chanticleer Author Interview series! 

Now, readers, you know what to do:

  • Like & follow Destiny’s Facebook Page
  • Check out her books on her Amazon.com author page
  • Read her book and, you guessed it, write those reviews!

Here are Destiny’s other book links:

Pipe Dreams  and Bitter Root