AuthorLife: New Beginnings
Title reveal, return of our podcast, a new milestone, and a soon to be GRAD!
Hello and Happy May!
I hope you’re enjoying this season of new beginnings.
First, thank you for your kind messages and well wishes—I really appreciate your support. 🩵
Second, today’s fun accomplishment: this is my 100th newsletter!
It’s hard to believe I’ve gone from natural resource professional to political candidate to self-employed editor to now an author, speaker, and podcaster—what a long, strange trip it’s been. And, excitingly, there’s more to come!
Thank you so much for being part of my journey.
FABULOUS Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Absolutely loved this book. It’s honest, uplifting, and a reminder that it’s okay to not have everything figured out.”
— Bliss🎁 Looking for a meaningful gift for mom or the soon-to-be grad in your life? Click HERE!
🎙So, What’s Your Process?
The podcast where Kyle & I talk with creatives from all fields about what they do and how they do it.
S.3, Launch Episode: Ally & Kyle
If you missed the Season’s launch episode, watch now to learn about the exciting things our Season 1 & 2 guests have been up to—awards, accolades, new shows, book releases, even a wedding engagement!
S.3, Episode 1: Actor, Writer, Director & Filmmaker, Erik Jensen
Actor, director, filmmaker, activist, husband, dad, survivor, and creative juggernaut…You won’t want to miss our Season 3 kick-off episode! Click below and learn how Erik approaches his projects, how his art intersects with activism, how he overcame stage 4 cancer, and what it was like to make a film with his wife, then co-star in it with his daughter.
👉 Subscribe HERE to get notified when new episodes drop.
👉 Click HERE to watch past episodes.
📑 Title Reveal: Safe as Deep Water
Character-driven New Adult romance with a suspense subplot ❤️🫣
Until today, I’d told only four people my updated title for the manuscript formerly known as Hidden Nature, and now I share it with you.
I don’t plan to share the new title more broadly just yet, in case I decide to tweak it, but water, rhythms, and renewal are key underlying themes, so I think it works.
I’d love to know if you agree.
If you have an Amazon account, please follow me so you’ll be the first to know when my book comes out. Click HERE.
🖊Jack & Ginger: An Unexpected Friendship
A Middle Grade adventure story about a mouse who befriends a cat.🐱🐭
Okay, so much drama on this one. In a nut, last week, I suddenly went from 3/4 done to losing more than a week’s worth of revisions—that’s hours and hours of work gone in a blink!
I’ve since switched from Word to Google Docs, and have been assured this will never happen again.
Fingers crossed.
The one upside of being too upset to write, was that I had plenty of time to listen to my latest audiobooks—Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series (book recs coming soon) and catch up on a few British crime dramas.
I’m not sure how much work I’ll do over the next two weeks (see below for why), but am hoping to complete the first final draft by the end of June.
📚 What This Author Reads
Books I’ve read that you just might love (click book image or title for video link).
— Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
This book was recommended in my book club, and now that I’ve read it, I understand why it spent 26 weeks on New York Times best seller list.
“The farmer is dead and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”
That’s how the book opens.
We know there’s a trial, but we don’t know who died, who’s on trial, or why they killed the farmer. The story is set in England from 1955 to 1975, and the mystery unravels in a beautifully layered, nonlinear story. Ultimately, this story is about the human experience—love, loss, trauma, joy, forgiveness—all woven together in a rich, emotionally resonant tapestry.
I’m glad I read it.
— Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
I don’t normally read romance, but a fellow author recommended I give this one a try and I totally understand why.
So the basic premise is: Successful ER doctor meets small-town carpenter. Opposites attract. There are lots of miscommunications and misassumptions. And the couple lives happily ever after.
But what makes this book work is the dialogue and interiority. The characters feel real, the banter is genuinely fun, and the emotional moments are very relatable.
It’s a great contemporary romance.
👉If you read either book, I’d love to know what you think.
👉If you need a copy of Broken Country, click HERE or at ThriftBooks.
👉If you need a copy of Part of Your World, click HERE or at ThriftBooks.
👉If you’d like to suggest a book for me to read, please do!
On the Non-Work Front 🌸
My daughter graduates college next week!
Like every loving mom out there, I am so incredibly proud of all the hard work she’s put in to get to where she is—great grades, academic honors, president and founder of CHAARG (a women’s empowerment group), and continuing her transition to financial independence.
Kyle and I will be traveling out for the graduation. I plan to stay for ten days, so probably won’t get much work done. One thing is for sure, though—I’m excited for what my fave girl’s next steps will be. ✨
For all the moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day. For all the soon-to-be graduates out there, congratulations!
Warmly,
Ally
P.S. There’s still time to get a copy of It’s Okay Not to Be Fabulous Every Day for that soon-to-be grad in your life. 🩵
