Interview with Stephanie Albright

Author of Allie’s Choice

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I am originally from Amanda, OH. I now live in Fayette, AL.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

During my freshman year of college my dad moved to West Point, MS and I came down to stay with him for the summer and never went back. I lived in Charlotte, NC for a few years, then I came back home to this area. Not southern by birth, but southern in my soul.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I have always written stories since I was little using crayons. In 2012 I reconnected with a friend from elementary school on Facebook and she had just published her first book. We were writing buddies in elementary school. We wrote plays and had our friends act them out. So after I read her book, I got out some of the stuff I had been working on for years and finished up Allie’s Choice and hit publish on Amazon.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

They are weird! If you like weird, then you will love my stories! I am also I big history nerd, so if you like weird stories from history you will enjoy my novels.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I think people who are in tough situations or just want a new life. My stories are about second chances. It’s never too late to go after the life you want.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

I am a history nerd, so I have learned a lot of obscure historical facts while researching Allie’s Choice and The Storm. The most surprising thing I’ve found is that if you want to learn about the real people in history, go on a ghost walk in that city. The one in Georgetown SC is amazing, the tour guide dressed as a pirate lass and we learned so many stories of individual lives. There was a girl in Georgetown, a teenager, that the British were staying in her house and she spied on them and risked her life to leave notes in the cemetery for the patriots. That’s my favorite story.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

I would tell myself to write every day and to let other people read it.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I want to reach everyone that needs to here that there is always hope and things can get better. Any second something could happen that will change everything,so don’t give up!

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

I hate formatting. It looks perfect until you upload and then it looks like a four-year-old did it! lol

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I have learned to let the story flow how it wants to, I can’t harness it or drive it. My characters are very strong-willed.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Marketing for sure. Writers are not extroverts so marketing is a nightmare!

When do you think you will write your next book?

I have two in process right now. I never work on just one at a time, that’s why it takes me so long to finish anything! lol

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I am self-published. I feel that the public should get to hear all voices, not just the ones that the major publishing houses allow.