*** Allie will be drawing a name from the people that leave her a comment at the end of her post, for a chance to win a free ebook copy of Teardrops of the Innocent!
Please help Wee Darby and me make Allie feel welcome by leaving a comment ~ or two 🙂 All right then, lets find out a wee bit more about Allie and her newest release:
Teardrops of the Innocent
Allie, tell us a little about yourself.
Hi, Patty, thanks so much for having me on your blog today. I grew up in Virginia and from the time I was 10, I loved reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden mysteries, never suspecting they would inspire me to two careers. After a long first career in law enforcement, I finally retired and had the time to start writing the many stories that have been in my head all my life. Because of my police career, I always figured my first books would be some kind of a police story, but that’s not how it turned out.
What inspired you to write Teardrops of the Innocent: The White Diamond Story as your debut?
I’ve been interested in family ancestry for a long time, and in the past ten years have delved into the family histories of my family as well as my husband’s. I always knew that one of my mother’s grandmothers was French, but I never had much information. Then I had an interesting conversation with my then 88-year old uncle just before he died. He was the last surviving sibling of my mom’s family and he mentioned that we had a French ancestor who was a Revolutionary War hero. I was very fortunate to discover that the genealogy had been posted by another researcher, where I learned my ancestor came from France to fight against the British in Canada, and he married a woman from Acadia. After the war, many French and locals were expelled for supporting the fight against the British, and the family settled in New York and eventually spread to New England states. These ancestors intrigued me and eventually inspired the colonial characters who appear in flashbacks throughout the True color Series. I got the idea to turn this into a ghost story so that my modern characters could discover their roots through genealogy research much the same way I did. However, their discoveries are enhanced by paranormal events. The main character, Stephanie, learns shocking news about her family and sets out to trace her family tree.
She knows she may find skeletons in the closet—she just doesn’t expect to find one buried in the back yard!
****Make sure you click on the “continue reading” icon directly below this sentence, so you can read more of Allie’s post and leave a comment 🙂
How did your story end up with a Virginia setting?
Well, after so much research went into locating the ancestors and developing the family tree, I didn’t want to conduct the necessary research to put the setting in an unfamiliar setting. I was anxious to create the fictionalized story right away! Virginia is rich in colonial history, and Portsmouth had significant events during the Revolution. I had chosen the year 1781 at random, and when I looked for events during that time, I found many references to Cornwallis and Benedict Arnold in Portsmouth at that time as the war moved toward its climax in Yorktown.
What are some of the paranormal events that occur in Teardrops of the Innocent?
Stephanie doesn’t pick up on the first subtle clues right away. Twinkling lights offer clues to hidden secrets, and warm air brushes her cheek as she gets closer to other clues. Unexpected shocks like static electricity occur when she meets certain other characters. But once she moves to Portsmouth, more spooky events occurred as the ghost tries to get her attention. Tanner, a four-year-old boy becomes the conduit for the ghost of a colonial child named Nicole to appear, and through him she implores Stephanie to find her missing “teardrop.” His family thinks he has created an imaginary friend out of boredom, but Nicole’s ghost appears to Tanner in both an adult form and a child form.
Would you like to share a wee bit about some of the main characters.
The heroine of the story is Stephanie Kincaid. After she discovers a safe deposit box containing family secrets, she begins her search for answers in Olde Towne Portsmouth. Stephanie first encounters Terry Dunbar, a vibrant attorney who is in a dilemma helping out a friend Mary Jo Cooper. These two will be the heroines in the sequels. Then a handsome firefighter enters the picture and Stephanie is instantly attracted to him, but makes a mortifying mistake before she learns who he truly is. And of course there’s Tanner, Terry’s adorable nephew.
Wow! What a fascinating story, Allie!
And I wish to thank you for sharing these wonderful photos with us! I thoroughly enjoyed the interview today, and hope you will visit with us again soon.
You can find out more of what Allie has in store for the future on Facebook by clicking here: Allie Marie
***Whoo Hoo!!!! Wee Darby promised we’d have a grand turnout, and he was definitely correct!!! I want to thank everyone so far, that has left comments today! Allie happens to be my 1st official guest!!! I am thrilled with all the responses, so “thank you”!!!! I also wanted to chime in here real quick, and let you know that Allie will announce her winners tomorrow, Friday, April 8th, at 5 pm Eastern Standard time. Now back to Allie . . . . . 🙂
Good morning, Patty. This is my first blog so I’m a bit nervous, but I know we are going to have a great day. I look forward to hearing from everyone.
Thank you for having me as your first guest on your blog. Not only will one person who comments win an ecopy of Teardrops of the Innocent, I will also send them an ecopy of your book, Mortal Magick!
Hugs,
Allie
Good Morning Allie! Wee Darby and I are delighted to have you with us today:) And nothing to be nervous about 🙂 Wee Darby has assured me, it will be a grand day and turnout! And, bless your heart, thank you for offering an ebook copy give away of Mortal Magick too! I’m sure there will be other surprises mentioned as the day goes on 🙂
Hi,
You said your own family history inspired you…did you find any of your characters in your own family tree,?
Hi, Jackie, thanks for dropping by. Great question. I would say that my colonial characters Etienne and Clothiste were definitely inspired by my real life ancestors Antoine and Theotiste. Although the events that happen to my characters is entirely fictional, we know in our family history that Antoine was a respected captain in the French Army fighting for America’s independence. He and his French Canadian wife lost everything because of this and left Canada, settling in upper New York.. His wife followed him in camp during the war, and quite possibly assisted with spying herself.
Thanks for joining us.
Love the pictures, by the way.
Hi Jackie and thanks for stopping by today and leaving a comment 🙂 Wonderful question!!!!
Thanks, Jackie, I love visuals!
I loved Teardrops of the Innocent! My question is, in the second book, will there be the same blend of supernatural with the past and present? I am looking forward to it coming out!
Hi Amy! What a great question 🙂 Can’t wait to hear Allie’s reply 🙂
Hi, Amy. So glad you liked Teardrops. Yes, in Heart of Courage: The Red Ruby Story, the second book of the series, the paranormal events become a bit more intense as the ghosts cross over from the past to the present. There are surprises and twists that even I didn’t know would happen until I wrote them. (I think my characters tell me what to do.)
I will be announcing the release date for Heart very soon.
Thanks for dropping by!
Lovely interview, Allie! Not an official entry (I have my well read copy already), but I just wanted to swing by and revisit these characters again. Wishing you both a lovely day 😀
Thanks for stopping by, Lyn!
Hi, Lyn, thanks for dropping by. Your support has meant the world to me as I started out on this journey. Tanner says hi, by the way. Maybe he is getting vibes from some of the characters in your books!
Have a great day.
I so loved Allie’s first book and hated to see it end. I am anxiously looking forward to the next one. Even her descriptions of her books capture the readers’ attention. She is definitely very talented.
Hi, Fran, thank you for the compliments. I am so looking forward to announcing the release of Heart of Courage and continuing with the characters. I’m on the third book now, which I intended to end the series. I might have to add one more to tell Louis’ story. Who knows.
Thank you for your interest and support.
You’ll do fine Allie!!! Look where you’ve come so far! Your book is amazing we are reading it now ! You know that Billy having lived down there and Oldtown is trying hard to figure out all of the mysteries! They keep him going. It’s quite funny! Billy is very well-versed in old town history.
Have a great day! Interested in your book is already becoming phenomenal. When someone text me in the night telling me I must read your book, you know it has to be good !!!
Good Morning Barbara! Allie and I are delighted you’ve stopped by 🙂
Hi Barbara, thanks so much for the kind words, and I am so glad you are enjoying the story. Whenever I have read a book with a locale I recognized, I felt more attached to the story and characters and I wanted to do that in my series. I tried to be as accurate as possible about the Olde Towne settings so that people who know the district recognize the real places and feel at home, and provide some historic value to those who are not familiar. It has been fun to write. And yes, Billy would know the area well!
Thanks for dropping by!
Delighted you’ve stopped by, Frances! yes, Allie is definitely very talented 🙂
Hi Allie – in creating the setting for your books, how true are you to the location since it is a real place? Are most of the street names the same as they are in real life or do you have a mix of true and fictionalized?
Hi, Angie, I hit the wrong reply button but hope you’ll find my answer below floating below my answer to Beth’s
. 🙂
Hello Allie. Fascinating post! I am from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia–family among the first Scots-Irish settlers–so am very interested in your Virginia setting. I’ve also written a series set during the American Revolution so am impressed you were also intrigued by the events in Virginia in 1781. 🙂 Best of luck with your book. Sounds great!
Hi Beth! thanks for stopping by today! Yes, you and Allie could have quite a discussion here 🙂
((Hugs))
Yes, we could. Lovely post, Patty.
Hi, Beth, Thanks for dropping by. Virginia can be a wonderful setting for books, can’t it? Through Patty’s website I also discovered your books and loved the similarities in our interests. You are on my TBR list, and I know you understand when I add that I haven’t made much dent in my books-to-be-read pile. Keep on writing. Who knows, maybe our characters will cross paths in a future book. ):
Have a great day!
Thanks Allie. We have a wonderful mutual friend. 🙂
Hi, Angie. Great questions! I did use a blend of true and fictionalized locations. One of the reasons I chose Olde Towne was because of my familiarity with Hampton Roads. I wanted to create a setting with historical accuracy, but did not want to do the necessary research to accomplish this with a New England locale. Portsmouth is rich in Colonial history, and I found it easy to put the characters right in the heart of Olde Towne. Some of the landmarks mentioned in the book really exist, such as the Portsmouth Lightship Museum and the Wyatt House that Stephanie looks at, and Colonel Crawford’s statue on High Street, but I purposely did not name a street where the cafe and other buildings are supposedly located. With the story’s ghostly occurrences, I did not want someone to mistake a real location for a truly fictional one. Thanks so much for dropping by and asking.
I have read and loved all your stories Allie. I can’t wait and tell you start writing more about your lot enforcement experiences!
Thanks, Sandi! You know I’ll be picking your brain for years to come. So many stories, and so little time
Hey Allie! I loved being able to “see” all the locations. Those things make the story so very real to me. Can’t wait for the next book!
Hi, Bonnie thanks for dropping by. I always hope readers connect with my characters and locations. It makes it fun to write these stories.
Hi Allie,
I read your book and loved it. I can’t wait to read the sequels. It is very exciting watching your author journey and has inspired me to persevere in my own writing. Thanks for all your encouragement.
Thanks for dropping by, Mary.your enthusiasm for Teardrops has meant a lot. I’m looking forward to making the announcement for the release of the sequel . And to hear about your progress in your own writing adventure.
Good morning! Just doing by to lend my support. I absolutely loved Teardrops of the Innocent. It was made even more personal to me because I randomly met Allie in Chili’s one day at lunch. It’s been wonderful to follow her on facebook as I am eagerly awaiting her next book! If you haven’t read it yet you must. It drew me in from the very beginning and kept me enthralled all the way through.
Hi Elizabeth, many thanks for dropping by. I’ll never forget that day in Chili’s when I stopped by your table to give out a brochure for Teardrops and you told me you had already gotten it because you had read about it in the newspaper article. I was so thrilled. It made my day.
It was pretty cool how it happened. It’s not often when someone tries to “sell” me something that I already have. I am very excited to see how the story progresses and the characters continue to develop. One of these days I will make it to an event your at to catch up!
I look forward to seeing you again.
Hello, Allie!! I’m so delighted to follow this blog on your work!! I love hearing the stories behind stories … Especially this one!! As you know, many in our country have no idea of the contributions the Québécois (the Canadians) made in our War of Independence … and the genuine sacrifices they made! So, with Teardrops of the Innocent, you bring that history forward … and in a terrifically compelling way!! Thank you!! Congratulations on the success of the debut of your series!! I’m looking forward to Heart of Courage: The Red Ruby Story!! Have a wonderful morning!!
Hi, Kitty, thank you so much for support. Your wonderful family tree unlocked the history of Antoine and Theotiste., and through you I’ve connected with other descendants . I look forward to the day we meet in person for the first time and salute our common ancestors.
Me, too, Cousin!! I’m SO proud of you … and I think, perhaps, our Antoine and Theotiste might be pretty tickled, too!! 😉 They have a most accomplished 4x-great-granddaughter!!
Hi Allie, what a great interview! I too am researching my ancestors and love how they inspired/encouraged you to to write this wonderful story. I may sound silly but I do believe they are with us always. I loved Teardrops and am looking foward to your next book!
Thanks for stopping by, Cathy. WARNING: Ancestry research is addictive. I have enjoyed the trek through my family’s past, but it is on hold while I write my books. I just saw the draft of the cover for Heart of Courage and I can’t wait to reveal it.
I am really enjoying the book!! And, being as we are called the grammar police, I am very impressed with your punctuation as well… LOL
Glad you are enjoying it, Suzanne. I am thankful every day for my fifth grade teacher, Sister Mary Edith, who taught me to diagram a mile-long sentence and punctuate properly. But if it wasn’t for the eagle eyes who proofread behind me, my typos would have slipped through. 🙂
Hi Allie, great informative interview. Nice series.
Thanks, Diane! Appreciate you dropping by. Have a a great day
Hi, Allie! Just wanted to say how neat it was to read a book that is set in my hometown! As a lifelong reader, I am always hunting for new authors to try and having read Teardrops, I can honestly say I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
Thank you, Lori, and I am so glad you enjoyed the Portsmouth setting. I hope to announce the date for the second book very soon! Have a nice day. 🙂
I am happy to read the blog and get to know you a little more. Thank you for entertainment and a good read. Best of luck to you…
Thanks for stopping by, Katie. Glad you liked the story and the blog. Enjoy the day
Thank you, Lori, and I am so glad you enjoyed the Portsmouth setting. I hope to announce the date for the second book very soon! Have a nice day. 🙂
Hi Allie! What a wonderful post! I loved reading about how your family ancestry played into your stories. So interesting! Best of luck with Teardrops from the Innocent. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Hi, Lane, thanks for coming by. It’s a pleasure to share this story. One thing we humans all have is ancestors 🙂 Enjoy your baby boy’s birthday, btw.
Hi Allie!!! I’ve read Teardrops and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book. I know you have it in for final proof and it should be published really soon. But, have you started book 3? And is there any possibility that these characters will reappear in other books?
Hi, Rebecca. I can’t wait to announce the dates of the cover reveal and the launch of the second book, Heart of Courage: The Red Ruby Story. Well, I have to wait a little while longer, but we’ll be announcing soon. In the meantime, I am making great progress on book 3, Voice of the Just: The Blue Sapphire Story. Scared myself silly in a scene I just wrote, lol. I had planned on only the three books, which represents the colors in our American flag and the missing jewels, but then one of the characters did something unexpected and added a new twist to the saga. So it looks like Louis’ story will come out in time for Christmas, with a green emerald ring at the center.
Thanks for stopping by the blog and asking. Have a great evening 🙂
My mother does ancestry. I have never had any real interest – mostly bc she comes out telling me are related to so many people – distantly- and Inhave a hard time believing that. But I can see the fascination! This sounds like a wonderful book. Good luck with it. Will there be a sequel?
Hi, Karen, You really never know who might be in your family tree. I have found a “French Connection” to a woman who came to Canada from France int he 1600’2. Some of her modern-day descendants include a very famous pop singer in the US, an equally famous French singer, and the current wife of a British prince, so technically my family is related to all three, and they are distantly related to each other as well. It can be fascinating. And yes, the sequel will be coming out very soon. Thanks for dropping by the blog and chatting with us!
Very interesting. Sounds like a great book.
Hey Kathy 🙂 Thanks for stopping by the blog! glad you enjoyed the post!
Hello, Kathy, thank you for dropping by to visit us. I’m quite proud of the book and the chance to share my stories. Have a great night.
Thanks so much to everyone who has stopped by so far. We’ll be around for a while longer, so ask all the questions you like. Tomorrow, we’ll announce someone’s name for copies of “Teardrops of the Innocent” and “Mortal Magick”.
Maybe Patty’s wee Darby will bring luck to another person who has commented as well. ;D
Hi Allie, I love the way your book mixes mystery with real locations and history from a local area that I’m familiar with. Looking forward to your next publication!
Thank for dropping g by, Beverly. I’ll keep you posted on the next release. Have a great night. 🙂
Hi Allie, I loved reading your first book. The blended of the present with the Revolutionary War era just makes me keep wanting to learn more about the characters. Of course since we share a common Revolutionart War soldier and family I feel a special attraction to the story line. I am so happy we met through our mutual ancestry search. Emily L’Esperance would be so proud with all that you have accomplished. From what I have read about her, she was a strong and determined lady. Can’t wait for book two!
Hi, Karen, our Emily certainly was a guiding force in putting our early records together. She seemed to influence me in this story, and I even could think I am her reincarnated (that may not be good English.) Your amazing family research opened up the L’Esperance side as Kitty’s did the Noel. Thank you for joining me on Patty’s blog today, we both have been thrilled. Have a great day!
All I can say Allie is ….. WOW! Just from the tidbits if insight that you gave it sounds like a wonderful read. I’d like to wish you luck on “Teardrops” success and on your next endeavor.
Hello, Terry, thanks for dropping by our blog. Appreciate your encouragement and good wishes. Have a wonderful weekend!
What a great book! Allie is a wonderful author and I look forward to her next book. Teardrops of the Innocent is a wonderful book which I just could not put down. I am one who hates to read and read it in about a week. Love the mix of Ghost/Mystery, Romance and Historical Fiction. 🙂
Hi, Lonnie, if you don’t like to read but you found you could not put down Teardrops of the Innocent, that’s a great compliment! I think you will like the new events the characters face in the second book, Heart of Courage. Thanks for taking the time to drop by and let me know you enjoyed the story. Haver a nice day!
Congrats on your first post, Allie! It’s a good one. You were so lucky to find an elderly relative who could help you with info about the period you were researching. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could somehow go back and chat with our ancestors? I loved Teardrops of the Innocent and look forward to reading book two.
Hi, Mairi! I’m so glad I was able to have that chat with my uncle before he passed away and learn that important clue to break through the ancestry. I would love to go back in time to meet the interesting characters that I have uncovered in the family tree.
I can’t thank you enough for your support during my writing adventure.
Wow Allie! What a fantastic response!!!! I’m sure everyone will agree, it would be wonderful if you can join us again, with updates on your future releases 🙂 Wee Darby just pulled his hand carved quill and leafy bound guest list tablet from one of his pockets, and is busy writing your name on the guest list again 🙂
I had a wonderful time and want to thank you, Patty, for all your hard work putting the blog together and handling the administration. It was a new experience for me, but because of you and the great visitors who stopped by. I’d love to visit with you and Wee Darby again and tell you what is happening with the True Colors Series. Best of luck to you with Mortal Magick.
I’ll drop back by at 5:00 with the name of the winner of the ebook gifts. Thank you,everyone for the fantastic support.
Ooops, I’m a little late getting back, but I just drew Bonnie’s name. I know Bonnie has already read Teardrops, so I will substitute an ecopy of Heart of Courage as soon as it is released, along with an ecopy of Patty’s wonderful book Mortal Magick. And for fun, I drew one more name. Karen Simpson, I’ll be sending you an ecopy of Teardrops.
Thanks again for your support, everyone, and to patty and Wee Darby.
Congratulations to Bonnie and Karen Simpson!!! and thank you, Allie for donating a gift copy of Mortal Magick, the 1st in my new Highlander Magick Series 🙂 I wish to take a wee moment and thank all our guests for taking the time to stop by, and to all of you that left a comment 🙂 And a special thanks to Allie ((hugs))
Wee Darby and I want to wish everyone a wonderful and magical weekend – and invite all of you to make sure you stop back often and keep an eye on my welcome page – Wee Darby has more talented authors lined up for this year! We look forward to seeing all of you soon! Bye for now ~