Q: How long have you been writing and what other careers or jobs have you had?
Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Critical Diagnosis?|
Alison Stone interview with Susan Sleeman
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July 14, 2014
A. I started writing after my oldest child was born. He recently graduated from high school. I started writing children’s stores and articles and eventually made my way over to romantic suspense. Before writing, I was a manufacturing engineer in the automotive industry. Q: Do you write in only one genre and if so which one and why? If not, which ones and why? A: To date, I only write romantic suspense. I have tried my hand at sweet contemporary romance, but I’m not sure what to do with my characters for a full book when I don’t have a villain chasing them. Q: How does your faith play into your writing? A. I write for Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense where faith is always an element. I grew up with a strong Christian faith. I like weaving the faith element in, yet I like to keep it understated so as not to sound preachy. Q: How do you choose your settings for your books? A. So far, most, if not all, of my books are set in fictional small towns right outside of Buffalo, New York. I like making up towns so I don’t have to worry about getting facts straight like I would if they were real towns. My friends from Buffalo also seem to enjoy the references to landmarks in and around my hometown Q: Do you base your characters on people you know or are they totally made up? A: A little of both, but I won’t say which part.
A: Dr. Lily McAllister is a researcher desperate to find a cure for a disease that killed her mother and afflicts her niece. James O’Reilly has just returned from a tour of duty as an Army physician and works with Lily at both the pharmaceutical company and a free healthcare clinic. When it becomes apparent someone wants to hurt Lily, James vows to protect her. Q: Where did you get your inspiration for this story? A: Critical Diagnosis evolved from a story idea I had years ago. I used to be a quality engineer for a major pharmaceutical company. I always thought the researchers had more glamorous jobs than us engineers. Anyway, I decided to make my heroine a researcher who had something personal at stake. The story grew from there. Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story? A: Even in the most desperate of circumstances, there is always hope. Q: Tell us what you like about the main characters of this book. A: I love how smart and determined Lily is. In real life, I am inspired by strong, intelligent woman. They serve as great role models for today’s young girls. Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now? A. I am currently working on copyedits for Plain Peril, my second Amish suspense book due out in February 2015 from Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense. Q: If money were no object what vacation would you like to take and why? A. Anywhere warm by the ocean. I love to sit under an umbrella and read and listen to the waves. Q: What is the silliest thing you have ever done? Q: What is the hardest thing you have ever done? A. Say goodbye to my big sister. She died of cancer when we were both in our twenties. Q: Where can readers find you on the internet? A. Website: www.AlisonStone.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlisonStoneAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alison_Stone Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5828950.Alison_Stone Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us? A. It took me years to learn the craft of writing before I finally sold to Harlequin. I would like to encourage anyone who has a dream, whether it be to write or something else, keep at it. Be persistent. Continue to grow. You can reach your goals as long as you work hard and don’t give up. |
Alison Stone left snowy Buffalo, New York and headed a thousand miles south to earn an industrial engineering degree at Georgia Tech in Hotlanta. Go Yellow Jackets! She loved the South, but true love brought her back North.
After the birth of her second child, Alison left Corporate America for full-time motherhood. She credits an advertisement for writing children’s books for sparking her interest in writing. She never did complete a children’s book, but she did have success writing articles for local publications before finding her true calling, writing romantic suspense.
Alison lives in Western New York with her husband of twenty years and their four children where the summers are absolutely gorgeous and the winters are perfect for curling up with a good book–or writing one.
Random Acts and Too Close to Home were released by Samhain Publishing in 2012. Plain Pursuit, a Harlequin Love inspired Suspense, is available now.
Besides writing, Alison keeps busy volunteering at her children’s schools, driving her girls to dance, and watching her boys race motocross.
