Rising Stars: Meet Allie Slocum of Centennial

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allie Slocum

Hi Allie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Imagine you are so excited about something that you invite everyone you know to join you. The day comes and not ONE soul shows up! 
How do you feel? 
What do you do? 
Well, at eight years old, that was me with my writing club. I invited every third grader to join me to write books at recess.
(I’m sure you can’t imagine why no one did.)
I still wrote my little stories but that and other things disheartened the author in me. I completely stopped writing for about twenty years. Then almost ten years ago, I published my first book. Now I have a realistic character building fiction series for middle grade readers AND a spin off series of early chapter books that teach the parts of speech in fun ways. Oh yeah, and I have fifty kids in my writing club which consists of elementary students and high school mentors.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel like you can’t appreciate smooth road unless you’ve been through some challenges.
On that note, a few of mine were:
-High school teachers and their red pens

-Not being able to finish a story

-Getting married and moving across the country from Pennsylvania to Colorado
-Busyness in raising two daughters (although I love every minute)

-Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing

-Imposter syndrome

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Imagine a youngster in your life has been telling you lies. Or maybe they talk back or have no respect for you or themselves. Maybe they are going through a deep loss, whether friendship changes, dreams, or a death. Or maybe they have big goals and will stop at nothing to reach them, including barreling over you and anyone else in their way.

These are the topics that my characters deal with during their everyday, normal lives. Children relate to them because they aren’t super human creatures. They could be the kid sitting next to them in class. And in some ways when the books are read, that’s exactly who the characters become: a new friend on a journey to the same thing the reader is seeking.

Whether you are looking for a book you can feel good about handing to a young one in your life or you want something to read together as a family or in a classroom, the Character Club Series has you covered. There are discussion questions in the back, plus a glossary in each book. I’ve provided tons of lesson resources and activities for teachers and parents through my website below. We even have a summer reading challenge and book club guides coming in May.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
I give credit first always to my Creator and Creator of all Things. If you know, you know.
My 4th grade teacher played a big role in who I am as I still teach some of the lessons she taught me not to mention one of the reasons I wanted to become a teacher. She has also become a character in my early chapter books.
I’m grateful for my parents, husband and daughters, who also if you know, you know.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.characterclubonline.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allieslocum_author/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterclubonline/?view_public_for=1574414542868325
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChHVjN0b7hVjGIwU72YFAYQ?view_as=subscriber