Exclusive Interview with Dylan Allen
This interview with Dylan Allen may contain affiliate/referral links. It is a way for this site to earn advertising fees by advertising or linking to certain products and/or services.
HEA Novel Thoughts is excited to have romance Author, Dylan Allen, stop by and chat about her writing and her thoughts on Black History month.
What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t wearing your author hat?
Reading! It’s my first love.
What is the most recent book to make you cry?
Strange the Dreamer by Laine Taylor
What would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal? Why?
This is hard, but I think I’ll be fanciful instead of practical. I would love to be thought of as a unicorn. I LOVE the idea that they are rare and timeless.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
Making sure that their voice is REALLY clear. Not using words that a man like the one I’m writing wouldn’t. Also writing sex from a man’s perspective is hard because of course, I’ve never experienced it!
How do you select the names of your characters?
I usually pick names that just come to me…and names that fit the sketches I create. Or I use the names of people who I know well, or who I have crossed paths with and they left an impression.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
I make obscure references to other books, music, recipes, sort of like inside jokes that only someone who’s watched the movie, knows the song well, has read the book would get. But I’ve never gone any deeper than that.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It takes me about 5 weeks to actually write it. But research, rewrites, etc, they can add a good chunk of time. So all in all, 2 months.
What does Black History Month Mean to you?
Black History Month is a chance to highlight often under read books, under recognized events, under studied historical figures and to reflect on the nation’s journey toward racial equality.
If you could go back and give your younger self advice, what would it be?
Work harder.
Do you have any tips or hacks that help you stay organized in life, writing or social media?
Write everything down – I make lists and live by them. I also have a self control app that blocks my social media access for blocks of time that I can adjust. It helps me stay focused.
Do you relate more to one of your characters than the others?
I think I relate to Lilly, in my upcoming story Release more than any other. She’s complex, loves big and is very sensitive.
I enjoyed chatting with Dylan Allen, have you read Dylan before?
Thank you Joy! This is great!!