Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
I used to be a night writer. I love how the world feels very still and quiet after people have gone to bed. But since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I have to take meds for that at night, and those make my head foggy as well as sleepy. Not a good set-up for sharp writing. So… now I’m a morning and afternoon writer. You’ve gotta roll with the punches and adapt, right?
Do you outline or are you a pantster?
Not a plotter. I am 100% a panster. I have an idea of a general story idea, but I’m as surprised as it unfolds as I hope the reader is when they read it. The story unfolds organically in answer to questions that arise as I write. But I’m a big fan of reading murder mysteries, and I think I’d like to try and write one at some point. There may have to be more outlining involved in that genre to be able to hide where the story is going so the reader doesn’t guess whodunnit (I’m guessing), so we’ll see if that happens…
Which comes first – plot or character?
Character, at least for me. Like I said, I have a general story idea at the beginning, but the characters drive what happens. Everyone reacts differently to different situations/events, so the way a certain character reacts in a given situation in the story will drive the plot in a direction based on the way the character reacts. Human nature is very subjective. That’s one of the fun things about writing.
Noise or quiet when working on your manuscript?
I can work in either setting. I guess I usually write in the quiet, whether it’s at home or at the public library. However, I get really good writing done while sitting in a diner, and that’s often very noisy. But it’s a “white noise” type of thing.
Favorite TV show?
I don’t think I have just one favorite. I love shows like The Masked Singer, So You Think You Can Dance, Project Runway, and any other show where people have to be creative under pressure. I’ve also been enjoying Hacks with Jean Smart, and I can’t wait for the next season of The Chair (I love Sandra Oh–Grey’s Anatomy, which used to be a favorite, was never quite the same after she left). I thought it was supposed to be out by now. (??) There are also a lot of British mystery/detective shows that I enjoy. And though I generally don’t like to watch graphically violent shows, I enjoyed Ozark (I love Jason Bateman) and The Blacklist (my college friend Harry Lennix is on it–he’s a great actor– and I also love James Spader). I just have to close my eyes during both of those shows when I can tell something violent is about to happen. I don’t want those images in my head, because once they’re there, they’re always there subconsciously.
Favorite type of music?
I love many types of music. What I listen to depends on my mood at the time. But some go-to favorites are Blues (I was a Blues DJ for a number of years at Blues-dancing events in the L.A. area and around the country), and Rap/Hip-Hop (I’ve been listening to that since the 80s). I also love music from the 70s, especially bands like Earth, Wind & Fire, The Commodores, The Ohio Players, etc. Not so much a Country Music fan though. (Sorry, Country Music fans!) There’s actually a funny exchange in the book between 2 of the siblings about Country Music, one who loves it and one who hates it.
Favorite craft besides writing?
I’m a mixed-media artist and a photographer. I also make jewelry and I make handmade Christmas ornaments (a tradition started by my late grandmother, carried on by my late father, and now me). I’m always making something. Whenever I have a block with the writing, I’ll switch to a visual art form for a while. It uses a different part of my brain. Then when I go back to writing, the writer’s block is gone.
Do you play a musical instrument?
I don’t. I took piano lessons when I was a kid but didn’t stick with it. I really wish I
had. I’d love to be proficient on an instrument. I do have some harmonicas. I went to
a week-long “jam camp” in L.A. a few years ago to learn how to play. I would
loooove to be able to play blues harmonica. It’s partly why it plays a part in the
storyline of the book.
Single or married?
Divorced. So, single... I haven’t done much dating over the past few years after meeting someone on an online dating site that turned out to be a total sociopath. (Seriously, I think he actually was one.) As soon as I started realizing he wasn’t how he presented himself at first, I quickly got out of that situation. (FYI, I used his first name for one of the characters in the flashbacks. You’ll know exactly which one when you read it! Lol.) Anyway, he kind of spoiled my desire to date for a few years. One of the only times I ventured back onto Eharmony since then, I met a guy who said he was 61 in his profile, but lied about his age BY 20 YEARS. He was actually in his 80s which is older than my mom! It was the first time I came across someone who lied about his age by that much. I thought to myself, “I quit.” But I do hope I meet someone sometime soon. I’m ready to be in a long-term committed relationship again. I liked being married. Though I’m also okay on my own if it doesn’t happen.
Children or no?
Yes, one child– Dashiell Zane Taylor (Dash to his family and to friends that knew him before he started making music). He’s 28, lives in L.A., and is a rapper/singer/music producer (@_zanetaylor on IG). He goes by his middle name in the music world. On the side, he also coaches people who are studying for the LSAT (the law school entrance exam). He toyed with the idea of going to law school way-back-when, took the exam himself, and scored in the 170s (180 is the top score). He actually has a genius-level IQ. Sometimes it’s a blessing; sometimes it’s a curse. He’s had to learn to channel it well.
Pets?
Yes, I have one 12-year-old dog named Stella. I’m not sure what breed she is–she was a rescue dog from a high-kill-rate shelter in CA. We got her when she was about 4 months old. As she got older, her hair grew. She has really pretty, long, fluffy blonde hair now. She looks a lot like my old Tibetan Terrier, Choong-Po, but her face is thinner, and her nose is a little more pointy than his was. She sheds more than any dog I’ve ever had, but is also, without question, the SWEETEST dog I’ve ever had. (By the way, there are 2 funny dogs mentioned in the next novel I’m working on that were modeled after Stella and Chooey).
Favorite place to write?
Though I do a lot of writing at home, I often find it harder to write there because there are so many distractions and chores that need doing. So a public library is sometimes the choice. But I also love to write in a good diner nearby, where they keep filling my coffee cup. (I tip very well if I’ve hogged a table for a long time.) Nothing like writing where they bring food to you, keep your coffee filled and hot, and the noise all blends together in a way that’s easy to block out. It’s a wall of indistinct chatter and the clanging of plates and silverware. I love it! It also makes the writing process not quite so solitary. I’m an introvert by nature and do like my own space, but it’s also nice to have human interaction, especially after all the alone time over the past few years during the pandemic. It definitely started to wear on me (even though I did appreciate the early action L.A. and other parts of CA took in 2020 to limit the spread of Covid.)
Favorite restaurant?
Tastee Diner in Bethesda, MD where I lived from ages 11 to 18 until I left for Northwestern University; Bobby’s Coffee Shop in Woodland Hills, CA where I did a lot of the writing of The Key to Circus-Mom Highway; and Messob, an Ethiopian restaurant in the “Little Ethiopia” section of L.A. where I’ve been going since they opened in 1986 (with an 8-year break when I lived in NYC and worked on As the World Turns). Ethiopian is my favorite kind of food.
Do you work outside the home?
Since you already asked about writing, I’m assuming this is in reference to other work? I’m trying to think if I’ve ever had a job where I had to go into an office or other workplace. Never an office. I’ve been self-employed most of my life. When I was acting, I had to work on set wherever the job was shooting. When I ran retreats around the country after that for a decade, all the prep and administrative work was done from home, then I traveled to wherever the program was being run (Joshua Tree, CA, Sedona, AZ, Malibu, CA, The Pine Barrens in NJ, etc). When I worked at The STAGE Network for a few years in the mid-2010s (a new streaming network out of NYC that has since folded) as the Associate Director of Creative Development, and later as a Producer, I was the only team member on the West Coast and I worked from home with occasional trips to NYC. The work I’ve been doing with the production company Atomic Focus Entertainment has also been from home so far. My art studio has also been in my home, but since coming to Rehoboth Beach, DE to spend time with my mom I only have a bedroom here, so my art studio is now in a rental space outside the home, but only about a mile away. It’s kind of nice to run into other artists who also have studio space in the building!
What was the name of the last movie you saw?
My mom and I saw Ticket to Paradise last night with George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Was it the best movie ever? Nah. But I love rom-coms. I’m a “happy ending” kind of gal, so I enjoyed it anyway. 😊
Favorite outdoor activity?
Hiking in the woods. There’s nothing like being out in nature to alleviate stress and to shut off my over-active brain. I also love camping, especially when there’s a pretty stream running next to the campsite. I love sitting around a campfire at night with friends, toasting marshmallows, and waking up in the morning to the sound of birds when the sun comes up. We used to camp more when my son was younger, but I recently went camping with a group of girlfriends. It’s the best!
Pet peeve?
When you hold the door for someone and they don’t say thank you. Also, I really dislike people who are rude to waiters and people doing other service jobs. Basically, anyone who acts “entitled,” treating others as inferior. That goes for racists, misogynists, etc. I feel like that should go without saying, but the past few years have shown that this country is full of them.
Your goal in life?
If I can wake up in the morning and use my creative energy on projects that I love working on, making a living doing that, creating beauty in the world, and having family and friends in my life that I love dearly, I will consider that as being successful in life.
Your most exciting moment?
That’s a reeeally hard one. I’ve been blessed to have had so many exciting things in my life so far: the birth of my son, booking jobs on TV shows, winning awards for work I created, going skydiving, going scuba diving with stingrays and feeding them by hand and feeling the velvety underside of them as they swam over me, Producing my first show, finishing and publishing The Key to Circus-Mom Highway after several years of work on it, and winning Best Music Video in several film festivals recently for my comedic rap music video “Fine, I’ll Write My Own Damn Song” (https://youtu.be/7Xe3nuVDkC4). It’s also been exciting to watch my son have success with his music. He just had another one of his songs released through Empire Records. It’s very gratifying as a parent to watch your child be rewarded out in the world for their hard work. I could go on…
And I don’t take any of the experiences for granted, because there have been many challenging times in between them as well.
The love of your life?
Creativity.
Allyson Rice is a writer, an award-winning mixed media artist, and a producer with Atomic Focus Entertainment, currently splitting her time between Los Angeles, CA, and Rehoboth Beach, DE. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. After spending many years as an actress on stage and on television, she left acting and spent the next decade running yoga/meditation retreats, women’s retreats, and creativity retreats around the country. After that, she pivoted to focus once again on her own creative work. In addition to her writing and art, she’s also a photographer (her work was most recently chosen for an exhibition at the Soho Photo Gallery in NYC).
Some random bits of Allyson trivia: 1) She’s been skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, ziplining through a rainforest, and scuba diving with stingrays; 2) she has an extensive PEZ dispenser collection; 3) she played Connor Walsh on As the World Turns for seven years; 4) she’s been in the Oval Office at the White House after hours; 5) she’s related to the Hatfields of the infamous Hatfield/McCoy feud; and 6) her comedic rap music video “Fine, I’ll Write My Own Damn Song” won numerous awards in the film festival circuit and can now be seen on YouTube https://youtu.be/7Xe3nuVDkC4.
Also available from Allyson Rice is her line of women’s coloring books (The Color of Joy, Dancing with Life, and Wonderland), and The Creative Prosperity PlayDeck, an inspirational card deck about unlocking and utilizing your creative energy in the world. She’s currently at work on her second novel and her fourth women’s coloring book. But she is most proud of being mom to musical artist @_zanetaylor.
Website: www.allysonrice.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CircusMomHwy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllysonRiceAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allysonriceauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/allysonriceart/
https://www.instagram.com/officialallysonrice/
My e-commerce site:
https://www.allyson-wonderland.com
In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged sisters and their newly discovered brother embark on a comically surreal trip through the Deep South to retrace the life of the mother who abandoned them as infants.
On a Tuesday afternoon, sisters Jesse Chasen and Jennifer McMahon receive a phone call notifying them that their birth mother has died, leaving behind a significant inheritance. But in order to obtain it, they must follow a detailed road trip she designed for them to get to know her—and that includes finding a brother they never knew existed.
For the next week, this ill-assorted trio treks across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to meet their mother’s old friends, from circus performers to a juke joint owner, each of whom delivers a shocking vignette into the life of a young mother traumatized by loss and abuse. Along the way, these three siblings—Jesse, whose fiery exterior disguises a wounded, drifting musician stuck in a rut; Jennifer, whose carefully curated family life is threatened by her husband’s infidelity; and Jack, whose enigmatic Jackie, Oh! persona in the New Orleans drag queen scene helps him escape the nightmares of Afghanistan that haunt him at night—must confront their own demons (and at least one alligator). But in chasing the truth about their real mother, they may all just find their second chance.
This uproarious debut novel is a reminder that sometimes, the family you’d never have chosen may turn out to be exactly what you need.
"This breezy, charming tale incisively shows a family's bittersweet facets.” –Kirkus Reviews
A "feverish, entertaining novel" –Foreward Clarion Reviews
“In this rollicking family dramedy, debut author Rice sends three lovable siblings on a zany yet touching road trip… Rice’s sharp observations of society’s absurdity verge on the satirical… Fans of family drama, road trips, and non-stop laughs will love this cross-country adventure.” –BookLife
Release Date: Paperback: November 27, 2022; Kindle: January 3, 2023
Publisher: The Total Human Press
Soft Cover: 978-0982185544; 270 pages
Amazon:https://amzn.to/3XHsOiU
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway
Target: https://www.target.com/p/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway-by-allyson-rice-paperback/-/A-87939489
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62003645-the-key-to-circus-mom-highway
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