Meet the Author: Samantha Jayne Allen

Hi, readers! This month I’d like to introduce you to author Samantha Jayne Allen. Ms. Allen is the author of the part-mystery, part-coming of age novel Pay Dirt Road, and its recently released sequel Hard Rain. I was first introduced to her at the Decatur Book Festival where she spoke on a mystery writers panel, and I had to go out and snag a copy of her book. Ms. Allen has an MFA in fiction from Texas State University. Her writing has been published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Common, and Electric Literature. Raised in small towns in Texas and California, she now lives with her husband in Atlanta. You can find her online at https://www.samallenwrites.com/

And now, meet Samantha Jayne Allen!

1. What is your favorite part of the writing process, and least favorite part of the writing process? Each part has its ups and downs for me, but my favorite parts are the initial idea phase where I'm jotting down notes by hand, and later, the revision phase where I get to go deeper into the characters and add flourishes, tinkering with sentences to my heart's content. My least favorite part is outlining, though I do find it useful and very necessary for my process.

2. Have you always wanted to be a writer? As a kid, I knew I wanted to be a storyteller, and loved reading, theater, and movies. I've always considered myself a writer, but it was when I was a senior in college that I decided my dream job was to be an author—it took me a while, but it was my goal!

3. Home and identity are strong themes in your novel Pay Dirt Road; where is someplace you feel most at home? I grew up in central Texas and in southern California. I now live in Atlanta and have for about a decade, so the city has started to feel like home, too. I think my ambivalence about the places I've called home was a direct line for me into the book. Longing for a place, a time, and people that I can't quite grasp anymore made me want to write about small-town Texas, and that push and pull between the past and present is an emotional conflict for my protagonist as well. As corny as this might sound, for me, home is where my family is. 

4. Is Pay Dirt Road the start of a series, or a stand-alone? Did you plan it that way?Pay Dirt Road is the start of a series (book two, Hard Rain, is out now), but can be read as a standalone. I wrote it with the hope of a potential series, but didn't know at the time if that would happen. I've always been drawn to series books in my reading because I love getting attached to the characters—seeing them both grow and regress—as much or more than the actual crime solving; I'm grateful I get to keep writing these characters.

5. Tell us about someone who has inspired you creatively. I love reading about writing, or the process of creation for any artist, really. When I'm feeling stuck though, I get most inspired and refreshed when I consume art outside my genre, and will read poetry or listen to music. Live music especially inspires me and helps me be present in my work. I was at an Angel Olsen concert with my sister recently, and just hearing her voice live, how she put her heart into every note, moved me and inspired me to think about a story of mine in a different way—and reminded me to be brave and put the truth onto the page, to dig deep.

6. What kind of books do you gravitate towards in your own reading life? I love a well-told story regardless of genre and try to read widely, but I do tend to gravitate towards mysteries and thrillers, memoir, and literary fiction the most. Compelling voice, depth of character, and a vivid atmosphere are what I'm drawn to in a book. 

7. What’s one of the best pieces of advice you've ever gotten? The best piece of advice came in the form of a note from my former professor, the writer Tom Grimes. I submitted a chapter for a workshop and all he wrote in terms of feedback was "keep going." He didn't mean my chapter was flawless or anything like that, but that the best thing I could do was let go of perfectionism and just finish the book. Write to the end and revise later. You can't fix what doesn't exist, and beyond seeing how to fix it by the end, you'll learn the real story you're trying to tell in the process of getting there. And for me, "keep going," has meant different things at different times—it's also a reminder to have faith in yourself, to enjoy the process, and to write for the sake of writing. 

Thanks for reading!