Author Spotlight: Lenore Allen
We are pleased to introduce Author Lenore Allen. Lenore wrote A Fly Buzzed by a Farm, which is now available for pre-order through the Word Alive Press Bookstore, and everywhere fine Christian books are sold. We asked Lenore to share a little bit about her new book and her ministry. But first, a little bit about her.
About
Lenore Allen has been entertaining children and adults alike, despite being visually impaired for the last ten years. She has been involved in teaching children for the past three decades, with roles ranging from a Kindergarten facilitator in a Christian school to an early childhood educator in public schools for children with special needs. She has her ASL (American Sign Language) and has worked with many deaf children, including her own grandson. With a desire to write and a flair for poetry, she is realizing her dream of publishing this children’s book, the first of many.
Lenore is an entertainer through and through and has written and performed many skits for community events, parades, schools, and churches. Her specialty is storytime with Grammy! She also has the ability to do different character voices, which she uses with puppets to add dimension to her audiobooks.
Along with her husband Marc, she has provided entertainment through puppetry, clowning, video, and song. The couple has been privileged to work with schools to bring awareness about substance abuse and addiction issues. Lenore has a heart for children, and with her talents she is bringing laughter with a message.
Q&A
Q: How long was the making of this book, and why did you choose this title?
A: In 2012, I was an ECE teacher working with children, we were on a field trip on a farm and there were flies everywhere. I was watching the children reacting to the way the animals were flicking their tales and ears to get rid of the flies and it was very funny. The flies were so annoying and watching the tales swishing and the horse neighing created a story in my mind. I started just teaching it to children and it wasn't even a poem then. I've always had a desire to write a book and one night the Lord woke me up and I started writing the story in poetry form and it just flowed out of me. I knew this was one day going to be my first book and remembering the way the flies buzzed by me was very annoying and that gave me this wonderful title. Although there isn't any Christian content in this particular book, it was inspired by God to bring the enjoyment of learning while discovering the pleasure of reading to children.
Q: Did you have a lot of encouragement and support in writing this book?
A: Absolutely!!! God sent only his best for me, people that believed in me, inspired me to write and went out of the way for me to be successful because of the disability. I have an amazing team; I could not have done this by myself. All the separate talents like my husband’s ability to draw, my friend who managed all the little details so that I could write the book, the financial support, the gifts and talents of everyone combined created this wonderful team.
Q: How has your visual impairment impacted or challenged you in writing this book?
A: I don't have the ability to read freely like I used to, even with the use of glasses. I cannot see peoples faces and write as I did before, however I can see peripheral from the side of my eyes and by the grace of God I can get around. But I don’t give up, it may take me longer and I may have to use different tools to get the same results but I’m doing it with God’s help. I’m realizing how to persevere in the face of adversity.
Q: What does your tag line “Bringing Laughter with a Message” mean?
A: It actually started out in Sunday School, we were asked to minister to the children to teach the gospel and take it into our churches with the use of puppets and songs. God blessed us and gave us an opportunity to bring them into the community; for example, boys scouts, girl scouts, birthday parties, community events, and Christmas theme parties. We wanted to bring positive, wholesome messages, that children through enjoyment can learn different things. Children could just laugh and enjoy themselves, not just being silly but learning at the same time. Just to hear the laughter of children, it’s a very beautiful sound, a child’s laughter can change the atmosphere. It was Interaction through songs, puppets and hillbilly characters and then evolved into the storybooks, but it all stemmed from bringing laughter into the lives of children along with a message that touches a child’s heart. This also led to our Humbleton Heart logo being part of our story of Bringing Laughter with a Message.
Q: What is your favorite writing style?
A: I always loved poetry, even as a young child, words flowed out of me very easily. I enjoy the rhythm of rhyming words and the art of story telling in words and songs.
Q: Have you experimented with other styles of writing or do you plan to in the future?
A: Yes, I write songs and plays and I plan to write my book of my Christian testimony as well as a video series of Biblical testimonies.
Q: Do you have any advice for new writers?
A: Some advice I would offer to new writers is to have a book of ideas separate from your other writing, so that when a thought comes to mind you can write it down immediately and then come back to it later. I have some things from 30 years ago and 40 years ago that I have looked at over the years, and just recently started to write about. Another great hint is to categorize your ideas in some sort of filing system by various titles, either digitally or good ole fashioned pen and paper. It is also extremely important to have a good support team to help you when you get overwhelmed or discouraged because it’s no small task to write a book. You need people to believe in you and will encourage you throughout the process as it can sometimes take longer than you think.
Connecting Points
Find and follow Lenore online:
Website
Facebook: The Humbletons
Instagram: The Humbletons
YouTube: @thehumbletons