Ronnie Allen is a New York City native transported to rural central Florida nine years ago. She taught in the NYC school system for 33 years, with licensure as a school psychologist, and is also a holistic health practitioner specializing in alternative therapies. Ronnie uses her skills and education in her novels. Being a New Yorker, one of the things she misses are New York City restaurants. To compensate, Ronnie created a character in her first book, Gemini, who loves to cook and is professional chef caliber in her home kitchen as well as being the love interest for the protagonist, and now his wife. Vicki Trenton shares some of her recipes, becomes an interval part in solving the murder case in Scorpio, the third novel, and has her own subplot in Libra. Ronnie is the author of The Sign Behind the Crime Series, with Gemini book 1, and Aries as book 1 (Black Opal books, 2015, 2016). Scorpio is coming in September 2017 and Ronnie is writing Libra now.

Judy: Tell us a bit about your main character, Dr. John Trenton.

Ronnie: Dr. John Trenton is a forensic psychiatrist who works with the criminally insane at a hospital in Manhattan. Psychic and clairvoyant since he was a toddler, John uses his skills in profiling cases for the NYPD. He actually has the skills that I teach to my clients. Suave and sophisticated, Trenton was once known as New York City’s most eligible and desirable bachelors. That is until he met the woman he grew the worship, Victoria Elizabeth Marin. A female psychopathic killer is dumped in his lap, wrecks havoc in Manhattan, and goes after his wife and unborn child. He fights almost to his death to rescue his love. Trenton goes through his own personal transformation in Gemini re-evaluating his beliefs on what makes him a worthy man.

Judy: Describe your writing process and/or a typical day in your life. 

Ronnie: I definitely am a plotter who lets their characters run free once I start to type. I can plot a few months before I even start chapter 1. I could write anytime of the day, but I start on my iPad. When my chapter is a solid first draft, I will upload it to my main docx on my laptop. Very often I’ll write poolside, and I can block out people talking around me, children playing in the pool, but music throws me out of my writing and my deep POV. I do like to have a tall glass of iced coffee near me.

Judy: What’s the best writing advice you have ever read or been given? 

Ronnie: The best writing advice I have been given and that I give is to listen to your critique partners and beta readers if what they are telling you resonates with you. Take a good hard look at your manuscript if several people tell you the same thing, and that will include agent or editor rejections. My philosophy is why keep submitting the same manuscript that’s getting a lot of rejections without looking at it? People’s stubbornness will keep that manuscript from being traditionally published.

Judy: What advice and/or resources would you recommend for aspiring writers?

Ronnie: As a writer, I truly believe that Google is our friend. If you’re writing in our thriller and crime genre, the FBI and DEA websites are wonderful sources with articles, procedures, and other topics that we need to read for credibility in our novels. I’m very big on research, and believe that if you’re writing crime scene investigation, police procedures, medical themes, these facets have to be portrayed credibly. Readers who are experts in the field will call the author out.

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