Authorpreneur Dashboard – Dionne Abouelela
The Wrong Side of Twenty Five
Literature & Fiction
Blossom Springtime Weatherby Franklin doesn't know much, but she does know that she's tired of life in a small town. The unraveling of a lifelong lie sends her packing, fleeing as far as she can from her mother and her string of live in uncles. Even if she only has what's left in her childhood piggy bank and one beat up rebel of a car stuffed to the brim with broken suitcases and trashbags, Blossom is determined to go the distance and start fresh far from the corn fields and familiarity of small town Indiana. Through a hilarious series of unfortunate events and bad decisions, Blossom finds out exactly what she's capable of when she takes her life into her own hands.
Book Bubbles from The Wrong Side of Twenty Five
Editor's Favorite
My final editor, the great Nicole Tone, highlighted this quote quite enthusiastically. After seeing her love for this line, I read it again and understood. When people try to hurt us, or cause us pain, we often find freedom in the ability to control our reaction. Sometimes their destruction can be our freedom. This is a turning point for Blossom, where she no longer plays the victim or the brat. With one can of gasoline, Blossom is now in charge of her life.
Note To Self.
One of my favorite pieces of this particular book are Blossom's notes. This is a habit of mine, and one of the pieces I infused in to her growth and journey from me. As an author, there are times when you infuse your own soul in to your books. Blossom's growth and constant reminder of these lessons to herself is a piece of my own journey from small town girl to world traveling adventurer.
Hometown Inspiration
Tyler's grandmother is a hint to one of my hometown's heroes, Madame Walker. She was one of the first African American entrepreneurs, at a time when she barely even had civil rights. With the growing (and amazing) attention to equality in representation, I wanted to mix a bit of Madame Walker with modern needs. Months after writing this, Rhianna dropped Fenty, and other brands began following suit. Finally. I was excited. :D
Introduction
I really love my intro. I can admit this book did not write according to my initial plans or my outline. Much like Blossom's journey, she took this book in to her own hands. One thing I did want, however, was an introduction centered around whiskey. I wanted to open with something that can evoke a specific smell, look, and familiarity for many. I also wanted to show that Blossom wanted more. She wanted to grow and knew the only way possible was to learn how to create her own life, even while she's still being haunted by the smell of her father's whiskey.
