New Author Alert - Time to Get Inspired!

New Author Alert - Time to Get Inspired!

Happy Friday, authors!

This week, we have been speaking to our wonderful author Allie Logie about her journey to writing her book ‘Elder Roots and Fruits’, and we would love to share her adventure to becoming a self-published author with you to help inspire you!

Tell us about you…

I was born in Edinburgh 83 years ago. I went to school and university there and subsequently did my teacher training in Cambridge where I gained a half blue for cricket – not   due to my skill but to the shortage of players. My first teaching job was in Buckinghamshire where after three years of hard work I decided to join VSO and was sent to Kenya for a year. It was on the plane travelling to Nairobi that I met my future husband.

I then returned to Edinburgh where my parents were still living. After several teaching jobs (two pupils being Graeme Souness, the footballer and Nicki Campbell, the broadcaster) I married and moved to England where my husband was living. Family came along and we moved back to Scotland where more family came along. I returned to teaching after the third and last child started school. After eighteen years teaching in around the Stirling area I retired. In retirement I wrote a book about the Dovecots of Stirlingshire and travelled with my husband to Ghana, Cambodia and Namibia where he did work for oldies VSO and I helped in homes for street children. Then our children got married and we now have eight grandchildren who absorb some of our time. We’ve had some good summers sailing on the West Coast of Scotland, and we both love sketching ,gardening and doing community work!

Talk to us about why you chose this title and topic…

The name Elder in the book title comes from the name of the family written about not a tree nor an older person.  The roots refer to the origins of the family and the fruits are the descendants. I was inspired to write this book by my daughter and I wanted the family to know something about their ancestors and the lives they led. 

The book follows the life of three generations growing up in the twentieth century. The main characters are my grandparents and great grandparents and their children. The book describes life of a family living in the Manse. Both my great grandfather and grandfather were ministers. The Church is not too popular now but in their times the church was a place where the widow, orphans and poor could get help .There were no social services  in those days. What comes over is their great sense of duty and service to the community in which they lived.   This comes out in their children too and even their grandchildren have that commitment to helping others.  It was a strict life style, very different from the easy going life the young have today. It’s always interesting to see how other people lived and how they coped with tragedy and challenges. I think what comes over is the love within this family which has held them together through grief, war and separation. The twentieth century was one of great changes, the invention of the car, radio, TV, penicillin, and two world wars.  How they came through all this is what this book is about.

How did you find the writing process?

It took me a long time to write this book. I started after the second family reunion in 2002 and have just finished it.  I was waiting for material from various sources and my life had many other things in it so it was difficult to find a long period to concentrate on the book.  At times I did not feel like continuing with it thinking nobody would be interested. But a cousin spurred my on by saying we do not have a lot of time to get these things done. (Both in our eighties!)

Tell us about your experience publishing with Publishing Push…

I researched several companies to publish the book and liked the sound of Publishing Push. I have had a lot of help, particularly from Emily. I found the videos very helpful explaining the different processes.  I say ‘go for it’ to any aspiring authors. It’s very satisfying seeing the final product.

We have truly loved working with Allie, and have found ourselves inspired by her determination to get her story out into the world for thousands of readers to enjoy.

If you too have a story that has an incredibly special place in your heart that you wish to share with the world, reply to this email with “INSPIRED” and we can get talking today!