Author Visit: Rebekah Allgood + Winner

Posted bySusan K. MarlowPosted inAuthor Interviews

Sarah Miller is the lucky winner of Rebekah’s book, The Challenge Begins. Congrats, Sarah. Rebekah will contact you about getting your mailing address.

The rest of you can get a copy of her book here >

She offers her book as a print copy and as a Kindle. Happy reading!

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Hang onto your hats, my friends! I’m so excited to introduce another young author to our “Young Authors” lineup. It’s been quite some time, so when Rebekah Allgood contacted me about a possible interview (and a giveaway, of course!) I was thrilled to share her story. Read on to learn about Rebekah, her book, our giveaway, and a chance to get your hands on this book (print or Kindle). First of all, let me introduce you . . .

About the Author

Rebekah Allgood is nineteen years old and has self published two books: The Challenge Begins (which is the book we’ll be focusing on) and The Challenge Goes On. She loves babysitting, walks in the woods, studying history, and writing books and magazine articles. She lives in Alabama with her family.

And a GIVEAWAY!

Rebekah is offering her first book, The Challenge Begins, as a giveaway to one lucky winner. You will not want to miss this fun opportunity to enter to win.

After the interview, I’ll let you know how you can win the book. Also, you can get a copy of this book yourself–in print or as a Kindle book. Read a sample of The Challenge Begins on Amazon >

Young Author Visit with Rebekah Allgood

It’s great to have you here on Andi’s Blog, Rebekah. First of all, I’m sure we would all like to know: When did you start writing?

Hmm . . . I dictated a lot of writing before I actually wrote myself. My older brother and I had a story about a group of siblings whose parents were on a mission trip, and they ended up combating Nazis as World War 3 broke out. It was soooo unrealistic. But we had a blast, with my brother writing down our combined thoughts in a notebook. I was around 8 then.

I really got into writing myself after finding your blog, Mrs. Marlow! I was super inspired. From there I found other authors. Ever since then I’ve been writing away!

That’s awesome, Rebekah. A lot of young authors have gotten inspiration from Andi’s blog, the writing contests, and these young author visits. Did you ever think you would end up being one of those authors who might inspire others? (no, dont worry about answering that one. LOL) Instead, let’s find out what your book, The Challenge Begins, is about. Can you give us a brief summary?

Sure! I’d love to. The Challenge Begins is a contemporary story that starts off in the suburbs, where 13-year-old Lainey lives with her 5 younger siblings. But then . . . everything changes when their dad announces a move. And not just any move.

They’re going off-grid, basically in the middle of nowhere!

They have animals to care for, a garden to grow, a log cabin to build, and kids to keep alive (that might sound easy until you meet Alvin and Hettie, haha).

My interest is already sparked. This sounds like a very fun adventure, with the opportunity to learn a number of life lessons, like working together to survive (literally!) So, what are your favorite things to write about (besides surviving in the middle of nowhere, LOL?

Definitely families! I love little sisters. They are SOOO spunky and (dare I say) annoying. Brothers are just, well, the best to talk to and get into scrapes with. And though it isn’t in The Challenge Begins, I write about adoption and foster care a lot.

So, what was it like writing the book?

I remember the morning I decided to write the book. It was rainy, and I was feeding my little brother oatmeal. At this point, I had already written several books. But from the beginning, this was a book that I would publish . . . before I even knew what it was about!

The brainstorming session was brief. A few lines popped into my head for the little sister Hettie, and I remember laughing. I fell in love with her sooo fast. I wrote down names for my characters, and then I picked out my favorite ones *shudders as I remember some of the names they almost had that don’t fit AT ALL*

And then, I started writing. It flowed very well. The family quickly grabbed onto personalities and ran with every crazy idea, and before long, the book was finished!

That sounds like writing for you was loads of fun! (I remember those days. LOL) But you must have experiened some hard parts. What was a difficult part in your book-writing journey?

Oh, getting on social media. I started from the ground up–getting a Gmail account. And then, branching out to Facebook and Instagram was nerve wracking. I’m getting better at it, thankfully!

Better than I am, Rebekah. Good for you! I do very little social media. So, tell us. How has your life shaped your writing? In the “About the Author” on your book, you mentioned how you wrote about many of your own experiences.

The book starts when the main character, Lainey, is 13. Her family leaves their home and basically “starts over” on a bare piece of land. When I was 13, our house had mold and we had to get out. For five months we lived in a tent! After that, we got a camper on a new piece of land, and from there we built a tiny house. So there’s both the tent and building a home, and then the siblings are–*grins*–kinda . . . uh . . . spin-offs of my own siblings, especially Alvin and Hettie.

A tent! My goodness! What was it like living in the tent?

It was . . . man, it was a lot of things all at once. It was all of us living in one space. It was constant noise and drippy water and dirt and spilled food. We had a really nice tent that had space for a woodstove, which was warm and comforting. The sleeping bag was freezing cold to slide into. Then in the summer, I’d wake up sweating. We’d sit on the floor and play games. And I was always eager to go to bed early.

I’ll bet it was the perfect experience to give your book that “feels real” feeling. Here’s another question: What is something you would really want to see more of in fiction?

I’d like to see more fiction where families stick together and have a goal they’re working toward. And fiction with homeschoolers as characters. I get way too excited when I see a book with a homeschooler in it.

You are nineteen now. I’m wondering. Were you homeschooled growing up?

I was! Funny enough, I hated reading. I remember telling my mom, “You can teach me how to read, but once I know how, I’ll never do it again!” 😱

But that didn’t make my mom throw up her hands and say, “Well, this is definitely a waste of time. Let’s stop teaching Rebekah.”

Just so you know . . . I didn’t uphold my threat. I’m VERY glad I fell in love with reading!

What motivates you to write . . . and keep on writing?

A lot of different things! But with The Challenge Begins, I just really hope it inspires people to realize how beautiful life is . . . right where they are.

Thanks so much, Rebekah, for this fun peek into your writing (and personal) life. People . . . I bet you have questions for this blossoming young author. Ask a question (don’t forget your name and email in a separate “question for the author” comment. She’s probably full of surprises!

Now, the GIVEAWAY!

You can earn up to two entries. You can also Buy the book >

First entry: Comment (with your first name) and hide your email. Tell Rebekah why you would like to win her book.

Second entry: Ask Rebekah a question about being an author, or her book, or any writing-related/homeschool question.

Read on for very important instructions on how to leave your email address in the “pre-posting” box. No entries will qualify for the contest without an email address (but don’t leave your email address in the comment itself).

Include your email in the pre-posting box, so I can send Rebekah the winning name and email. Random.org will choose the winner in a random drawing. Rebekah will contact the winner (who has 48 hours to claim her prize) so she can get the mailing address (US mailing addresses only.)

Giveaway runs Monday, October 27 – Monday, November 3 @ 5pm CT. Winner announced Tuesday, November 4.

Quick review on how to enter a giveaway on Andi’s Blog using comments. Click “Leave a Reply,” as always. Write your entry as a comment. Then click the blue envelope icon. Write your first name and your email in the boxes. Anonymous entries will be deleted (Rebekah can’t contact you without your “hidden” contact information). If you are already a WordPress user, you just click the “W” icon. Easy-peasy. Good luck and have fun!

Published by Susan K. Marlow

I'm the author of the Circle C and Goldtown Adventures series. I blog as "Andi Carter," the main character in the Circle C series. She lives on a huge cattle ranch in 1880s California. These are her adventures.

41 thoughts on “Author Visit: Rebekah Allgood + Winner”

  3. The book sounds like a very enjoyable read! Middle grade fiction is my favorite category, and I’m strongly attracted to stories with solid family values and a good dose of adventure. I was homeschooled, too, so it’s special to see that as well!

    Do you plan to turn your book into a series?

    What is a lesson (or lessons) you have learned from your siblings? I’m blessed with an older brother and a younger sister, and oh boy, the Lord has taught me so much through them! 🙂

    ~Kinsey R.

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  4. Hi, Kinsey! Thank you! ☺️

    I do! Book 2 came out this month, and book 3 is already written!

    Yes! Siblings are the best & He can teach sooo much through them! Right now my youngest brother is still pretty little. Today we were tearing and glueing paper together, and my phone wasn’t far away. You know how easy it was to want to grab my phone as he became absorbed in the project!? I’m getting better at putting my phone out of sight so I’m not distracted from something SO MUCH BETTER. Kind of like Jim Elliot said…I may not be quoting this quite right, but for a long time I’ve loved this from him; “Wherever you are, be all there.”

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    1. Thank you for sharing! That is such a good quote. It will be a helpful one to remember as the Lord has been working on teaching me that same concept recently. 🙂

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      1. Wow! That’s really cool! I love reading. Your book sounds really fun! How did you like homeschooling versus what you heard about public school? Have you ever wished you were public schooled? I am homeschooled too. It is so nice to not have go somewhere every day.

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      2. Thank you! I am really glad that I was homeschooled, but I will admit that now and then I did used to think it’d be fun to be public schooled. I’d definitely agree with you; not going to school every day is amazing! And it gave me a lot more time for things (like writing 🙃) What’s your favorite thing about being homeschooled?

        Liked by 2 people

      3. I really like how quick it is to do all 5 subjects. Do the lessons, read the literature book, and I’m done! It usually takes only three or four hours, depending on the lessons. After that, I can go read a book or go outside.

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  6. Hi,

    Your book sounds fun! I think I would like reading it because having a large family and living in a remote area sounds interesting.

    Did you write any books about horses? I think that would be fun!

    -Abby

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  7. I’m not commenting to win, as I’ve already bought both books, but wanted to say how much I and my girls thoroughly enjoyed reading them!

    There have been very few books that I’ve actually felt good about my children reading, and these are in that very “high expectation met” group.

    Think along the lines of “Anne of Green Gables” or “Little House on the Prairie” – these are that wholesome, that good at making you feel like you’re a part of the family and living along with them!

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    1. Haha, it was kinda crazy! 😜 I usually did school outside under this big oak tree, and it really had the potential to be peaceful! I actually don’t know where all of my siblings did schoolwork, but I’m sure some of them did do it in the tent!

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  12. How long of a time period does the book cover? (Is Lainey 13 throughout the whole book or does she have birthdays and get older throughout?) Hope that makes sense! 🤗

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    2. Hi Aurora! I do wish I’d recorded my writing better at that time *sighs* but I don’t remember how long it took to write The Challenge Begins. But, I know I have written books in a month! It’s also so cool when the writing process goes fast!

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    1. Hey, Sara!

      I asked my friend if she would be interested in making the cover because, well, she’s a great artist! I did things like make a beginning sketch, offering my thoughts several times during the process, deciding on what color clothes they should wear, and calculating the dimensions of the cover (or actually maybe she did that part too… Haha)

      Every time I look at it I can see something new that I’ve never really noticed before, which is SO FUN. 😀

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  16. Rebekah, this is so exciting for you!Congratulations on being featured on this blog. I, too, was homeschooled. And my family has been though a (somewhat) similar experience of camping in a tent while our home was “out of commission,” though for us, it was only a matter of days. (I can’t imagine 5 months… and yet, I can understand, from personal experience, why it was necessary. Thank the Lord for sustaining grace!) Having this — and a love of family working together — in common, it would be interesting to read your book!

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    1. Author Question:

      How long did it take you, from the beginning stages of writing to the final edits, to publish your book? Also, what is your favorite theme in The Challenge Begins?

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      1. That’s cool we have tent life in common!! 😊

        It took just under 2 years from beginning the book to publishing! For some of that time it was just sitting in docs before I got up the nerve to actually do anything, though. 🤭

        Hmmm… favorite theme. I guess I could say “family” but that’s too vague … I love how the Stephens stick together. They don’t always get along super well (*thinking of one sibling in particular…*) but at the end of the day they’re family and they’ll make it work.

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  17. Hey, Rebekah! It’s so cool to see your book here! I would like to win a copy of your book because the plot sounds intriguing and I always enjoy seeing books by homeschoolers.

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    1. Hi Abigail! I know, it’s so cool! 😆

      My favorite part is when you’re a few chapters from the end and everything is making so much sense and flowing smoothly!! And my favorite place to write would be on the floor at the bottom of my bed!

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  19. Hi Rebekah! Okay, so here’s my question. I have always considered writing a book, after all I have so much to write about! I have three to four started books that have just been sitting for over a year. Does writing just come naturally for you or do you do things to make it fun? Even though I have plenty to write about, the motivation isn’t always there to sit down and write. I could be good at it, but it always feels like work! As a teen, I am also juggling school. Even though I am homeschooled, by the time I am finished with that, sitting down and doing more writing sounds like no fun! I am more of an outdoorsy person and prefer to be active. (Would love your thoughts too Mrs M!)

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