Novelist Vicki Allen’s writing career began and—almost ended—as a 15-year-old teenager. Her first novel, For Molly—which was started in high school, tossed into a closet to hibernate, rediscovered and finished as an adult—took 20 years to complete. In contrast, Allen’s fourth novel, Drink One to Me, Christian Bennett, was completed in only five months and 29 days, a personal best for the author.
“Drink One to Me, Christian Bennettcame to me in a huge, inspirational wave on April 1, 2008 while I was sitting in my car, waiting for my husband: Storyline, characters, dialogue—everything. Boom! It was incredible. I went home and immediately began to write. Within two sleep-deprived weeks, I had written 150 pages.” —Vicki Allen
Known for her ability to create poignant stories that speak to southern sentimentalities, Christian Bennett is a bit of a deviation from Allen’s previous works.
“Christian Bennett is different and I’m very excited about that. It is my personalfavorite, and in my opinion, the best I’ve written to date. —Vicki Allen
Hailing from the Heart of Dixie, this Birmingham, AL native lived briefly in Virginia before settling in Central Louisiana at age eleven. She graduated from Pineville High School, studied journalism at Northeast Louisiana University and relocated to Oklahoma City in 1983, where she graduated from The University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy.
Allen is a co-owner and practicing pharmacist at Sentry Drug & Grill in Alexandria, La. A little slice of “Mainstreet Americana,” Sentry—housed in a historic downtown building—is a nostalgic drugstore with a full-service breakfast and lunch counter.
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