The pandemic's enforced isolation has been a boon for many Tallahassee writers. That includes one whose latest work is coming out this week.
"My name is Suzanne Allain and I'm the author of 'Mr. Malcolm's List' and most recently, 'Miss Lattimore's Letter.'"
Allain would be the first to admit her professional timing has occasionally been a bit off. "My very first book was published in 2001. But that was not necessarily the best time to release the book, coming on the heels of the September 11th attack." Allain then decided to put aside her career as a screenwriter.
"I found that I may have quit my day job a little too soon after its release. It wasn't until I later adapted my second book, 'Mr. Malcolm's List,' into a screenplay that it got some attention and was released by Berkley last summer. Which, of course, was in the height of the pandemic."
But the skies have brightened for "Mr. Malcolm's List." The screenplay was picked up, filming took place in Ireland and the movie seems destined for a 2022 release. Allain said it and her new work, "Miss Lattimore's Letter," have some similarities.
"My books take place in the same time period as Jane Austen's novels and they're also set in England. They're similar comedies of manners and love stories. Mine are a little lighter and more comedic, more farcical as I was also influenced by writers like P.G. Wodehouse and Oscar Wilde."
They are works, said Allain, that are decidedly "G-Rated."
"They don't contain any adult content. There's no mature language, sex, or violence. So they can be loaned to your grandmother or pre-teen without blushing."
Now permanently back home in Tallahassee, Allain is eager to share her work with her neighbors.
"[I'm] so excited about this upcoming event! It's on Wednesday, November 10th at Hearth and Soul and I'll be out on the patio there signing copies of both my books; 'Mr. Malcolm's List,' which was released last summer, and 'Miss Lattimore's Letter,' which is my most recent."
Allain said a bit of historical accuracy will make the occasion even more festive.
"And it should be a lot of fun. There will be a Regency theme. As we told people, if they like, they can wear a Regency-era accessory. And just to clarify, we don't mean that they have to wear an object that's actually from the early 19th Century. Although if you have something like that kicking around, you're welcome to bring it."
Wednesday's (Nov. 10, 2021) event at Hearth & Soul happens from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m.
