Alison L. Randall, Author
Lover of books, art, games, and delicious eats
Welcome
Bienvenue
Welcome Bienvenue
A little about me
I was raised on a steady diet of family stories. Some of the tales I was told took place in England, where my grandmother spent her early years, and others happened in the small Western USA town where I grew up. It’s probably not surprising then that my own writing often features small towns and mischievous characters. It also shouldn’t be unexpected when Old World mythology creeps in.
My love of family stories led me to write The Wheat Doll, a picture book based on the true story of a friend’s ancestor. Although it’s now out of print, you can still find a few rare copies here. I’ve also had a variety of short stories published in print magazines and e-zines, one in an anthology, and others as e-books.
See below for all the ways you can read or listen to my stories.
Add these short stories to your TBR pile
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![A black and white image of a convertible car on a small-town Main Street.]()
Founders' Day
When Seth is stranded in a small town on Founders’ Day, he gets the distinct impression that he doesn’t belong, which makes him all the more eager to figure out why.
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![A black and white image of an old movie projector. Light shines across the projector from the upper left.]()
The Show House
When Grace hears about the old movie showing for a small town’s Founders’ Day, she thinks that fate has stranded her there. other forces will do all they can to keep her away.
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![The cover of the anthology Extraordinary Visions: Stories Inspired by Jules Verne features images from his books, a hot air balloon, a black squid, and an ornate gold clock, all back by a swirly marble-like background of grays and corals]()
A Drama in Durango
Ila just wants to add some excitement to her dull life as a bank teller but gets more than she bargained for when a hooded and stiff-kneed robber totters into her life.
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![An illustration of a bandit in a cowboy hat, his face partially obscured is backed up by the title words: End of the Line]()
End of the Line
Liza wants to be the first one in town to use the new telephone, and she will do whatever it takes to earn the nickel, even stand up to the beady-eye bandit, Zedekiah Smith.
“I was immediately intrigued and drawn into the mysterious small town and kept reading to discover its secret.”
—WriterMom (Review of Founders’ Day)
Frequently Asked Questions
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I was nine years old when I stapled a stack of paper together and declared to my brother that I was going to write a story. He wasn’t impressed.
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Everywhere. Everything I see, hear, smell, and taste becomes fodder for stories. As I mentioned above, I’ve also found a lot of inspiration in family stories and in the small town where I grew up. However, I’ve sometimes needed a jump start to get the ideas flowing. That jolt of energy has often come in the form of a prompt for a contest. If you’re short on ideas, look at contests or submission requests, and see if that won’t spark ideas for you, too.
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The best advice I could give is to read, read, and read some more. While you’re reading, you will absorb the structure and language patterns of good stories. Also, remember that only you can tell the story that’s in your head and your heart. If you don’t tell it, nobody will, and that would be a shame.
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I’m currently the caretaker for my elderly mother, and so virtual visits work best for me. If you’d like to book a virtual visit, contact me using the form below.
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That country holds a piece of my heart. I lived for a year and a half in France, and I have a BA in French.
“A writer is a world trapped in a person.”
— Victor Hugo
Now, it’s your turn.
I want to hear from you. ♡
