11/06/2025
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Author Interview Feature presents Allistar Banks, a multi-genre author from the USA!
Allistar Banks, born in McCormick, South Carolina, is the youngest sibling in her family. After attending Lander University and Herzing University, she worked at various television stations and became a freelance writer.
She served as a newspaper reporter for the McCormick Messenger and Greenwood Today. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at both places, but I needed a break from the fast-paced media world due to family circumstances.” She then took a year to care for her grandmother, helping her regain her health. During this time, she explored another creative outlet and returned to her childhood passion for writing. As a child, she created a children's book project for her fourth-grade class titled The Sorcerer and the Magic Pond. She began developing characters that appealed to both children and adults, starting with her self-published picture book Nosey Nicole and the Red Airplane, followed by A Colorful Balloon Ride and Lenny the Lizard and His Green Scarf.
Growing up in a family of readers, Allistar was always surrounded by books and storytelling. She would often use a pencil and notebook to jot down imaginary characters, with the help of her mother. This hobby eventually blossomed into a career.
Throughout her life, Allistar was always accompanied by her brother. As the youngest and only girl in her family, she gained a unique understanding of the male perspective, which delights her readers and is reflected in her books such as Girl, Rise and The Pursuit of Love & Hope: A Short Collection of Poems. She has mentioned that her choice was between understanding men or running away screaming.
Allistar is active in several writers’ groups and has received the SABA Book Award for her children’s picture book A Colorful Balloon Ride, illustrated by Kaelen Felix. She eagerly anticipates the next steps in her writing journey.
You can follow Allistar Banks on her various platforms :
https://www.Facebook.com/AllistarAuthor
https://www.Twitter.com/AllistarBanks
https://www.Instagram.com/allistarthewriter
https://www.LinkedIn.com/allistarbanks
https://www.tiktok.com/
Get to know more about her in our interview below:
1. Was becoming a writer your childhood dream?
Becoming a Writer was my childhood dream because I enjoyed writing fantasy type when I was in the fourth grade in my English class and I got to participate in a children’s picture book
contest where I wrote my very first children’s book called The Sorcerer and the Magic Pond where Henry the wizard helped Princess Hera grow her hair back after the evil witch cut all of
her hair off. Henry discovered how his magical powers could help someone.
2. You worked as a Newspaper Reporter before. Do you think it influenced you greatly in becoming an author?
Being a Newspaper Reporter greatly influenced me in becoming an author because I learned how to interview people and tell their stories and that skill helped me to write my books.
3. What is the greatest mission of a writer for you? How do you think they can help make change in the world?
A writer’s greatest mission is to bring their vision and human experience to life on paper. A writer can help make changes in the world by inspiring and motivating people to become better versions of themselves.
4. What was the story you wrote and what was the theme?
I’ve written several different stories now, but all my stories carry one common theme and that is resilience and personal growth. The titles I’ve written are A Colorful Balloon Ride, Lenny the
Lizard and His Green Scarf, Spring Brings Summer, The Pursuit of Love & Hope: A Short Collection of Poems, Girl, Rise, The Gratitude Journal for Kids, Show Life & Yourself Some
Love! A Gratitude Journal for Teens, Be Positive! A Positivity Journal for Adults, 40 Recipes to Tackle Diabetes, 40 Recipe to A Better Weight Loss, I Broke Out of Prison 2, and The Heart of
a Mother: Stories of Love, Strength, and Sacrifice Across Generations.
5. Where do you draw inspiration for your writing?
I draw inspiration for my writing based off my own life experiences and hobbies I enjoy doing.
6. Do you sometimes experience writer’s block? How do you overcome it?
I do experience writer’s block. I overcome writers block by walking in nature or going out for a drive around the neighborhood to catch a different scenery.
7. What are the greatest perks of being a writer for you?
The greatest perk of being a writer is being able to turn my passion into a career and the ability to structure my day.
8. What was your first book publication? Tell us about it.
My very first book publication was For Better or For Worse written in 2014 and it was a fictionalized account of my parent’s marriage.
9. Do you have any upcoming writing projects?
I am currently working on a book called The Bluegrass Musician and it’s the story about my fiancé Steven Dowdy and how he stared in his father’s bluegrass country band called The Bluegrass Brother’s out of Salem/Roanoke Virginia.
10. What is your advice to aspiring young writers out there?
Young writers should read and write regularly and embrace the learning process to develop their own unique voices and skills.
You can purchase copies of her books at:
Book Link:
Amazon.com: Allistar Anne Banks: books, biography, latest update
Amazon Paperback Links for The Heart of a Mother: Stories of Love, Strength, and Sacrifice Across Generations
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♥️ USA:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1966798660
♥️ United Kingdom:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1966798660
♥️ Germany:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/1966798660
♥️ France:
https://www.amazon.fr/dp/1966798660
♥️ Spain:
https://www.amazon.es/dp/1966798660
♥️ Italy:
https://www.amazon.it/dp/1966798660
♥️ Netherlands:
https://www.amazon.nl/dp/1966798660
♥️ Poland:
https://www.amazon.pl/dp/1966798660
♥️ Sweden:
https://www.amazon.se/dp/1966798660
♥️ Japan:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/1966798660
♥️ Canada:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1966798660
♥️ Australia:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1966798660
