Author Allison Temple (aka Alli Temple) joins me to talk about writing what lights you up—even when it breaks the “rules.” From male/male small‑town rom‑coms to a smash hit sapphic pirate series and a weirdly wonderful trilogy about the Afterlife, Allison shares how she builds worlds around characters and built her brand around stories she loves. We dig into shelving projects without shame, writing across genres, and how to protect your joy.
Highlights:
- Character‑first worldbuilding (and why vibes matter)
- Brand clarity without boxing yourself in
- Indie pros/cons: control, speed, and realistic cadence
- Visibility tactics: backlist marketing, niche positioning, in‑person connections
- Celebrating milestones that actually feel good (drafts > release day)
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Where to find Allison (Alli) Temple online
Website: http://allitemple.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisontemplebooks/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@allisontemplebooks
Links to Allison (Alli) Temple’s books we talked about
Vacation from Hell – Book 3 in the Afterlife, Incorporated series: https://amzn.to/4nQrPdD
Afterlife Incorporated series – all three books in the series: https://amzn.to/4dKSP9X
Uncharted: A Sapphic Pirate Romantasy – Book 1 in The Pirate & Her Princess series: https://amzn.to/4nZu8LG
The Pirate and her Princess: The Compete Series – includes all three books: https://amzn.to/4a9Y2qA
My Not-So-Super Blind Date: A Time Loop Rom-Com – part of the Subparheroes series: https://amzn.to/4vhPhDf
Ski-Crossed Lovers – part of the Love on the Podium series: https://amzn.to/4uxXi6N
The Pick Up – Single dad falls for his daughter’s teacher: https://amzn.to/4vgTTcS
Other stuff mentioned in the podcast
The Artisan Author: The Low Stress, High-Quality, Fan-Focused Approach to Escaping the Publishing Rat Race by Johnny B. Truant: https://amzn.to/4dLGSAy
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland: https://amzn.to/42Xbw5e
About Allison Temple
Allison lives in Toronto with her very patient husband and the world’s cutest team of rescue pets. She tries to split her time between writing, exploring Toronto’s parks, and traveling anywhere that has good wine. Tragically, this leaves no time to clean the house.
About Jen Graybeal
Jen Graybeal (she/her) is dedicated to empowering authors through encouraging feedback, collaborative problem solving and gently-applied tough love. In eleven years of coaching, workshops, and editing projects, she has helped over a thousand authors create stories they are proud of and businesses that align with their individual vision of success. Jen is an award-winning mindfulness-trained Creativity Coach, and international speaker with a degree in English, an ever-expanding TBR pile, and a furball assistant that is usually on her lap. Visit her website for client testimonials at www.jentheeditor.com or follow her on social media: @JenTheEditor. Listen to the Books, Business & Mindset podcast, now available on all your favorite podcast apps.
Work It: A 6- Week Coaching Intensive for Authors
Information, Wait List Sign Up, testimonials: https://www.jentheeditor.com/work-it
Where to find Jen
Website: https://www.jentheeditor.com/
All the socials: @jentheeditor
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